Eclectic Staff
We couldn't have done it without the hard work and dedication of every single staff member. Each and every one is important and has played a crucial role in putting this together! Thank you for your commitment and effort.
Lead Editors
Lily Shelton
Lily is a cup of lukewarm herbal tea, sitting on the edge somewhere between two states of being. Previously prepared hours before, the tea leaves have brewed far too long; the notes of rosemary and citrus, intended to be subtle, now belt out above the reserved green tea base, misleading any unassuming person who drinks the concoction. At first, bitterness fills the mouth, and all senses are overwhelmed by the floral symphony erupting in their mouth. Then, as it trickles down the throat, a jaw-aching, saccharine syrup chokes them. These flavors, combined with the unpleasant temperature--not as calming as hot tea, but not refreshing like iced tea--leave the drinker confused. Driven by morbid curiosity and stubborn resolve, one more sip is taken; this time, the flavors slowly mesh together, and the tea makes a bit more sense. Maybe there's space in the pantry for this obscure botanical blend.
Thomas Sigler
Thomas is a spoonful of local honey. Its sweet flavor is like calm music on a spring day, comforting the soul. His particular blend came from the flowers of all the places he is from, pollinated by honeybees of all varieties. He strives to be a sweetening touch to everything he interacts with and looks eagerly towards his future.
General Staff
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Abbie Blount
Abbie is the oats that fill a cardboard carton in the cupboard. She has the grounds to become a variety of dishes, from savory to sweet, across several applications. But most of all, she hopes she will be a warm bowl of spiced oatmeal on a chilly fall day. She hopes to be a comfort and to make a difference in people’s lives, however small that difference may be in the grand scheme of things. While unassuming at first, she has the potential for great things, no matter the path she follows.
Rena Kerndl
Rena is the comfort of a cheesy noodle dish late at night; she is a warm bowl of macaroni and cheese. She prefers simplicity over anything else--nothing needs to be more complicated than necessary. The two ingredients of creamy cheese and curled pasta provide a wonder of opportunities and boundless creativity. She finds herself craving time, constantly racing against the clock, leaving little room for elaborate dinners. When the timer ticks down and the water begins to boil, she can see the fruit of her work in the steaming solace of the macaroni. Add any spices, any meat, any vegetable and she will adapt. She is versatile, but remains herself through and through. You can always recognize maraconi and cheese for what it is, no matter what changes.
Danielle Kessler
Danielle is a big bowl of yummy ice cream-- very, very sweet. Though the many different flavors reflect her variety of moods throughout the day. At first, she may seem plain and a delight to anyone who approaches her (also known as vanilla), but over time, it is easy to notice that she is way more complex (a mix of all the flavors together). Danielle is always cold. Constantly shivering as well. As she sits at the table, what was once a solid, simple girl quickly turns into a stressed, liquid mess.
Eve Hampson
Eve is a sugar cookie topped with rainbow sprinkles. So many ingredients make her up, different colored sprinkles representing the different colors of her personality. Like the comforting smell of freshly baked cookies, Eve tries to be a comforting presence around whoever she can; she tries her best to make people happy. Just like the joy that comes from biting into a warm, freshly baked sugar cookie, Eve is to be the person that brings a little brightness to someone’s day.
Aaron Spence
Made up of many different talents and interests, Aaron is pizza. Although not his favorite food, the many types of pizza (deep dish, thin crust, etc.) and the infinite number of toppings you can add (pepperoni, pineapple, etc.) perfectly represent how he can adapt to situations while still staying true to himself and his core identity. These many different combinations also showcase his creativity and ability to use anything to create art, whether musical or visual. Pizza is also a food that is loved and usually shared by many people. This fact describes his talent for bringing people together and making people happy through humor.
Lew Petersson
Lew is a strawberry. An oh so versatile strawberry. She pleases with ease, but where to put her? Any crowd will do: any platter, any dessert, any snack bowl. She blends in with any environment. But it gets tiring to have the same accent on every meal. Not every dessert can have a strawberry on top, not every snack platter should be stained red at the end of the gathering, and not every fruit salad needs more seeds. To be made to please means that you are made to bore. One day, the crowds will be tired of her redundant performance. And one day, she will take her final bow and return to the compost that always seemed to long for her.
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Sharon Li
Sharon is a big bowl of seaweed soup-- comforting and warm. It's different, still traditional, and the flavors aren't the same. A bowl filled full of hazy memories and a hint of nostalgia. Yet she wishes to go back to when things weren't so complicated. Nevertheless, she can't complain because the taste of nostalgia from her grandma's seaweed soup is more than enough to make her happy.
Darci Kilpatrick
Darci is a tub of ice cream soothing a breakup. She heals the ache of a broken, fragile heart. As they cry and cry together, the sweetness of her reconciles the pain. Spoonful after spoonful, she numbs the hurt. Sometimes she begins to melt, having aided for too long. She continues to drip until she ends up on the floor. The cycle continues forever more: soothe, numb, melt, and fall.
Skyler Boyd
Skyler is a pizza slider. He is different than normal pizza, yet he tastes the goodness like normal pizza. He is very delicious, a mini pizza sandwich. He knows what he does brings people. He is a pizza slider, not pizza. There is no metaphor, he is just different than others. Yet he still tastes good, if not better than pizza. He's quick, and you can put your favorites on it.
Celeste Shurtz
Celeste is a pot of mac-and-cheese. Sometimes the pasta isn't cooked the same, or there's a different amount of cheese in the sauce. She likes to stay in the pot on the stove where it's warm and comfortable. She's at her best when she's carefully prepared, but sometimes chooses the easier option. When she's scooped out of the pot, she likes to stick with the spoon, holding to it, but once she starts to move, she willingly falls to her new plate or bowl, slowly filling it. Yet, she does tend to leave some of herself on the spoon.
Hallie Parvin
Hallie is the first bite of a Cutie in summer- sweet, ripe, and just right. With just a gentle pull of the peel, it reveals a sun-kissed spark of citrus. Small enough to fit in your palm. Satisfies your sweet tooth perfectly without the intense sugar rush. A moment of light you can taste.
Jackson Clemons
Jackson is a bowl of squid ink pasta. He is a little salty like its flavor and he is as pretentious as it sounds, but somewhat sophisticated. He does not exactly follow the usual recipe; he is kind of odd.
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Maddie Carrigg
Maddie is a perfectly prepared matcha. A glass full of a vibrant green liquid that entices many, but only the truly enamored stay. She wants to be known and loved by those who truly enjoy her presence. The strong taste pairs nicely with those whose sweetness bleeds through the sharp tang. The true flavor is hidden beneath a layer of bitterness that can only be broken by prolonged exposure to her. Breaking through this layer of her's uncovers the innermost hints of a flavor that provides a calming sense of peace and tranquility.
Jacob New
Jacob is a bundle of wheat on the side of the road. He is brimming with potential for complacency or transformation, but at the end of the day, he is a grain. Surrounded by dust, he is a cereal plant that grows in big wheat fields. He is wheat. This is not a metaphor; he is wheat in a bundle on the side of the road. He is stuck there.
Nathan Gagne
Nathan is sitting at a table in a restaurant that no longer exists. The meal being served: Ortolan Bunting for one. The ortolan has suffered greatly to be here today, so the waiter said. The bird is first trapped in a lightless box, forced to eat until it can no longer move. Only when it has doubled in bulk can the Ortolan be drowned in brandy. The bird is then thoroughly plucked clean and broiled in its own fat. The Ortolan is presented to Nathan on a silver plate, where it will be eaten underneath a napkin to shield from the judgment of God. And, morality be damned, as long as God cannot witness the unholy decadence of this meal, Nathan will enjoy it.
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Janiah Thomas
Janiah Thomas is sweet, but also salty. Janiah is none other than kettle corn. She shines due to her joyous personality and witty humor. She is a balance of comfort, kindness, originality, and spunk. However, even though salt is often associated with spunk. Salt represents concepts like purity, preservation, loyalty, and spiritual strength. In contrast to that, sugar represents abundance. In addition, within indigenous cultures of the Americas, corn is seen as a sacred gift from the Earth that provides sustenance and goodness. Janiah perfectly embodies the qualities of this sweet treat during her day to day life, and aims to bring joy just like kettle corn.
Savannah Augustson
Savannah is a strawberry cheesecake. Sometimes you try and prepare it and it fails, sometimes you prepare it and it's a great success! She likes taking time to prepare while also making sure things turn out the way she wants. Just like cheesecake, she's the perfect blend of sweet and tangy. She tries to make everyone love her, even if she isn't their favorite. Bringing smiles to people's faces is what she loves to see. Even if she fails repeatedly, she keeps on trying until it's as good as it can be.
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Tyler Parker
Tyler is a vertically cut sandwich, aka, the ONLY way to cut a sandwich. Many believe that diagonally cut sandwiches are the superior delicacy for modern-day sandwich eating. However, Tyler does not think so. Tyler believes that all sandwiches are equal at the end of the day, but one is clearly better. If Tyler receives a diagonally cut sandwich at a restaurant, he will politely send it back and have the staff remake the sandwich and cut it properly. Whether it is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a BLT, Tyler will ALWAYS cut it vertically.
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Drayton Walker
Drayton would be a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. A warm dessert that brings joy and comfort based on the smell alone, he brings a positive mindset, a warm smile, and an encouraging demeanor. Like a cinnamon roll, Drayton lights up a room, and similar to how a cinnamon roll is enjoyable to eat, he is a joy to be around.
Cypress Bryce
Cypress is a strawberry shortcake. She is a whole lot of layers mushed together, sometimes messy and sometimes cleaned up. Maybe she has some neat whipped cream swirls, or maybe they're melted and dripping and weird. Sometimes she’s tart, sometimes she’s sweet, with lots of strawberries that change very often. Cypress is strawberries, cake, and whipped cream, a lighthearted mix that’s never pristine, and no matter how it remains in your mind, the recipe for this cake is always changing with time.
Jordin Dunning
Jordin is an infinite plate of Salmon and Rice. Salmon is like a burst of laughter, vibrant and full of life, while rice is the warm, fluffy friend that absorbs all that joy. Together, they create a delicious harmony, reminding us that life is best enjoyed with giggles and good company. Just like Jordin Dunning brings smiles wherever she goes!
Gavin Alger
Gavin is a Krabby Patty. His lifestyle is the secret formula. His ambition and unique perspective paves the way to build-out his vision.
Cas Congdon
Some would say Cas is hot-headed, others would say she's out of control or fun. That's why Cas is spaghetti and meatballs. She's all of those things. She's messy, she's fun, she can be out of control, and she has many wonderful things (that's the meatballs, y'know). Not everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs, but there's a lot that do.
Sable DiNoto
Sable DiNoto is like a warm cookie that came out of the oven, comforting, inviting, and leaving you with a feeling of pure happiness. A gentle warmth that melts away stress and a sweetness that brightens even the darkest days.
Eli Fronckowiak
Eli is a lot like a coconut hanging on by the threads of his luscious locks from a palm tree in the Bahamas. He behaves as if he lives there, calm as can be, and mentally prepared for anything moving his way. Such as a coconut, it's easy to get past the first layer, but the next one isn't as simple. He is the vague sweetness of the water encased in what can only be described as the true feeling of his being, the white endosperm that is the meat of a coconut, that brings out the ecstasy from those near him.