In Full Bloom

A literary work in progress: English Professor Jacqueline Lyons, PhD (center), meets with Aubrey Zambrano (right) and Lia Tracey (left) to discuss the Morning Glory.

Photo: Henok Tesfa

Flowers contain symbolic meanings across art, literature and culture. Ancient Romans associated red roses with Venus, the Goddess of Love, while in Victorian England, lavender symbolized devotion and virtue. Across different cultures, the morning glory embodies renewal, spiritual awakening and transformation. 

California Lutheran University’s literary magazine, the Morning Glory,  promotes the best written and visual works of Cal Lutheran’s students, faculty, staff and alumni. This January, the Morning Glory received a “Superior” rank from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for its 52nd issue published in 2023, aptly titled “Renaissance.”

A rebirth following tumultuous times

“Renaissance” was the magazine's first print edition in three years as it went to a virtual format in 2020 following the coronavirus pandemic. The issue signaled a rebirth for students and the wider world following an extended time of separation from one another and the greater community. A snippet from the staff’s message to readers reveals the former’s dedication to their shared composition: “This collection is a labor of love, a culmination of our passion for the arts and our desire to overcome our turbulent pasts and revitalize stronger than ever. It is a testament to the power of creativity, the magic of language, and the resilience of the human spirit.”

Senior Aubrey Zambrano contributed three works of art to the magazine. Two paintings depict curious-looking farm animals, a two-headed calf and a flying pig, and the third is of a broken processional cross. Zambrano also lent her artistic talents as one of four selection committee members, where she, junior Amelia “Lia” Tracey and two other students read and reviewed submissions published in the magazine. Zambrano and Tracey believe their roles as English Department assistants helped them succeed as committee members and serve as editors for the 2024 issue.

Zambrano says English DAs have opportunities to create a monthly newsletter for English majors and minors that lets them know what is occurring around campus and schedule and advertise English Department events. Last year, Zambrano was the only DA who served as a guest judge for the department's Koa award for best English 110/111 essay. "I would say my participation as a guest judge helped me the most with my time working on the Morning Glory," she said. "It helped me to feel more comfortable reading through the submissions we receive and feel like I have a clearer understanding of what to and not to look for."

Tracey adds her time as a department assistant allowed her to better analyze new voices in writing and art. “Each Morning Glory submission has a unique voice, so when I began going through these pieces for the first time, I learned how to find those really special works that had a story to tell,” she said. “Renaissance” also features a short story from Tracey entitled “Her Name Was-.”

Launched in 1971, the Morning Glory has evolved to include musical compositions and video submissions over the past several decades. English Professor Jacqueline Lyons, PhD, has served as faculty advisor to students who work on the Morning Glory since 2020, teaching them about the various stages of production including calling for and selecting submissions, scheduling layout and printing, budgeting and planning for distribution. She says that students present ideas for each issue’s theme, which can relate to the student editors’ interests or larger, shared experiences. “That was definitely the case with the 2023 issue, for which students chose the theme of Renaissance, to reflect renewal and renewed community after pandemic isolation,” she said.

Lyons’ colleague, Jolivette Mecenas, PhD, also served as faculty supervisor/mentor for the English Department assistants who took on editorial roles for last year’s edition as well as for the 2021-2022 issues. Among other duties, she worked with students on budgeting their time for the magazine, hiring an art major to assist with the publication and submitting the online issue to the NCTE REALM contest.

“NCTE is my main professional organization, for which I have served in elected and appointed leadership positions,” said Mecenas. ”So I have a particular interest in making sure that my university and department are recognized for the work that we do.” 

A platform to celebrate each other’s works and imaginations 

Mecenas explains NCTE has four rankings for its annual contest—First Class, Superior, Excellent and Distinguished. The Morning Glory received the second highest ranking of which she says, “I think that it is a very motivating and affirming evaluation, to be ranked Superior for our first year entering the REALM contest, by judges nationwide.”

Ironically, Mecenas, Lyons and the student staff had to entirely recreate the Morning Glory print version.

“Last year’s Morning Glory was a sort of reintroduction of the journal after COVID, so in many ways, we had to build it from scratch,” said Tracey. “The whole process had to be relearned. On top of that, we had to work a lot quicker on receiving submissions, planning our launch event and formatting the actual journal.”

Alumni Tenchi Wells (‘23) worked closely with Tracey, serving as print editor. He recalls the “tough learning curve” involved in creating the magazine. Aside from learning how to use Adobe InDesign, Wells realized the magazine needed more visual art and photography. 

“We didn’t really know how this whole thing was going to come together logistically, so I started asking for everybody's help,” he said. That assistance came from Tracey and her friend, student photographer Scout Passalacqua, and Ash Langtry, the magazine’s lead designer. 

Through dedication, Lyons’ and Mecenas’ expertise and a collective effort, the magazine’s staff published “Renaissance.” In the process, Tracey, Zambrano and Wells gained new skills such as event planning, advertising and collaboration with their peers and professors. 

“Working on the Morning Glory truly has a lot of moving parts, and I have been allowed to learn each one,” said Zambrano, who plans to become an educator after earning her degree in English this spring.

Wells, who works as a teacher at the educational arts organization Art Trek, credits his tenure with the Morning Glory with leading him to his job. “Publishing a magazine or even having some work included in one is a great thing to put on a resume,” he said. “Contributing to a literary magazine in any capacity can open a lot of doors for you.”

Lyons believes the work on the Morning Glory itself is inherently important to individuals and communities.

“Creative exploration is both pleasurable and life-saving. For students who do a lot of creative work, this is a wonderful way for them to connect with other creative people, and for students who don’t have enough creative practices in their lives, being part of Morning Glory in any way offers balance to their other studies. Morning Glory lets students celebrate each other’s work and imaginations.”

Join the Morning Glory’s faculty and student staff at the magazine’s Arts Festival on April 25.