By Danielle Bettendorf, Living and Arts Editor
Eight students performed in the second senior reading of the semester on Feb. 27 in Lore Degenstein Gallery.
Seniors Nikki Anderson, Alison Cerri, Katie Willis, PJ Lombardo, Jared Ijams, Aiyona Hayman, Quinn McGarrigle and Mitch Roshannon all read personal works from their time at Susquehanna as a culmination of their college writing career.
Some students were able to elaborate on their specific experiences that other students have not gone through.
“Most of my writing is about Argentina and immigration,” Cerri said. “That’s from my personal story as the daughter of an Argentinian immigrant.”
Multiple students also tackled vulnerable experiences in their chosen works at the reading.
“I picked the pieces I liked working on the most, which all just so happened to be the main things that I was struggling with,” Anderson said. “My grandmother’s death, my relationship with my dad and contracting mono and being pulled out of school by a virus that controlled my body for months.”
“[One] personal essay is going to be published in Essay magazine on campus soon, so I guess [performing] it was a way for me to prepare for my experiences to be available for the whole world to see,” Cerri said. “It’s significant because it’s about traumatic things that happened to me while I was abroad for GO, including seeing my mom almost die right in front of me and experiencing sexual assault.”
“I tried to be as honest as I could about my feelings while abroad and afterwards in the piece – most of my feelings revolved around anger, even violence,” Cerri continued. “I decided to read more from the end of the piece, though, when I describe ‘healing’ and how I have to keep going.”
“I’m really glad I chose that part to read aloud because I was able to see how it still affects me after the fact and also how it affected others,” Cerri said. “My story is not only significant to me, but to other people as well.”
Anderson emphasized the opportunity for attendees at the reading to get a sense of the writing community on campus, in addition to relating to their works.
“I hope that attendees walked away from our reading with a better idea of the support our faculty gives us and their attention to the small details that make each of us the writers we are,” Anderson said.
“I think [the] senior reading really showcased the depth of talent that comes out of our department,” Anderson continued.