From the Editors:

Welcome to this issue of The Banyan, Clackamas Community College’s online publication of excellent student writing. For this issue, we have collected essays that explore and question who we are and what we should be doing--and, in a number, the implications of what we are eating.  In these pages, you’ll find vivid description of what it feels like to visit Berlin, of what Rock 'n' Rock has done to the country, of how it feels to be the father at the birth of a child, of the juvenile combat many boys find themselves pulling into, and much more.  You'll discover key questions writers have wrestled with, including ways our media are manipulated as they race toward the next chance for sensationalism, ways of approaching an aging father who is battling cancer but not open to change, ways a film by Ang Lee or poems by Lucille Clifton or A.E. Housman reveal perspectives and dimensions not always easy to classify. 

In each writing included here, the author has something important to say, whether the essay is short, backing the central point with a few quick snapshots, or longer, expanding to explore intricacies and depths.

To teachers and students: we are always scouting for material for forthcoming issues (we plan two a year), so please keep us in mind as a way to share excellent work with a wider audience.

Thanks and congratulations to all who are published here.

Jim Grabill
Andy Mingo
Joel Sheller