Caitlin Moran
staff writer
On the evening of Sept. 6, students, faculty, and family gathered in the O’Connor Art Gallery, to celebrate the creation of the first issue of Dominican’s literary magazine: “Stella Veritatis”. The title translates to “star of truth,” this Latin origin pays homage to the Catholic tradition of Dominican University. However, the magazine builds outward from our Catholic background, embracing the students’ unique traditions and circumstances.
Several students shared their work during the launch party by reading aloud their published poems and short stories. Students like Jasminum McMullen, Melissa Rohman, and Michael Ocampo shared their written works with the audience, representing those students who built the backbone of the magazine–from the authors and artists who submitted their work, to the designers who laid out the magazine, and the editors of the content.
“We read through all the pieces that were submitted and put them up for a vote,” fiction editor Tiffany Skelnik said, describing the responsibilities of a student editor, “Our job is to emphasize the writer’s voice while showing the best of the piece.”
Student editors work with pieces from submission to publication in a lengthy, year-long process. Lety Vargas, another student fiction editor, said, “Seeing the final piece is great. Seeing the pieces we submitted and watching them go through the completion process is satisfying.”
Despite celebrating the current achievement of the first publication, “Stella Veritatis’s” faculty advisor, Maggie Andersen, is determined to focus on the future of the magazine. She looks forward to new submissions and the next issue.
“We’d love to see more translations because we have so many bilingual and trilingual students on campus. We also want to see graphic narratives, like pieces of graphic novels or cartoons,” said Andersen. Submissions will remain open until Oct. 22, for all students, faculty, and staff.
Andersen emphasized that “Stella Veritatis’s” central mission is to encourage students to embrace the stories that define them as individuals. “The most important thing is for all students at Dominican to know that their narratives are important.”
cmoran@my.dom.edu