For the first time, San Jacinto College North Campus will publish its literary and arts magazine exclusively online in digital form. Prism, once a print-only magazine, will appear as a downloadable e-book accessed through the College’s website.

The move to digital resulted from cuts to the printing budget determined in February by the Strategic Leadership Communications Committee.

North Campus English Professor Pamela Bond, who partially oversees the development of Prism, said the publication affords North Campus students an important creative outlet.

“It means the world to us to see students get to experience that,” Bond said. “That’s the main reason that we do it.”

The North Campus has had some form of literary and arts magazine since 1979. The publication offers a blend of artwork, photographs, and creative writing pieces submitted exclusively by students.

Writing submissions are pooled from creative writing classes, composition classes, and a few humanities courses, while the art pieces come from art department courses like painting, sculpture, and drawing. Also, submissions are accepted from Upward Bound, a Department of Education funded program for at-risk high school students, the Veterans Center, and the Speech Department.

Any student who has attended the North Campus in the 12 months prior to the call for submissions is eligible to participate. In 2016, Prism received a record number of entries totaling 418. Last year’s publication featured the work of 84 students including 52 written pieces and 32 art submissions.

A three-person faculty committee consisting of Bond, English Professor Mary K. Jennings, and English Professor Richard Bridwell are tasked with whittling down entries to meet the space limits.

The process is nothing new for Jennings who once chaired the committee she has been a part of for nearly 30 years. However, another change may potentially impact Prism’s future. Jennings mentioned she might retire at the end of this semester.

“She says she’s 80 percent sure, so we’ll see,” Bond said. “We’ll see what actually happens.” Meanwhile, the team behind Prism is hosting a release party May 3. Bond said if this turns out to be Jennings last year at the College, she hopes to make her farewell issue a special one.

“The creative writing courses and the Prism would not exist,” Bond said, “if she (Jennings) had left or she hadn’t been here.”

The Prism release party is open to the public and will take place at 6 p.m. in Room 124 of the Interactive Learning Center (N2) on the North Campus.