Dear Reader,
There is such beauty in the rhythm of the seasons, a rhythm that is echoed in the routine of each college year. Excitement fills the start of the semester as our campus welcomes a new class and upperclassmen return, eager to reunite with friends and colleagues. The lawns are pristine, and campus is charged with possibility. Thankfully, the temperature cools down as fall approaches and the trees on campus turn hues of red, orange, and yellow. Then comes winter, bringing with it a range of emotions and experiences. Many of us relish in holidays with family, while others of us feel the deadness of winter from the lack of sunlight. Our experience is dependent on what awaits us at home—loneliness for some, coziness for others.
We enter into a new calendar year as we return from winter break, and eventually step into spring, a season that brings warmth and light. Campus begins to bloom around us, and the sunshine fills the sky later and later into the day. And yet, the end of a spring semester often comes with emotions that don’t always match the joy of life outside. Perhaps you look back on this year and semester with deep gratitude—this semester has been filled with unexpected joys, deepening of friendships, and excitement in your studies. Perhaps you look back disappointed or angry at unexpected frustrations. Likely, you are feeling a mix of both. While the world around us transitions into a season that promises new life, we often feel burnt out by our role as students. Part of us longs to find joy, creativity, and energy in the work that we do. We entered college as freshmen, excited at the possibility of creating something of our lives, forming our identity, establishing our place in the world, and satisfying our desire to learn. And yet, it doesn’t always feel as though each college year fulfills our desires to be a creator and learner.
While the world around us transitions into a season that promises new life, we often feel burnt out by our role as students.
The theme for this semester’s Synesis issue is: Creator, Created, Creating. We intentionally wanted to focus on a theme that would both ignite curiosity and provide rest in a busy time of year. The process of creation is a complicated one which demands much consideration. What does it mean to be a creator, to innovate and add new contributions to the world? What does it mean to be a human being in the midst of a world around us that some believe has a created order and others think has been randomly put together? Is there space for rest in the creative process? My hope is that as you take time to read these pieces, you can rest in the experience of enjoying fellow students’ creations and walk away encouraged to consider what joyful creativity may look like in your life.
Lastly, I want to say thank you. To my board, thank you for your faithful and diligent work—I am continually encouraged by your deep dedication to the mission of this organization. To everyone who kindly offered additional help editing this semester, thank you! You were an invaluable part of Synesis this semester. Paige and Eric, thank you for your consistent guidance and support. Finally, to this semester’s writers, thank you for your hard work. I am continually amazed at all that you are thinking about, and I am excited to celebrate your work by releasing this issue.
May this semester’s issue bring life and encouragement!
With much joy and gratitude,
Eowyn Oh
Editor in Chief,
Vanderbilt Synesis