My memories of childhood always seem to be waiting in the back of my mind for the right moment to reappear, comforting me and raising my spirits. Being able to write and share a cherished memory has been an inspiration for me. Thank you, Carolyn Kershaw and English 101.       Angela Feldstein       Piggy Bank

These words were written in appreciation of the many years of hope and comfort Baby Eric Twigg brought to his family. Baby Eric was seven months old when he contracted spinal meningitis, which left him blind and quadriplegic throughout the twenty-seven years of his life. He stayed small, which helped his mother, sister and brothers manage his care. He was called Baby Eric, because he remained as an infant. He couldn't speak, crawl or see, but could he coo! The courage and strength that he provided throughout his life buoyed up his family. He always had a smile and a twinlke in his eyes.       Ronald W. Chandler       He Got His Wings Today

I've always felt that the biggest key to writing well is finding subjects that I enjoy and understand. I've never written what I consider to be a "good" essay or report that I didn't enjoy immensely. Many of the things I've written have been fun, spur-of-the-moment pieces: "Road Rage" is an excellent example of this type of work. My sister and I were driving down the road, and I remembered my driver's ed teacher joking about the "rubber dart gun" idea. Others, like the Charles Dickens essay, have required far more thought and preparations, though reading Dickens hardly counts as "work!" Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed crafting both of them, and continue to enjoy writing brief essays when the opportunity presents itself. I think that essay writing has given me more confidence when communicating with others in my work and everyday life. I've also found that a big factor in helping me find the words for a written work has been reading the work of others. Reading classics, editorials, even technical manuals is a greater means of increasing one's vocabulary than any other method I know of.       Andres Martinez       Road Rage and       Great Expectations & David Copperfield

The inspiration for this piece was Dr. Jack Shreve. He introduced me to the world of great literature. His democratic method of eliciting questions from students encouraged me to mine the literature we studied in his classes for potential ideas and through this heightened examination of the written word, I have grown.       M. C. Jordan       Disillusionment

"Operation Infinite Reach" was inspired by Dr. Lowell Markey, who encouraged me to write a research paper that also allowed for my own opinions. I chose my own topic, researched it, and soon discovered that these retaliation bombings were not justified and certainly will cause future attacks to be more violent.       Joey Shaffer       Operation Infinite Reach

Even though the novel from which this scene is analyzed, The Story of the Stone / Dream of the Red Chamber, is more than two hundred years old, people then had the same things on their minds that we do today. If the novel stands the test of time so well and we can read it today as if it were dealing with modern people, it must be great literature.       A Controversial Beating?       Jeremy McGuire

I thank God for giving me the gifts, talents and strength I needed to write "No Casualties."       No Casualties?       Thomas L. Landaker

I went for a drive one afternoon and stumbled upon this forgotten town in Farmington, PA, which is usually covered by the Youghiogheny River. Thanks to the "Drought '98," I was able to capture this picture of Old US Route 40.       Forgotten Bridge       Tina Travers

I was totally delighted when I found out that my baby girl's photograph would be published! Thanks, Sabrina, for being such a marvelous little model.       Oops!       Tina Travers

Life is full of cliffs and hurdles. Just don't let go!       Cliffhanger       Tina Travers

As a child my parents taught me the importance of creativity. They told me that I could be whoever I wanted to be in the world of art. My first creative burst was when I received my first coloring book and crayons. From that point on I have truly devoted my life to the appreciation of art. This project was the foundation I needed to set my career on track. I will sadly miss Allegany College when I graduate and I hope to continue my success at Frostburg State University.       A Stroll Through Nashville       Deborah L. Lewis

I was first inspired by the architectural design of this grand old stone church, next by its strength and then by the history that happened there.       Cumberland Emmanuel Episcopal       John P. Reuschel

Art is a form of therapy for me. While on dialysis I would sit and draw to help pass the three hours faster. After having a kidney transplant on December 26, 1995, I decided to come back to school and learn as much as possible. Of course, being in my early forties, this was not easy. I have now graduated from AC and will soon be finishing a four year degree at Frostburg State University. Thank you, Mrs. Robin Price and Ms. Bev Walker, for all of your expertise and for opening doors to different types of art techniques that I had forgotten about over the years.       Gray Scale Study #1       Mary J. Gorge

I was living right nest door to the College. Darkest Before the Dawn is what I saw from my front porch about 5:00 a.m. on a night I couldn't sleep.       Darkest Before The Dawn       David A. Diehl

I ran out of time to do this painting the way I wanted, but it is supposed to show extremes; too much drugs, too much sex, even the cars of my generation, were "maxed out." But you could sure tell one car from another back then. They didn't all look like "eggs on wheels" like today.       Going Too Far       David A. Diehl