The 101st Issue

Photo courtesy: Shorter University
The original Shorter College campus, 1890.

Editor’s Note

The Chimes is a student-produced literary magazine which gives students, faculty, and alumni the opportunity to see their work published and admired. However, The Chimes means so much more than that. For over 130 years, The Chimes has been a platform where all those associated with Shorter can express their deepest thoughts and God-given talents. It serves as an equalizer, revealing that whether student, faculty, or alumni, at our core we have all been given the ability to express ourselves. The Chimes is something that science majors and English majors alike can call their own. It exists to make the creative voices of Shorter heard, and also to provide a way for others to catch a glimpse of the heart of Shorter itself.

This year’s theme, Reconstruction, could be considered a “sub-category” of last year’s theme, History. In simple terms, history has largely consisted of building, tearing down, and rebuilding. Periods of reconstruction are characteristically prefaced by periods of war. The contemplation of these ideas led me and our staff members to decide that Reconstruction would be a perfect theme for The Chimes. Shorter itself has gone through many periods of reconstruction; it is something that is present in daily life, whether it is noticed or not. Reconstruction is in “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you,” it’s in a child restacking their colorful blocks after a bully has knocked them over, it’s in the body healing itself, and obviously, it is in Christ’s work in our hearts.

The Chimes is one of the richest and most noble traditions that Shorter has. I hope that this 101th edition inspires you and allows you to see the true heart of Shorter University. And if you feel like you’re just stuck in the war, hold on to the hope that reconstruction is coming.

-Hannah Cauthen, Editor-in-Chief

Shorter-University