Aurora Staff: 2014

MANDISA GILBERT
Co-Managing Editor/Poetry Editor

I am a double major in Psychology and Creative Writing. I am also obtaining a Japanese Certificate. I hope to work inabnormal and school psychology with children and adolescents, here and abroad, as well as publish works within the fantasy/sci-fi genre and poetry. My favorite movie is Love Affair, the 1939 version (the movie was remade twice). My favorite book is Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness series (I’ve re-read it at least 5 times). Some of my favorite authors (and influences) include Frank Peretti, J.R.R Tolkien, Edgar Allen Poe, and Nahoko Uehashi.

TORI JOHNSON
Co-Managing Editor/Staff Page Editor

Hi all! My name is Tori Johnson, I grew up in Ohio and came to Kentucky on a whim. I've really enjoyed getting to know my way around, but am always looking to relocate. I am a double major, Communication Studies and English: Technical Writing. As far as aspirations I am really interested in traveling and napping in hammocks. Professionally I take interest in copyediting, recruiting, and helping others. On the Aurora staff I serve as co-managing Editor. My favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption followed closely by Vegas Vacation. My favorite books are East of Eden, Great Expectations, and literary criticisms, and anything else ridiculous. I enjoy all music but my only true love (musically speaking) is Frankie Valli.

REUBEN BRIGGS
Poetry Editor/Fiction Editor/Art and Media Editor

My name is Reuben Briggs--that's right, named after a deli sandwich. And I have a Jackson that says you don't remember how to spell it by this point in the bio. I come with far more tattoos than shame. I'm studying Technical and Creative Writing because the written word has changed my life philosophies time and time again, and I want to know more about what makes the clock tick. The current plan is to return to the river transportation industry as soon as I break free of college. The authors who have inspired me the most are Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Hunter S. Thompson. Great films enthuse, too, and nobody does it better than Tarantino, Aronofsky, Kubrick and Wes Anderson. Pumped to read this year's Aurora submissions!

BRITTANY HOWARD
Nonfiction Editor/Social Media Director

I am a senior English major with an emphasis in Creative Writing. I aspire to be a librarian, while writing on the side, so I can be surrounded by books for the rest of my life. I currently hold the positions of nonfiction editor and social media specialist within the Aurora staff. My favorite movie is Kill Your Darlings. If you're an English major you will know why. And my favorite book is hard to pinpoint, but I read anything that Hunter S. Thompson has written.

LOREN POWELL
Submission Manager/Publicity Manager

My name is Loren Powell, and I am the submissions manager and publicity manager for Aurora.  I am a senior English major with a Creative Writing emphasis and a Psychology minor.  I hope to one day work as an editor in a major publishing firm and have my own novels published on the side.  I've been asked to select a favorite book, but it would be easier for me to choose a favorite leaf on my favorite tree (I don't have a favorite tree, I'm just being dramatic).  However, I recently finished Sand by Hugh Howey and it made a huge impression on me.  I would recommend it to anyone!

MARK RUBIN
Fiction Editor/Art and Media Editor

I'm a political science major here at Eastern. One day I hope to find a way to earn money in my sleep so that I can spend my waking hours fishing the many lakes and streams this country offers. As far as backup plans go, I would love to teach writing to students (if the fishing thing doesn't work out). I don't have an absolute favorite movie, but I enjoy a wide range of films—from Aliens to There Will Be Blood. Favorite Book? It’s a toss-up between The Road, by Cormac McCarthy and True Grit, by Charles Portis.

ALEX BOWEN
Art and Media Editor

I am an English major with an emphasis in Technical Writing, and a minor in Graphics Communications Management. My favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck and my favorite movie is a tie between Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and When Harry Met Sally. My favorite author would have to be Flannery O' Connor. I hope to one day teach, helping future students and my community to keep the art and wonder of literature alive. I hope to teach until I can pursue my dream of opening my own art studio, where I will enjoy my passion of painting and sketching by teaching and sharing with others.

KELLY WARD
Fiction Editor

I'm majoring in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and I aspire to write young adult literature once I graduate from college. I'm currently a self-published author, and I believe that there is no "wrong" way to enjoy reading, whether you like to read the writing of professional authors, Indie authors, or fan fiction on the Internet. My favorite book is Jane Eyre, and I hope to own every edition of the book in the future.

KELSEY NOEL
Poetry Editor/Event Planning Chair

My name is Kelsey Noel and I am the poetry editor for Aurora magazine. I am an English Technical Writing major with a minor in Art Studio. My favorite movie is My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn. My favorite book series is Harry Potter. One day I hope to be a civil rights lawyer and have my own family with several children. In my spare time I paint, write poetry, craft leather journals, and bake special occasion cakes.

KIEFER NANTZ
Interviewer

My name is Kiefer Nantz and I'm an English major with a focus in Creative Writing. With my education at EKU, I hope to one day be a published author of children's books. I've always found that a love for books and storytelling starts at an early age, and I hope to entertain today's youth and preserve the wonder of literature for them and future generations. I'm acting as the interviewer for the Aurora Journal and look forward to discussing the winning writers' work with them, as well as gaining insight into their creative processes. Some of my favorite writers include C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

WESLEY GAMBEL
Event Planning Committee

Born in Mount Sterling Kentucky, I grew up in town but moved to the countryside when I was still a child. It imbued a respect for nature and appreciation for its sights, but ironically, I'm almost a shut-in. Finding early on that I liked to write cheesy stories with epic plots and binary characters, I decided to eventually ignore my natural hobby and went to college to do something entirely different instead. It didn't work out. After a lengthy hiatus, EKU saw my return with a second wind where I found a great bit of success in studying to become a writer. However, I waste a lot of my time in sating my short attention span with games, short movies, and occasionally a book. You can typically find me in my computer chair, trying to goad myself into doing the homework I should be doing in the first place.