First it was called Wavelength. Then it was renamed Howth Castle. Then in the early ’90s, UMass Boston’s student-run literary journal decided to rename it The Watermark, and it has been called that ever since.
UMass Boston’s student-run literary journal has been printed almost every year since 1979. After The Mass Media, The Watermark is UMass Boston’s second oldest continued student publication. If you have no idea what The Watermark is, that might be because after 31 years of being published, the journal was not published last year. This year it may only be accessed online.
“We don’t have the funding,” said Donna Neal, Assistant Director of Arts and Cultural Activity. The literary journal is funded through the $16 media fee. Students have the option to waive the fee, and in recent semesters more than half the student body chose to do just that.
“I know there are a lot of mandatory fees on the tuition bill and things that students can’t afford. Money has been tight over the last couple of years for lots of people, and students will deduct anything they can. Unfortunately for student publications, they deduct the $16,” said Neal.
Neal hopes students see the value in a student-run literary journal which supports the arts on campus. “Students could fund an entire semester’s-worth of the student newspaper, the humor magazine and The Watermark with the same amount of money it took to buy three large coffees at Starbucks,” said Neal.
“I really hope we get to print because it would be a bummer not to,” said Caleb Nelson, a UMass Boston graduate who returned this semester to take classes and edit the literary journal. Nelson says that publishing a printed version of The Watermark is significant, “Having it only online defeats the purpose of having a literary magazine. Anyone can make a blog and have their work seen online. The idea is to have it in print,” said Nelson
Nelson plans on talking with different school departments about writing up a grant in order to raise money to print the issues. He’s also going to try and have literary magazines buy advertising space in the UMass Boston journal.
Besides trying to raise money to print the issue, Nelson is creating a website for the journal which will showcase submissions as they come in. The website will also have archives of The Watermark’s previous publications.
Whether The Watermark is only online or printed, the most important thing is getting submissions.
“It’s tough to get submissions,” said Nelson, who is also looking for editors. An editor will be assigned to a specific section of the journal. Sections include short stories, essays, poems, paintings and photographs. UMass Boston’s graduates, undergraduates and alumni are all encouraged to submit or apply as editors. The deadline for submissions is April 1, and applications for editors will be accepted until Mar. 1.
“UMass students have interesting stories and poems. This will be a way of showcasing UMass Boston’s creative writing and art to its own students and the community outside of UMass,” said Nelson.
To submit work or apply for an editorial position at The Watermark, send an email to [email protected] or visit Caleb Nelson or Donna Neal in the Campus Center, Floor 3, Rm 3400.