hanging with friends
the paper
I put off

Whitley Sapp

brought together
by a group project
new friends

Benjamin Woodcock

she is anything
but invisible
the professor spoke

Breana Bagley

enclosed by my winter coat
I slide passed
unnoticed

Mikaela Vuglar

brought together
by a group project
new friends

she is anything
but invisible
the professor spoke

she is anything
but invisible
the professor spoke

top quarter champion

TOP half Chamption

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

bottom quarter champion

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

steaming hot shower
melting away
a broken heart

going out
still holding onto a piece
of sophomore year

Benjamin Woodcock

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

Mikaela Vuglar

in our bedroom
I beg him to remember
that we're not roommates

Amanda Bivens

steaming hot shower
melting away
a broken heart

Mikaela Vuglar

TOP half champion

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

CHAMPIONTOP

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

BOTTOM half champion

Ho. Ho. Ho.
the Persian
peed on the bed again

Breana Bagley

midnight kiss
mixing flavors—
of alcohol

Whitley Sapp

the cat
perched on my backpack
i’ll work on it tomorrow

Jakob Cihak

close the computer
the world
can wait

Evan Chastain

midnight kiss
mixing flavors—
of alcohol

the cat
perched on my backpack
i’ll work on it tomorrow

midnight kiss
mixing flavors—
of alcohol

top quarter champion

BOTTOM half champion

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

bottom quarter champion

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

one cup of blueberries
two cups of cereal
. . . running late

home from college
a cannonball for all
the little cousins

Randy Brooks

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

Ariya Hawkins

one cup of blueberries
two cups of cereal
. . . running late

Jakob Cihak

early morning
before dawn
my coffee is made

Rene Sanchez

hanging with friends
the paper
I put off

Whitley Sapp

brought together
by a group project
new friends

Benjamin Woodcock

she is anything
but invisible
the professor spoke

Breana Bagley

enclosed by my winter coat
I slide passed
unnoticed

Mikaela Vuglar

This is a great pairing because it shows the loneliness that can envelop someone in college. The first haiku shows how someone can overcome the feeling of anxiety and loneliness and get over the nerves of speaking in class. The second haiku then could be seen as the before of the person in the first haiku. The person that cannot speak up in class yet because of the fear. Connor Mendenhall, Spring 2019

Both of these haiku deal with invisibility, but perhaps the people within these haiku are using this sense of invisibility as a power tactic. For instance, the second haiku informs us that this person disappears somewhere, but there isn't necessarily an indication that this place is either good or bad. I imagine a woman in a large winter coat attempting to sneak into a movie theatre or a nightclub and is able to do so with a crowd of people because she's concealed. In the first haiku, perhaps a professor is using her voice in a way that commands everyone's attention, and in that classroom she is never considered someone who goes unnoticed. Ariya Hawkins, Spring 2019

I really like this pairing because they are almost opposites. The second one makes me think of when I’m home on break, and I see someone I went to high school with at the supermarket. Just put the hood up and slip by. I was a bit confused by the first one, but I love how it is written if that makes sense. It’s so delicate yet powerful. Is the professor saying someone is anything but invisible, or is “she” the professor? Perhaps the author was thinking of someone in the class? Either way, I really enjoy this pairing. Benjamin Woodcock, Spring 2019

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

Mikaela Vuglar

steaming hot shower
melting away
a broken heart

Mikaela Vuglar

she is anything
but invisible
the professor spoke

Breana Bagley

sore mornings
all for the ones
who will never notice

Benjamin Woodcock

When reading these I see different images in the first one I see a girl slipping into an outfit to go out in with her girlfriends. But I can also see a girl slipping into pajamas after a night out ready to curl up in bed or on the couch. Then in the second one I see someone in the shower crying after their heart was broken hoping for a way to get rid of it. Daryann Birt, Spring 2019

These were two of my favorite haiku that I voted for in the matching contests, and I thought that these two particular haiku paired well together. The one from FOMO is about being invisible, despite longing to be otherwise. The match from college life talks about “her” being anything but invisible. I'm not sure if I interpreted the haiku about the professor right or not, but in my mind, it's about a male pining after a female classmate, and then having his thoughts interrupted by the professor speaking. I found it oddly satisfying that in one scenario, the writer is simply desiring someone, while in the other scenario, the writer is yearning for someone to reciprocate his feelings. I find the one about sore mornings to be heart-wrenching, and I hope that the person he is referring to does eventually notice. Amanda Bivens, Spring 2019

going out
still holding onto a piece
of sophomore year

Benjamin Woodcock

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

Mikaela Vuglar

in our bedroom
I beg him to remember
that we're not roommates

Amanda Bivens

steaming hot shower
melting away
a broken heart

Mikaela Vuglar

This haiku brought me back to a darker part of my life when I faced overwhelming negative symptoms of depression. For whatever reason, I showered as a coping mechanism. Whenever I was feeling down about anything, I would take a shower. My freshman year, there were times I would shower six times a day. It wasn’t ever that I felt unclean, it was the warmth and isolation the shower provided for me that was comforting. It’s like being wrapped up in a big blanket, but it’s damn near impenetrable. At the time, I lived in a dorm, I had a roommate, and I didn’t pay the water bill, so this was my best method of having some time for myself. However, this time was not a healthy method of coping because it was based in isolation. In particular, I recall experiencing two bad breakups with girlfriends, and during that time I showered quite a bit. So, I entirely empathize with the author of this haiku, but my experiences may be slightly different from their own. Jake Cihak, Spring 2019

she is anything
but invisible
the professor spoke

Breana Bagley

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

Mikaela Vuglar

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

Ariya Hawkins

late night
i decide to slip
into something new

Mikaela Vuglar

The above haiku were my favorite from the college life segment of our matching contest. Both of these haiku weren’t initially paired together but ended as the top two from the contest, meaning that we as a class paired them. I specifically enjoyed them because they both are a mystery although they are talking about a different subject. The first haiku leaves mystery to the reader as to why the professor agrees that they are quite visible as a person but maybe that author thinks that they are quite invisible at times. The second haiku allows the reader to also imagine what new thing the author is slipping into late at night. With the late-night connotation, along with the word slip, one can imagine a type of pajamas. I thought it was interesting that each poem inflicted the same feeling but used different avenues to reach that hopeful mystery and proceeded to continue to get the author to imagine what they truly meant. Breana Bagley, Spring 2019

I matched these haiku together because they both are suggestive. The professor in the first haiku is definitely a looker and in the second haiku they are slipping into something new to get looked at. Both of these haiku have to do with attention. The first the author’s attention is caught by the professor. In the second haiku the author is trying to get attention. Mikaela Vuglar, Spring 2019

Though I didn’t relate to both of them like the last pair, I thought both were very well written. They really captured the feelings and the image of the scenario. I vividly saw a mom and her child standing side by side and pointing at their shadows. There was laughter and good feeling surrounding the two. The other haiku created a scenario of a women trying to forget something, and finally go out with her friends again. I pictured she had been through a bad break up and this was her moment to become something new. By slipping on something new, she was removing the past. I think both were absolutely amazing and I enjoyed listening to these two. It hit on my feelings for both scenes and created a clear image of the people in those scenes. Evan Chastain, Spring 2019

Ho. Ho. Ho.
the Persian
peed on the bed again

Breana Bagley

midnight kiss
mixing flavors—
of alcohol

Whitley Sapp

the cat
perched on my backpack
i’ll work on it tomorrow

Jakob Cihak

close the computer
the world
can wait

Evan Chastain

I like this haiku because I can relate to it. I have two cats and they like to lay on everything. If I leave a notebook on the couch, they will lay on the notebook even though there are plenty of open spaces on the couch. I love the idea that the author doesn't want to disturb the cat to get their homework out of their backpack. They are using the cat as an excuse to procrastinate their homework. I can also relate to this because sometimes I am not in the mood to do some of my homework so I will find any excuse to put it off. I normally am not one to procrastinate, but I can only handle so much at a time before I get tired and burnt out. I like this haiku because it describes college. You get your homework done, it might be done at the last minute but at least it was done. I like this haiku because it reminds me of my cats and how cute they look when they are sleeping on my school books. Emily Reeves, Spring 2019

going out
still holding onto a piece
of sophomore year

Benjamin Woodcock

midnight kiss
mixing flavors—
of alcohol

Whitley Sapp

My matched college pair are ones that remind me of all the good times Millikin has brought me. In class we talked about how most of us are all juniors and seniors and it gave a feeling of remorse and satisfaction. I like to relive all the memories that my 4 years have brought me. 3 classes have come and gone ahead of me and 3 classes follow suit. I know that I am on my way out, but man was it one hell of a run. The first of the haiku gives a feeling that is personalized by whomever reads it. It an interpreted in many ways but wat stays constant is your reckless and innocent sophomore year. The second haiku also gives me a nostalgic feel focusing on a more intimate time after dark. Mason Bruce, Spring 2019

home from college
a cannonball for all
the little cousins

Randy Brooks

mom
look how tall
our shadows have gotten

Ariya Hawkins

one cup of blueberries
two cups of cereal
. . . running late

Jakob Cihak

early morning
before dawn
my coffee is made

Rene Sanchez