The 23rd edition of Applause, the creative arts magazine at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, was unveiled at a release party that included the announcement of the cover design winner.

 

Faculty adviser Carol Westcamp of Muldrow said she was especially excited about this year’s publication because the students chose to print the cover on a letterpress and hand bind it at Underground Ink, the UAFS letterpress shop and book arts studio.

 

Westcamp said the staff includes students enrolled in English 3401 “Publications Staff: Applause” for the fall and/or spring semesters. She said these students worked hard all year to select the works to be published in the magazine.

 

Applause 2013 includes creative writing, artwork and photography deemed “best on campus” by Applause staff members who read, discussed and then voted for what to include in the magazine.

 

“We received about 100 submissions and selected only about 15 percent of the works received,” Westcamp said.

 

Winning the cover design contest was Jeremy Teff of Alma. Each year the magazine staff conducts a contest so that students at UAFS can design the cover, receive recognition for their work and receive a $100 prize.

 

“It’s always a joy to work with the students on the magazine,” Westcamp said. “It’s truly a student-run, student-selected magazine, and each year the magazine reflects the interests and work of the staff. This year’s magazine is no exception. Because we had students interested in letterpress, we went that route for the cover. The students have really stepped up and taken on the additional work involved in letterpress printing and hand binding the cover.”

 

Dustin Hilliard, editor of Applause said the staff chose to use a letterpress and hand bind this year to draw attention to other creative arts, not just writing.

 

“This way, the magazine showcases multiple forms of creative arts, not just poetry and short stories, but all creative arts, including photography and original art,” Hilliard said.

 

Jennifer Peterson of Fort Smith, Applause treasurer, said the magazine has always been a high quality publication but the staff wanted to see how much better it could be.

 

“If we could reach out to the Graphic Design Department, we could only increase the quality,” Peterson said. “They opened the contest up to students in Katie Harper’s Fine Print and Bookmaking class.”

 

Once the staff chose the cover, they spent a full day at Underground Ink, printing it. The next week in class, the students folded the covers. The inside pages were printed and folded by a commercial printing company. When the contents were complete, the students met at Underground Ink to gather and bind the magazine by hand sewing it together.

 

Poems, short stories and graphic arts items selected for the magazine this year include three poems and three short stories that won a creative writing contest judged by English department faculty. These works have now been submitted to the Southern Literary Festival for its regional competition.

 

Works chosen for Applause 2013:

 

Alma:

• Jessica Weisenfells, “Having Consulted Gertrude Stein on Half-Authentic Chivalry,” third place poetry contest winner, “The Murder Ballad of H. D. Andrews,” first place short story contest winner; and “Stainless China,” third place short story contest winner.

 

• Shawna Mason, “Highway 69 to Dallas,” poetry.

 

• Jeremy Teff, cover design winner.

 

Fort Smith:

 

• Derek Naegle, “To Take the Sun,” second place short story contest winner.

 

• Dustin Beck, “Plaster Cast,” charcoal; “Self Portrait” in oil; and “Self Portrait,” charcoal and chalk.

 

• Andrea Bowers, “Forgottonia” and “It Was Mine,” poems.

 

• Jenapher Burnett, “The Purse-Holder,” a short story and “Untitled,” a photograph.

 

• Andrew C. Releford, “Noir,” a poem.

 

Muldrow, Okla.:

 

• Adam Holloway, “Squander,” first place poetry contest winner, and “United Colors Versus the Little Man,” second place poetry contest winner.

 

• Staci Miller, “Puppies” and “Visitation,” poems, and “#BFF,” a short story.

 

Applause officers include Dustin Hilliard of Paris, Texas, editor; Jalisia Hickman of Fort Smith, layout editor; Jennifer Peterson of Fort Smith, treasurer; Destiny Adams of Van Buren, public relations officer and Emma Shockley of Fort Smith, secretary.

 

Staff members include Kristyn Moore and Jessica Weisenfels, Alma; Rhiannon Corley, Jessica Epperson, Shael McDonald and Andrew Releford, Fort Smith; Ashley Sura, Greenwood; Adam Holloway and Staci Miller, Muldrow, Okla.; and Crystal Potts of Van Buren.

 

Copies of the magazines are distributed around campus and may be picked up in Holt 112C.