The Lion's Eye literary magazine debuted on Wednesday, April 11, after a semester of financial troubles put its publication in doubt.
On Feb. 16, the Student Finance Board (SFB) revoked $2,650 in funding from the Lion's Eye. The money had originally been awarded for publication of the magazine during the fall semester. After Lion's Eye members were unable to meet deadlines for a fall publication, the money was taken back. SFB policy mandates that funds be spent during the semester in which they are awarded.
However, members of the Lion's Eye were able to reach a compromise with SFB that returned about $2,000 to go toward printing. As part of this compromise, the Lion's Eye must turn over most of the money it raised through fundraising to SFB.
"SFB accepted some miscommunication on our part and Lion's Eye accepted some on (its)," Jon Borst, SFB executive director, said.
That miscommunication revolved around the date by which the money was set to be spent. Members of the Lion's Eye said they did not know that the money would be revoked after the fall semester until after SFB took it back.
"Basically, what happened is that we weren't aware of the deadline," Kathy Loglisci, issue editor for the Lion's Eye, said. "But we worked it out with Jon Borst."
After meeting with Borst, members of the Lion's Eye agreed to make cuts in their spending in order to meet their new budget.
The magazine was originally going to be eight inches by 11 inches, but the members of the Lion's Eye chose to shrink it down to six inches by nine inches. They also decided to remove most of the color from the issue, though not from the cover. These decisions helped save them $500.
Members of the Lion's Eye said they were grateful for the flexibility SFB showed.
"We're very glad to see that they're willing to sit down and talk things out with us," Laurie Gumbs, executive editor of Lion's Eye, said.
The magazine made its formal debut at a reading held by the Lion's Eye staff in the Bliss Hall lounge.
Prizes were awarded to junior art education major Jen Braverman, senior art education major Hollie Chicalese, junior English major Josh Page and senior English major Devin McKernan for poetry and art submissions. Chicalese and Page were not in attendance.
"We didn't advertise, so this isn't a huge turnout," Loglisci said. "But that's all right. It's more intimate this way."
This year, Lion's Eye is being released in the same semester as The Siren, the College's other literary magazine. Traditionally, SFB has mandated that Lion's Eye and The Siren not use Student Activities Fund financing to print in the same semester, so as to avoid competing with one another.
An exception was made this year due to Lion's Eye's monetary difficulties.
Next year, The Siren is scheduled to print in the fall semester, while Lion's Eye is scheduled to print in spring.
