Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine is preparing for a new semester, back with new ideas—and also roasts. The magazine is accepting submissions until 11:59 p.m on Mon., Sept. 5, before beginning the publication of a new issue. 

Chrysalis is also bringing new life to old traditions and new attention to the magazine by partnering with the staff of The Iron Blade to host its traditional coffee houses. At these events, writers, musicians, and other performers are invited to get on stage and share their talents with the campus community.

Katherine Grimes, English Professor and advisor to Chrysalis, explained that coffeehouses have a long history within Chrysalis but had mostly drifted away from their original purpose of being a place for creators on campus to share their abilities. 

“I’d like to see a whole lot more of people reading their own poetry, their own stories. I’d like to see it get more original stuff,” said Grimes, regarding her hopes for the future of coffee houses under the new partnership.

The staff of Chrysalis and The Iron Blade also hope that their collaboration will increase engagement among campus talents, especially as attendance at the events have decreased in the years surrounding the pandemic. 

“I think a lot more people are ready to get out and get involved,” said Justin Muse, Director of Student Activities.

From his office, where he demonstrated campus engagement himself, Muse wore heeled shoes, an orange shirt, and a curly wig in honor of Throwback Thursday. 

Muse is also the one who started the coffeehouse program back up again post-pandemic, and he hopes it will allow the program to reach a broader audience and revitalize student engagement. 

“That’s really good, that’s what we need,” said Caroline King,  former staff member of both Chrysalis and The Iron Blade, as well as frequent coffeehouse performer, of the partnership. “We need more collaboration among groups with events, because we stretch ourselves thin.”

Most agree that this new co-hosting method will reach a larger audience, but there is also concern among staff members that there won’t be enough diversity among attendees or performers because Chrysalis and The Iron Blade aren’t very well known outside of English classes or the publications themselves. 

“It’s really cool to see all of the stuff that people can do on campus. It’s nice to see different types of people get up there,” said senior Emma Brubaker of the coffeehouses.

Having done work with Chrysalis herself, she suggests bringing the event up at Student Athlete Advisory Council meetings to increase diversity among attendees and performers.

“Some of those athletes have really obscure talents that they might want to show off,” Brubaker said.

She also hopes that one of the new changes will be to serve coffee at the event, in a nod to traditional coffee houses and the event’s history. 

In their new collaboration with The Iron Blade, the staff of Chrysalis hopes that going forward, coffee houses will both honor their roots and expand to include a larger and more diverse group of attendees and performers to celebrate one another’s creative talents. 

The date of the first coffee house is set for Thurs., Sept. 29, and the staff of Chrysalis invites everyone available to attend.