The “Beyond Thought,” an art journal established by UNLV students, is now open for submissions for its Fall 2023 issue. Since its inception in 2020, the journal has published six issues, one per semester, providing a platform for over 100 students to showcase their creative work to a wider audience.
“Beyond Thought,” welcoming submissions from all undergraduate students, particularly those from UNLV, is gearing up for its seventh edition.
Here is everything you need to know about Beyond Thought Journal and submissions.
“Our story starts in August 2018. Britney Trieu, a student at UNLV, pitched an idea to start an undergraduate creative arts journal to Raegen Pietrucha, the former Director of Communications at UNLV. Raegan agreed to act as faculty advisor, and the two began the formidable task of starting up a creative arts journal,” says Halle Harper, managing editor of the journal, when telling the founding story of the journal.
“The team spent months planning for their first issue, creating flyers, recruiting new members and building a website. Then, in the fall of 2020, the insidious coronavirus threatened to tear the journal apart. They worked tirelessly to prepare the journal’s inaugural issue, unwilling to let their circumstances defeat them. Finally, on Nov. 11, 2020, it was done. The first issue of the magazine was released. And we’ve continued on from there.” After explaining that creating the magazine took a lot of teamwork and hard work, Harper adds, “We have helped over 100 students to get published.”
Started in 2018 with an idea, the Beyond Thought now offers UNLV students the opportunity to publish their work while allowing its members to gain experience in various fields. When asked about the importance and purpose of the journal, Harper says, “The goal for creating the journal was to provide a place for undergraduate students to get their work seen by others while allowing members to gain experience in publishing, marketing, graphic design, etc.”
“Students can join any team or take on any role regardless of their skill level or major,” says the journal’s copy editor Brooklyn Mumford. Once again, Mumford emphasizes that students interested in joining the team will be able to gain experience in many different areas such as event planning, editing, web management, social media and blogging. Mumford adds,“Our team is always willing to help members develop these skills as well.”
The prompt chosen for the Fall 2023 issue of the journal is “The dystopian & the utopian.” Submissions started on Sept. 17 and are accepted until Nov. 17. General guidelines and details are on the journal’s website.
If students would like to be included in the journal, they can submit a written, visual or audio work. The marketing co-manager of the journal, Alondra Orduno, emphasizes that the magazine is open to all kinds of art, and when asked what kind of written submissions they accept, she says, “Any and all writings. It doesn’t just stop there, we accept any type of media to create space for all students.”
The journal does not accept submissions from team members in order to conduct a fair and impartial evaluation process. Those who wish to submit their work to the journal and aspire to be part of the team can join after completing the review process.
“Those who wish to purchase a copy may do so exclusively at our website,” says Raven Cash, president and senior editor of the journal. Previous issues of the journal can also be accessed for free on their website, beyondthoughtjournal.com.
“The journal is the sickest, most rad, coolest thing out there. You get to work with a team of amazing creatives, decide what content goes in the journal, work around a theme and at the end of the semester, you get to hold your work in your hands with a physical copy of the journal. Plus, you know you helped someone publish their work for a wider audience.” says Mumford.
To be featured in the Fall 2023 issue of Beyond Thought Journal, you can submit your work through the journal’s website until Nov. 17.
