Dear Reader,

I am proud to present the inaugural volume of Continuum, a compilation of the intellectual and artistic talent of undergraduate students in the Capital Scholars Honors Program at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). Our aim is to showcase pieces that reflect the progression of knowledge and challenge the boundaries of mainstream thought in ways that exemplify what is expected of Honors students. The founding and publication of this journal has been a dream for many years, and we are thrilled that it has finally come to fruition.

Our peer evaluators had a difficult selection process, as we received several strong submissions. I cannot overstate my appreciation of our peer evaluator team- Vivica Futrell (’14), Madinah Patterson (’14), Shelby Bedford (’15), and Benjamin Johnson (’15) – for their professionalism and technical excellence in composition. Continuum would not be possible without them.

In addition to our peer evaluators, I would like to thank a number of individuals here at UIS. First and foremost, the enthusiasm and tireless dedication of our Publisher, Amy Spies and Assistant Editor, Michael Romanelli, have been integral to the design and launch of this project. Next, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the encouragement and support of our Capital Scholars Honors Program Director, Dr. Marc Klingshirn and our Vice-Chancellor of Undergraduate Education, Dr. Karen Moranski. Finally, I would like to applaud our Honors students for sharing their fine work with us and the undergraduate academic community at large. As expressed in our mission statement, we rely on identification of quality submissions, rather than a rigorous editing process.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy this first volume of Continuum, and I invite you to visit us again next fall as we unveil our second volume.

Sincerely,

Jaclyn Peterson
Managing Editor

Short Story

Where Zebras are Made – Robert Van Nordheim

Research/Thesis

Genetically Modified Organisms – Ashley Bowers

The Case of the Artificial Human – Jessica Williams

Music

College Life – Andrew Cerveny