Table Of Content

A Near Miss Awards Issue 2006 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/nearmissawardsis2006edjo A Near Miss Awards Issue 2006 University ofSouth Carolina Upstate Vol. 6 Spring 2006 No. 1 Preface For the sixth year, The University of South Carolina Up- A state proudly presents the efforts ofarea high school students in NearMiss. Each entry selected underwent rigorous scrutiny. The poetry, visual art, and fiction found within these pages displays some ofthe finest local talent ofthe Greenville-Spartanburg area. Congratulations to thestudentswho arefeaturedinthiseditionand congratulations to their teachers whose hard work, dedication and enthusiasm have inspired them. Jonathan Barker Editor ii A NearMiss Acknowledgements Thepublication ofylNearMissinvolves theeffortsofmanyorgani- zations and people who lend their energy, skill, and enthusiasm for the arts to this project. Thanks are due to: IndexxPrintingSolutions CEO Jordan Finn, SherryJenkins, Sales Vicki Riggins, Customer Service Rep The University ofSouth Carolina Upstate Dr. ReginaldAvery, Vice Chancellor ofAcademicAffairs Dr. York Bradshaw, Dean ofthe College ofArts and Sciences Dr. Richard Predmore, Chair, Languages, Literature and Composition Ms. Carla Owings, AdministrativeAssistant Mr. Les Davis, StudentAssistant Ms. April Lee, StudentAssistant Ms. Charmaine Hazekamp, Printing Services And a final thanks is due to Mr. Mitchell S. Easter, who assisted in judging the entries this year. ANearMiss Hi iv A NearMiss TABLE OF CONTENTS The Prizewinners 2005 SpecialAwardforCoverArt: EliseLyles SpartanburgHighSchool Cynthia Goforth Katie Collins 2 HeatherTroutman 21 Jenna Lyles 7 Lyn Radke 22 Max Cobb 9 Logan Harrell 23 SarahTennant 16 Cameron Rotton 24 Michael Smith 17 Ann Crosby 26 Megan Owens 18 PaKouLy 27 Martin Sanchez 19 Brenda Diaz 28 Markie Caddis 20 Poetry, Fiction, Art, 2005 Megan Owens 30 RobynRode 45 RichLyda 31 Harrison Williams 46 Pamela Brown 32 Sabelyn Thorpe 47 MicahTaylor 33 Latasha Boyd 48 Kendal Lisk 33 Sarah Carnick 49 Samantha Brown 34 Ann Kennedy 50 Amber GafFney 35 Anna Le 50 Katie Collins 36 Leland HoUowell 51 JoshTurner 37 Chase Fowler 53 Emilie Rossett 37 SarahTennat 54 Shakara Shuford 38 Jamal Otijele 56 TimJames 39 AbbeyWells 57 ClaireAtkins 39 Ha Nguyen 58 KaylaMurfF. 40 Elaine Koutroulias 59 Janene Rawley 41 Brian Fitzsimmons 60 Rachael Gallman 42 KirbyTate 61 Geoffrey Billetter 42 Addie Bunn 62 ChrisAllen 43 Alison Monahan 63 TinaBu 44 Carole Garrison 64 ANearMiss v Brandon Harris 65 KelvinTurner 94 Jonathan Thompson 65 Caroline Roper 94 Emily Clark 66 Clint Drake 95 PamAngelakis 67 Caroline Monaghan 96 Beth Bennett 68 KristinaAustin 97 JakeAdams 68 KatyPletcher 98 Mary Murphy 69 AlexWetherill 99 Jessica Hill 70 Ross Brady 100 Shane Goode 71 JessicaWigington 72 Alicia Smith 73 CanaanWhiteneck 74 Barry Burgess 75 Patrick Brennan 76 GaryMoore 77 JayAult 77 Myriah Reed 78 AnnaKate Rawles 79 Ciera Martinez 80 Candace Edwards 81 Katie Durham 82 Campbell Price 83 Mindy Former 83 Rachael Olson 84 Wesley Long 84 Kendyl Mattson 85 Jacob Reeves 86 Ashlee Wagner 87 Sarah Klein 87 Michelle Flemming 88 Paige Poplin 88 Elizabeth Epperly 89 Michael Smith 90 Anna Chandler 91 Laura Merritt 92 Logan Harrell 93 vi A NearMiss The Winners Prize 2006 First Place Fiction Rain Indumati closed hereyes andwislied the rain away. Ithad rolled in nine days ago, the turbulent water ofLake Charles reflected in the boiling, burstingcloudsabove.Thewindhadprecededtherain, dancingawildtango with the tree branches, swirling the power lines like girls playing Double Dutch. Indumati had been asleep when the first drops fell, trailing down thewindowabove her bed, casting astrange patternwith the vague light of morningon herface. Shehadawoken slowly, pulled fromherdreamsbythe perpetual plop ofthe raindrops on the roofabove her. Asweetsmile graced herlipsasshe recalledthedreamshehadjustdepartedfrom.Adarklyhand- some man had metherupon afieldofsunflowers,whiskingherawayon his chestnut horse from the life she had known, and carrying her on toward a perfectdestiny.As Indumatiseyesopened, thesmilefadedfromherlips; she was thrustbackinto harsh reality. Therewas no loverupon achestnuthorse, come tosaveherfromherfate, onlyherweddingsaristandinginthecorner, waiting to be donned. IndumatisfamilyhademigratedfromIndiaalmosttenyearsago. She couldstillvividlyrecall hergrandparents' reactionswhenherfatherhad told them theywere going to America. Her grandmother had nearly leapt from herchairwithjoyandhergrandfather'sfacehadluminosityinitthatradiated throughout the entire room. For as long as Indumati could remember, her grandparentshadbeenencouragingthefamilytoleaveIndia,togotoAmerica whereopportunitybeckoned. Theythemselveswould notleave; theirelderly bodieswereplantedfirmlyinIndiansoil,butthestoriesandrumorsofAmerica had reached even theirwrinkledears and theydesired nothing more than to departfrom theearthknowingthattheirdescendantshadcreatedanamefor themselves in the land offreedom. Indumati herselfwas thrilled. Because of their traditional Indian background, Indumati's parents enforcedstrict rules and requirements on their children. She hoped the move toAmericawould lighten her parents' heavy hand and thrust them into the modern world. However, during the first few months oflife in America, Indumati's hopes withered away. Ifanything, herparentshadonlybecomeharder, moreset in their ways, and more intent on maintaining a conservative Indian life. The partthatstruckIndumaticlosesttoheartwasthattheyinsistedonanarranged marriage for their daughter. Therewas to be no courtship, no meeting, just marriage to a man ofher parents' choosing. She could remember distinctly 2 A NearMiss