A Greater View of the Arts

Albright AM released their Third issue of the school year on Friday, May 1st. The event showed a gathering at the pond, as well as the disbursement of magazines all across campus.

From a personal standpoint, I feel as though many of the students at Albright are not very active in the Arts. Therefore, I feel as though the magazine is not very popular amongst the student body. Sophomore Editor-in-Chief Sarah Bruno had a different standpoint. "I do think we attract a lot of student interest, simply because we appeal to so many different aspects of the arts, Albright, and the greater community, as a whole. There's something for almost everyone, basically."

In an interview with senior Tim Zachwieja, he drew a line between Sarah's and my point.

"Is it popular among the whole student body? No. But towards its target audience, it is probably very popular. The Artists will read it, and anyone outside of that group who does is a plus for the magazine," Tim stated.

The magazine is also free to all students, which has to be assumed would help reach more readers. The publishing is made possible through SGA and a grant from Berks County, according to Faculty Advisor Margaret Rakus, and sophomore Vice-President Jessica Taylor.

As for content, the magazine features numerous aspects including featured writings, AGON Coffeehouses, Domino Players Productions, the Berks Jazzfest, Earth Week, and a popular new Artist of the Month segment.

"The Artist of the Month is a relatively new feature, but one of our favorites. Basically, we encourage people to nominate a potential Artist of the Month based on the candidate's major contributions to any area of the arts and a continued interest in that area (or those areas, as the case sometimes may be)," stated Sarah Bruno.

The Artists featured in the latest issue were Elliot Wallace (March) and David Wellman (April). Wallace was showcased for his written production "Faith Eats the Soul," which is a part of Albright's "Green and Growing Festival," a collection of student productions. Wellman was selected for his contributions to AGON, MEISA, and his senior thesis album "Lifeboat." Two different styles, equal impact.

The Arts Magazine is a great example of student dedication here at Albright College. With Rakus taking her "hands off" approach to advising, the students run this magazine completely, and with the many stories they cover, the Arts Community at Albright has yet another source to display their work.

I would like to thank Margaret Rakus, Jessica Taylor, Tim Zachwieja, and Sarah Bruno for their time in answering my questions.