By Sarah Kader, Staff Writer
Hofstra's art and literature magazine FONT has been bolstering creativity and supporting the arts for the past fifteen years. Each semester, an issue is distributed around campus with work from the University's very own student body. It takes a staff of about fifteen dedicated members to put together this publication. The club FONT has three editors in total who all take a role in organizing the hundreds of submissions each semester.
Issues come out once a semester, but this year they are mixing it up by having two issues for Fall 2009. "Putting the magazine together on time since it's coming out before people leave for break was a challenge," said Editor-in-Chief Molly White.
During Common Hour meetings, the staff reviews a plethora of prose and poetry, selecting what they feel is the best of the bunch. Writers aren't the only ones recognized in FONT; artists can send in paintings and drawings as well as photographs. "Traditionally we just ask undergrad, but graduate students can submit also," said White.
Occasionally there are themed issues. Last year they came out with a notebook issue. It was solely comprised of doodles from student's school notebooks. Last semester FONT put on a "Free Creation" event in the Netherlands. It was centered on the theme "express yourself." Students got to tie-dye their own shirts and there was an open mic for poets, singers and musicians. The club was surprised by its success and has decided to make it an annual event.
On December 8, the club will be hosting a cookie-decorating event with HAGA to celebrate their new issue. "Our event in December is all of that plus spin art. We're going to have a lot of fun activities celebrating art. This semester the money from the raffle is going to Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit that supports funding for arts.
The success of FONT is based on mainly on student participation. Members have been working to get the word out through club fairs, fliers, and can even be followed on Twitter. The importance of FONT goes beyond the publication. "It gets a lot of different people together. It involves people who love all kinds of art and love to read and create it," said White.
Photo Courtesy of FONT (FONT members participate in a “Free Creation” event last semester in the Netherlands residential com)