Every year, the University of Minnesota releases a publication called "Ivory Tower." This art and literary magazine is a collection of work that U of M undergrads have submitted. If your submission was not chosen to be published in "Ivory Tower," don't fret. Senior Samantha Brown, a double major in English and Child Psychology said, "This year we had a record number of submissions, and it's so humbling to see the diversity in how our peers express themselves."

The staff go through each piece and chose the ones that they would like to put in the year's edition. This year's "Ivory Tower" theme is momentum. The press release of "Ivory Tower" states that they chose this theme because "Momentum represents a recognition of the magazine's past and how we would like to move forward in the future."

Samantha Brown went into a little more depth, "We chose to loosely interpret momentum in how one interacts with it— sometimes you're losing it, other times you're gaining it, or maybe you're in a rut of no momentum at all. Every piece in the magazine uniquely represents momentum, and hopefully, readers will feel inspired to think about the role momentum plays in their own lives."

One of my favorite things about "Ivory Tower" is that it is student-run. With the help of an instructor, the students do the vast majority of the work themselves. Senior Andrea Nelson, a double major in English and History said, "Probably my favorite thing about being a part of 'Ivory Tower' is the satisfaction that comes at the end of the course. There were many late nights—and a couple very late nights—spent at the office making corrections and adjustments to the magazine. Seeing how well the final product turned out makes me incredibly proud of the staff and their hard work."

The staff members of "Ivory Tower" all have unique interests that contribute to the success of the magazine. Although a lot of the staff are pursuing an English major, this isn't true for all of them. "Ivory Tower" is not just a class for senior-year English majors, nor is it a collection of submissions from English majors!

Catherine Dang, an English major and Asian American Studies and Creative Writing double minor said, "I think 'Ivory Tower's' ultimate impact is being an outlet for creativity on this campus. There are so many talented students out there, from STEM majors to pre-law students to business students, etc. 'Ivory Tower' is a chance to showcase that talent in a very supportive and low-stakes way."

Since "Ivory Tower" has a brand-new staff each year, I asked the current staff members if they would recommend being on "Ivory Tower" to interested students. Their responses were all positive.

Catherine Dang said, "I highly recommend 'Ivory Tower' for anyone who's interested in publishing."

Andrea Nelson agreed, "I would recommend this course to any students passionate about publishing, nonprofits, design, communications, marketing, art, and/or creative writing."

The launch for this year's "Ivory Tower" is on April 26 at 6:00 pm at the Weisman Art Museum. The event will provide free food and live music, as well as readings from some of the student contributors. "Ivory Tower" alumni Jamie Millard and Meghan Murphy will also be in attendance. The magazine is free and will be available for pick-up at the Weisman. Anyone is welcome to attend. (I know I'll be there.) If you're interested in "Ivory Tower"—or you just like live music and free food, as well as good company—make sure to drop by!