Elizabethtown College English Department

“Even though students here write or create a lot, I don’t think they have the chance to share it with many people aside from their professors,” said Jerica Shuck, a junior English Professional Writing major. “I think Fine Print gives students the outlet to express themselves that many students might be missing.”

Fine Print is the student-produced literary and arts magazine on Elizabethtown College’s campus. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are all invited to submit works of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, art, and photography to the publication.

While Elizabethtown College provides many opportunities for students to become involved in clubs and organizations, Fine Print is one of two student publications on campus. “Fine Print does count as a formal publication, so it’s a wonderful example of the quality of your work if it’s accepted,” Bergh said.

How to Get Involved

To submit to the next issue of Fine Print, students, alumni, faculty, and staff can send their work to fineprint@etown.edu. To stay updated with submission deadlines and dates of events such as open mics and release parties, follow Fine Print on Instagram at @etownfineprint.

The magazine is run by a few students who act as editors who lead each section. There are other participating students that serve as board members to help the editors choose what submissions are accepted for the upcoming issue of Fine Print.

“It’s curated by those involved students,” said Kelly Bergh, a senior English professional writing major and the editor of Fine Print. “It’s nice because it’s a comprehensive group with a lot of different opinions.”

For those who are interested in becoming a staff member of the campus publication, it is a simple process to become involved. Students can email those working for magazine in order to show their interest. “To be placed on the board, you express your qualifications and how they fit with the board position you’re interested in,” Bergh explained.

“The story I submitted was really personal and one of the first creative works that I’ve been proud of, and I thought, ‘Hey, I have nothing to lose,’” Shuck said. “At most I hoped that someone else would be able to relate to my story, and at least there’d be a college publication with my work in it.”

Fine Print acts as a way for students to express themselves creatively and share their work at the school.

“There are some students and faculty members that you wouldn’t even know had these talents, just because it’s not what their major is,” said Shane Bahn, a senior mass communications major. “Fine Print allows those people to publish their work and get it out.”

“It serves as a creative outlet for all members of the campus community,” Bergh said. “And that’s special because otherwise people may be composing things that never see the light of day. So it’s wonderful that we can be local and convenient, but still be selective and have a high standard.”

While most of Fine Print’s content is created by current students, the most recent issue contains work from alumni, faculty, and staff from Elizabethtown College. Bahn explained his excitement about continuing to be involved with the college community even after his time as a student. “I think it would be really cool to let everyone know where I’m at in the world and how my work has progressed,” Bahn said. “It’s so neat to be able to be a part of the Elizabethtown community even after graduating.”

How to Obtain a Copy

In order to get a copy of the most recent Fine Print, members of the college community can join the annual release party that occurs mid-April. The event allows participants to receive a copy of the latest issue of Fine Print while also enjoying food and an open mic for those with published work to share it with an audience.

“I just really encourage people to submit their work,” Bahn said. “I think it helps to have an anonymous person review your work, and it can be a huge confidence booster when someone says, ‘we’re going to put this in our magazine and publish this for you.’ And that encourages people to continue what they’re working on.”

Author Bio:

Taylor Miles wrote this before graduating in 2017.  She lives, works, writes, and designs in Lancaster, PA.

Tags: celebration, Fine Print, writing