“And so a college magazine has been launched at the dear old Alma Mater—how glad I am to hear the good news. I have long thought that we should have one, for people do not know half the good things that we do down there.”  

—letter from Betty Lawrence, class of 1915, included in the first edition of Ivy Leaves 

Ivy Leaves is a literature and art journal that is produced wholly by students, for students. Storytelling is integral to Ivy Leaves, and stories are told through multiple mediums: visuals, design, and written word. 

It was born out of an innate human desire for expression. In November of 1916, the first edition, then entitled The Orion, demonstrated this motive. 

The first journal begins with a Benedictus proclaiming, “The ORION is the spontaneous conception of a college life seriously considering itself. It has come up from an interior impulse of self-expression.” 

It is hard to say whether the women who wrote this Benedictus in 1916 foresaw the publication reaching its 100th edition in 2025. But they did know they were creating something unique, and they knew what it meant for the student population. 

Now, students are continuing this legacy that came before them and will continue after them. The Ivy Leaves team is split into literature and design teams. The literature team, comprised of 11 students, undertakes the assemblage of student writings. Carefully reading submissions, this team selects compelling pieces for publication. Emma Brightman acts as editor-in-chief while Milena Ulrich is the assistant editor.  

The design team of 15 students addresses a variety of challenges, working tirelessly to create effective, elegant solutions for the printing and presentation of Ivy Leaves. Lily Gregory and Ethan Wright are two seniors, who are joined by two juniors to complete the print team. Others devote time to crafting the website, creating quality merchandise and promotional materials, reviewing visual art submissions and selecting works for the journal, or managing Ivy Leaves’ social media presence. The rich legacy of Ivy Leaves is not lost on these students—it is reflected in the branding for this monumental 100th edition. 

And reflect is truly an apt word, because the aesthetics for this edition were inspired by the intriguing way light acts, how it reflects and refracts. 

“We felt like the theme for this year was a lot of taking the past and then refracting and reflecting it in our own new way,” Lily says. “So, themes of light, reflection, and refraction kept coming up as we were doing research of past editions and thinking about what the future of Ivy Leaves could look like.”  

Ethan and Lily spent hours brainstorming and playing with various tricks of light, including venturing into the invisible spectrum. What the design team found when they photographed with infrared light inspired them. 

They explain that “in this medium, the world is reimagined, colors are transformed, and light behaves in unexpected ways, offering a fresh perspective. One fascinating phenomenon in infrared photography is that plants appear as a vibrant pink. This edition is about seeing the past in a new light. Quite literally, when you view ivy leaves through this lens of infrared light, they reveal themselves as a bright pink. Pink, then, became more than a color. It is a symbol of legacy, discovery, and the unique ways we can reframe tradition.” So, each detail of the visual design is intentional; the pink is even a nod to our history as a women’s college.  

When it comes to the literary side, the students are just as passionate about the tradition of the journal. 

“It shows an evolving change of the world through our eyes, but it also has this constant need for us to speak, to be heard, to share in beautiful ways,” Emma muses.  

This is at the core of the vision and purpose of Ivy Leaves. The journal is ‘student-led and student-read,’ meaning it is produced entirely by and for students. Many of the leaders on the Ivy Leaves’ teams echoed the same sentiment: that this artifact is an unfettered way for students to find and project their voice. 

“Our goal is for it to be a reflection of the student body, and that people can see themselves in the pieces,” Milena says. 

“I think one thing that is especially interesting about this being the 100th edition issue is that a lot of the topics in the journal are timeless,” she continued to ponder. “You could pick up the book years down the road and you could still find something that you relate to.” 

The connection and unity between each student involved in this process became immediately clear. In separate conversations, and in various roles, they expressed nearly identical values and visions for the journal.  

“It is a representation of who they are, and I think that is what gives it value,” Ethan says. “Every edition is laying a new foundation that everyone builds on.” 

“It’s really nice to have a place where people in any artistic discipline get to showcase that and get to have a voice,” Emma says. “And they’re saying that what you have to say—whether you do that through acting, dancing, writing, or painting—is valid.” 

Though the journal is created by students, there are professors who advise the teams when needed. Dr. Tim Speaker works as the creative director of visual aspects, while Dr. Derek Updegraff is the literary advisor.  

As mentors for these students, they give students the freedom and trust to take ownership over the journal.  

“To my mind, it is really important that students are behind the wheel in every aspect because they should be empowered to have that opportunity and to seize it,” Speaker says. “And also, to showcase to the university at large, and to the world, how skilled and talented they are. Just because they are students does not mean that they cannot do something extraordinary.” 

Dr. Updegraff has similar sentiments. “I see two main purposes: one is to provide students with hands-on experience,” he says. “Then, the second purpose is to provide students with an outlet for publication for the wider campus community.” 

“It is a really impressive, physical artifact that has been created,” he continues. “It is a reflection of how vibrant the university is, and that this is a healthy institution that supports the fine arts. I think the journal thriving is a direct reflection of the programs thriving on campus.” 

And this is proven by how passionate and talented each student is who participates in the journal—whether they submit their work, are on a production team, or attend the Ivy Leaves reception and receive their free copy of the beautiful, finished product. 

“There is this overlap, because there is a real thread between them all,” Speaker asserts. 

When asking the interviewees for a word or phrase that comes to mind when they think of Ivy Leaves, they chose opportunity, labor of love, shared humanity, reflective, and legacy. They felt these words reflected the unique nature of the journal.  

What could Ivy Leaves mean to you? 

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 To explore more of the 100th edition of Ivy Leaves, you can visit their visually intriguing website here. 

Want to support the students of Ivy Leaves? Attend the Ivy Leaves reception tomorrow, April 22nd at 6 p.m. in the Chiquola Gallery!