Myriad publication marks the 60th anniversary of its debut

Eight editors from El Camino College’s literary arts magazine, The Myriad, worked on the 60th anniversary publication of the magazine’s first issue by designing layouts and templates on the graphic design website, Canva.

Every Wednesday, the editors of La Myriade meet on the third level of the humanities building in a workshop that looks like an English 98 class.

In class, editors discussed how poems should be formatted and referred to past publications for inspiration.

Jenny Hoang, a 19-year-old graphic design student and editor for the art magazine this semester, presented to the class the layout she had created for the Myriad.

“In writing, writers have their own way of dividing things up,” Hoang said.

Canva was used for the first time for this publication. The editors spent the class period familiarizing themselves with the site.

“We post student work that includes writing, art, photography. We’re basically just a chance for the campus to show off their creative talents,” Hoang said.

Jenny Hoang (19) shows off the design layouts she created on Canva to the Wednesday, April 6 class in Humanities 305 where English Class 98 is. (Safia Ahmed | The Syndicate)

Hoang said the Myriad is a good opportunity for students to share their works as it gives them a sense of legitimacy for their art.

“Some people have never been published before, some people have never really had their art in a gallery and it’s a really cool springboard and a good starting point to get their work out there,” Hoang said.

Although editors don’t have specific delegated roles, they all work together on managing the publication.

“I run the cover art and I do most of the social media on Instagram and personally I do a lot of self-promotion. Promo design is where a big part of my role lies, Hoang said.

Earlier this year, Hoang was scrolling through El Camino’s list of clubs and came across the Myriad, which she thought looked exactly like what she was looking for.

Part of what drew Hoang to Myriad was their focus on diversity. According to the Myriad website, the literary arts journal is a reflection of the multifaceted diversity represented at El Camino College.

“I remember reading the editions from the 80s and there was the story of a Palestinian immigrant and her experience in an immigration center. I thought the story was very heartfelt and moving and gave me an appreciation for this topic,” Hoang said.

Anna Mavromati Duncan, first-year English 98 faculty advisor and El Camino College alumnus, stands in front of the whiteboard in the English 98 class. Duncan, who was also involved with the Myriad when she was a student at El Camino College, said: "the newspaper features students&squot; work and keeps the focus on the students and community of El Camino College." (Safia Ahmed | The Syndicate) — Anna Mavromati Duncan, first-year English 98 faculty advisor and El Camino College alumnus, stands in front of the whiteboard in the English 98 class. Duncan, who was also involved with the Myriad when she was a student at El Camino College, said, “The newspaper features student work and focuses on El Camino College students and community. (Safia Ahmed | The Syndicate)

Anna Mavromati Duncan, a freshman English 98 faculty advisor and alumnus of El Camino College, supported the editors while guiding and facilitating them through the process.

“I have been involved with the Myriad as well as student publications here at El Camino such as The Union. When I was in [California State University] Long Beach, I helped create their version of the Myriad,” Duncan said.

Although the Myriad generally caters to students at El Camino College, staff and faculty still play a role in bringing the art journal to life.

“The journal features student work and maintains a focus on El Camino College students and community,” Duncan said.

Duncan said that as an adviser to the magazine, she took on a leadership position. She learned to manage and balance her time while allowing students to create art.

Jennifer McDonald, the magazine’s editor, created the Discord social hub for the Myriad where members of the El Camino College community can join in and talk about the publication.

“Myriad is a chance for students to get involved not only in writing, but also in the arts and poetry and get published or get a taste of what it’s like to be published in as a writer,” McDonald said. “This is my first time on the Myriade because we are a real class. This course is very useful in my field and is a good experience.”

All submissions for the Myriad were due April 17, and editors must submit their final page drafts by May 11.

Myriad editor Devin Olsen edits templates for the art magazine on Canva. Olsen and the editors make every effort to support edits and correct errors that may occur during the editing process. (Safia Ahmed | The Syndicate)

Devin Olsen, the magazine’s first-time editor, is considering submitting a script or short story to the Myriad.

“Right now, we’re just creating the templates for the magazine itself. We mainly make sure that everything is fine, and if there are any errors that we can correct while maintaining the planned creative work,” Olsen said.

Olsen has promoted the Myriad using his social media platforms targeting college clubs and his peers who frequent El Camino and are also fans of various types of artwork.

With all the submissions, Myriad’s physical magazine issue is set to be released on Thursday, June 2.

“I think reading and looking at art, in general, is a really good way to broaden your perspective. Students who check out a campus creative journal specifically give them an awareness of the boundaries of a sense of community and diversity,” Hoang said.