Eight editors from El Camino College’s literary arts journal, the Myriad, have been working on publishing the 60th anniversary of the magazine’s first issue by designing layouts and templates on the graphic design website, Canva.

Every Wednesday, the editors for the Myriad meet on the third level of the Humanities Building in a workshop that takes the guise of an English 98 class.

While in class, the editors discussed how poems should be formatted and referred to prior publications for inspiration.

Jenny Hoang, a 19-year-old graphic design student and an editor for the art journal this semester, presented the formatting she had created for the Myriad in front of the class.

“Within the writing, authors have their own way of dividing things,” Hoang said.

Canva was being utilized for the first time for this publication. The editors spent the class period familiarizing themselves with the site.

“We publish student work which includes writing, artwork, photography. We’re basically just a chance for the campus to show off their creative talents,” Hoang said.

Hoang said the Myriad is a good opportunity for students to share their artwork as it gives them a sense of legitimacy for their art.

“Some people have never been published before, some people have never really had their art in a gallery and this is a really cool stepping stone and a good place to start in getting their work out there,” Hoang said.

Although editors don’t have specific delegated roles, they all work together on managing the publication.

“I’m leading the cover art and do most of the social media on Instagram and personally I do a lot of personal promotion. Promotion design is where a lot of my role lies, Hoang said.”

At the start of the year, Hoang was looking through the list of clubs at El Camino, and came across the Myriad, which she said sounded just like what she was looking for.

Part of what attracted Hoang to the myriad was their emphasis on diversity. According to the Myriad website, the literary arts journal is a reflection of the multifaceted diversity that’s represented at El Camino College.

“I remember reading the editions from the ’80s and there was a story of a Palestinian immigrant and her experience in an immigration center. I thought the story was very heartfelt and emotional and gave me an appreciation for that topic,” Hoang said.

Anna Mavromati Duncan, a first-year faculty advisor for English 98 and alumni from El Camino College supported the editors while guiding and facilitating them in the process.

“I was involved in the Myriad as well as student publications here at El Camino such as The Union. When I was in [California State University] Long Beach I helped in creating their version of the Myriad,” Duncan said.

While the Myriad is generally aimed at El Camino College students, staff and faculty still play a role in bringing the art journal to life.

“The journal showcases students’ work and keeps the focus on students and the El Camino College community,” Duncan said.

Duncan said as the magazine’s advisor, she took on a leadership position. She learned how to manage and balance her time while allowing students to create art.

Jennifer McDonald, an editor for the magazine created the Discord social hub for the Myriad where members of the El Camino College community can join in and talk about the publication.

“Myriad is a chance for students to get involved not just in writing but for arts and poetry as well and to get published or get a peek of what it’s like to get published as a writer,” McDonald said “This is my first time on the Myriad because we’re an actual class. This class is very helpful to my field and a good experience.”

All submissions for the Myriad were due on April 17 and editors must submit their final page drafts by May 11.

Devin Olsen, a first-time editor for the magazine, is considering submitting a screenplay or a short story to the Myriad.

“Right now we’re just making the templates for the actual magazine itself. We’re mainly just making sure everything’s all good, and if there are errors that we can fix them while still maintaining with the creative work were intended to,” Olsen said.

Olsen has promoted the Myriad using his social media platforms targeting clubs at the college and his peers who attend El Camino and are also fans of various types of artwork.

With submissions all rolled in, the Myriad’s physical magazine issue is scheduled to be published on Thursday, June 2.

“I think reading and looking at art, in general, is a really good way to expand your perspective. Students looking at a campus creative journal specifically give them a border awareness of a sense of community and diversity,” Hoang said.