Volition Magazine encourages Mason students to express themselves

Volition Executive Editor Yessy Sansargereltekh (photo by John Irwin)

Volition Magazine, George Mason’s Literacy and Arts Journal, starts its fifteenth year on campus with two major events.

Formerly known as Apathy, Volition Magazine is George Mason’s Literary and Arts Journal  packed into a small magazine with a big message: “Express yourself!” 

“That’s all we want is to express ourselves.  No one is a mind reader.  Whether it’s through writing or painting, you gotta express yourself!” said junior and executive editor of Volition Magazine, Yessy Sansargereltekh.

 The pages are filled with students’ poetry, prose, photographs, art and plays.

 “It’s 30 pages of the best creative talent that Mason has to offer!” Sansargereltekh said.

Volition has connected people like Sansargereltekh to George Mason and its community.   For those interested in joining the magazine staff, Sansargereltkh said, “The only qualification you need is to be a Mason student.”

The magazine started with a staff of three people and has grown to about 30 people, but they are always looking for new members to join their efforts.

“Working together with people, deadlines, getting people to submit, all of that is like this machine.  When you work in it, it really helps you understand what it’s like once you go outside of Volition, if you want to go into work with publication,” Sansargereltekh said.

 Volition actively tries to find ways to stay involved with the students. For example, Sept. 22-27 they will have a book swap at the North Plaza as part of Fall for the Book.

  “There’s going to be a bunch of tents and we are partnering up with the Fall for the Book Event.  We will have our own table and will have a big box of books,” said Sansargerelteh.  “People can just walk by and drop off old books with us and take a look.  Who knows, you might find something that you really want.  I picked up a book there once and it ended up being my favorite book. You never know!”

Volition also occasionally holds an open mic night in SUB II.  This is an easy way to share your work in front of other artists and see others’ talents.

 Volition enables students to share their creative works with other artistic minds.  It is simply for the pure enjoyment of the reader and the satisfaction of the artist.

  “If you grab a copy and you think ‘Wow, this is great work’, then come join us! Support us at our events! Or if you think, ‘I can write something better than that,’ well, I challenge you to submit to us and then we’ll see!” said Sansargereltekh.

Volition is available at the Office of Student Media or you can also visit their website at http://volitionmagazine.onmason.com