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Printer-Friendly ModeSins celebrates 25th anniversary today
December 5, 2005 —
Amanda Conner says if she had a choice, she'd probably do it again.
The Cardinal Sins editor-in-chief has had a tougher job than she imagined as her and her staff has worked to put out the 25th anniversary of the literary magazine, available on campus today.
Last year, Conner was an understudy to editor Anderson Bearden, and "followed him around" to learn the ropes of the job.
"But it's been 80,000 times harder," she jokes. "And I probably knew more than he did coming in."
Making this issue even more difficult was recognizing the magazine's anniversary. It also made it more exciting.
"It's fabulous to work on a magazine that's older than myself," the 23-year-old Conner says. "The magazine has its own being, its own personality. It has become more professional.
Conner says she involved herself in the entire history of the magazine.
"I got to learn so much," she says. "I don't think past editors know as much about the history because they didn't have the opportunity to learn about it."
To celebrate the anniversary, this semester's issue has more pages than the Winter 2005 issue, including a complete copy of the first Sins issue and interviews with the magazine's first editor, Sins' first advisor, English professor Gary Thompson, Graphics Center Supervisor Perry Toyzan, and Evening Services Office Coordinator Ann Garcia, who Conner says has played a large role in the magazine's growth for much of its time.
Conner and her 15-member staff had to evaluate a record 292 submissions this semester. The issue includes four pieces of artwork (two color, two black and white), 20 pieces of photography (six color, 14 black and white, six fiction pieces (four short, two flash) and 22 poems. She says the selection process had its rough spots, but was happy with how hard the staff worked.
"I didn't realize how many decisions had to be made (going in)," she says. "There were more people (on staff), so it was more difficult. It's not just putting nice pieces into a book. Everyone had their say."
She was especially impressed with the staff's work, considering that they are all volunteers.
"Everyone followed through," she says. "It's so hard to describe my gratitude. I could not have accomplished anything without my staff's hard work, and I think the product represents that."
The Sins staff will be celebrating the publication of the issue with a party in the Roberta Allen Reading Room on the fourth floor of the Zahnow Library. Staff members and others whose work is in the issue will be reading or showing their work at the party, which begins at 7 p.m.
Sins will begin working on the Winter 2006 issue in January and will kick off the semester by holding their Poetry Slam on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 10 p.m.