CAMPUS: TAMIU’s first student-led literature journal seeks to expand staff, nears publication date
By Jorge Espinoza
Social Media Co-Manager
Published Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024
The Rivergull Journal, TAMIU’s first student-led literature journal, nears its first publication release. Recently, its staff attended an organization fair in hopes of finding new prospects and members on Jan. 17 in the Student Center Ballroom.
“We want to get new members,” Vice President and Lead Poetry Editor Kaitlyn Lozano said. “We don’t have a lot of members in our organization. We’re looking for editors and staff writers mostly.”
Ana Vara, left, editor-in-chief of The Rivergull Journal, speaks with students about the upcoming publication of the prose and poetry journal during the Vie Etudiante: Getting Involved Student Organization Fair on Jan. 17.
Lozano attended the fair in the hope of expanding the journal’s membership.
“They can expect to learn a lot about themselves,” Lozano said. “They can expect to learn to improve their writing, edit their own work and others’, and make a lot of fun memories.”
Lozano believes new members can expect to improve their writing skills and gain a meaningful connection with other staff.
“We’ve been compiling submissions of the writing of TAMIU and non-TAMIU students,” she said. “We want to publish it in a physical and digital magazine … hopefully this April.”
Over the past school year, the journal’s staff members have worked on a magazine featuring the compiled staff’s works. The staff’s goal is to publish a magazine this Spring semester. Recently, they completed the first draft of the magazine.
“Get to know the local literature and poetry scene,” Lozano recommended. “We try to encourage people to support local authors and poetry shows.”
She said the journal also encourages a love of literature outside of Texas A&M International University.
“It feels great,” Lozano said. “We haven’t had an organization like this before. There’s been journalism organizations, like The Bridge, and we love them, but there hasn’t really been one to display literature.”
Lozano is thrilled that there is finally an organization focused on literature to display literary work.
“We are very happy to be the first ones to do it,” Lozano said. “Hopefully, it will create a legacy.”
The Rivergull Journal members take pride in showing off students’ work and hope to make an ever-lasting impact on the TAMIU literature scene.
