2015-2016

     Words hold immense power over our lives. They lay out our laws, inspire thousands of people, and hold enormous sway over our thoughts. Our writing has the potential to last far longer than our lives ever will. Creative writing is not excluded from this; it also holds potential to influence others.

 

     Creative writing influences people in the most personal way; poems and stories effect an individual on an emotional level. They cause a person to feel -- whether it be sad, joyous, or bittersweet, depending on the piece. The emotional response solicited from a poem or story is what makes creative writing so addicting. A good story can take you out of the present moment, offering an escape. A powerful poem can stay with you for the rest of your life. The power creative writing holds is undeniable.

 

     Words hold influence over our lives, and, by extension, so do the writers that wield them. The Oracle is an outlet for readers to become writers, for the influenced to become influencers. Perhaps we all have this creative potential inside of us, perhaps not. There is only one way to find out -- simply by writing. 

 

     Lauren Kanavy   | 2016

     Editor-in-Chief

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2014-2015

 

     Well, here we are.  It's almost the end of my senior year now.  4 years of high school almost over.  During that time, I have done many different activities.  And I'm glad to say Oracle was one of them.  I joined two years ago and, to be honest, I didn't really know what I was getting into.  All I knew is that I could write at least half decent.  I showed up on the first meeting of the year two years ago, and there were a bunch of people I never really talked to before and a brand new teacher.  At first, I didn't know what to expect.  In the end, Oracle became one of the highlights of my week, and I'm glad to call past and present members my friends.  It's been wonderful having one hour each week to write, talk, or just be weird with good friends.  And I'm honored to have spent my last year of Oracle as Lead Editor, or as I like to call it, Supreme President.  It's been a great ride, and I will miss everyone in Oracle.  God speed, you glorious writers.

 

     Corey Griffith | 2015

     Editor-in-Chief

 

     

     Whenever I sit down and attempt to put words to paper or a screen, I often forget that writing is a process. Awe-inspiring scenes of faraway galactic battles in space or stormy nights on a ship in the middle of the Pacific fill up my mind. Unthinkable heroes, like the introverted but skilled captain of a starship or the arrogant sailor with a pathological tendency to lie, are so interesting and (surprisingly) real. All live in my realms of imagination. To say I am disappointed in myself when I can’t do these creations any justice as written or typed words is an understatement.

     I have a feeling it’s like that for most people who are writers or are starting out writing. We have this insatiable desire for achieving our perfect story, as if our imaginations are a beloved book that we have all read and our actual written work is the not-as-good movie adaption. Perhaps this disappointment is what keeps us from revising that story or making an entirely new one. We are scared that our ideals won’t match up to what we can actually produce.

     That’s the beauty of writing, however. We constantly aim for perfection and we can never reach it. There is always room for improvement, and Oracle has taught me that. Our collection of poems and stories can hardly be called the best, but with a little patience, fine-tuning, and a want to create beauty, maybe it could. We have an astounding number of talented writers, who show so much potential if they are willing to work at it.

     So perhaps we shouldn’t so worried about doing no justice to a character or not liking what we have written. The most important thing is to just keep writing. That’s the tried and true method for (eventually) creating masterpieces. I look forward to what we can present in the future.

 

     Lauren Kanavy   | 2016

     Poetry Editor