Fragments looks toward future

As the club meeting was called to order, the difference between leader and follower was subtle. Eight people sat at attention around a table in the Casey conference room while enthusiasm, ideas and logistics bounced between hearts and minds. These individuals are the think tank working towards a nww approach to Fragments, the university's annual literary and visual arts magazine.

Professor Sharon Cumberland of the English department and Professor Naomi Kasumi of the Fine Arts department are the supervisors of the project, but it is clear that they are in support positions and the students are the real driving force behind the publication.

Fragments is going on its 54th year in print, but things are a little different than they have been in recent years. The staff sought out club recognition and will be benefiting from support and resources as an on campus club with the promise of more visibility to the Seattle University community. As a result, the staff members hope to expand the possibilities of the submissions they receive.

"More voices, more different, more variety of people who are submitting and views being recognized," senior and Fragments copy editor Sarah Elgatian said was her request.

Among the requests of the other staff members, Fragments co-president Michelle Eastman would like to see foreign language submissions and majors outside of the College of Arts & Sciences while graduate student and Fragments staff member Lecole Mathews mentioned that faculty and staff of the university are welcome to submit as well.

"Just a broader range of perspectives," said Lindsey Wasson, the Fragments art co-editor who also works as a staff photographer for The Spectator.

Inclusivity seems to be the keyword at this meetings. Previously, Fragments usually appeared to be exclusive to the English and Fine Arts department.

Wasson attributes the lack of variety to a lack of publicity.

"It wasn't advertised as well," Wasson said. "It was always a little hard to find out about to begin with."

But one of the items on the meeting agenda was to approve fliers for the magazine. The flier is black and white, minimalist, but bold and artistic. Thanks to resources from Club Connections, the fliers can be posted around campus.

Eastman attributed the exclusivity to the independent nature of the process.

"I think one reason [Fragments] has not been so collaborative in the past is that one student has really had to take it upon themselves within the English department to really get the magazine going," Eastman said.

The current atmosphere is considerably different from what one would think of for a magazine traditionally run by a single student. Instead, each individual gladly voices opinions and contributes ideas in order to propel the meeting forward. Cooperation is the key.

However, it is clear that inclusivity does not mean a sacrifice of quality. The standards will be strict as ever, although the staff members are anticipating increased variety of material and an increase in submission volume.

"We're not solely focused on keeping everyone happy. I think quality is also a priority of ours. We're not going to publish everything that gets submitted," Elgatian said.

"There's an obvious commitment to some sort of quality integrity, it's not like ‘Everyone gets in the magazine!'" Wasson said.

"We have some integrity about what will be accepted," Eastman said.

The Fragments staff is serious and hopeful this year, expressing dedication about what they hope to produce before the summer.

"I want to experience a whole person, [Fragments] should show me what my community is here at SU," Elgatian said.

The basic mission for Fragments this year goes back to Jesuit ideals. The staff members hope that the magazine will reflect the university's commitment to community, diversity and care for the whole person.

The submission deadline for the magazine is Feb. 17 and the team set a target print date for mid-spring quarter.

Rosalie may be reached at rcabison@su-spectator.