by Alyssa Fairbanks

Joint Editors-In-Chief Glory Bushey and Jenna Mukuno seek to take blue moon to the next level with the integration of a new genre of art. For volume 22, blue moon is accepting the submission of short films, animations and even music, as long as it has a visual component. The film and animation pieces will be presented in a DVD insert included with the published, hard copy of the magazine.  

When asked why this new genre of art was to be included, sophomore Mukuno said that it was not a spontaneous decision.  

“I think it was really a long time coming. Several other large college magazines have a DVD insert,” Mukuno said. “We were actually kind of behind the times.”

This sentiment is shared by Visiting Assistant Professor Ben Bloch, who teaches the class New Genre Art Practices. When asked about the decision to include a DVD insert, Professor Bloch also thought it was a great decision.  

“Some of the best and most popular publications out there include a DVD with certain issues,” he said.  

The magazine has already won numerous literary awards, the most recent being the “Gold Medalist Certificate” from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) for Volume 21. It was also awarded the “College Magazine Gold Crown” by the CSPA in April of 2008. The addition of new art forms will bring blue moon in league with other college literary magazines that include film and animation. And as Mukuno pointed out, positive feedback from the CSPA would be good for the magazine’s image.

Although short film and animation is a relatively new genre for the blue moon, previous editions have included still shots of animation.

“[The addition of animation] was talked about last year, but Glory and I wanted to take on something new and exciting,” said Mukuno.

The staff of blue moon is fully behind the editors and the decision to include this new media of art.

First-year Colleen O’Bannon, a selections staff member of the blue moon, thought the additions to the magazine was great.  

“It allows a new group of artists to submit work they normally wouldn’t get to show off to the student body,” she said.

According to Mukuno, rhetoric and film studies majors could never submit their work in past years.  

The staff of blue moon does not know how students and subscribers will react to the new installment.  

“I hope the reaction will be positive. I hope people have an interest and an interest in joining the staff,” said Mukuno.

Since this is a new route for blue moon, there are few guidelines concerning submissions. However, the DVD will not be thrown together; Mukuno pointed out that blue moon has a reputation to uphold.

“We won’t force it, if there are no submissions up to our standards then there won’t be a DVD,” she said.  

 “I think it’s likely that the blue moon DVD will be the first thing people look at in the package, before they read the magazine,” said Professor Bloch.

Students can expect to receive a DVD insert containing short film, animation and music with their copy of this year’s blue moon. Expectations are high and the staff hopes this will take blue moon to the next level of collegiate literary magazines.