Central College released the 2026 issue of Synaptic, the annual assemblage of outstanding student work from across a wide array of academic disciplines. Synaptic integrates the arts and English programs, highlighting excellence in creativity and academics by Central students.
Editors of this year’s Synaptic are Keilah Brewer, Class of 2026, Elyse Shaw, Class of 2027, and Shaylee Smet, Class of 2026. The collection features ceramics, chalice vessel art, poetry, essays, prose, podcast and videos. Valerie Billing, associate professor of English, and Mat Kelly, Kenneth J. Weller Distinguished Professorship of the Liberal Arts and professor of art, serve as faculty advisors, and Beth McMahon, associate professor of library science, served as guest editor.
The 2026 winner of the John Allen Award for best piece of student writing is Chris Ver Heul, Class of 2026 communication studies major, from Monroe, Iowa, for his work, “I Am the Food That Feeds the Fish.” This essay weaves together personal memoir and environmental advocacy, exploring the ecological history of Lake Red Rock and the threat posed by invasive silver carp to Iowa’s native waterways.
The Synaptic cover features a metal sculpture called “Mr. Mischief” by Ava Lucas, Class of 2028 art and secondary education major, from Marshalltown, Iowa. The animal sculpture is constructed out of nonferrous sheet metal using cold connections without soldering.
Other student works featured in this year’s edition are:
“Shifting Faces,” short story, by Owen Brase, Class of 2026 psychology major, Mount Vernon, Iowa.
“Untitled,” lidded vessel, by Amelia Brown, 2025 Central graduate with a musical theatre and art major, Prairie City, Iowa.
“Las Temporadas de la Juventud en ‘Canción de Otoño en Primavera’ de Rubén Darío,” essay, by Katy Brown, Class of 2027, business management and communication studies major, West Alton, Missouri.
“Why Video Game Companies Should Be Held Accountable for Manipulative Strategies,” research essay, by Isaiah Cochran, Class of 2029 undeclared major, Des Moines, Iowa, and Jack Jurgens, Class of 2029 undeclared major, Pleasant Hill, Iowa.
“I Remember the First Stroke,” video, by Colbe Cruz, Class of 2026 English major, Johnston, Iowa.
“Internal Struggles,” mixed media art, and “Goblet of Life,” chalice vessel art, by Rylinn Dale, Class of 2027 art and musical theatre major, Marshalltown, Iowa.
“The Normalized Objectification of Disabilities in Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Good Country People,’” essay, by Rylie Grabau, Class of 2029 undeclared major, Tucson, Arizona.
“Variation in Grazing Duration Between Different Domestic Horse Breeds,” research paper, by Hannah Higgins, Class of 2026 environmental and sustainability studies and biology major, Macomb, Illinois.
“Inherited Waters,” ceramic art, by Lauren Husz, Class of 2026 art major, Hampton, Iowa.
“Nature’s Inspiration,” video, by Lucianna Laidlaw, Class of 2026 music education – instrumental major, Pella, Iowa.
“From Imports to Identity,” research paper, by Jomar Leon, summer Upward Bound 2025 student, Des Moines, Iowa.
“Untitled,” ceramic art, by Lauren Litterer, 2025 Central graduate with a biology and environmental and sustainability studies major, East Lansing, Michigan.
“In Bloom,” chalice vessel art, by Katelyn McCallum, Class of 2028 undeclared major, Snohomish, Washington.
“Tobey’s Prison,” illustration, by Ashley Purk, Class of 2027 Spanish and art major, Ira, Iowa.
“The Many Faces of Bob Dylan: Masking at the Center of Identity and Authenticity,” research paper, by Anikah Rath, Class of 2026 business management major, Ottumwa, Iowa.
“Generations Aboard,” podcast, by Lilly Trager, Class of 2029 undeclared major, Ellendale, Minnesota, and Abby Wilshusen, Class of 2029 undeclared major, Colona, Illinois.
“Resilience,” chalice vessel art, by Delaney Wilhelms, Class of 2027 communication studies major, Lanark, Illinois.
“O Quarterback, My Quarterback,” poetry, and “The Knees of Nature,” research essay, by Jacob Williamson, Class of 2026 psychology major, Iowa City, Iowa.
The 2026 issue of Synaptic is available online at https://central.edu/writing-anthology/.
