Fifty-nine years, thousands of pages and millions of words later, The Reflector is still going strong.
The Reflector is a journal of poetry, prose and artwork created by SU students. Amber J. Pound, the editor-in-chief, said the mission for The Reflector is “to provide a creative expression by the students of Shippensburg University.”
Professor Neil Connelly, the adviser, said The Reflector tries to capture the voice of the campus each year. Connelly believes The Reflector is best when it represents the diversity on campus.
Pound said that she has been a part of The Reflector since she was a freshman and is excited for The Reflector’s 60th anniversary in 2017.
While Pound also added that there is no theme as of yet, The Reflector will “reference some of the early aesthetic of the journal.”
Pound said it takes a full year to put together The Reflector. From getting submissions, to reading and judging them, then doing the actual layout of the journal, Pound said it basically has to take a year.
Connelly said his favorite aspect of the publication is the reading The Reflector does after it is published. The reading is when all the writers come together and read their stories aloud.
He said it is great because parents come, as well as the community, and put the writers in the spotlight. He feels the reading is more important than graduation, because this is something students will always remember.
Although he has only been the adviser for five years, Connelly said he gives advice but does not run The Reflector. He believes in it being a student-run organization.
Pound said that is one of the aspects of Connelly that she likes. She knows Connelly will help, but will not control editorial decisions.
Pound also said there are several staff members who help put together The Reflector. Along with Pound, there is an associate editor, public relations chair, prose editors, poetry editors, art editors and general members.
Kyle Gearity, one of the prose editors, said the majority of the members are “English majors who are either regular or secondary education.”
Connelly said The Reflector is one of the best parts of his job. He believes The Reflector tries to capture the voice of the current generation.
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