Amelia Kunko (amkunko@ursinus.edu)
Each year’s publication of The Lantern brings us moving poems, intriguing prose, and captivating art pieces from talented Ursinus students. Compiling all of these writing and art pieces takes considerable effort, especially on the part of the Editor and Associate Editor. This year, Senior Kate Foley will be leading the Lantern team with the help of Jenna Lozzi, The Lantern’s associate editor.
As editor, Foley will be involved in the entire Lantern production journey. “As editor of The Lantern, it’s my job to coordinate with Jon Volkmer (faculty advisor) and my associate editor, Jenna Lozzi, to organize every stage of production,” she says. “From selecting Section Editors to collecting submissions to choosing which pieces will make it into the final copy, I oversee every step of the process.” As associate editor, Lozzi is second-in-command and will help the production process run smoothly. “I am the Associate Editor, so I will be taking care of secondary duties for the Chief Editor,” says Lozzi. “I will be supporting Kate Foley in the decision-making process as well in terms of staffing, formatting, and submission selection.”
The Lantern not only offers creative Ursinus students the opportunity to share their work, but is also a rewarding and educational process for those helping to produce the literary magazine. “I am most excited to peruse submissions!” Foley says. “In the past, I’ve worked on The Lantern in a few different roles, but this will be the first time that I get to see every single piece writers and artists submit.” Lozzi also looks forward to being so involved in the creation of the literary magazine. “What I am most excited about this year’s Lantern publication is that I will be able to have such a personal role in its production,” she says. “I will be able to participate in all aspects and help bring to life this artistic reflection of the Ursinus learning community. “
Like any project, The Lantern comes with challenges to navigate. Foley, who is involved in several other student organizations, is no stranger to the challenges of scheduling. “I’m also the President of Breakaway Student Productions and the Vice President of the Alpha Delta Phi Society, so I’m no stranger to organizing and collaborating with others, but that also means I know how difficult it is to get students’ schedules to line up.” Foley says. “Scheduling meetings can take three times as long as the length of the meeting itself, and there are weeks I feel like I’ve spent more time sending emails than doing homework.” Lozzi anticipates some challenges in terms of all the moving parts that come along with The Lantern. “I think what will be most challenging will be staying on top of all the things that need to get done,” she says. “Putting together a literary journal is not a straightforward process, there’s submissions, selecting which of those submissions will appear in the publication, and then formatting all of those submissions which change year to year so that they are within our printing company’s guidelines, among several other things I have not mentioned.”
Both Foley and Lozzi have been active with The Lantern during their time at Ursinus, so their leading positions on the lit mag are very meaningful to them. “I’ve worked on The Lantern in some capacity every year since I was a freshman and have always worked toward applying to be editor,” she says. “Landing this job as a senior is a dream come true.” Thanks to Kate Foley, Jenna Lozzi, and the entire Lantern team. We can’t wait to see the finished product!