Issue date: 12/12/08 Section: News

Senior English and psychology major Amanda Veale reads her poem "Seeking Artichoke, Call Me" from "The Vehicle" in the Effingham Room at the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union on Thursday. (Alycia Rockey/The Daily Eastern News)

Justin Sudkamp, a senior English major, decided to write a poem after an experience he encountered at his job in Booth Library while sitting at the security desk.

"One day I was looking at the screen, and I see this woman who had a baby strapped to her back," he said. "Then I see a little black girl bouncing across the (camera) screen."

Sudkamp said the woman who was carrying the baby was white, and she placed her head on the girl's head that was running around. Sudkamp also said the baby was black.

"And I knew I just had to write this down," he said.

Sudkamp shared his poem about interracial couples and families with students and faculty along with others at "The Vehicle" reading event Thursday night in the Effingham Room of the Martin Luther King Student Union. During the year, students are encouraged to submit their works of art such as prose, poetry and photographs to possibly be published in "The Vehicle," Eastern's literary magazine.

Letitia Moffitt, faculty adviser for "The Vehicle," said the reading event is a relatively new event.

"We are trying to get greater publicity for the journal and to connect to the university and community," she said. "We also want to try to go outside of the English department."

Moffit said "The Vehicle" publication comes out once a semester.

"We send out announcements every semester, and we put ads out," she said. "We are actively trying to find new ways to get the word out."

All submissions given to "The Vehicle" are anonymous, and then the best are handpicked by a team that is put together by the organization.

After the different works of art are picked for the publication, the authors are revealed and published in the literary magazine.

Rebecca Griffith, editor-in-chief for "The Vehicle," said there are some things the magazine looks for when picking different pieces.

"We look for originality, writing strong in imagery and creativity," the senior English major said. "I know that is kind of broad, but it is hard to give a rubric. All of the work submitted is so different, and each has its own strength to offer."

Sudkamp said the reason why he decided to write his poem because he feels some people still have problems with interracial relationships whether the situation shows up within families or between two people.

"My parents always told me that people are different but they are no better, nor worse, just different," he said. "I was trying to get across that this girl is going to grow up and be somebody and she is no different than anyone else."

During the program, Glen Davis, an English graduate student, was recognized for winning a chapbook of his work published.

In 2007, Sigma Tau Delta and "The Vehicle" staff started the chapbook contest that offered Vehicle award winners a chance to have their works published in a small volume.

Davis said in the beginning he was not interested in sharing his works.

"I really don't write for other people," he said. "That's why I was a little surprised that I won."

Davis said he now encourages people should share their works with others.

"You have to share in order to know how good you are," he said.

Griffith said students should submit work they have done whether it is prose, creative writing, poetry or photography.

"They can list this on their resume as being published," she said. "It opens up lots of possibilities."

Jessica Leggin can be reached at 581-7944 or at jmleggin@eiu.edu.

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