In the midst of the furious paper writing and coffee-fueled nights that make up the final weeks of the semester, students packed the Fish House on Monday night to celebrate the release of the newest issue of Dialogue. The release party gave students a chance to slow down and rally around the arts at Calvin, drinking hot beverages sans urgency and taking the time to appreciate the creative works of their peers.

Dialogue was founded in 1968 and serves as “Calvin College’s student-run creative journal, showcasing pieces submitted, edited, and curated by undergraduate students,” according to their biography. The new issue, Dialogue 49.1, includes student work in the categories of prose, poetry, and visual art, which are presented in the magazine, along with music and, for the first time this year, film, which have been made accessible on Dialogue’s website.

The release party served as a celebration of the creative work of Calvin students this semester. Several of the featured writers read their work, in addition to three featured musical artists playing their songs.

Featured poet and sophomore student Gregory Manni said the event was a “great gathering place” in which the community could “celebrate art. It’s really wonderful to see people participating in art,” he  said.

Dialogue staff members Hailey Jansson, senior, and Cotter Koopman, junior, both felt the event was a success for Dialogue, offering hope for the future.

Koopman, a member of the journal’s editorial staff, said, “Tonight, I just felt a lot of love and community,” noting a “continued lack of cynicism” within the Calvin art community.

Jansson, the magazine’s layout editor, expressed thankfulness to the greater Calvin community for their continued support of Dialogue, as exhibited by the excitement surrounding the release party. She specifically appreciated the appropriately quiet, yet enthusiastic audience. Jansson said she was encouraged by the success of the event, but hopes for more voices to included in Dialogue in the future. She said, “We want it to live up to its name.”

Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Peterson, in his editor’s note for the new issue, said, “I hope that you will share your voices and listen to each other because that’s what Dialogue is all about.”

Peterson, a senior, felt the event was successful and “felt tight.” He, too, recognized the polite and attentive audience, and was thankful for their help in giving the music and reading a proper, full showcase.

He also said he has hopes for Dialogue’s increased vitality in the near future. He said, “I feel like we need to add more dimensions and have ways for people to be part of this conversation outside of just the magazines.” He continued: “We could easily just fade out until next spring, but we want to be more of a presence,” expressing hope for an “ongoing conversation.”

Peterson said, “I know that there are people here who are hungry for the arts.” He wants Dialogue to respond to this hunger by cultivating a “really democratic creativity” that will be “inspiring and welcoming for people,” allowing student-artists to “feel like what they value is still valuable.” He concluded: “Our organization is called Dialogue and we have to represent that.”

In addition to the release party and plans for a blog during next semester, Dialogue is pursuing “ongoing conversation” through a gallery of all of the accepted  visual art and photography, which will be in the Lower Gezon Lobby in Spoelhof Center through December 16, and three screening events for all of the accepted films, which will be held in Spoelholf 150 from 7-9 pm on December 8, 9 and 12.