I N CO MMU N IT Y
Summer 2021
P PROTEUS EDITORS CREATE ROBUST LITERARY AND VISUAL ARTS WEBSITE
roteus, the literary and visual arts magazine of St. Stephen’s, has featured the work of Spartan artists and writers for decades. Yet, producing the print publication has had its challenges. Page limits and budget constraints meant that not all outstanding pieces could be included in the journal, and the submission process could be cumbersome for the faculty sponsor. Now, thanks to the great initiative of student editors Fer Hurtado and Sofia Messer, both members of the Class of 2021, students can submit their works and have them showcased online via the new Proteus Monthly website.
“Before Proteus Monthly, all publication content had to be directly emailed to Dr. Huth for submission,” Messer said of faculty sponsor Jenny Huth, Ph.D. “We wanted to create a platform that would streamline the submission process and display every single artwork and writing piece so no one got left out. This, in turn, incentivized more students to submit their work without the fear of rejection.” “The process of creating the site was quite easy, as we used a website builder called Wix to assist us in the process,” Messer said. “This allowed us to focus our efforts on making the site as user-friendly as possible while adding our own creative touches to the interface.” “Sofia and I created the website to exhibit all of the art and writing submitted to the publication and not leave anything—or anyone— out,” Hurtado said. “The website also includes a database that makes it easier for the editors and Dr. Huth to select the pieces that will go in the journal. Plus, we can now display all the art and writing submitted to the publication, but that don’t necessarily make it in.” According to Messer, the idea for Proteus Monthly sprang from the two editors’ desire to create a platform that is routinely updated with fresh content as students create and submit it. “Each month we add new art and writing to the website to reflect the creativity constantly blooming on campus,” Messer said. “In this way, Proteus Monthly serves as a less formal, ‘living’ companion to our end-of-year print publication.” “It’s a companion to the printed booklet because it's a digital extension of the journal,” Hurtado added.
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
