Tahoma West accepting submissions until March 15

Tahoma West — UW Tacoma’s an­nual publication centered around fic­tion, creative nonfiction, poetry and visual art — is accepting submissions for the 2018 issue that will be published in May. The deadline for creative work from students, alumni, faculty and staff is March 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Tahoma West began in 1996 and has published an issue each year since 1997 — distributing free copies across campus and publishing on Digital Commons. Brit Barnhouse — editor-in-chief of Tahoma West and undergraduate writ­ing studies student — discussed the unique role the journal fills at UWT.

“Tahoma West benefits students by not only providing them a local­ized means to become a published author, but also an outlet for connect­ing their experiences with a broader audience outside of the classroom,” Barnhouse said.

Barnhouse believes the publication’s focus on literary and visual arts provides an important creative avenue for UWT.

“Tahoma West’s mission is to provide a platform for UWT’s many diverse voices to be heard and to be an outlet for creative expression. We encourage writing that examines the world and crosses disciplines,” Barnhouse said.

UWT also has an academic journal focusing on student research and schol­arship — ACCESS*: Interdisciplinary Journal of Student Research and Schol­arship — which is published online in the fall. Students interested in having an academic or research paper pub­lished should visit the journal’s website for requirements.

Much like ACCESS*, having work published in Tahoma West can provide an introduction to the publishing in­dustry. According to Barnhouse, even though possible contributors face the possibility of rejection, the process is rewarding to see one’s work published and can be a great addition to a resume.

Tahoma West also promotes various events on and off campus to support local artists and writers. Past events in­clude open mic nights and recently co-sponsoring Night of Poetry Feb. 16 with the Student Activities Board.

“Showing up or participating in these events support fellow students and the Tacoma community as whole,” Barnhouse said. “Creative events and readings are an outlet to speak up and make voices heard, but are also a way to practice empathy, understand each other better, and connect through shared experience.”

A “Literary Journal Publishing” workshop will be held Feb. 21 from noon to 12-1 p.m. in BHS 103 to intro­duce those interested to the journal and the publication process. All future events will be posted to the Tahoma West Facebook page.

UWT students, alumni, faculty and staff are invited to submit their creative work for consideration. The piece will need to be submitted by the deadline and meet requirements according to the type of work it is — with each section of fiction, cre­ative nonfiction, poetry and visual art having different requirements.