The Celebration Issue
EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Jessica Groom
The Celebration Issue
jessica.groom@blueprintmagazine.ca
Production Manager Breanna Kettles breanna.kettles@blueprintmagazine.ca
Literary Editor Joseph Brannan
Intern Virginia Tremaine
Since Jessica, our wonderful Editor-in-Chief, could not come up with anything for this particular editorial note, we found it appropriate to commandeer this space to publish the fact that the release date of this Celebration Issue coincides with Jessica’s birthday. Happy Birthday Jess, and thank you for the passion and hard work you have dedicated to Blueprint! To all our readers, we hope that this Pick-Me-Up brings you joy amidst the snow, slush, and tedium of work. Life is highlighted by each moment of celebration, so find something every day to celebrate.
ADMINISTRATION
joseph.brannan@blueprintmagazine.ca
Art/Photography Manager Carina Rampelt carina.rampelt@blueprintmagazine.ca
Promotions Manager Rachael Hargan rachael.hargan@blueprintmagazine.ca
Web Editor Roxanne Nicolussi roxanne.nicolussi@blueprintmagazine.ca
Brantford Manager Brittany Bennett brittany.bennett@blueprintmagazine.ca
Radio Manager Brendan Fardy brendan.fardy@blueprintmagazine.ca
The Blueprint Editorial Team
President, Publisher & Chair Dani Saad Executive Director Bryn Ossington Advertising Manager Tammy Rowe Vice Chair Abdiasis Issa Treasurer John Pehar Director Taylor Berzins Director Shelby Blackley Director Angela Foster Director Fred Kuntz Director Neha Soni Corporate Secretary Laura Buck
CONTACT Blueprint Magazine 75 University Ave W Waterloo ON N2L 3C5 p 519.884.0710 x3564 blueprintmagazine.ca Advertise trowe@wlu.ca blueprintmagazine.ca/advertise Contribute submissions@blueprintmagazine.ca
COLOPHON Blueprint is the official student magazine of the Wilfrid Laurier University community. Founded in 2002, Blueprint is an editorially independent magazine published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors. Content appearing in Blueprint bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. Blueprint reserves the right to re-publish submissions in print or online. Opinions in Blueprint are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Blueprint’s management, Blueprint, WLUSP, WLU or CanWeb Printing Inc. Blueprint is created using Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5 using Adobe Creative Suite 4. The circulation for a normal issue of Blueprint is 3000.
NEXT ISSUE The Meta Issue On stands January 28th 2014
Cover Art by Jonathan collie and caroline bordignon It is the most wonderful time of the year! Jonathan’s idea of bright and energized colours conveys this spirit. The initial sketches included themes of fireworks and explosive excitement. Caroline integrated watercolour brush strokes into these designs to create contrast in texture while using the same theme of bright, joyous colour.
Simple DONNIQUE WILLIAMS
Dust Boxes Lights Anticipation Shopping Food Family High Aftermath Dark Dust Boxes Time Repeat.
CAROLINE BORDIGNON
Awaken CINTHYA M. FERNANDES
The snowflakes fall On my porcelain skin Making me feel so small Where I begin To reflect on it all.
To keep fighting To continue growing To dream about the future And celebrate where I started from.
Taking deep breaths I feel the reality of my life Knowing that all my strife Was not for naught.
The road so far Has been rather hard But I would not change The person I’ve become.
Madonna Amanda Scheifele She shook the sieve again and another blizzard drifted down onto the flat bells. Icicles winked at her from the shop window and snow sparkled on the panes. The Jolly Bell mocked her as it sang ‘Hello!’ to the woman entering the bakery. Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas. Any news on your boy? No. I know letters stopped coming a few weeks ago, but that can only be because of—I don’t know—postage or something. Sure. Anyway, I’m here to pick up my order please dear. Of course. Oh come now, it’s Christmas darling!—Hope is in the air!—It shall be my personal goal to get a smile on your face by Christmas Eve. Here are your cookies. Yes yes dear, thank you, you know you’re a hero for running this place on your own, honestly I don’t know many women who would be able to, but you, you are a saint. Have a good day. ...Yes, yes, you as well darling, and Merry Christmas. And to you. The Jolly Bell burst out in chorus again and the door shut. She pounded away at some dough. Hope in the air indeed. If hope was in the air, it was snow, and if snow was in the air, it was falling. Falling thick and fast. A saint. Humph. The only saint around her was the Virgin Mary. And the Virgin Mary was wooden and smiling a carven smile to all passersby. Never changing. Ever. A tear gathered and fell. She brushed it away instinctively before she even had a chance to register her emotion. There was flour on her face now. She hated flour on her face. It was unprofessional. She gathered her apron and brushed away the wet and dry. The Virgin never seemed upset. Always serine and smiling. She sniffled and added more wood to the fire. She bet that if the Virgin talked now, she’d have a different story to tell. Of dust and pains and hurt and frowns. She had to watch her son go away as well. She had to watch her son die! She went back to abusing the dough. Smiling indeed. Christmas indeed. Home by Christmas indeed. The only ones who would be home by Christmas would be the ghosts. She hiccupped and almost sank into the pathetic lump of dough. Oh Mary Mother of God, please don’t let him come home for Christmas.
Carina Rampelt
JOHN RAMPELT
The Birthday Surprise BRITTANY BENNETT
The sound of big red shoes squeaking across the driveway get lost in the midst of giggles and cheers from within. Knock, knock, knock and the cheers turn into screams. An exhausted mother sheds a sigh of relief. “HE’S HERE! HE’S HERE! HE’S HERE!” and the children run up with smiles. A saddened single man suddenly forgets his sorrows. Pump, pump, pump and out comes a flower; a lonely little girl’s heart lifts as she gets the first balloon. Pump, pump, pump and out comes a giraffe; a hyper little boy sits down for the first time in hours. Pump, pump, pump and out comes a puppy; a pretty little birthday girl has her last wish come true.
Amanda Scheifele
Light of the Moment Rebecca Allison The jack-o-lantern’s glowing smile The shimmer of new fallen snow The blaze of candles on a birthday cake The floating lights of Divali The flickering candle of a menorah The glistening Christmas lights Each a light in the dark The light of each day That breaks the norm Slays the ordinary And allows the celebration Of the new and the wonder