Publications Board accepts literary magazine

After not knowing whether they would receive money to print next year, Pathos Literary Magazine will be funded now that it is housed under the Student Publications Board.

On Friday, the Publications Board accepted Pathos as a student publication. If it had not, the quarterly literary magazine would not have been able to receive Student Fee Committee money for next year.

The Student Fee Committee put Pathos‘ requested $15,049 budget for next year in a designated reserve, pending its approval to join the Publications Board. SFC guidelines state that a student publication that prints regularly must be housed under the board, which reviews and approves budget requests for student publications. The magazine will now move out from under the advising of Student Activities and Leadership Programs.

“Being accepted means that we can continue to do what we do,” said Laura Pieroni, the editor of Pathos, who created the magazine in 2006 with former co-editor Madeline Enos.

The next issue of Pathos is set to be released June 3, and a release party is slated for that day from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom.

Pieroni said being a part of the Publications Board, which acts as a publisher for all student publications, helps give the magazine legitimacy among Portland State’s other student publications, such as the Vanguard, The Rearguard and The Portland Spectator.

In preparation for Friday’s Publications Board meeting, Pathos drafted a new constitution that outlines the operation of the organization.

Josh Gross, a supporter and contributor to the magazine, spoke at the meeting on Pathos‘ behalf.

The Publications Board has questioned whether Pathos was too much like the other literary magazine on campus, The Portland Review.

The Portland Review accepts fiction, poetry and art submissions from around the world, while Pathos publishes PSU student submissions. Pathos is free and The Portland Review costs $8 an issue.

Another concern mentioned by the Publications Board chair, Sue Taylor, was the quality of writing in the magazine. Pieroni agreed that the writing might not be as refined as in other literary magazines, but that Pathos‘ dedication to publishing student work is more important.

“I think Pathos would really improve being under the Pubs Board leadership,” said Pieroni at the meeting on Friday.

Taylor, along with other board members, sees Pathos as having a bright future.

“We want the publications to represent writing in the best possible way,” Taylor said.