Artists' and Writer's Statements & Bios
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"From fields of green" by E.S. 
E.S. is currently a graduate student pursuing a PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Vanderbilt University. 

"The Window is Foggy" by Jaden Mullins
Jaden Mullins is currently majoring in English and History at Tennessee Tech University. 

​"The point of my window pane" by Jessica Barker 
From the moment I saw the theme, I took it literally. Windows can be themselves or mirrors depending on how you look at them, and I have almost always had some sort of tree right outside my bedroom window. During the spring when they flowered or fruited, little-kid me reached for them and was stymied every time. On a deeper level, that's also how I felt about attending college: something that I could see, but not quite touch. Now that I'm here, it's not at all how I thought it would be. Arguably, it's perhaps more similar to a rotten fruit on the ground than one I can actually fully savor. I think that has to do in part with the metaphorical nature of light creating a false image, as when you tilt your head and make a window a mirror; had the window to college been truly transparent, I wonder if I would have reached for it then. Jessica Barker recently graduated with a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. 

"The Illusion of Transparency" by Corrina Lueptow
While folks in academia claim to be transparent, I have found this openness to be surface-level and oftentimes fake, like those pesky fake transparent clip-art images on Google, which inspired me to create this piece. With topics like money and other vital information for students, the claimed transparency often falls flat. I have been on countless Google searches with little luck because prices and salaries are so variable, especially since I attend a so-called “elite institution” (I still have no idea what that means or how much that matters!). Everyone is tight-lipped about these things in a “professional environment,” which makes it almost impossible for first-generation students to find information, as we are without parents who can guide us along. I feel like I am in a much different place than my peers with experienced parents or generations of knowledge. Having open and honest conversations, REAL transparency, is urgently needed in universities for those of us without a legacy.
Corrina Lueptow is currently pursuing degrees in History and Spanish at Vanderbilt University.