Beyond Parallax is an organization focused on creative writing, and has a 15-year history of publishing the college’s student literary and visual arts journal. This year marks the first year in the club’s long history that the journal will not be published.
“I think it will leave a hole because it has consistently been a forum for creative thought,” said advisor Linda Foss. “But because of the times we are in, people are concentrating on their work or school.”
However, the Beyond Parallax club is not disbanded; it is only on break until next fall.
“We’re just putting it on hold because we have a student organization with no officers,” she said.
Foss has been with the project since it’s conversion into an official student organization.
“It’s challenging but really interesting for a group of people who have a creative impulse about them, but don’t realize what it takes to create a literary journal,” she said. “To see it happen and have a final product is really rewarding.”
Schedule complications and heavy credit loads caused both the president of the club and editor of the publication to resign from their positions.
This left the club with no student leadership, and no sufficient student interest. As outlined in their bylaws, this directly resulted in the club’s postponement.
“I can’t really call it an active organization right now,” said Foss. “We had no attendance. Students would show up to meetings one day but not others.”
There are five lifetime members, although none are students. All are Centralia alumni who did not want to leave the publication when they left the college.
Regardless of having no leadership, these members will publish a retrospective of the 15 years of Beyond Parallax on the organization’s website.
“It’s not over,” said Foss. “And, we will be maintaining the website.”
Beyond Parallax was first begun as an English department side project. Foss has been an intrinsic part since it started.
“In the beginning, there wasn’t even a club to advise,” said Foss. “It began as a club in the late 90’s. I’ve been involved since the beginning.”
The club has sponsored events including poetry readings and themed writing. Beyond Parallax also sponsors the annual writing contest.
The writing contest began in 1989, and attracts 20 to 30 submissions each year. Essays are accepted until early May and should be give to Doris Wood, associate professor in charge of the writing contest.
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