^© Morgan Hevel-Wagner   |  Virtual Care

My shoes squeak against the freshly mopped linoleum floor.
The rhythmic beeping of machines sounds like fire alarms in a black void.
The heavy sobs of a wife as her husband’s last breath echoes into the hallway.
My mother’s room, illuminated by iridescent LEDs, glows from the corner.
Her IV pump sings an aria of completion.
The smell of antiseptic is strong as another vial is filled.
The snapping of butterfly wings clicks into place.
A white silk tape zips as it is torn from a roll.
The chair, cold and plastic-like, sticks to my calves.
A warm sheen purrs through the vents, creating a layer of sweat at my hairline.
The sound of plastic bags being shook out and pagers beeping are almost hypnotizing.
Whispers escape the lips of nurses, respecting an untold rule of silence.
My mother’s hand is warm, but unmoving against my grasp.
Today the sun cleared the foggy morning.
The mist of uncertainty begins to recess as a cardinal lands outside my mother’s window.
The red bird unknowingly looks toward me, towards my mother.
I smile as the winged creature hops impatiently.
As I think of our past loved ones showing their presence.
Giving my mother, my family, and myself strength and patience during this deafening silence.
If only my mother would respond to my touch, my tears, and my words.
Her response is written in computer scripts and data.
A computer that cannot repeat her laugh or smile, but could keep her alive.
I begin to trace small circles into my mother’s palm, trying to memorize the lines in her skin.
As the sun streaks into her room, the warmth caresses our skin.
Her hand tightens around mine.
My mother’s voice breaks all silence.

Our Judges:

Art: Seamus Carmichael

Seamus Carmichael is a visual artist and traditional singer from County Derry, Northern Ireland. He graduated in 1978 from the College of Art in Belfast and was Northern Ireland’s Rome Scholar in 1981-1982, completing a series of linoleum prints illustrating the work of Irish Poet Padraic Fiacc. Marriage brought him to Philadelphia in 1984, and after a few years on Long Island, he and his family relocated to Central PA. With his experience in graphic design and 3D print, he was employed by the Penn State College of Medicine Harrell Health Sciences library, creating displays and digital designs and teaching 3D print classes. He served for many years on the board of the Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts and promoted Community Arts through the Lebanon First Friday Art Walk. In recent years, he has combined his art and design skills with his interest in folk music and Irish Literature to put together albums of Celtic Music and songs relating to James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Following his retirement from Penn State in January 2024, he relocated to Moon Township near Pittsburgh,  PA, where he plans to continue creating art and music.

Creative Writing: Eliana V. Hempel, MD

Dr. Hempel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine. She serves as the interim chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine and the director of the primary care track and 3+3 IM-APPs programs within the Internal Medicine Residency Program. She has had the pleasure of serving as a facilitator for several Alumni Physician and Student Writers Group workshops offered through the Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Humanities. Dr. Hempel strongly espouses the value of narrative medicine as a tool for self-reflection, processing, wellness, and connection.

Photography: David Goldenberg, MD, FACS

Dr. Goldenberg is a Head and Neck Surgical Oncologist. He was educated at the Ben Gurion University in Israel. He completed a residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, and then went on to do a three-year fellowship in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He then came to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and has been here for 18 years.

Currently, he serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as well as Vice President, Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Services. His clinical practice includes head and neck cancers, thyroid cancer, and parathyroid disease. In addition, Dr. Goldenberg actively teaches medical students, residents, and fellows and is a Penn State College of Medicine Distinguished Educator.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Goldenberg is an avid photographer who has worked in multiple photographic mediums such as high dynamic range, infrared, lowlight, landscape, macro, and bird photography.

Class of 2024:

Justin Ceasar
Claire Cohen
Caroline Eisele
Veronica Harrington*
Zachary High
Hailey Kindt
Kyle Mausteller

Class of 2025:

Muzna Ali
Gianna Dafflisio
Himani Devabhaktuni
Hanel Eberly
Kelan Fogarty*
Shivani Mattikalli
Ashley Spencer

Class of 2026:

Katrina Bakhl*
Taylor Goss
Kylie Manuppelli
Evelyn Marin
Chaitanya Nimmagadda
Christa Wilk*

Class of 2027:

Maria Dhinojwala
Brandon D’Souza*
Dhaval Gandhi
Sriya Vontela*

* University Park Campus

It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I introduce to you our latest edition of Wild Onions, a publication committed to providing our community with space to share our experiences through the arts. This year, Wild Onions focuses on the profound theme of “Moments of Silence.”

Silence goes far beyond the absence of sound. It encompasses the unspoken words, the unacknowledged emotions, and the overlooked stories that permeate the spaces between us. It is in the exploration of these spaces that the true power of silence is revealed—the power to heal, to connect, and to transform. Our hope is that through providing a safe space for expression, our community can begin to unravel the layers of silence, embracing its beauty while acknowledging its risks.

Mindfulness, being present in the moment as it is without judgment, can blossom in silence. Through intentional connection with our mind and heart, the truth of our emotions and experiences can be known more intimately. This knowing can form the foundation for artistic expression. Through poetry, visual art, and prose, Wild Onions serves as a canvas for the diverse voices within our community to express their truth. By doing so, we hope to create a space for introspection and connection, where the community can come together to share, learn, and grow.

Acknowledging the potential harm of silence is also a crucial aspect of our exploration. It is a recognition of the shadows that silence can cast—the isolation, the marginalization, and the suppression of voices that deserve to be heard. As we delve into this theme, we are committed to shedding light on these darker corners, acknowledging the hurt that silence can perpetuate. Through the vulnerability of artistic expression, we aim to challenge these silences, fostering an environment where dialogue can flourish and understanding can grow.

I am grateful to the many students, faculty, staff, and patients who have contributed artistic submissions from both the Hershey and University Park campuses.  The sharing of your voices is what makes this publication such a powerful representation of our community’s commitment to the arts. Thank you to our Co-Editors Allison Ching and Pallavi Kulkarni, Editor-in-Chief Daniel George, Managing Editor Deb Tomazin, and many student editors from both the Hershey and University Park campuses, whose unwavering commitments have made this publication possible year after year.

This issue of Wild Onions will feature a wide array of artistic contributions, each offering a unique perspective. We invite you to embark on this journey with us, to explore the profound beauty and potential harm of silence, and to celebrate the role of the arts in forging connections that transcend words. Let us come together as a community, breaking the silence that separates us and celebrating the power of artistic expression to build bridges and foster connection.

Warm regards,

Timothy D. Riley, MD

Associate Professor, Associate Vice Chair for Wellness

Department of Family and Community Medicine

We would like to extend a warm welcome to the 2024 edition of Wild Onions! To say that it has been an honor serving in the role of senior co-editors this year feels like a major understatement. Finding peace within the chaos, appreciating that quiet can be healing even in moments of inner turmoil, and experiencing overwhelming moments that leave one speechless are universally known sentiments that inspired this year’s edition. “Moments of Silence” was the theme chosen for 2024 to inspire submissions surrounding the times throughout our lives when the absence of sound speaks louder than its presence. The thoughts transferred onto these pages as words, brush strokes, or images produced by beams of light exemplify the dynamic range of what a simple word, silence, can mean. For some, it embodied a sense of losing oneself or a loved one. For others, it was a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer or to use the power of listening to heal often.

Just as moments of silence can harbor different purposes for us, even in a single day, this issue wishes to highlight the ever-transforming nature those times embody. It begins on a more somber note, using silent moments to process negative happenings. It later transitions into pieces that highlight the fluctuation that reflective moments in life can possess. Lastly, the pages end with a positive outlook, outlining the beauty within the still.

This year’s edition would not be possible without our community members undertaking a journey of their own to find what moments of silence mean to them. As you embark on your own journey whilst reading, we invite you to reflect and maybe even reinvent what these times mean for you. We hope you immerse yourself in the breathtaking heights and doleful nadirs within these pages. Perhaps embrace a moment of silence and take it all in.

Allison Ching and Pallavi Kulkarni

Allison Ching, MSIV 

Allison grew up in Downingtown, PA, and has been passionate about the arts from a young age, participating in school orchestras, musicals, and literary programs. She graduated with her undergraduate degree from Penn State University in State College, PA. While attending medical school, she pursued an interest in the humanities and arts in medicine through research related to music in the hospital and participation in several music and literary student organizations, in addition to Wild Onions. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing board games, and watching Japanese anime. She will go on to train as a family medicine resident at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA.

Pallavi Kulkarni, MSIV 

Pallavi grew up in Newark, DE, and attended the University of Delaware where she earned her bachelor’s degree. Her interest in the biological basis of behavior led her to major in neuroscience, while growing up in a multilingual household inspired her to minor in French. She has always been an enthusiast of the arts, even acting as an editor for her undergraduate school’s fashion magazine. Her involvement with Wild Onions has taught her and inspired her to become not just more patient-centered but also person-centered. Outside of medicine, she enjoys writing poetry, baking cookies, and going on long walks with a good podcast. Pallavi is thrilled to embark on her journey of becoming an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon at Penn State Health.

Art: Bruce Johnson
Pennsylvania-born artist Bruce Johnson earned a BFA from Philadelphia College of Art in 1966. He served as an Army illustrator in Heidelburg, Germany, designing underground briefing rooms and creating magazine artwork. Later, his career spanned work for WITF-TV, Harrisburg, to executive art director for Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, before pursuing a career as a fine artist. He traveled to England, Germany, China, Russia, France, Switzerland, Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries to paint watercolors and exhibit in 64 one-man shows. Bruce’s prints and originals are represented in private and corporate collections worldwide. His work includes bronze sculptures, silk-screens, original lithographs, and offset prints. After the Susquehanna Art Museum held a retrospective show of his work, Stackpole Publishing Company released “It’s A Fine Line,” a book encompassing his pen and ink drawings from 25 years. He currently resides in Delaware.

Creative Writing: Evelyn M. Potochny, DO
Evy Potochny is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She serves as Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine Fellowship Director, Associate Residency Program Director for Anatomic & Clinical Pathology, and Medical Director of Apheresis and the Stem Cell Collection Program. For the last two years, she facilitated Student Writers Group workshops offered through the College of Medicine and Department of Humanities.

 

 

Photography: Jay Ressler
Award-winning Fine Art Photographer Jay Ressler has an eye that can capture the soul of a Havana backstreet as beautifully as the sip of a hungry hummingbird. Also known as an encaustic and oil painter creating composite images, Jay increasingly extends his multi-layered approach to loosely rendered paintings inspired by details of some of his surreal photographs. His encaustic creations use ancient techniques beginning with cooking his own recipes of beeswax and resin. He studied advanced digital photography at Pittsburgh Filmmakers and graduated from Albright College, Reading, with a degree in psychology. He serves as president of the Berks Art Alliance and Art Plus Gallery Board of Directors, West Reading. Together with his artist-wife Martha, the couple nurtures a small forest of native trees they planted on their farm near Hamburg.

Theme: Andrew S. Freiberg, MD
Andrew S. Freiberg, MD, serves as a board-certified Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist and an Associate Professor of pediatrics at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He focuses on teaching medical students, serves as a long-time society advisor coach, and since 2014, leads the Global Health Scholars Program site for Macha Mission Hospital in rural Zambia. He received his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his pediatric residency at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, San Francisco. He then completed a hematology/oncology fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, before moving to Hershey. In his own words, “I have been here at Penn State College of Medicine since 1992, so when I celebrated my 25th anniversary, the college was exactly twice that old. My focus has always been to break down barriers between patient and doctor, adult and child, and between teacher and student, so I strive to have students with me as much as possible, especially in the clinic. Wild Onions is a perfect way to bring us all closer together. I consider it an honor to be selected as the theme judge for 2023.”

Katrin Bakhl,* MSI, Justin Ceasar, MSIII, Allison Ching, MSIII, Claire Cohen, MSIII, Danielle D’Amico,* MSII, Gianna Dafflisio, MSIII, Himani Devabhaktuni, MSII, Kulsoom Durrani, MSII, Hanel Eberly, MSIII, Caroline Eisele, MSIII, Kelan Fogarty,* MSII, Taylor Goss, MSI, Ryan Higgins,* MSIV, Zachary High, MSIII, Mandy Hsu,* MSI, Hailey Kindt, MSIII, Pallavi Kulkarni, MSIII, Abdul-Jawad Majeed,* MSI, Shivani Mattikalli, MSII, Kyle Mausteller, MSIII, Theodore Miller, MSI, Anne Francine Pino, MSI, Ashley Spencer, MSII, Haorui Sun, MSIV, Ashley Sun, MSIII, Sisi Tang, MSI, Hannah Wilding,* MSII, Christa Wilk,* MSI

* University Park Campus

The Wild Onions editorial board cordially invites the Penn State Health and College of Medicine Community to the 38th annual

Wild Onions Premiere
Reception & Reading

May 3, 2023
5-7:00 p.m.
at The Englewood, Hershey

1219 Research Blvd., Hummelstown, PA 17036

The evening will include a reception and readings from this year’s contributors,
as well as heavy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.
Please join us to celebrate some of the many talents found within the
Penn State Health and College of Medicine community!

Copies of this year’s Wild Onions will be available at the reception.

For more information:
email: wildonions@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
Or call the Department of Humanities at : (717) 531-8778

 

© Candice Maenza, MS
Department of Neurology

Memories, frozen
in time, isolated in ice,
solid captivity crystal.

Rain trickles from my eyes,
Remembering your touch,
Reliving our final goodbyes.

Reality so cold,
frostbite blackens my
frigid fingers.
I fight winter’s rush,
flakes of forgiveness
falling from fluffy clouds.

Until finally,
a puddle beneath me,
melting due, time
ready to free,
no longer imprisoned
by the past.

Pity passes,
sympathy subsides,
and thankfulness overtakes me.

Clouds clear,
I am blinded by the glare
of glimmering beams,
rays of a new season.