New Tricks 2020

Letter from the Editor

Wow. What a year, huh?

I know that, for students, many academic years feel as though they are unusually difficult (at least, that’s been my experience), but this one has truly been one for the books. Last fall, Madison experienced one of the worst floods in the last thirty years, and this spring most of the country is under quarantine because of the coronavirus. Current circumstances are anything but normal: case in point, you’re reading New Tricks online instead of in our usual booklet.

This year’s class was small, composed of Jessi Giles, Noah Schuldt, and Travis Krakow, and me. Despite being a group of only four, we made a great team; each of us put in time and energy and we all had similar ideas and motivations. It is because of this team that we were able to create a publication despite all working from home, and I want to thank each and every one of them for their dedication.

Dr. John Nelson himself was an outstanding help, as always. He’s been at the forefront of the English for New Media department far longer than any of us have been here, and though he will be dearly missed, his upcoming retirement is well deserved. I would like to say a massive “THANK YOU!!” to him for positively impacting so many lives, both in and out of New Tricks.

Finally, thank you to all who submitted. Abnormalities and general weirdness notwithstanding, this year’s edition of New Tricks is a very good one. The submissions we received were outstanding, and the move to an online format has been quite painless. Without your works, we would have no New Tricks—you deserve a round of applause.

In uncertain times like these, it often feels impossible to create; simply surviving is taxing enough. However, it is these creations that are most comforting—television shows, movies, poetry, music, art, games, and stories. It is these stories that unite us all, even in times we cannot be physically united. No matter your medium, I implore you: never stop telling your story.

Jaclynn Rogers

Who We Are:

New Tricks is a literary magazine that began in 1992, when a small group of students, known as the Literary Stunt Dogs, started to gather and produce student work. It has since evolved into a larger publication that includes not only poetry and prose, but also features photographs, digital art, and multimedia. New Tricks is now a product of the DSU chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, an international English honor society. The Dakota State University Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, Alpha Gamma Lambda, was established in the spring of 1993.

Our Purpose:

New Tricks inspires creativity across majors, accepting work campus-wide. The diversity of the media forms accepted into the magazine allows for students, faculty, and staff alike to showcase their skills and publish their work.