The dimly lit artistic Gravity Lounge provided the perfect ambiance for the unveiling of a milestone. Books streamlined the walls, music played softly in the background and creative energy surrounded the individuals from both the University and the Charlottesville communities who came out to celebrate a new achievement in feminist publications: the 25th anniversary of Iris.
Iris, in association with the Women's Center, is a magazine that is overseen by a four-person managing board which is assisted by 15 University students. The student participants were accepted into SWAG 310/311 and serve as interns, simultaneously receiving class credit for these courses as well as garnering work experience with magazine development. One magazine is published per semester in November and April, and on average, student interns devote 10 to 12 hours per week to the magazine's development. This semester, however, Iris is experiencing a new facelift -- glossy pages, full color articles and new artistic designs.
Coordinating Editor Gina Welch, a former graduate student from the M.F.A. program in 2004, noted the progress Iris has made since its debut publication in 1980.
"Iris began as a newsletter for the SWAG [Studies in Women and Gender] department, afterwards becoming an academic journal for several years," Welch said. "It continued to experience mutations over the years, and has now become a magazine for progressive young women. Our concentration on issue-based articles gives our publication a broader focus."
Not only is the magazine a "milestone" in regards to its appearance but also because of the content it contains.
"The articles in past issues have strictly focused on women's issues, but we wanted to touch on broader themes that women desire to read about," Welch said. "Since our theme is 'Milestones,' we wanted to do something that was landmark."
The cover, a spoof on traditional magazine formats, outwardly displays the bold inner character of the magazine through statements including, "Get a bigger ass by bikini season" and "Bonus: 1,000 new hairstyles."
"We were interested in creating a cover that was revolutionary and would make our magazine more marketable, without giving individuals the impression that Iris was becoming too commercial," Welch said. "After considering using a birth control pill distributor as the cover, we decided that the cover should rather be an articulation of women's struggles."
Gracing the cover of the magazine is a member of the Layout committee, Stephanie Owens. Sporting a belt spelling out "Milestones" and wearing rings, on one hand the "1980" and on the other "2005," Owens is poised, ready to fight whatever obstacle might choose to cross her path.
Like Owens, the magazine also has overcome many obstacles and has grown into a nationally renowned publication. According to Welch, 1,200 copies of the newest edition were produced and distributed to stores nationwide, such as Barnes and Noble.
Layout committee member Vicky Long said she believes the magazine not only helps to unite the community around the issues facing women today, but in working on it, she has developed strong and meaningful relationships with her team members.
"It's so great to work with other women collectively on issues that are important to us," Long said. "Iris is such a great environment for this reason."
Although some student interns for Iris are SWAG majors, the majority come from an array of disciplines in the College, including Mathematics, Anthropology and Foreign Affairs. In order to be accepted into the class and given the opportunity to work on the magazine, all students must fill out an application. Once accepted into the program, interns have the option of choosing either a semester- or year-long commitment. This commitment not only includes in-class responsibilities, such as extensive reading and submission of two articles per semester for potential use in the magazine, but also mandatory committee meetings outside of class when interns plan the semester's publication.
"We are required to engage in numerous writing assignments during the course of the semester, and if the pieces are good enough, then they will be included in the magazine," Owens said.
The interns, however, are not the only individuals who are allowed to submit articles to the magazine.
"We get submissions from all over the world, primarily in the form of poetry and fiction," Welch said. "Most of the non-fiction work is organic to Iris. My associate editor and I judge the quality of the work and decide what ultimately ends up in the finished product."
Funding for the program comes both from the Women's Center and from a variety of sponsors.
"We sell advertising spots for both local and national companies and receive grants from different organizations," marketing committee member Sehrish Shaban said. "We also profit from the sales of early magazines and from the T-shirts we create every semester."
Numerous faculty members, most of whom are from the SWAG and English departments, also support the magazine by serving on the magazine's advisory board.
The release party was open to the entire Charlottesville community Thursday, and the lounge was packed with individuals discussing future possibilities for the magazine as well as enjoying its new look.
"This is my third time attending an Iris release party," fourth-year College student Annis Stiner said. "The magazine is so innovative. Since it is student-run, these individuals can really claim it as their own achievement, and take pride that they have produced a cutting-edge magazine which includes articles that everyone can relate to."
According to Welch, Iris has touched both the members of the community who enjoy this unique magazine, as well as the staff members who make it all possible.
"Producing the magazine is extraordinarily fulfilling," Welch said. "Every member of the team develops a close relationship, both academically and professionally. After spending six months in a basement piecing everything together, we are able to create a beautiful publication for the community to enjoy"
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