The below piece is an anthology of writings developed by our very own KAMPers. We asked them to share their thoughts and experiences on what it was like being a student at the University of Arizona during the Spring semester of 2023. Here are those thoughts.
Written By: Catherine Hill
Edited By: Peyton Riegel
Dear Reader,
What a year. Senior year really goes hard. (Too hard.) Looking back I had to endure hardships to learn that I don’t break as easily. In one year I witnessed so many more silent horrors than I ever had before. Somehow, I learned how to sort through each day and remember to keep my eyes on the prize—graduation. Although I’ve got one last semester to cherish my time in undergrad—after this term—the most harrowing part has passed. I wish that I could share more of my story with you All, but each time I write, my words turn to poetry and the translation only makes sense to me. Oh, I can share this part: I write poetry. I’ve written poetry ever since I was in fourth grade, and I performed it too! I love writing slam-poems. One day, I want to publish my pieces. There are so many things that I want to convey through poetry and hopefully I can find an audience who also resonates with my expression. See you next semester!
Written By: Liam Larkin-Smith
Edited By: Peyton Riegel
If you’ve walked around campus at all, you’ve probably seen oleander bushes all around. Oleander is a plant with pink or white flowers and leaves shaped like sharpened feathers.
What you might not know is that oleander is deeply poisonous, enough to kill a giraffe who ate some at the local zoo.
To me, the fluorescent flowers serve more of a distraction than a lure. To distract from the deadly leaves that will cut up your insides. Yet, the two are still part of the same plant, linked by stem and branch.
With the possible threats levied at the law school being veiled from the students who attend the law school, I can’t help but see a connection. Classes were only held on zoom for two days while Something happened, what this Thing was we were not privy to. Though if you read the Daily Wildcat, then you’d have no cause to worry because “There is no threat”. Open forums were held by the law school, and in true lawyer fashion words were said while nothing of value was mentioned. Hollow slogans like “we understand” and “we appreciate your understanding” and “thank you for your perspective” were trotted out like prized Clydesdales to appease the rightfully worried masses. Only recently were we permitted half-truths from on high: there was a threat, but it’s been resolved now, Do Not Worry! Pay no attention to the continued increased police presence around the law school, or the fact that no one can access the law school without a cat card. These measures were just because of the students’ worrying, not because the threat has been fully resolved of course. As we speak we are attempting to exclude the threatening individual from campus, which of course worked wonders last semester regarding Murad Dervish, the murderer of Thomas Meixner and noted expelled student. We Hear You, And We Are Listening! Can’t You Tell?
This university refuses to learn from its bloody failures, and instead is so underprepared, due to sheer ignorance and incompetence, that these failures will happen again. As of now though, the university seems content to distract us with its flowery language, while the opaque poison is allowed to grow and potentially take more lives.
Same as it ever was I suppose.