Messiah College: MOSAIC (Messiah's Open Scholarship And Intellectual Creativity)

Highlight include:   Student Research Grant Student Poetry Reading Augmented Reality Exhibition National Library Week Student Handbell Ringers: Emmy and Esther Friend Spotlight: Abigail Andrews \u2708 Recaps: Mini Golf, Sow and Grow, Lunch and Lear

Murray Library

Messiah University 
Mosaic 
Library Publications Library 
4-2025 
Murray Library April 2025 Newsletter 
Murray Library 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/lib_pub 
 Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Library and Information Science Commons 
Permanent URL: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/lib_pub/62 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
 
 
  
 
 
Ask a 
Student Poetry Reading 
Can’t find the book or article you need? Try Interlibrary Loan!  Go to the library website, click on “Interlibrary 
Loan” to create an account and fill out the form.  Receive books within days to 2 weeks & articles within hours to a week. 
 
 
Mon.-Thurs., 8AM-11PM  -  Sat., 10AM-6PM 
Fri., 8AM-5PM  -  Sun., 2PM-11PM 
 
Tuesday, April 15 | Noon – 12:45 PM 
Take a break and join Murray Library for a lunchtime poetry reading in 
honor of National Poetry Month! Students from Dr. Matt Roth’s Formal 
Poetry Workshop (ENGL 312) will share their original poems at Café 
Diem. Bring your love for poetry for this opportunity to enjoy the creativity 
of our student poets and immersing yourself in the beauty of language. 
Complimentary snacks and beverages will be provided by Murray 
Library and the President’s Office. 
As a special treat, all attendees are invited to take home poetry books, 
generously provided by a donor. 
 
 
 
April 2025 

 
  
 
 
Sharing their Musical Gifts 
 
 
Happy National Library Week 
 
 
Did you know April 6th-12th is National Library Week?  
This year’s theme is “Drawn to the Library.” We would 
love to hear about what draws you to the library or library 
resources. Stop by the table near the main staircase all 
week to fill out a card saying what you love about the 
library or librarians and be entered to win a gift card to 
Café Diem! Library staff will be present on Monday 4/7/25 
from 9:45-11am and 1:45-3pm with some extra prizes!  
We hope to see you there! 
 
 
We’re excited to highlight two of our student circulation workers, senior 
Emmy Varner (Public History) and junior Esther Hess (Environmental 
Science), who are members of the Messiah University Handbell Choir! 
Alongside longtime ringer Librarian Liz Kielley, they’ve been preparing for an 
upcoming concert that promises to be a enjoyable event.  Esther has been 
playing handbells for four years and said, “My favorite thing about playing 
handbells is the teamwork that is necessary to produce music. Each person 
only plays a few notes so alone there is no music, but when everyone plays 
together it sounds beautiful.” 
The Messiah University Handbell Choir will perform on Saturday, April 26th, 
1:30 PM at the High Center, High Foundation Recital Hall. The group 
especially looks forward to performing an arrangement of “For Good” from 
Wicked. The concert is free and open to the public. Join them for this 
fantastic performance and support Emmy, Esther, and Librarian Liz as they 
showcase their musical talents. 
 
Librarians are available in person  
Monday through Friday.   
Visit the Circulation Desk and ask for a librarian 
or contact a librarian to set up an appointment. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Occasionally, we will highlight Friends of Murray Library members to learn 
more about them and why they are Friends. This month’s Friend is Abigail 
Andrews ’08, a Friend since October 2022, and her favorite book is From the 
Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.  Following her 
internship at Murray Library in her senior year, Abigail became a Children’s 
Library Associate at the Washington County Free Library in Maryland.  
 
When asked why she supports Friends of Murray Library, Abigail said, “Murray 
Library was such an important part of my time at Messiah. I spent countless 
hours doing research, studying, and accessing materials within its walls. I 
support Friends so that that current and future Messiah students will 
benefit from everything Murray Library has to offer.” 
 
Abigail also gives to the Ruth E. Engle Memorial Collection of Children's Book 
Illustration. “My Children's Literature class used the Engle Collection as part of 
our classwork.  Seeing artwork like that up close and without having to visit 
a museum was an incredible opportunity,” Abigail said.  
 
 
 
Friend Spotlight 
 
Exhibit at Messiah Pathways Institute 
 
Like many alumni, Murray Library played a role in Abigail’s decision to attend Messiah: “The actual moment that I knew I 
wanted to attend Messiah happened when the tour guide brought us into Murray Library, over to the glass wall, and had us 
look down on the stacks.  That was it!  Whenever I did campus tours, I always made sure to visit that same spot with 
prospective families.” 
 
We are grateful for the support of donors like Abigail. If you would like to ensure that Messiah students continue to have 
the best possible library experience, join Friends of Murray Library today by visiting Messiah.edu/friendsofmurraylibrary. 
 
Ruth E. Engle Memorial Collection of Children’s Book Illustration 
Thomas Locker, Cloud Dance (2000) 
Circulating Copy Call Number: Fiction L815 Cl 2000 in the Juvenile Fiction section 
 
Thomas Locker acknowledged two great passions—-painting and nature. 
Born in New York, Locker began his career as a landscape painter. His 
paintings have been featured in more than fifty exhibitions in major 
galleries throughout the United States and abroad. Locker began 
illustrating books for children when he discovered that few of the books 
published for young readers were dedicated to teaching them an 
appreciation for the type of landscape paintings one might find in the 
National Galleries of the world. Today, Locker’s paintings and 
illustrations grace the pages of thirty books, several of which he also 
wrote. These unique books, expressing Locker’s profound love of and 
respect for the natural world, have honored with numerous awards, 
including the Christopher Award, the John Burroughs Award, and a New 
York Times Award for best illustration. 
The strength of Cloud Dance, as with many of Locker’s works, “is the way 
Locker lets his paintings do most of the talking,” writes Booklist reviewer 
Tim Arnold. “Austere lines of text are complemented by art that goes 
beyond the call of illustrative duty to reveal the wonder and beauty of the 
sky in different seasons….” 
 
 
Accompanying text:  
Clouds of many shapes and sizes drift and  
dance across the sky. 
 
We invite you to learn more about Murray Library’s special collections .  
Come visit and experience these collections for yourself. 
 
 
 
 
A Tee-rific Time at Murray Library! 
On Friday, March 28, Murray Library transformed into a mini golf course for a fun and unique 
event. Over 94 attendees gathered to play a round of golf through 18 creatively designed holes, 
each brought to life by different campus clubs, offices, and groups. Players navigated the 
quirky courses, offering a memorable night of friendly competition and community spirit. 
The event featured holes from a variety of campus organizations, including the Graduate 
School Programs, Oakes Museum, Writing Center, Office of Academic Accessibility, BRPS 
Department, MU Athletics, Social Work Club, and many others. Each hole provided its own 
challenge and creative twist to their messaging.  The hole from the Office of Academic 
Accessibility was voted as the crowd’s favorite. 
 
 
 
Murray Library held its annual Lunch and Learn event on Wednesday, 
March 26th from noon to 1PM. About seventeen attendees enjoyed hearing 
from Wesley Paris in the Office of Sustainability about the history, 
science, and processes involved with tapping maple trees for syrup. 
Wesley also shared the experience of working on his own project of maple 
tapping on campus with examples of equipment used and provided time 
for any questions from his audience. Attendees were then treated to 
vanilla ice cream with maple syrup toppings at the 
 end of the presentation. 
 
 
Sow and Grow 
Lunch & Learn 
On Thursday, March 20th, Murray Library held its Sow and Grow event from 
2:30PM to 3:30PM to celebrate the first day of Spring. More than twenty-five 
visitors to the library were able to plant their own marigold flowers, including 
the varieties of Crackerjack Mixed, French Double Dwarf, Sparky, and an 
unknown mystery variety. The Office of Sustainability partnered with the 
library on this event, supplying soil from the Grantham garden and sustainable 
toilet paper roll pots for easy, biodegradable transplanting. This event also 
raised awareness for the Seed Library, and visitors were encouraged to pick 
up a marigold care paper with a QR code taking them to the Seed Library 
LibGuide on the Murray Library website. In addition, Seed Library stickers and 
informational brochures were also provided. 
 
 
 
In addition to the fun of the game, 
attendees enjoyed snacks and refreshing 
Arnold Palmer drinks, making the evening 
even more enjoyable. With plenty of 
laughs, friendly rivalries, and a few 
bogies, it was a fantastic night. 
Thanks to the hard work of Rachael Jasitt, Sarah Myers, Janet Vogel, and 
Jenny Lawyer who coordinated the planning and ensured everything ran 
smoothly. Special thanks to all the organizations that participated and 
contributed to making the night a great success. Liberty Forge Golf Course 
graciously provided their mini golf putters for the night.  This was the 9th time 
hosting the mini golf event.  The Library Team enjoys the opportunity to 
connect with the campus community in unique and meaningful ways. 
 
 
 


English

Murray Library April 2025 Newsletter

Highlights include:   Student Research Grant awarded Library receives grant for study pod

Messiah University 
Mosaic 
Library Publications Library 
5-2025 
Murray Library May 2025 Newsletter 
Murray Library 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/lib_pub 
 Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Library and Information Science Commons 
Permanent URL: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/lib_pub/63 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
 
 
  
 
Ask a 
Exam Cram! 
Mon.-Thurs., 8AM-11PM  -  Sat., 10AM-6PM 
Fri., 8AM-5PM  -  Sun., 2PM-11PM 
  
May 2025 
 
 
Murray Library wants to help students survive 
Finals Week with some fun stress relief activities.   
 
We will be open May 4 & 5 until 1am and May 6 
until midnight.   
 
Her research project is entitled "The Great Books and Me: Ethical Formation in the 
Classroom."  With Olivia's goal of becoming a high school literature teacher at a 
Classical, Christian school, her project pertains to the kinds of literature teachers 
curate for their students to read and the way these teachers guide their students 
through the texts.  Olivia’s research will involve looking at records of historical 
curriculum for literature classrooms over time.  She plans to visit The University of 
Virginia Archives, housed within the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections 
Library, which holds a wealth of records related to education, including student 
records, faculty papers, and university publications, accessible for research and 
historical study. 
Her project also seeks to bring many voices into the conversation surrounding 
literature and reading.  Two significant voices contributing to her project are that of 
Dr. Mark Edmundson and Dr. Angel Adams Parham, both of whom are professors at 
the University of Virginia.  Since these scholars have expertise in fields directly 
impacting her project, Olivia plans to converse in person with them about their ideas 
and interview them for her research.     
 
Congratulations Olivia Reardon! 
 Please join us in congratulating Olivia Reardon, the 2025 Friends of Murray Library Student Research Grant awardee!   
Olivia will graduate in 2026 with a bachelor's degree in English with a Concentration in Literature, Education, and Dance. 
 
Olivia's research will culminate with a presentation at the annual Friends dinner in the fall of 2025.  Dr. Christine Perrin and 
Dr. Kerry Hasler Brooks are her faculty advisors.  Congratulations Olivia!  
 
 
 
There will be 
some fun stress 
relief activities 
such as a bubble 
wrap station, 
coloring station, 
thank-you note 
area, and snack 
cart!   
 
 
 
  
Murray Library Receives $20,000 Grant 
 
Librarians share about Genealogy! 
 
 
Murray Library has been selected as one of 300 libraries, of which four are academic 
libraries, to participate in round three of Libraries Transforming Communities: 
Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) 
initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small 
and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The competitive award comes with a $20,000 grant that will help the library improve its quiet study and testing spaces 
through the addition of individual study pods. These modular pods include a desk, sound dampening features, ventilation, 
and dimmable lighting. There has been a 47% increase in demand for individualized testing slots via the Office of Academic 
Accessibility (OAA) between the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 academic years. While these pods will be available to all, we will 
specifically work with students with disabilities to determine the best placement and use of these pods as required by the 
grant. Studies have shown that students with disabilities and neurodiverse students benefit significantly from quiet, 
distraction-free spaces. Offering these pods will contribute to our students’ success and help Murray Library better serve 
our community.  
 
 The grant will include community conversations prior to the purchase of the pods. Friends, 
community members, faculty, staff, and students with disabilities or who identify as neurodiverse 
can contact Janet Vogel, director of the Murray Library, to contribute to the conversation 
(jvogel@messiah.edu). A documented disability is not required to participate. 
 
Follow us on social media (@MUMurrayLibrary) to stay up to date on the latest news about the grant 
including conversation dates. We expect to have the pods in the spring 2026 semester if not before!  
 
 
forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; 
and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff. 
 
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is an initiative of the American Library 
Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL). 
 
 
Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the 
role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free 
dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus  
 
Murray Library Summer Hours : May 12 - August 25 
Monday – Friday : 9AM – 5PM 
Closed Saturday & Sunday 
 
 
Librarians Beth Transue and Sarah K. 
Myers recently held a Genealogy 
101: Beginning Family History 
session at Simpson Library in 
Mechanicsburg.  They presented 
principles for beginning family 
history research as well as provided 
instruction about using free 
resources available through the 
Cumberland County Library System 
and Messiah University Murray 
Library.  Participants also received 
individual assistance in an open 
workshop format.  
 
 
Bookmark your Journey by registering before June 2!
Registration cost is $30, which includes
transportation and catered lunch.
Harrisburg Libraries:
An Exclusive Day in the State Capital
State Library
McCormick Riverfront Library
PA Archives
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the recently
renovated downtown branch of the Dauphin County Library
System. Hear from Director Ryan McCrory and learn more
about this “library reimagained” with resources unique to
the community it serves.
Join Us!
Explore the Archives’ new site with Archivist Aaron
McWilliams. As the official repository for historical
documents dating back to the founding of the
Commonwealth in 1681, this new location offers more
efficient methods of preserving records well into the future.
After a 5-year renovation, the State Library’s multi-story
main reading room has been restored to its original detail
with ceiling art and mahogany woodwork. Discover this
space, along with the rare books collection, new STEM lab,
and the Look Up, Look Out exhibit with contributions by
Messiah University students during our visit.
sponsored by Friends of Murray Library
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Occasionally, we will highlight Friends of Murray Library members to learn 
more about them and why they are Friends. This month’s Friend is Libby 
Coldsmith, a longtime Friend since 2011  and current Board Member. Like 
today’s students, Libby’s favorite area of Murray Library is in the original 
building: the “Comforting, quiet cubicles surrounded by books” in the old 
periodical stacks.  
 
We can all relate to the challenges of selecting just one favorite book! When 
asked, Libby shared a number of recommendations. When reading for 
leisure in the past, she often selected Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey 
series (find it at Murray Library in PR 6037 .A95). More recent suggestions 
include:  Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas; The Owls 
of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl by 
Jonathan Slaght; and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. 
 
When asked why she supports Friends of Murray Library, Libby said, “I 
joined Friends to walk alongside the library as it provides a strong 
collection that supports the information needs of students, faculty, and 
the greater community.  I am encouraged that we offer support for special 
collections such as the Engle Collection of Children’s Book Illustration,  
 
Friend Spotlight 
 
Exhibit at Messiah Pathways Instit t  
 
 
We are grateful for the support of donors like Libby. If you would like to ensure that 
Messiah students continue to have access to research grants and a strong library 
collection, join Friends of Murray Library today by visiting  
Messiah.edu/friendsofmurraylibrary. 
 
Artists Books, Canadian Literature, and the Neidhardt Collection.  I am also happy 
to support an annual student research grant. I look forward to the annual Friends’ 
dinner and have always enjoyed the variety of guest speakers heard through the 
years.” 
 
Murray Library Participates in Service Day 
 
Thursday, April 10 was the 25th Service Day at Messiah University. Murray 
Library staff and students participated in a variety of projects in the 
community. Some of the projects included a working on a new library at 
Messiah Lifeways, helping the Simpson Library in Mechanicsburg with a 
DVD project, gardening and mulching for senior citizens, working with a 
church archive to research church history in digitized newspapers, and 
researching in Beyond Kin, a website which seeks to connect African 
American family historians with their enslaved ancestors through the work 
of the descendants of slaveholder families. Our staff used their expertise 
in a variety of ways to enhance our community. Nearly 900 people 
volunteered through Service Day at Messiah University this year, and we 
were grateful to be a part of this Messiah University tradition! 
 
Retired Librarian Lawrie Merz along with students 
Eliza and Esther and Librarian Rachael Jasitt at 
Messiah Lifeways’ new Bailey Street Library 
Check out our new books in our Recreational Reading Collection, right 
inside Murray’s main entrance.  Share with Rachael Jasitt any suggestions 
you may have for additions to this collection at rjasitt@messiah.edu . 
Happy Summer Everyone!   
Murray Library’s newsletter will resume in September! 
 
 
HERE’S THE 
DIRT 
 
 
ISSUE NO 13 | MAY 2025   
Check Out These 
Related Books! 
 
  
THE VEGETABLE 
GARDENER’S BIBLE  
 
CALL NUMBER 
SB324.3 .S62 2009 
 
   
 
THE GOOD GARDEN 
 
 
CALL NUMBER 
SB453. .M4627 2023 
  
IT’S PLANTING SEASON!  
 
    
    
 
It’s time to break out the seed 
packets! May means planting 
season has begun, and there are a 
number of factors to consider in 
order to plant and maintain a 
happy, healthy garden. Read on to 
discover some tips for assessing your 
soil, what kinds of vegetables, herbs, 
and flowers are available to plant in 
May from the Seed Library, and 
some helpful tips and instructions for 
weeding your garden.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Soil 
Wondering if your soil is suitable for 
gardening? Start by testing your soil, 
then try adding organic matter, 
providing air and water, and keeping 
your topsoil covered. These and 
other tips are found in this article from 
the University of Minnesota.  
https://extension.umn.edu/managin
g-soil-and-nutrients/living-soil-healthy-
garden  
WEED-FREE 
GARDENING 
 
Available Online 
 
All can be found at 
Murray Library or on 
our online catalog! 
 
 
 
ISSUE NO 13 | MAY 2025   
 
Recommended from the Seed Library 
 
Vegetables:  
- Bean, multiple varieties 
- Cucumber, multiple varieties  
- Okra, Go Big 
- Squash, multiple varieties  
Herbs: 
- Cilantro 
- Dill, Mammoth 
- Lavendar, True 
Flowers: 
- Marigold, multiple varieties 
- Silver Dollar Plant 
- Sunflower, multiple varieties 
Weeding 
 
Needing tips for weeding? This article outlines six basic 
strategies to control weeds from using mulch to spacing 
plants closer together and more. 
 
https://www.finegardening.com/project-
guides/gardening-basics/six-tips-for-effective-weed-control 
 
Looking to weed your garden bed? This article gives a 
thorough, step-by-step look at how to weed a bed with a 
helpful tools list and detailed instructions. 
 
https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-jobs/how-to-weed-a-bed 
 
News and Events 
Would you like to continue receiving our Seed Library 
newsletter every other month? Sign up through the link below! 
https://libguides.messiah.edu/seed/news 
        
  
 
MORE RESOURCES FOR PLANTING 
YOUR GARDEN: 
 
 
 
 
For more information and resources, visit our 
website by scanning the QR code below. 
    
01 
Are you a beginner gardener 
wanting to plant a vegetable 
garden this year? This article 
from North Carolina State 
University covers all aspects of 
planting vegetables, from site 
selection to pest and disease 
management. 
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/h
ome-vegetable-gardening-a-
quick-reference-guide  
 
02 
This is a comprehensive planting 
schedule for Zone 7, and 
includes leafy greens, 
vegetables and roots, flowering 
plants, herbs, and fruit trees and 
berries. Please note that the 
guidelines in this article for what 
states are included in Zone 7 
have changed. 
https://gardenvive.com/zone-7-
planting-schedule/  


Murray Library May 2025 Newsletter

Bane, Emma

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 2 
2025 
Vignette of a College Girl (Editor's Submission) 
Emma Bane 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Bane, Emma (2025) "Vignette of a College Girl (Editor's Submission)," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, 
Article 2. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/2 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
I'm wearing too-tight shorts. 
Mud-brown roots seep through my bleached Barbie blonde,
confessing my identity as a homeschooler from Harford County, 
trying just a bit too hard.
When I arrived here, I pretended that I grew up
believing college was for girls too,
that I did hot yoga,
that summers meant vacation, not the closing shift
I am not bitter. I do not mourn my childhood.
I mourn the dutiful efforts of a girl
who wanted to be like them
who dyed and starved and dressed herself into someone else.
$80 tanning memberships humiliated the paleness out of her skin,
and hot-pink acrylics dismissed her memories 
of dirt,
wedged deep between skin and nail—
rewriting her fingerprint,
seeping into her body
until even her eyes turned brown.
It could have been those brown roots
that called me home
to dandelions and violets,
wild onion and clover,
a holy symphony of beetles and barn swallows
buzzing above what the college years created.
I know it is important to be here, and so I stay.
Mostly for the writing, but for the challenge, too: who will I be 
when I leave?
VIGNETTE OF A COLLEGE GIRL
Emma Bane, English 2025 | Co Editor-in-Chief
6


Vignette of a College Girl (Editor\u27s Submission)

Shea, Timothy

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 6 
2025 
Winter’s Veil 
Timothy Shea 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Shea, Timothy (2025) "Winter’s Veil," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 6. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/6 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
The frost clasps the earth—
Silent, a breathless hymn.
Shadows fall thick,
Yet beneath the brittle crust,
The seed stirs, unseen.
Hope whispers low—
Not in flame, but ember.
A pulse, faint,
Defying the hollow night,
Knowing spring will come.
WINTER’S VEIL
Dr. Timothy Shea | Adjunct Professor of English
12


Winter’s Veil

Ng, Abby

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 10 
2025 
Sunday Dates & Beneath Trees 
Abby Ng 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Ng, Abby (2025) "Sunday Dates & Beneath Trees," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 10. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/10 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
I hope that when you’re older,
You’ll still remember
Sunday dates with gramps at Shake Shack. 
Juice boxes – Apple flavored, 
Chocolate ice cream – Medium sized. 
I hope you’ll remember him, 
Looking at you intently,
Waiting patiently, 
As you slowly chip away 
at your ice cream. 
I hope you remember that long before your feet could touch the ground and 
Long before you could finish a medium sized ice cream, 
Gramps got it for you anyways.
SUNDAY DATES
Abby Ng
I love to sit beneath trees 
and look up 
to see what kind of branches frame the sky. 
Would I find wispy leaves, 
or palm-sized spades? 
Would I see fragments of blue, 
can sunlight peek through? 
I crane my neck
and stretch for warmth, 
as the branches reach 
to the source of light. 
It is in this moment, 
nature and man, 
lift their eyes, 
turn their faces, 
to the giver of life.
BENEATH TREES
Abby Ng
17


Sunday Dates & Beneath Trees

Nicholson, Becca

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 23 
2025 
Last Night I Dreamt in Traces of You 
Becca Nicholson 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Nicholson, Becca (2025) "Last Night I Dreamt in Traces of You," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 23. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/23 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
last night i dreamt in traces of you
your jacket on the chair in the theatre
where my friend brought me
your presence behind me
a quiet summer rain
pat tapping into my mind 
from behind 
 
your palm on my arm, soft.
my eyes in the sun,
where you see them green.
 
beneath peace falling with the tide
in my reflection
here is your face to haunt me.
 
today i walked the soft sand home 
wandered the lonely pier past the palms
smiled and waved goodbye to the iridescent green sea
yesterday I swam
dived deep
circled my friend
extracted my memories of intimacy for them
talked
all about us 
over
in between 
beneath
together 
 
now apart,
left with all the details of desire
in my skin.
LAST NIGHT I DREAMT IN TRACES OF YOU
Becca Nicholson
31


Last Night I Dreamt in Traces of You

Goudie, Erin

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 28 
2025 
Spring Break is for the Smokies 
Erin Goudie 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons 
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Recommended Citation 
Goudie, Erin (2025) "Spring Break is for the Smokies," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 28. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/28 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
“Forget Florida. Spring break is for backpacking through the Smokies,”
my friend said, coaxing us in his road trip-ready van for the Appalachian Trail.
I shook crumbs from my dad’s old adventure backpack and bought the blue
discounted sleeping bag both cheap and cute, nevermind if they could bear
it. I gave the trunk-smushed cooler some deli chicken and cheese to freeze,
(despising PB&J). Then with the GPS going we hit the gas, seatbelts braced.
  
We were lucky all our duffels and backpacks and snack bins could brace
against the trunk, too. We wouldn’t want to litter the highways as we smoked
small sedans, leaving them in the dust like Pennsylvanian trees, frozen
and snow laden. I tied my hiking boot laces tight for the Tennessee trail.
Four friends and I stumbled out of the van and undressed to bare
legs wearing shorts in this high of sixty-five climate all sunny blue.
 
The jagged mountain outlines are already turning hues of descending blues.
We wish we’d left earlier. But we cannot reverse the sunset, only brace
the wind, picking up now. Only brave forest shadows. (Is that a bear?)
Only break any falls with trekking poles and imagine the scent of smoke
homey as a chimney (or is that weed?) drifting down the icy trail.
I pull back the tarp from the shelter to find all twelve spots taken and freeze.
  
SPRING BREAK IS FOR THE SMOKIES
Erin Goudie
37
That morning the great mountain temperatures dipped below freezing.
I woke every five minutes to rub my arms and legs to keep from turning blue.
At last dawn breaks and I’m as slow getting up as our friend yesterday, trailing
behind looking at birds through binoculars and irises alike (I offered knee braces
to be faster). At last I’m convinced by warm oatmeal and beef jerky, smoked
and hoisted down from telephone poles that hid food from hibernating bears.
 
My boyfriend has yellow hickey-like bruises on his pecs from bearing
his pack. He’s changing his shirt outside and I wonder how he doesn’t freeze.
One of the twelve sleeping guys who stole our reserved spots offers us a smoke.
I walk a dozen paces away to brush my teeth and spit out the toothpaste, blue.
Next in routine, I disappear in the thick of the woods for a tree to brace
against and poo, accidentally denting our trowel digging 6” of roots off trail.
 
Back at camp we’re preparing for a short waterfall hike. I munch on trail
mix with unsalted nuts to my friend’s disgust and add dried berries.
While I wait I perform sun salutations in the shaded clearing, bracing
my toes against stones, using my fingernails to break the frozen 
earth for a sound downward dog. Once ready to hike, I wonder how blue 
Rainbow Falls will be. Will it match the mountain edges of the Great Smokies?
 
In five days we hiked over fifty-five miles of trail, fully embracing
the magnitude of the Smokies, even when we could barely bear
the freezing mornings in sleeping bags, however blanketed in blue.
38


Spring Break is for the Smokies

Jo, Isaac

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 30 
2025 
Terminal Velocity 
Isaac Jo 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Creative Writing Commons 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Jo, Isaac (2025) "Terminal Velocity," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 30. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/30 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
   “Why?” thought Paul, as he felt the force of his brother’s palms fade
from his shoulders, as he felt the soles of his shoes slip from the earth.
“Why?” he thought, as the sun seared a streak through his vision and the
clear sky spun away from him. “Why?” he thought, as the dusty red rock
shot up on both sides of him, and the breath shot out of his chest, and he
knew he was falling to his death. 
     He was fifteen feet from the top by the time he stopped asking, “Why?”
and started to think.
    Things were not supposed to end this way. Nothing was supposed to
end this way. Nothing should end with a man pushing his brother off a
cliff. Something must be done, something must be done. His brain kicked
into some impossible top gear, raging desperately for control as his arms
windmilled in the air. There must be something, something he could do.
   He had fallen for perhaps a second. As he turned over midair, he
measured the cracks and crevasses, gauged the depth of the canyon. No
handholds, no ledges. Nothing but a floor flying up at his face. Stupid
physics, six hundred feet of canyon would translate into roughly five
seconds of free fall—not including the one he had just wasted. His brain
saw the blank wall coming and took a hard left. Go away, reality, go
away. 
    The sun flashed by again, and he heard his brother, saw his face as he
had last seen it, felt the stillness in the summer air as he would never feel it
again.
   “I told you this is just between the two of us now,” the face said,
breathing thinly. 
    “No,” said Paul, the Paul from two minutes ago. “No, it isn’t.”
     The face darkened. “You know it was an accident. You know I’d never
try to—to—”
    “No,” said Paul again, flatly. “No, I don’t.”
    Why, why did he say that? Why had he been so stubborn and callous?
He wanted to go back and say something else, say yes, get out of there and
think about telling the truth later. 
TERMINAL VELOCITY
Isaac Jo
47
He stalled and stuttered, hated himself, but only briefly. The truth was the
truth, he said to himself, and he shouldn’t wish he hadn’t told it.
It was his idiot brother’s fault for escalating things. Paul was only a little
stubborn, right? Well, maybe more than a little, and he was paying for it
with his life. They always said it took two to have a fight…
    Paul’s senses intervened to tell him another second had passed. He
batted them away and resumed.
    The whys didn’t stop. Why was that stubborn truth true in the first
place? Why didn’t he know what his brother would or wouldn’t do? Why
couldn’t he give him the benefit of the doubt, trust him not to be a
murderer? Why couldn’t he have said it was okay, don’t worry, go home
and forget about it all?
    His two-minute-old voice spoke in his head again, laced with hostility.
“You’ve known how to use heavy machinery all your life. How could you
do it and not be trying?”
    He re-felt the twinge of satisfaction at the rising alarm in his brother’s
pale face. “I don’t know! Doesn’t accident mean anything to you? I mean,
come on, it’s not like I ever…like I ever really tried to hurt somebody, is
it?”
    “It isn’t?” Paul’s words echoed, sarcastically, as if off the gaping canyon
walls. “Don’t you know how close you can get to somebody with a
backhoe without taking their head off? I mean, you—you’ve had me for
practice!”
    There, he had said it. Couldn’t he just believe himself that it was true
and stop worrying about it? It wasn’t his fault, he told himself, and his
brother was just a nasty senseless killer, and that was all.
But his mind seized the doubts with an electrocuted grip, as the jagged
walls accelerated, as three seconds came and went. After all, he didn’t
really know what his brother had been thinking when he was in that
machine. He couldn’t prove that it wasn’t an accident. He couldn’t prove
anything.
48
So what if it was an accident? It didn’t matter, did it? Call it negligence,
accident, manslaughter, whatever—a man was stupid, and another man
died. Besides, if that didn’t count as murder, sending someone flying down
a canyon did. Get a handle on it, Paul.
He couldn’t get the handle.
     “What, you,” sputtered Two-Minute-Paul, trying and failing to find
nastier words, “you think you can just go and—go and—you think you
can get away with—with—”
    “No, I—it’s not what you think, it wasn’t what you think!” His
brother’s voice became strangely high-pitched, his arms restless. “You
can’t—I’m your brother, can’t you see, just give everything a second
chance, please, let me explain…”
      “You don’t get second chances with a man’s life!” Paul’s words were
much too loud, and he knew it, and he didn’t care. Hungrily, he watched
them do their damage.
     “I can’t, I couldn’t—please, it was just a mistake… Please, just trust
me, just this once, just this once…” 
    “No, no, stop it!” screamed the falling Paul at the standing Paul,
soundlessly. “Stop, stop talking, stop! Did you want to die?”
       Four seconds were gone. Sickening strings of curses jumbled their way
through Paul’s mind, as the noonday shadow of the canyon slowly
swallowed him. He hated his own temper. He wished he could have
forgotten, forgiven and forgotten. He wished he could have let it all go.    
How could he have ever thought that it wasn’t his fault? He had been so
spiteful, so contemptuous that he didn’t want to think about it, even as he
had to think about it, as he couldn’t stop thinking about it, and the
memory raged on…
       Nothing should end with a brother getting himself pushed off a cliff.
    The chasm stood gaping beside them, tossing Paul’s now-bellowing
voice through the air. “You knew who he was to me! You knew he was
closer, a better—a better brother to me than you—you!—ever cared to be,
you, you!” The last word ricocheted through his skull as he spat it out.
49
The eyes facing him widened, then narrowed. “What, you think I… You
think I’d kill just for a… Oh, how absurd can you get, Paul?! You think I
would murder over a brother I care nothing about?” The face paused,
hoarse with desperation and outrage.
    “Yeah, like I would care anything for you and your excuses either!”
Paul snarled. “You can go—go knock your own head off for all I care,
you may as well do it before you get found out and shot!” 
   “Why, you—why don’t you try and knock it off for me, then?” His
brother’s feet scuffed the rock viciously; his pale face twisted diabolically.                
“And why don’t you try and throw me into the canyon when you’re done
with it? And why don’t you go and follow me down when you’re done
with that, you, you, you—”
    “Run!” Paul bawled, even as he knew there was nowhere to run on the
cliffside. “Run, move, fight, get away! Why, why did you do it, why? He’s
mad, he’s mad, you made him too mad, run, run!”
    The fifth second cruised slowly by. He felt empty, weightless, suspended
midair as the world rushed upon him. His eyes blurred, seething, aching,
abraded by the atmosphere. Tears ran up past his ears instead of down his
cheeks. “What have I done, what have I done?”
    Of course it was his fault, his own stupid fault. Why, he should never
have said anything, it had only made it all worse, started him down the
path he could never retrace. He had blown his chance and would never get
a second one, and there was no way he could have stopped himself, not in
a thousand years. He saw the scene in flickers, like a TV show in a
hurricane, as his rage and regret erupted and were lost into the wind. 
    “Run…”
    He imagined his brother looking down from the top of the cliff at him;
he imagined looking up and saying forgiveness, saying that it wasn’t his
fault, that it was the road he had to take, that it was just fate and the way
things fell on the table. He imagined saying it was okay, saying don’t
worry, saying please just go home and forget about it all…
    He hit the ground.
50


Terminal Velocity

Kelly, Evelyn

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 34 
2025 
Colosseum 
Evelyn Kelly 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Kelly, Evelyn (2025) "Colosseum," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 34. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/34 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 



Colosseum

Duncan, Connor

The Peregrine Review 
Volume 38 Article 38 
2025 
Northern Lights 
Connor Duncan 
Messiah University 
www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 
Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview 
 Part of the Photography Commons 
Permanent URL: 
Recommended Citation 
Duncan, Connor (2025) "Northern Lights," The Peregrine Review: Vol. 38, Article 38. 
Available at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/peregrinereview/vol38/iss1/38 
Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action 
Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate 
men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, 
leadership and reconciliation in church and society. This content is freely provided to promote scholarship for 
personal study and not-for-profit educational use. 
The frost clasps the earth—
Silent, a breathless hymn.
Shadows fall thick,
Yet beneath the brittle crust,
The seed stirs, unseen.
Hope whispers low—
Not in flame, but ember.
A pulse, faint,
Defying the hollow night,
Knowing spring will come.
WINTER’S VEIL
Dr. Timothy Shea | Adjunct Professor of English
12


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