By: Kendall Brodie

The last 15 weeks have come and gone.

Blog posts have been typed; stories and poems and art have been reviewed; commas have been added, crossed out, and added back once more.

The last 15 weeks have come and gone, and we have a lot to show for them.

We have this website, full of pages and posts and phrases and photos—so much we’ve done, and so much we still want to do.

We have submissions—a couple here, a few more there—from people who are passionate and excited about art and writing and our publication, quirks and all.

We have a presence. We have followers on our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages, and we share the things we care about with the hope that you might care, too.

We have events that strive to cultivate a community of expression, that celebrate the art and the work that people of diverse backgrounds bring to the table.

We have each other. A group of 14 Penn Staters gathering together every Tuesday and Thursday in an English class to try to figure out this lit mag thing and make it work the best way we know how.

We have you. Our reader(s) across University Park and commonwealth campuses who make tangible the things we send out into the world; who bring them to life.

All in all, we have Klio. And we’re pretty damn proud.

This group of Klio staff members is nearing the end of its journey. Each of us has learned a thing or two this semester that we will carry with us on future endeavors. We’ve grown, we’ve questioned, we’ve challenged ourselves, we’ve produced. We have created a collective identity and projected it into the literary world for however many fleeting moments our creation lasts.

We don’t know what the future of Klio will look like. After a semester hiatus, it will come back next fall—a new English 209 class with new faces, new ideas, and new stories to tell.

Right now, we will celebrate our Klio; we’ll leave its future up to you.

_________________________

Check out what other Klio staff members have to say about their experiences with Klio:

Alessia Catania, Blog Coordinator: “Helping to create Klio taught me that you always have to start somewhere. Throughout this semester, my classmates and I really pulled everything together the way that we wanted it to be. We should be nothing but proud of all of our hard work and amazing accomplishments!”

Owen Gallagher, Co-Editor in Chief: I am still amazed that we were able to take an idea and make it a lasting reality in just a semester. The site itself is a great example of what great team effort can accomplish.

Mason Gallina, Commonwealth Campus Liaison: “I thought this class taught me how to multitask by working on a few different assignments at one time with a variety of different personalities and visions.”

Mariah Geletko: “Words are sacred.”

Kalia Jefferson, Prompt Coordinator: “As we near the end of the semester, I truly realize and respect the amount of time, thought, and hard work that goes into creating something. Along with teamwork, I believe getting things done in a timely and efficient manner requires you to buckle down and be aware of the responsibilities you give yourself and others.”

Veronica Leffler, Social Events Coordinator: “I truly feel as though this past semester has allowed me to tap into my love of art and literature in a creative and community-centric way. As an artist and writer myself, I really value the way that a creative community can foster inspiration and support. It was wonderful to be able to be part of a team that created a space for expression and personal growth.”

Dalila Lewis, Co-Editor in Chief: “I really enjoyed working my classmates in a magazine. This was my first time ever help build an online literary magazine. It was a great experience and I’m going to miss this class.”

Victoria Morales, Co-Web Designer: “Being co-web creator caused me to get thrown into the deep end when it came to creating and developing a website under a short amount of time, but I am appreciative because this is an experience, and that’s what college is for, right?”

Mary Pillot, Promotion & Marketing Coordinator: “Creating an online literary magazine was a tough but exciting experience. As the PR/Marketing Chair, this experience was awesome to help plan and design handouts to help promote Klio. I’ve learned it’s absolutely doable to make your own literary magazine if you have the tools and motivation to do so.” 

Emily Schlackman, Social Media Coordinator: “I was proud to promote our creation to those interested in an outlet to publish their writing and artwork online and inform them about our platform and mission. This was a great opportunity, and I cannot wait to see what Klio grows into over the years for the Penn State literary community.”

Sydnie Simin, Art Coordinator: “Being a part of Klio was one of my favorite parts of this semester. Seeing what goes into the making and upkeep of an online literary magazine was such a fun experience and something that has really opened my eyes to a world I previously didn’t know much about. As the arts coordinator, it was fantastic to be able to see such a creative side of Penn State. Klio added something to my college experience that I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else, and I’m so happy to have been a part of it.”

Morgan Updyke, Curatorial Editor: “Developing Klio this semester has been an interesting and thrilling experience. Not only have I learned more about literary magazines, but I’ve also learned about the amount of time, commitment, and teamwork that goes into producing one. This hands-on class has changed my view of the literary world.”

Brianna Zigler, Poetry Coordinator: “In my few months enrolled in this course, I learned more about the quiet world of literary magazines than I had ever thought existed, and I hope to take what I have learned and someday apply it to my own endeavors.”