Baldwin Wallace University’s “The Mill”, the annual publication written and edited by students and has been with the university for 70 years just finished accepting submissions for this year, however there are still ways students can be involved.  

The journal can normally be found on campus around Marting Hall, and the next edition of this publication will be out in April. 

The submissions are picked by a student selection committee, including five students who have volunteered and gone through an interview process, with three students in the selection committee, one editor, and one assistant editor.  

Dr. Sharon Kubasak, one of the faculty advisors for “The Mill” said that it takes a lot of meetings to go over all the submissions because each one is considered very carefully and gets the absolute respect that it deserves. 

The selection committee is chosen every fall, to ensure that they will have enough time to go through the submissions, of which Kubasak said that they typically see around 100 submissions yearly. 

The student committee and the editors are picked every fall, and though it can be a rigorous process, it can be a great opportunity for students. Being a part of this publication shows students the ins and outs of the publishing world and is a good addition to resumes for graduate schools and internships. 

Even though this process can be considered a great opportunity for students to practice professional skills, it is a huge time commitment.  

Reviewing all the submissions takes time to ensure that everything is up to standard. Once the committee has chosen the works for next year’s edition, the editor and assistant editor begin the editing process.  

The editor then sets out to design their vision. With all the pieces edited and selected, they can start mapping out the entire journal, and how the pieces are arranged together.  

Michael Garriga, chair of the English and Creative Writing department mentioned that “that’s [editing] one of my favorite parts of our position is that we get to see that vision.”  

Being involved with “The Mill” also allows students to be involved in the BW community, as the annual publication party is often attended by alumni who were past writers for the publication. This can enable students to make connections for their post-graduation careers. 

When asked what parts they have found surprising working with the publication of “The Mill,” Kubasak said, “I always get a little awed by the passion that the students bring to the whole enterprise; it’s contagious, it really a beautiful thing to see.”