by Megan Harrington

The Aletheia

A new undergraduate journal—The Aletheia—has premiered at the Honors College through the Center for Creative Work. The publication’s goal is to provide an artistic venue for undergraduates at the University of Houston.

“In Greek, ἀλήθεια means truth or unconcealed. We want to take this idea and apply it to the journal to highlight the importance of creative student voices,” said Kristen Flack, senior web designer, editor, and co-founder of The Aletheia.

To stay true to this vision, The Aletheia accepts all forms of artistic expression, ranging from literary art to visual art to even film and music, and displays them through multiple mediums. The Aletheia website allows for varied formatting possibilities and offers an opportunity to re-imagine how a journal might normally run. Each month, The Aletheia online works like an art gallery, featuring work not only from students, but also from faculty and alumni working in the arts.

The bi-annual chapbook, which comes out at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters each year, consists of student art, fiction, and poetry. “We wanted the chapbook to be representative of the student-run, student-featured element of The Aletheia,” said Reyes Ramirez, senior chapbook designer, editor, and co-founder.

In addition, The Aletheia sponsors a reading and visual arts series, “In the Garden,” held every third Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at AvantGarden on Westheimer. Student writers published in The Aletheia also appear on Coog Radio on the second Sunday of the month.

These artistic opportunities create a community that is unique and rewarding for undergraduate students. For more information and to read online issues of The Aletheia, or to submit your work for publication, go to TheAletheiaJournal.com or visit them on Facebook at: facebook.com/thealetheiajournal.

Book Swap

As a kickoff event this year, the Center for Creative Work sponsored a Book Swap Auction in which Honors College faculty and staff donated prized books for auction and students brought their own books to offer in exchange. Close to a hundred books were put on the block, and more than double that amount were used for bidding. The “proceeds” were then donated to St. Joseph’s House, an organization that supports those with mental disabilities. The event was a huge success and will be held each fall.

Artists and Their Regions

This year at the National Collegiate Honors Council conference held in Phoenix, AZ, the Center for Creative Work presented the Artists and Their Regions class, which is the capstone course for the Creative Work minor. The course is centered around the study of regional literature and the creation of an artistic project inspired by the region. CCW’s presenters for NCHC this year were seniors Kristen Flack and Megan Harrington.

Dionysia

Every spring, the Honors College Dionysia celebrates the festival of Dionysus in ancient Athens by creating a new interpretation and performance of a classic Greek play. Students and professional actors have performed works by Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles over the past three years. In spring 2012, the Dionysia presents a new production of Aristophanes’ comedy The Frogs. Karen Farber at the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Center partnered with the Center for Creative Work in bringing Aaron Landsman to Houston to direct this new production. An acclaimed director from New York, Aaron specializes in unconventional plays and spaces. The Frogs will be performed in the Rockwell Pavilion and basement of the M.D. Anderson Library. For more information on the Dionysia, visit TheHonorsCollege.com/dionysia.