DigitalCommons@C.O.D.

Nkanga, Divine

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 37 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Untitled 
Divine Nkanga 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Nkanga, Divine (2025) "Untitled," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 37. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/37 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
My consciousness has been ripped from my flesh, 
the transition must have been painless. 
I have felt nothing. 
My meaty remains orchestrated by butcher twine, 
my leather suede shoes clomp toward my chair. 
Each day my march becomes more erratic, whatever bones I have,
 are liquified. 
The spoor of  rot follows wherever I go, 
I ooze into my chair a final time. 
From diseased meat, a heap of  maggots, and finally the grot that stains the floor. 
Someone has to clean that up.
Untitled
Divine Nkanga
Soultry
43
Devona Barnes
Photography42 1
Nkanga: Untitled
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


Untitled

Azeez, Noora

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 42 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Pink Drip 
Noora Azeez 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Azeez, Noora (2025) "Pink Drip," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 42. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/42 
This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
Being a girl is
Being catcalled by grown men
And feeling like you did something 
wrong
Even when you’ve done nothing.
The lingering burn of their gaze,
A wound you can’t wash off.
Being a girl is
Being taught to fear the world,
To always look over your shoulder,
To remember the taser in your bag.
Being a girl is
Thinking random hands grabbing your 
body is just something you endure,
Something you’re supposed to shrug off,
As if your body were theirs to claim.
Being a girl is
Being taught that you are less than
The sum of your parts,
That your worth is measured by some-
one else’s eyes,
Not your mind, not your soul, not your 
heart.
Being a girl is
Your body maturing before your mind,
Before you understand what it means to 
feel wanted,
Or what it means to feel safe.
Being a girl is
To be lusted after
And told it’s your fault
They feel that way.
As if your skin is a promise,
Your smile an invitation,
And your silence, a yes.
Being a girl is
Being told that being wanted is being 
loved,
That you should be grateful for atten-
tion,
Even if it’s never what you asked for.
Even if it feels like ownership.
Being a girl is
Losing something each time someone 
takes what isn’t theirs,
But being told you should be flattered.
Being a girl is
To be called a tease or a slut,
Never a person with complex emotions 
or desires,
Only a label that fits what they want 
from you,
Never what you are.
Being a girl is
Being called moody when you stand 
your ground,
When you set a boundary,
When you demand respect.
Being a girl is
An object to possess,
An itch to scratch,
A means to someone else’s end.
Being a girl is a thousand things,
But none of them are easy.
None of them are fair.
And none of them are yours to choose.
Girlhood
Brooklyn Ross
46
Pink Drip
Noora Azeez          Photography
471
Azeez: Pink Drip
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


Pink Drip

Carroll, Christine

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 70 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Impact 
Christine Carroll 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Carroll, Christine (2025) "Impact," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 70. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/70 
This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
You can set flame to your apple cinnamon 3 wick,
But you’ll always be left with the tick-tock of  the crystal clock.
Drown yourself  in fumes
(Smells like forever solitude).
Love is not a luxury you want to spend on me? 
Weave your own braids. Sing yourself  a serenade to sleep. 
Mamá won’t kiss you goodnight!
Your call cannot be completed as dialed. 
Drown yourself  in prose
& pose!
Post the pics,
Do it for the clicks,
the boys,
or find a new toy.
                    Meditate. 
          Oh, of  course I wanted to text you back.
                    But I imagined that the scalding faucet water 
                                                  entrenching my corporeal body; 
            illuminated by the beauty of  the Moon, 
                      as instead the warmth I had
                                   been anxiously awaiting to receive
                                                                                        from you.
Meditations
Laura Pineda Impact
Christine Carroll
Mixed Media
In every life, a story is told
Moments woven in threads of  gold
Paths connect and lives entwine
Actions taken, our fates align
Change unfolds in time and space
Together as one, we leave our trace. 
74 751
Carroll: Impact
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


Impact

Mugenyi, Mercy

Sassafras

The respiratory effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) are numerous throughout all populations. Studies show that patients are more likely to develop respiratory diseases if they grow up in a household with one or more smokers. SHS is linked to increased rates of many respiratory conditions such as Asthma, Tuberculosis (TB), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Lung Cancer, and Perioperative respiratory complications. This paper will focus on the impact of secondhand smoke on individuals, in utero to 18 years of age. However, since some conditions are not seen until later in life, adult patients will also be noted. Additionally, the issues of education, public health, smoking ban effectiveness, and the need for further research will be addressed

Maplethorpe,, Rebecca

Matesi, Jodi

Nieves, Evelyn

College of DuPage 
DigitalCommons@COD 
RESP 1102 Intermediate Respiratory Care Student Scholarship - Respiratory Therapy 
4-30-2025 
Effects of Secondhand Smoke 
Rebecca Maplethorpe, 
College of DuPage 
Jodi Matesi 
College of DuPage 
Evelyn Nieves 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/nhs_student_resp_1102 
 Part of the Respiratory Therapy Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Maplethorpe,, Rebecca; Matesi, Jodi; and Nieves, Evelyn, "Effects of Secondhand Smoke" (2025). RESP 
1102 Intermediate Respiratory Care. 5. 
https://dc.cod.edu/nhs_student_resp_1102/5 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship - Respiratory Therapy at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in RESP 1102 Intermediate Respiratory Care by an 
authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
  1 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
Effects of Secondhand Smoke  
 
Rebecca Maplethorpe, Jodi Matesi, and Evelyn Nieves 
College of DuPage Department of Respiratory Care 
RESP 1102: Intermediate Respiratory Care 
Ms. Christa Brennan 
April 30, 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  2 
 
 
   
 
Abstract  
 The respiratory effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) are numerous throughout all populations.   
Studies show that patients are more likely to develop respiratory diseases if they grow up in a 
household with one or more smokers. SHS is linked to increased rates of many respiratory 
conditions such as Asthma, Tuberculosis (TB), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 
(COPD), Lung Cancer, and Perioperative respiratory complications. This paper will focus on the 
impact of secondhand smoke on individuals, in utero to 18 years of age. However, since some 
conditions are not seen until later in life, adult patients will also be noted. Additionally, the 
issues of education, public health, smoking ban effectiveness, and the need for further research 
will be addressed. 
Keywords: Secondhand Smoke (SHS), Respiratory Diseases, Smoking Cessation, Carcinogens, 
Asthma, Lung Cancer, Tuberculosis (TB), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  3 
 
 
   
 
Effects of Secondhand Smoke 
In 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General report recognized a link between firsthand smoking 
and lung cancer (Hecht, 2014). Since then, the awareness of the dangers of smoking has 
increased, however secondhand smoke still remains a significant public health concern. 
Secondhand smoke (SHS) is the smoke coming from a combustible tobacco product or being 
exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals including 
some well-known carcinogens. Exposure to these toxic chemicals has been linked to some 
serious health conditions such as asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and perioperative 
complications and is especially concerning to vulnerable populations such as children, 
individuals with compromised immune systems, and people living in overcrowded environments. 
Given that there is enough evidence to show the widespread and lasting impact SHS has on 
individuals, there is a need for greater awareness, prevention, and policy enforcement. This paper 
will explore the short and long term respiratory effects of SHS and will emphasize the impact on 
vulnerable populations.  
Despite all this information, it would be a staggering three decades before SHS was also 
declared a carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 1993). Secondhand 
smoke is not only a cancer-causing agent, but contributes to multiple diseases, striking the 
world's most vulnerable populations. People under 18 years of age are one of the populations 
classified as vulnerable. The study of this population is important because their immune systems 
are not fully developed (Bilgin, 2023).  
Children exposed to SHS as infants are more likely to be diagnosed with respiratory 
diseases, such as asthma. Their higher respiratory rate and narrower airways make them more 
susceptible to respiratory diseases (Bilgin, 2023). According to the Cleveland Clinic, not only do 
children exposed to SHS suffer from more respiratory infections, like bronchitis and pneumonia, 
  4 
 
 
   
 
but their exposure can increase the severity of asthma attacks, cause general shortness of breath, 
chronic ear infections, and eye and teeth damage (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). It is also a 
contributing factor to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (Štěpánek, 2022). In the U.S., 430 
SIDS deaths are annually attributed to SHS exposure (American Lung Association, 2025). 
Additionally, a comprehensive study on the public health burden of SHS, found it impaired lung 
growth for babies in utero (Štěpánek, 2022).   
A worldwide study, that encompassed 192 countries, found 40% of children are exposed 
to SHS and 36% of fetuses that are exposed to SHS while in utero (Štěpánek, 2022). Research 
indicates smoking during pregnancy has direct correlation to preterm birth, lower birthweight, 
and intrauterine growth restriction. An increased risk of intrauterine death is noted for heavy 
smokers, defined as greater than twenty cigarettes a day (Tarasi, 2022). Newborns of smokers 
who need the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have an increased likelihood of requiring a 
stay greater than seven days (Tarasi, 2022). These infants also have a propensity to develop 
gastrointestinal and pulmonary pathologies (Tarasi, 2022). 
Adolescents are among the vulnerable populations. “The adolescent brain is still 
developing, and nicotine has effects on the brain’s reward system and brain regions involved in 
emotional and cognitive functions.” (Nida, 2025). In the 2022 National Youth and Tobacco 
Survey 11.3% of middle and high school students reported using a tobacco product in the past 30 
days (Nida, 2025). Data gathered from adolescences and parents indicate teens are more likely to 
become smokers if their parents are nicotine dependent (Nida, 2025). This highlights the power 
of parental influence. 
As noted, the effects of SHS on infants and children are genuinely concerning. This 
vulnerable population is at an increased risk for many respiratory conditions by being exposed to 
SHS. Conditions include asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and perioperative conditions.  
  5 
 
 
   
 
Asthma is a respiratory disease characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the 
airways, causing symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Children 
exposed to parental SHS are at increased risk of developing asthma (Alwadea, 2024). Asthma 
often has a trigger. While they vary for each patient, common triggers are exercise, pollen, and 
SHS. Children, and adults, with asthma may be affected immediately when exposed to SHS. 
While it is known individuals exposed to SHS in childhood are at an increased risk, more 
research is needed before this history becomes a tool to help with early diagnosis (Alwadea, 
2024). Even if this is not a diagnostic tool, information should be publicized to foster a better 
understanding of the risks of SHS.   
Annually, lung cancer is diagnosed approximately 2 million times and is responsible for 
1.8 million deaths worldwide (Štěpánek, 2022). Research indicates that individuals that are 
exposed to SHS before the age of 25 are at a significantly increased risk of developing lung 
cancer later in life compared to peers not exposed (Štěpánek, 2022). Given the established 
correlation between SHS and lung cancer, it is important to include this information in the 
patient history assessment, as a screening tool for risk factors.       
 Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that causes the growth of nodules in tissues, 
commonly in the lungs. It is airborne, spreading via droplets, and although it is estimated that a 
quarter of the world has been infected with TB only 5-10% will develop symptoms (World 
Health Organization, 2025). However, children exposed to SHS are at twice the risk of 
developing TB than their counterparts (Siddalingaiah, 2023). Increased parental education is 
needed to foster their understanding of the effects of SHS on their children's health.  
Another point of concern is the number of perioperative complications for children 
exposed to SHS. Direct exposure was defined as one or more parents or caregivers smoking in 
their child's presence (Bilgin, 2023). The respiratory complications looked at involved 
  6 
 
 
   
 
desaturation, bronchospasm, laryngospasm, increased airway secretions, breath-holding spells, 
cough, wheezing, and croup (Bilgin, 2023). Complications were recorded before, during, and 
after anesthesia with most complications happening after extubating (Bilgin, 2023). The children 
exposed to SHS had significantly more complications noted (Bilgin, 2023). With this knowledge, 
it is crucial that a thorough patient history is taken to ensure proper preparation for the increased 
risk. This is yet another opportunity to educate parents and caregivers to the direct effects of their 
smoking in the home.  
Asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and perioperative conditions are just some of the most 
concerning long-term effects of SHS to adolescents. Given the increased risks noted with early 
life exposure to SHS, a comprehensive understanding of the dangers is essential. In addition to 
the young, other populations vulnerable to SHS include people living with compromised immune 
systems.  Immunocompromised individuals are people with weakened immune systems 
which can be caused by diseases such as cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and 
certain medications. Patients who are living with HIV are more likely to suffer a heart attack due 
to SHS (HIV, 2024).   People with HIV are especially vulnerable to SHS, even if the exposure is 
for a short duration.  HIV patients with long term exposure can develop COPD and have a 
shorter lifespan if they are constantly exposed to cigarette smoke (HIV, 2024). 
Cancer patients are particularly susceptible to the effects of SHS. This is due to their 
weakened immune systems caused by medications, chemotherapy, and radiation. “Secondhand 
smoke exposure can lead to higher death rates in cancer patients, as well as higher rates of 
strokes and heart attacks in cancer survivors (Akinboro, 2025).  Patients who are non-smokers 
and have cancer are also likely to experience adverse effects from SHS.  Cancer patients are 
encouraged to avoid any exposure to smoke as they can develop chronic lung disease. This 
includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or asthma (Akinboro, 2025).    
  7 
 
 
   
 
In addition to adolescents and immunocompromised individuals, another vulnerable 
group of people are those living in overcrowded housing, shelters, and other impoverished 
communities. Individuals of all ages live in these conditions. It is important to note that with 
overcrowded conditions, there will be more diseases and illnesses present. This does not exclude 
respiratory diseases, as they are rapidly spreading. Stepanek’s article shows that, “The highest 
rates of significant SHS exposure among never smokers were reported in middle-income 
followed by low-income” Those who struggle economically are also likely to develop respiratory 
diseases because of second-hand smoking (Stepanek, 2022). These same studies show that those 
who are low-income also have a lower education. Studies show that most SHS exposure is 
occurring in their own homes. Many of these people are living in areas full of pollution, poverty, 
and are often in overcrowded conditions. 
Given the profound negative effects to vulnerable populations, society must act to 
minimize public exposure to SHS. This can be done by supporting existing smoke-free laws and 
encouraging the implementation of new ones. Also, smokers must be educated on the dangers to 
themselves and their loved ones and offer access to cessation programs.  
Many public places are enforcing smoke-free policies. Countries which have these 
limitations are receiving fewer hospital admissions and seeing less prevalence of respiratory 
disease (Flor, 2024).  The United States has these policies and laws in places; many countries do 
not.  According to an article written by Luisa Flor, 67 countries have smoke free laws, but this 
accounts for just 25% of the overall population.  With the decreased admissions shown, other 
countries should also implement these laws. The number of people who are affected by SHS can 
be reduced if smoking bans are in place worldwide.  These measures have proven effective as 
recent studies indicate a decrease in the number of respiratory diseases caused by SHS (Flor, 
2024).   
  8 
 
 
   
 
If changes are to be made, smoking cessation is paramount, and it should be a grass-root 
effort. Not only should parents and caregivers be educated on the risks of SHS, but they also 
need guidance and motivation to quit. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), counseled 
doctors on the five A’s of smoking cessation:” Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange.”  Doctors 
then screened new parents/caregivers during well baby visits and used the five A’s to encourage 
parents to provide a healthier environment for their children (AAP, 2020). The study reported 
that 16% of their patients were exposed to SHS and counseled on smoking cessation. The results 
were an overall reduction of exposure with 35% of caregivers reporting successful smoking 
cessation (AAP, 2020). 
 It is known that SHS can remain in the air and travel through ventilation systems for up 
to five hours (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). Exposure to SHS may have an immediate respiratory 
response of inflammation; in five minutes arterial stiffening begins, as it does in the primary 
smoker; After thirty minutes of exposure, fat begins to deposit in blood vessels, blood begins 
clotting, posing a risk for a myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke; After two hours an arrythmia 
can develop and cause an MI or other cardiac event (Cleveland Clinic, 2024).  
It is 2025, and despite considerable evidence of the negative effects, vulnerable 
populations worldwide continue to be exposed to SHS daily. SHS contains thousands of harmful 
chemicals including known carcinogens and toxins and has been linked to many short and long 
term respiratory conditions. The advancement of science offers new insight into the 
physiological effects of SHS. Combined with research of the socioeconomic links, new screening 
tools can be developed. Opportunities for education need to be sought and embraced. New 
policies and laws should be pursued to limit public smoking and protect the vulnerable. It is not 
caregivers alone, but society, that needs to be aware and responsible for the inherent risks of 
secondhand smoke. 
  9 
 
 
   
 
References 
Akinboro, O., Olorunfemi, O., Basak, P., Phillips, E., Pomerantz, D., Bernhardt, B., Gucalp, R., 
Jesmajian, S., & Ostroff, J. S. (2025). Secondhand smoke exposure among community-
dwelling adult cancer survivors in the United States. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers 
&amp; Prevention, 26(8), 1296–1305. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.epi-16-0777 
Alwadeai, K. S. (2024). Sociodemographic factors, health behavior, parental or workplace 
smoking, and adult asthma risk in the United States. Work, 77(4), 1115–1124. 
https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-230026 
American Lung Association (2025, April 15) State of Tobacco Control  
https://www.lung.org/research/sotc/by-the-numbers/9-diseases-secondhand-smoke#: 
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (2020, June 2) Studies: Educate Parents on how 
 secondhand smoke harms children AAP News   
Bilgin, S., Kaya, C., Dost, B., Turunc, E., Terri, O., Baris, S. (2023). The Effect of Parental 
 Smoking Exposure on Perioperative Respiratory Complications in Children Medical 
 Journal of Bakirkoy, 19(2), 137–143https://doi.org/10.4274/BMJ.galenos.2023.2022.119 
Cleveland Clinic, (2024, 18 January) Secondhand Smoke: Health risks 
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/10644-secondhand-smoke-dangers 
Flor, L. S., Anderson, J. A., Ahmad, N., Aravkin, A., Carr, S., Dai, X., Gil, G. F., Hay, S. I., 
Malloy, M. J., McLaughlin, S. A., Mullany, E. C., Murray, C. J. L., O’Connell, E. M., 
Okereke, C., Sorensen, R. J. D., Whisnant, J., Zheng, P., & Gakidou, E. (2024). Health 
effects associated with exposure to secondhand smoke: a Burden of Proof study. Nature 
Medicine, 30(1), 149–167. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02743-4 
  10 
 
 
   
 
Government of Cananda (2024, July 19)          
 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/health-effects- 
 smoking-second-hand-smoke/about.html   
*Hecht SS. Progress and challenges in selected areas of tobacco carcinogenesis. Chem Res 
 Toxicol. 2008 Jan;21(1):160-71. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2556958/ 
* Reference used for historical data only 
HIV (2024, September 16). Smoking and HIV. https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/staying-in-hiv-
care/other-related-health-issues/smoking 
NIDA. 2020, January 1. January 1. How many adolescents use tobacco? Retrieved from   
 https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/tobacco-nicotine-e-cigarettes 
 adolescents-use-tobacco on 2025, April 11    
Siddalingaiah N., Chawla, K., Sharath Burugina Nagaraja, & Druti Hazra. (2023). Risk factors 
 for the development of tuberculosis among the pediatric population: a systematic  review 
 and meta-analysis. European Journal of Pediatrics, 182(7), 3007–3019       
 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-023-04988-0         
Štěpánek, L., Ševčíková, J., Horáková, D., Patel, M. S., & Durďáková, R. (2022). Public Health 
 Burden of Secondhand Smoking: Case Reports of Lung Cancer and a Literature Review. 
 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13152. 
 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013152 
Tarasi,B., Cigarette smoking during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes: a cross-sectional 
study over 10 years. BMC Public Health, (2022) 20:2403 
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889- 022-14881-4 
*U. S Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) 1993https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-
 09/documents/passive_smoke.pdf  
  11 
 
 
   
 
* Reference used for historical data only 
World Health Organization. (2025, March 14). Tuberculosis. World Health Organization. 
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis 
 


Effects of Secondhand Smoke

Puckett, Kendalla

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 1 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Front Cover Affirmation 
Kendalla Puckett 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Puckett, Kendalla (2025) "Front Cover Affirmation," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 1. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/1 
This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
1
Puckett: Front Cover Affirmation
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


Front Cover Affirmation

Weber, Karl

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 9 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Gateway 
Karl Weber 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Weber, Karl (2025) "Gateway," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 9. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/9 
This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
Gateway
 Karl Weber                
 Photography
   On July 12, 2013, Nathan Woessner, then 6, fell into and was buried 
                       in an 11-foot hole on the dune for 3 1/2 hours. 
                      Chicago Tribune
Mt.Baldy 
Glynis Benbow-Niemier
What does it feel like to fall through sand, to pray 
for hands to dig you out? Do you hear the dune 
shifting around you like an enormous 
silk coat? Anomaly. Dune decomposition 
chimney. He waited hours to be pulled 
into air. Sand in his lungs: part dune now.  
Called singing sands: step and they speak 
back to you. Mt. Baldy shifts, swallowing 
trees, part of  the parking lot. We marvel 
at its pace as it heads south—despite marram 
grasses, dune roses planted to slow it, despite 
fewer people climbing for the view. This dune 
remembers its birth, the momentum of  ice. 
8 91
Weber: Gateway
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


Gateway

Janas, DJ

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 17 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Let's Blow Up Spider-Man! 
DJ Janas 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Janas, DJ (2025) "Let's Blow Up Spider-Man!," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 17. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/17 
This Selection is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
 My classmates all had regimens to make sure they didn’t get too muscular: they didn’t 
run, and they never jumped, and they were proud that they bruised so easily, proof  of  their hard 
work. I did both too much and it had ruined my calves, and when I tried to undo it I just per-
formed worse in class. So I stopped going. Mom was so relieved she tried to take me out to dinner, 
but I couldn’t figure out how much butter they used when they were cooking, so I passed.
 “You should go to law school,” Mom said, and then, “or med school. Grad school.” 
She’d never gotten to brag about my ballet; she was trying to make up for lost time, now.
 “College,” I replied, “would probably be a good start.”
 “You had a future,” said Lucy. “You could’ve been so good.”
 I was born wrong for it, I didn’t say. “I don’t want it.” She just rolled her eyes and tried 
harder to convince me while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. None of  it stuck, and instead 
of  researching I usually spent my afternoons scrolling through Instagram, checking my old class-
mates’ posts and critiquing their turnouts. I watched their toothpick waists and jutting collarbones, 
counted their chest bones until I felt sick, and then I decided I’d major in business and left my 
soul-searching at that.
 The weekend I told Mom this, she was making a four-cheese pasta with full-fat ground 
beef  even though Lucy had bought the ninety-nine percent lean last week. “Wonderful,” she said, 
putting everyone’s pre-portioned plates out. Lucy stared at hers and picked out one noodle with 
chopsticks she wasn’t good at using: rubbed off all the sauce, scraped the cheese onto the dish, and 
popped it into her mouth. I began counting her chews.
  “Business is safe,” Mom continued. “Great way to earn a respectable income.” Her eyes 
cut to Lucy. “Teaching can’t keep everyone afloat, especially when you want to start a family.” This 
was the topic of  every meal these days, even though Mom used to print off newspaper clippings of  
her shows to brag to her morning yoga classes. None of  her friends had dancers as children; all of  
theirs were in grad school, or in big tech, or working at banks. 
 After exactly seventy-five chews, Lucy swallowed. “I’ll do what I want, and I want to 
teach.”
 “The older you get, the harder it’ll be to start a family.”
 “Oh, god,” said Lucy drily. “Won’t someone think of  the children.” I bit back a laugh 
and ate my own pasta. I could only get to thirty-six chews before it dissolved in my mouth. I won-
dered if  this was more proof  of  my wrongness, and it ate at me until I dissolved, too.
 Why the heck did I let him do it?  And is it my fault?
 I’m sitting here, holding my broken Spider-Man guy. My brother Steven blew him up with a 
firecracker. And I let him.
 He said, “Hey, Mark, want to do something cool?” and of  course I did. He said, “Let’s take your 
Spider-Man guy, tie a string on his hand — you know, like his web — and throw him out the attic 
window. He’ll fly and swing around just like the real Spider-Man!”
 Why wouldn’t I? I’d be crazy not to!
 I admired my big brother. He did more fun things than I did. He was the star pitcher or 1st 
baseman in Little League, and when us neighborhood kids played sandlot softball, I was the catcher 
for him. By the time I was allowed to join Little League, he’d be out of  it, so I’d never get to play with 
or against him on a real field, but I knew that.
 He got to go camping with his jerk buddies, and I stayed home. But I climbed more garages, 
rode my bike further out into the far west, explored more wooded creeks, and swam in more pools 
and rivers with my friends than he ever did, so I had that on him.
 And he would beat me up. Now and then. But we were family. That’s what older brothers did 
to younger brothers. I’d be mad for two days, and then we’d play some game, and all was forgiven.
 And then he’d smack my skull into the heater. Now and then. But we were family. That’s what 
older brothers did to younger brothers. I’d be mad at him until the bump went down, and we’d watch 
Saturday morning cartoons together, eating Cap’n Crunch.
 He was kind of  mean to our sister, now and then, and he got me to help him take the heads off 
her Barbie dolls and throw them in the pool. That was kind of  fun until Amber got mad and yelled at 
me, and I knew I wouldn’t want that to happen to my toys. But Steven said, “Who cares?  She’s just 
a sister.” She was mad at us, but we were family. That’s what older brothers did to their sisters. She 
stayed mad for a while about that and some other stuff I don’t know about, but Steven didn’t really 
care and told me I shouldn’t, either.
 A couple of  times, my money went missing. Now and then. But we were family. That was what 
big brothers did to younger brothers. It wasn’t much, but it was mine. If  I asked about it, he’d just 
deny it. I suppose he needed it for something. One time, he created a club and told me to get my 
friends to join. It cost a quarter to join. We each gave him a quarter. He held the first ten-minute 
meeting in our garage and then never had one again.
Let’s Blow Up Spider-Man!
DJ Janas
16 171
Janas: Let's Blow Up Spider-Man!
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025
 And the cops came to visit our house one day because of  him.  I never knew what he did, but he 
had his adventures, so a cop visiting the house kind of  made sense. We were boys of  action. We were 
bound to get in trouble. Now and then.
 And he broke a few of  my toys. Now and then. But toys get broken. It happens. And some disap-
pear. It happens. One year, he gave me his cool racetrack for Christmas and then sold it in our dad’s 
garage sale in the summer. But then he gave me his Mad Magazines - the ones without covers, and 
that was nice of  him.
 So, when my Spider-Man got half-destroyed, I don’t know why I was surprised.  He told me, “I 
never said I wouldn’t blow him up. I just said it would be cool.” And I’d believed him.
 I like blowing things up.  A lot of  kids like blowing things up with firecrackers. Last year, I’d put 
together a model of  the Bismarck battleship, and it had a motor so it could sail in the pond, and we’d 
sent it out and it sailed in a circle until it veered toward shore enough for us to hit it with a stick and 
make it come in without having to wade out to it. And then Steven blew it up.  He said it did what it 
was supposed to do and, like the real Bismarck, it was time to sink it into the Atlantic. So, he did.
 So, I don’t know why I was surprised that he blew up my Spider-Man. I should have known he’d 
do something like that.  
 But I loved my Spider-Man.  He was my favorite of  the superhero guys I played with.  Now, his 
middle section was blown apart.  I could still glue the top and bottom together enough to still play 
with it, but it’s just not the same.  I could pretend he’s “battle-damaged” Spider-Man, but it’s just not 
the same.
 But what am I going to do?  I put Spider-Man in my brother’s hands and let him tie the string to 
him.  I expected that.  I let him tie the string to the attic window handle. I expected that.  He threw 
him out twice to get a good swing. I expected that, and it looked cool. Then he put that firecracker 
in Spider-Man’s bending spot and lit it. That I didn’t expect. He threw him out the window and sang 
the Spider-Man song. And there was a bang. And there were red and blue pieces going away from my 
Spider-Man guy. And then we reeled Spider-Man back in. The string was still tied to his wrist, but he 
wasn’t whole. Steven laughed and handed him to me.
 I am mad. But it’s my fault. I knew what he would do, but I let him do it.
 Jennifer Barg 
Photographty
Bonded
1918 2
The Prairie Light Review, Vol. 47, No. 1 [2025], Art. 17
https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/17


Let\u27s Blow Up Spider-Man!

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 40 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Bodies in Privacy Contort for Voyeuristic Hedonistic Oddities 
Kendalla Puckett 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Puckett, Kendalla (2025) "Bodies in Privacy Contort for Voyeuristic Hedonistic Oddities," The Prairie Light 
Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 40. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/40 
This Artwork is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at DigitalCommons@COD. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@COD. For 
more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
A Silence Kept 
Lidia Rogers
He drives me crazy—not in the way the poets write, 
not in sonnets or sighs, 
but in half-read messages 
and stolen birthday horses, 
in old arguments about Easter 
and silence when I want words. 
I never thought you'd like me, 
never thought you’d even look, 
but at midnight, when the world was quiet, 
you were the first to remember me. 
Like a secret you almost told, 
a whisper before the dawn. 
You save my pictures like keepsakes, 
but forget my messages like scraps. 
Calls me stubborn with a half-smile, 
but won’t say what he really means. 
The clock struck twelve, my mom beside me—just another birthday, 
I thought.
 Then my phone chimed. 
His name. Just two words:
Happy birthday. 
My heart lurched, a ridiculous thing, betraying me again. 
But maybe this is what we are— 
halfway between holding on and letting go. Maybe we’ll stay like this 
forever— 
a message sent, 
a silence kept. 
44
Bo
di
es
 in
 P
riv
ac
y 
C
on
to
rt
 fo
r V
oy
eu
ris
tic
 H
ed
on
ist
ic
 O
dd
iti
es
K
en
da
lla
 P
uc
ke
tt
Ph
ot
og
ra
ph
y 
C
ol
la
ge
451
Puckett: Bodies in Privacy Contort for Voyeuristic Hedonistic Oddities
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


Bodies in Privacy Contort for Voyeuristic Hedonistic Oddities

Oles, Zofia

The Prairie Light Review 
Volume 47 
Number 1 Spring 2025 Article 46 
Spring 5-1-2025 
Binary Code 
Zofia Oles 
College of DuPage 
Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr 
Recommended Citation 
Oles, Zofia (2025) "Binary Code," The Prairie Light Review: Vol. 47: No. 1, Article 46. 
Available at: https://dc.cod.edu/plr/vol47/iss1/46 
This Prefatory Note is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at 
DigitalCommons@COD. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Prairie Light Review by an authorized editor of 
DigitalCommons@COD. For more information, please contact orenick@cod.edu. 
Binary Code
Zofia Oles  
Digital Photography   
Uncle Sam: Salutations!! It’s your Uncle Sam, and welcome to the Great 
American game! 
Me: Sam used to be my favorite uncle til he got some fancy ass job and started 
acting like Tom,  then forgot he from the same concrete jungle we all from. 
Stand up straight, smile, and work painfully hard EVERY day, with none of  it 
showin’ on your  face and… you might win.  
THE GAME IS BULLSHIT AND IT'S RIGGED!! AM I THE ONLY ONE 
SEEING THIS?? 
Uncle Sam: NO NO NO NO NO! Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto. Ms. 
Houzell, do you  REALLY know how to play the game? THEN TIGHTEN 
UP! 
Me: OK bro, for real though? Keep ya head down, be nice, and don’t be TOO 
smart! So when you see their eyes start to dart, you know it’s all good on your 
part. Lean on your community, that’s not always necessarily the people you see 
in the house daily. Community can be anywhere, anybody, however… when 
the veil comes off, don’t storm no lobbies.  
Uncle Sam: Aaah, I see ya brought ya homeboys with ya, the ol’ cultured cheat 
code. Scorekeeper deduct one life!  
Me: Billy sang of  strange fruit hanging from trees and once they started to see 
the message being  broadcast… they were on her ass.  
Malcolm called them white devils and said if  he was killed it’d be by their 
hand, yet it was gonna  appear to be a black man. 
But the real problem was he spoke to masses and different classes of  ALL  
people from what I understand. 
You’re probably panickin’, sweatin’, wonderin’, “How do we win, what the fuck 
is the cheat  code?” 
    I don’t know…
That One Uncle…
This fool met Kendrick. 
Ciara Houzell
52 531
Oles: Binary Code
Published by DigitalCommons@COD, 2025


College of DuPage

Not a member yet