p~ 6 10 . ( 7 p 2t 05 PHOENIX Literary and Arts Magazine • The College of New Rochelle 2005 ADVISE~S NOTE I write in praise of advisees. As an interim adviser to Phoenix, substituting for the long-time and mega-successful Dr. Cynthia Kraman while she is on sabbatical, I have been carried to the finish line, like the baton in a relay race, by a group of seniors whose skill and pluck have won the race. That the spirit of the arts is alive and well at The College of New Rochelle is brilliantly illustrated by the graduating Phoenix staff. Let me begin with the Editors in Chief, Jenell Wilkie and Tiara Simmons. Fortunate enough to have had both of these students in class I know them as thinkers in the realms of politics, spirituality and aesthetics. As fiction writers and poets they have distinguished themselves. Tiara sings in the Gospel Choir and Jenell works closely with the College to help recruit and orient first-year students. They are artists of the word and the voice but also adept in the art of living. These two fine representatives of our community breathed vital life into the activities of their staff, organizing writing workshops that were groovy and Slams that were intense. The poetry and fiction they have collected represents the exuberance and sensitivity of their work. When it came time to produce the physical book, Phoenix, turned to long-time friends and talented visual artists Amy Perry, Alana Ruptak and Emily Williams, who, having already put up their senior shows in the Art Department (wonderful, thought-provoking, joy-providing shows), were generous beyond measure to work the material they were given into the form in which you find it now. Their vision is remarkable for its beauty and its depth. I am honored to have worked with this five fine young women, whose ability to fuse the social demands oflife on campus with their soulful artistic instincts has culminated in a magazine that we are happy, eager, to have you read. Nick Smart Chair, Department of English and Adviser to Phoenix '04!'05