Lynn’s on a “Quest” for Creativity
Above: Audra LaRay Pendry shows off the “Quest” magazine and there is also an eBook. Staff Photos/V. Alvarez.
By VICTORIA ALVAREZ
Assistant Editor
While maintaining five classes, attending club meetings, staying organized, holding a job and keeping one’s life together, it may seem easy to forget what it is like to be creative and express one’s self. People think of creativity as the act of making or building something, but it is often so much more than that.
Creativity is truly a way of life that embraces the originality and the beauty that lies within uniqueness. The arts are especially noted for having such a quality, due to the extensive amount of deep thought put into things, such as poetry, drawings, paintings, screenwriting, storytelling and so much more.
At Lynn, students are encouraged to find their passions and express them as best they can. Diversity, creativity and individuality are some of the main foundations of the student body that make up the Lynn community, and with so much talent walking around campus, it only makes sense to put all of this artistry into a single place.
“Quest,” Lynn’s very own literary magazine and arts journal, has been around for many years, dating back to the 90s. Originally, the magazine would publish the work of local artists and writers as well as student’s work. Today though, the magazine is striving to only publish the work from students within the Lynn community. However, that is not the only thing that is changing within the magazine.
“’Quest’ is a creative outlet for students, faculty and staff. They can submit written work, poems, short stories, visual work or even scenes from a play,” said Bonnie Bonincontri, faculty advisor for “Quest.” “In the past, it’s always been a hard copy publication, so it’s always been drawings or photography. But this year, it’s going to be an iBook as well.”
For years, “Quest” has been handed out in the form of a magazine, but as times are changing and things are becoming more digital, the magazine is joining the technological world as a new iBook. With this change, the art journal can now accept digital submissions, such as video. This announcement allows Quest to not only accept more submissions, but also broaden its variety for each publication.
The arts journal is not specifically limited to any type of student. It is not required that the student submitting the work majors in anything specific. “Quest” is a place for any artistic person to not only share their work with others, but also to help that student find an outlet for their artistry and creativity.
“Everyone is creative in some way and lots of students like to have an outlet, especially through all the digital work that is available to us today,” said Bonincontri. “Through ‘Quest,’ we are not just encouraging the arts, but we’re encouraging students to embrace the arts as well.”
One way that “Quest” is beginning to reach out to students is through social media. Social media has a large impact on college students today, and the staff of “Quest” is aware that sometimes a post with an eye-catching photo is a great way to get students’ attention. After being recruited by Dr. Lynn Ramert, one of the professors working alongside Bonincontri for “Quest,” Audra LaRay Pendry, freshman, became a part of the journal by joining the social media staff.
“In my career path I’ve always wanted to be an artist and I know how hard it can be to get the word out about art. If it’s spread via social media, it’ll show students’ talents,” said Pendry. “I think that in this day and age, everything we do is through social media.”
Right now, Pendry is working alongside Dr. Ramert and other staff members of “Quest” to run a Twitter and Instagram account for the arts journal. The handle names for both sites are @questmaglynn.
The “Quest” iBook will have its big debut at Celebration of the Arts, which will be on the first Friday in May. From then on, everyone will receive directions on how to download the iBook, so that all of the Lynn community can have access to it.
If any students are interested in learning more abut Quest or are interested in submitting their work, e-mail Bonincontri at bbonincontri@lynn.edu.
