Most students who live on campus have probably seen issues of Hamline’s The Fulcrum magazine somewhere, even if the memory of where is fuzzy. Pipers might not know the magazine, may not have read it, or just can’t remember, exactly, what it’s all about. Don’t despair if this describes you, we have you covered. (And that’s why you read the Oracle, so you can mature into a better-informed-future-alum.)

The history of this publication begs attendance and further consideration as to how lucky and perseverant Pipers can be. Most students might not realize that The Fulcrum has gone through bouts of drought. What that means is there have been times in Hamline’s past, beginning in 1993, when the publication, originally named Hamline Art and Literature Review, ceased. Between 1993 and 1996 the artistic works of Hamline’s student body were without a voice or a venue. In 1996, through petitions and a $3,000 award, Hamline Art and Literature Review was born again, only this time as The Fulcrum. Then again, in 2000, the magazine ceased for a second time. In 2002-2003 The Fulcrum started up again.

If we now understand why Hamline students are described as perseverant, answering why The Fulcrum’s existence makes Pipers lucky should follow, logically. Seth Feralin, the editor of this year’s Fulcrum, said, in an email interview, “I think its important to have a space for students to share their work and for other students to see the art that is being made by their classmates. I think it [The Fulcrum] helps to provide that space. We should be proud of ourselves, and our friends.”

It’s sometimes hard to understand why these publication droughts happened in the first place. Consider Feralin’s thoughts as editor, “I think it [The Fulcrum] shows we are a smart and creative bunch of people, and surprisingly so. I look at the art and literature that is submitted, and am sometimes surprised and excited by the names I recognize. Often, I had no idea those students were creating art or writing. It’s encouraging and amazing to see the undercurrent of creativity and talent that Hamline has.” It might be presumptuous to suggest that Hamline rarely lacks talented students, maybe just those students driven to contribute to documenting its lush heritage?

The Fulcrum is unique in many ways. One that Feralin expressly noted is the way that the editors “judge” submissions. “For the most part the journal is read by Hamline students, so we think about what they [Pipers] want,” Feralin said. “Literary and Arts journals in the professional world usually dictate what pieces are accepted through the lens of an esthetic that is often dictated by the mission of the publication. That’s a little formal for us… we base that decision on what we think is “good.”

This year’s edition of The Fulcrum was released last Tuesday in Anderson Center. Copies can be found around campus. For those interested in joining the editorial team, or those who have an artsy side and want to submit, the publication has a Facebook page. Look for more information online or through email and campus flyering.

And finally, to break the fourth wall and many rules of journalism, the author would like to add this final statement: As a non-traditional senior who has nothing to lose, I admonish you, my fellow Pipers, to take serious note of these the formative years of your youths. I strongly suggest that you take a minute… or fifteen… in order to realize that The Fulcrum and other opportunities afforded to you on campus should not be dismissed lightly. These seemingly microcosmic events are all created for you. Let me be Frank (you can be Susan or Joe, or yourself), you are surrounded by talent; look in each others’ eyes; these are the future leaders and movers and shakers of your generation. The publication of the Fulcrum and its continued existence, despite dry periods, is evidence that students are submitting their work. It is further evidence that another sub-set of students are busy compiling this data into an aesthetically pleasing publication for you. And because all of this is true, because it cannot be denied, it behooves you, the student body to, at the very least, flip through the pages of The Fulcrum, remembering that these people are just like you (they put their pants on one leg at a time). The work is your peers’ work. Allow yourselves to be awed.