"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." - Mark Twain Captured Lightning is a compilation of award-winning magazine articles as judged by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Their annual magazine writing contest highlights the outstanding work of journalism students throughout the country - and 2005 was no exception. The students represented in this compilation exceed broad journalistic levels of excellence, with topics ranging from drag shows to awareness of AIDS in Africa. "All across the country, student magazine writers have created stories with depth, with color, with emotion, and with purpose. The winners of the AEJMC Magazine Division student contest are wonderful examples of what makes first-rate magazine reporting, writing, and storytelling." - Ted Spiker, assistant professor, University of Florida