Despite a major decrease in funding, Myriad, the annual creative arts journal, will be published this semester, displaying the artistic talent of students.

Myriad will once again be publishing a collection of some of EC’s student’s most talented work, including poetry, short stories and artwork.

But this year, Myriad has been affected by the major budget cuts that are hitting all California colleges.

The budget for Myriad will be $4,500 this semester, about half of what was provided to it last year, which will affect the design of the journal to some extent Pete Marcoux, adviser of Myriad said.

The reason for this is not necessarily a direct cut, but Myriad usually gets a grant from the state of California in order to produce the journal.

This semester, Myriad did not receive the grant.

“Last year we were able to do some very unique things. We were able to have color throughout, so (not receiving the grant) is going to prevent us from doing that,” Marcoux said.

While the look of Myriad may change, the way it is distributed will not.

“We still want to print as many copies as we can and give those out for free,” Marcoux said.

Because this year’s Myriad staff has less money and will not be able to have color on every page, the staff will be limited in their design choices.

This also means that artists may want to submit works that will translate well into black and white.

“We’re limited as far as what we can publish,” Annah Inocente, co-editor of Myriad, said. “Last year we did a lot of artwork in color and now we have to tell (the submitters) beforehand that it’s going to be in black and white because we’re broke.”

The lack of funding makes the editors’ job more stressful, but they believe they can not only handle the limitations, but excel with them.

“It’s going to provide a challenge for us, but it’s going to be a good challenge,” Bridget Burham, co-editor of Myriad, said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how we work with those restrictions and make something great out of it.”

Editors of the Myriad, however, believe their publication cannot be great without work from EC students.

Students may submit artwork, short stories and poems to the Myriad any time until April 8.

Myriad’s main purpose is to provide a place for students involved in the arts to get their work out there and published.

“We strive to showcase creative talents in this school because artwork, poetry and writing expand your horizons and make you look at things differently,” Burnham said. “The arts are really important.”

English major Chris Malfa, 20, who submitted and got a poem published in last year’s Myriad, is excited about submitting again this year and is optimistic the staff will be able to put together another great journal despite the tight budget.

“Last year’s Myriad was put together really well and exceeded my expectations,” Malfa said. “I hope that this year’s will be even better.”

Expectations are high for this year’s Myriad from the readers, submitters and staff.

The journal is expected to be published sometime around the end of the semester and will showcase students’ artistic talent.

Students may visit the Myriad Web site at www.myriadecc.com for further information.

All submissions may be sent to [email protected] and are asked to adhere to the guildlines for submission.