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Tower Light changes focus from style to clarity

By: Kirsten Adams

Posted: 4/23/09

The Tower Light, Hillsdale's student-run literary publication, is undergoing several major changes in design and content this semester which are intended to give the magazine an added level of professionalism and visual appeal.

"We're just adding the finishing touches to the changes other editors began," said senior Rachel Elliott, who served as editor-in-chief of the publication last semester. "It should encourage more submissions that are original, authentic and creative. I think it loosens it up."

Editor-in-Chief Erin Risch, a juinor, said that "instead of accepting poems or other pieces of creative writing that fit the mold of either modern or traditional writing, the magazine is looking for well-written pieces that skillfully support a coherent theme." She said the magazine is changing its focus from style to clarity.

Risch said because of the change in focus, the Tower Light has seen an increase in both free verse poetry and more traditional forms of creative writing.

"Instead of one student submitting their entire portfolio, we're seeing a large number of students submitting one or two things," Risch said.

The Tower Light received around 200 submissions for the upcoming issue, Risch said. Submitted pieces are thoroughly critiqued by the editors in a process Risch said is similar to the critical readings pieces would be given in an upper level English class. Many times pieces are reviewed up to 15 times before the editors deem them worthy of publication.

"I'm not saying they're on the level of Shakespeare," Risch said. "I'm confident, though, that they all have genuine literary merit."

In terms of design, Risch said the Tower Light is becoming more colorful and trendy in an effort to appeal to students.

Senior Emily Breiner, who is in her fourth semester as design editor, said the change is intended to rev up the Tower Light by adding color, cohesive design and a contemporary feel.

"It was just sorta boring," Breiner said. "I wanted to make it a lot more visually pleasing."

Using the old system, Breiner and two other editors would split the design workload for the publication into thirds, and use a standardized design format with specific fonts and layouts for each piece.

Breiner said this system was not only dull, it tended to be incoherent as each editor used different styles for their third of the publication.

In 2008, when the Tower Light printed in color for the first time, Breiner said the results were "crazy."

"We weren't necessarily going for shock value, but we wanted to be loud about the design," Breiner said.

While the design has been toned down from the original full-color version, Elliott said the Tower Light is trying to keep the contemporary feel while incorporating a level of sophistication previous issues lacked.

"They're trying to make it more polished and professional," Elliott said.

Breiner said that, besides full color and a professional design, the upcoming issue boasts a smaller page size, more pages and spiral-ring binding.

"This one is combining sophisticated and trendy," Breiner said.