Totem, Gannon University's student-produced literary arts magazine, was recognized for their 2023 edition with the First Place with Special Merit award from the American Scholastic Press Association.
"It was a joy, to say the least, to receive news that Totem 2023 was awarded the First Place with Special Merit award along with only four other college and university publications in schools with enrollments of more than 2,500. My joy was heightened when I saw that there were only four other first place winners in the country, one of them being Duquesne University's Off the Bluff," said Totem adviser and associate professor for English, Carol Hayes.
Totem has won multiple awards from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA) in prior years. The magazine has won awards throughout the decades that Professor Berwyn Moore, the previous advisor, oversaw the production. In 2020, Totem was also awarded the First Place with Special Merit award for schools with more than 2,501 students.
This magazine is a collaborative effort across Gannon's campus. The Totem staff, comprised of students, is tasked with finding and encouraging submissions, recruiting a judging committee, proofreading the submissions, working with Gannon's Experience Designer and University Brand Manager, Andrew Lapiska, and notifying people when their work has been selected. Gannon students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction writing, as well as artwork to Totem. The magazine is released each year at Gannon's annual Writing Awards night in April.
Learn more about Totem online here.