Talar Sarkissian
Staff Writer
Students and faculty came together to celebrate the launch of the Prism Review, the University of La Verne’s student run literary journal. The event featured readings and the announcement of its 2025 writing contest winners on May 15 in the Ludwick Center Sacred Space.
About 20 people attended the launch party, which was the release of the journal’s 27th annual issue. Students in the creative writing program worked on the publication, selecting, editing and designing the final product.
The student editorial team reviewed submissions then went straight into production which included finalizing layouts and preparing for the release.
Among the writers featured were sophomore creative writing major Adrianna Procida, the winner of the 2025 undergraduate creative writing contest.
In addition to contributing her pieces, Procida also helped organize the event and worked with the art and editorial teams.
“I mainly worked with the art, helped organize the launch party, and picked pieces,” Procida said. “It was really difficult rejecting pieces, there are so many great ones and you can’t get a room of 20 people to all agree.”
Procida won for her trio of flash fiction pieces: “Bugs Are Most Beautiful When Dead,” “You Begged God To Make You a Snail” and “Poor Worm.”
Procida told the audience she hadn’t expected to win and was honored to share her work. After reading her piece, she explained that her story was inspired by watching small bugs outside her home drying out in the heat. Although she didn’t write with a specific message in mind, she said she would welcome any interpretation of her piece.
She said working on Prism changed how she approaches her own writing.
“It broadened my mind to more possibilities of what literature can be,” Procida said. “Some of the work we publish isn’t standard. It doesn’t hold to real-life limits. It’s just telling a story however the author wants to tell it. It made me think more about what unconventional ways I could write.”
The staff also recognized outside contributors Dustin King and Emily Carlson with the 2025 Prism Review Staff Award. King’s winning poems included “Sonetos Con Grietas (Sonnets with Cracks)” and “Dispatch from Mexico City,” which were read during the event. Carlson’s work, called “Wild Horses,” was read by another student.
Arely Hernandez, a junior creative writing major, worked on the visual side of the journal. She created hand drawn illustrations, and designed the journal’s logo.
“The team helped decide on the theme for the cover,” Hernandez said. “We ended up going with a contrast of light and dark. Everyone got to choose pieces they liked.”
Although the journal does not currently include comics, editors said they plan to start accepting them in the 28th issue.
Janira Hernandez, a sophomore on the team, offered advice for students who might want to join the Prism Review next year.
“I would say just be prepared to make difficult choices when it comes to choosing pieces,” Hernandez said. “You have to be willing to set aside your opinions and take into consideration what goes into these pieces and how you want this to be a reflection of the Prism Review.”
Talar Sarkissian can be reached at talar.sarkissian@laverne.edu.
Talar Sarkissian is a sophomore communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is a staff writer for the Campus Times and is actively involved in marketing and media.
Jai'la Counts is a freshman communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
