By Sophie Foster
News Co-Editor
Washington College’s student-run journal of the liberal arts and sciences, Washington College Review, announced its leadership team for the upcoming year ahead of their ongoing spring semester submission period.
The editorial board, composed of the positions of editor-in-chief, managing editor, and associate editor, recently saw shifts in leadership roles as previous Editor-in-Chief senior Michelle Henry passed her position to sophomore Natalie Martinaitis.
For Martinaitis, the focus of this position is fostering an organized environment while sustaining an open conversation about submissions to the journal.
“I want each of us to work as a team, as equals, and to always communicate with one another,” Martinaitis said. “I want to help the magazine to flourish, and to receive lots of submissions.”
In addition to Martinaitis, Elm Editor-in-Chief senior Emma Reilly retained her position as managing editor of WCR and sophomore Lucy Verlaque joined the team as associate editor.
Reilly and Verlaque were selected following an application process that included cover letters detailing interest in the position and candidate interviews. According to Martinaitis, these roles were then filled based on level of interest and a mixture of experience elements. These positions are typically held for a year or eighteen months depending on the student’s availability.
Martinaitis said Reilly is great with detail, keeping on top of everything, and WordPress, and that her job entails managing organizational processes and the publication’s email. Verlaque, meanwhile, is adept at finding and explaining argumentative errors and promoting WCR to the student body.
“We all work well as a team, and we are all open about when we think things are working, and when they are not,” Martinaitis said.
According to Verlaque, her position as Associate Editor, essentially the assistant to the Editor-in-Chief, entails receiving anonymous submissions from Martinaitis and developing notes and responses to them to discuss at regular editorial meetings, as well as managing the publication’s social media pages.
Verlaque was drawn to WCR by an interest in further involvement with campus publications, as well as WCR’s prestigious reputation on campus and the structure of its editorial board.
“We have a very collaborative team, which I really appreciate,” Verlaque said, identifying the mixture of independent responsibility and teamwork initiatives as aspects of her new job with the journal that make it a positive and productive experience for her.
Verlaque said she looks for strong central messages, effective argumentation, integral points that contribute to said messaging and argumentation, and thorough analysis when she approaches the submissions she receives.
WCR looks for “cohesive arguments, and something that does not require too many errors or changes in writing,” Martinaitis said in alignment with Verlaque’s assessment. “We want to remain faithful to the writer’s original work, and when the edits go against this, we are not able to accept the work.”
Currently, WCR is open for submissions of academic writing.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity to submit work, especially if you’re interested in publications,” Verlaque said, adding that students are invited to revise and resubmit unaccepted work, as well. “I definitely encourage people to submit if they’re interested and take that first step.”
Submissions for academic work and studio artwork are open to all students until Saturday, Apr. 1. They can be sent to the journal’s email at washcoll_review@washcoll.edu.
“I want to encourage everyone to submit,” Martinaitis said. “The worst that could happen is a rejection, [so] there is nothing to lose.”
Elm Archive Photo
Photo Caption: Washington College Review is currently accepting student submissions.