Pictured are students who contributed to Lander’s 2025-26 edition of New Voices. Photo by Hannah Lovett
Lander University is home to an array of talented students and continues to showcase their work in its literary journal, New Voices. The Department of Communication and Languages released the 2025-26 edition of New Voices Wednesday, Jan. 28, at their annual launch party. What started as a small project by a group of faculty and students has transformed into a semester-long course taught by Assistant Professor of English Laura Martin. Within this course, students design the journal, study professional publications, receive and edit submissions, and promote interest across a wide array of social media platforms.
The 2025-26 New Voices cohort was one of the largest classes to ever produce the journal. One student, Tristan Barnes, enjoyed the class so much that this was his second semester participating in New Voices. He commented, “It is one of the most rewarding courses I've ever been a part of. As someone who loves creativity in all forms, not only do I enjoy the making of the journal itself, but even more so, I adore seeing how talented my fellow peers at Lander are.” The staff consisted of 13 students from a wide range of majors who worked together to produce a polished, professional publication.
The cover of the 2025-26 edition of New Voices features a piece by Lander student Barlow Hoffman, titled “Archilochus Colubris.”
New Voices contains a variety of creative work including fiction, poetry, academic essays, art and—for the first time ever—music. Everything culminates into a journal that all creators can be proud to display. Barnes expressed, “After spending all semester reading, editing, formatting, designing, you get to hold a physical journal that contains love poured out from every angle. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Although there was no explicit theme suggested when students were asked to submit their work, a common theme of self-discovery and identity was present in many of the published works. Many works like “Vulture,” by Adley Shelton or “Room of Masks,” by Victoria Kelly express conflict between self and identity. Additionally, many works feature natural imagery and birds. The cover image, “Archilochus Colubris,” by Barlow Hoffman, was chosen to represent the many themes throughout the journal.
During the party, contributors were asked to speak about their piece and read excerpts for the audience. Then, awards were given to three talented contributors. The launch of this year’s journal was a celebration of hard work and semester-long dedication from the staff and contributors. One staff member, Jasmine Millender, said that “seeing everything come together at the launch party really is just the cherry on top and feels like such an accomplishment.”
The journal reflects Lander University as a whole. Martin said, “New Voices shows the creativity, skill and originality of thought among Lander students. Not only is the journal showcasing student work, but it is also made by students for their peers.”
Martin encourages all students interested in New Voices to reach out and enroll in the class in the fall. Students and faculty have expressed that the class can provide valuable experience in a professional work environment while also offering students an opportunity to become more involved in the Lander community.
To read this year’s edition of New Voices, visit www.lander.edu/student-media.
To learn more about Lander’s Department of Communication and Languages, visit www.lander.edu/english.