Dalton State has given Afrodita Aguilar a place where her creative work can be seen by other students and faculty on campus.
“I have been writing creatively since I was ten years old, and it has always been a passion of mine,” said Aguilar, a nursing major and author of “Amil,” which was awarded first-place in the Dalton State English Department’s Spooky Story Contest Fall 2021. “Dalton State is awesome in allowing students to have a creative outlet where they can gain experience in creative writing and publishing.”
Aguilar also had her first-place story published in Tributaries, one of two publications at Dalton State.
Tributaries focuses on showcasing student’s creative works through all media, while The Exemplar displays writing and research from students in the humanities. Both journals are published online and an excellent way to feature student accomplishments to the Dalton State community. The journals are maintained by the Roberts Library. Stories published can be found at Tributaries and The Exemplar.
The publications give students the opportunity to showcase their work and have it published while still in college.
“Both publications exist to encourage student communication and contributions on campus, and publication in either journal is a great addition to one’s resume,” said Dr. Jennifer Randall, associate professor of English and editor of both Tributaries and The Exemplar. “Although both journals are published online,” said Randall, “typically only the Dalton State community can access the content. In the coming years, the hope is to publish both journals more consistently like other competitive scholarly and creative journals and to provide access for anyone who wants to enjoy creative works or read a well-written, college essay.”
These publications are not only for English majors. A student pursuing any degree can have their work published.
Jonathan Fleming, a history major whose essays “A Comparative Analysis of a Common Thread and Independence and Empire” and “Public Perceptions of COVID-19 in the Prison System” were published in the Fall 2021 issue of The Exemplar said, “It is such an honor to have my works published. Seeing my essays published alongside my peers makes me hopeful about the future and encourages me to continue working hard so I may have my future works published in other journals.”
“The campus publications The Exemplar and Tributaries have honed my interest in writing,” said Denise Shahan, an organizational leadership major with a concentration in healthcare administration. Shahan authored the poem “A Winter’s Tryst” that was published in the Fall 2021 issue of Tributaries. “The potential to write is there, and my renewed zeal for writing has prompted me to see my goal to fruition.”
“The Exemplar offers every Dalton State student the opportunity to build a resume and showcase their hard work,” said Jacob Dills, an English major and author of “Celestial Wisdom Calms the Mind: Samuel Johnson’s Moral Vision in The Vanity of Human Wishes” that was published in the Fall 2021 issue of Exemplar. “If I have learned anything at Dalton State, the chance to reach others is one worth taking. I am thankful for The Exemplar and I hope more students, regardless of their major, will take advantage of the benefits this publication offers.”
