Meet The LOGOS Volume 13 Social Marketing Editor: Katie McWilliams

Hello fellow scholars, casual readers, and social media enthusiasts! My name is Katie McWilliams, and I am very excited to serve as the Social Marketing Editor for LOGOS Volume 13! This is my second year as a proud Missouri State bear (technically I’m a junior with credit hours). I was born and raised in the suburban area of Parkville, right next to the heart of Kansas City, Missouri (the Missouri side, not the Kansas side). If you’re on the Kansas side, though, please stop at Joe’s Kansas City barbecue and try their Z-Man and fries (you’ll thank me later). I am an aspiring poet in the English/Creative Writing program (with a distinction in the major) and a Spanish minor (I’m sort-of bilingual). I have always enjoyed making music as well, and I love playing in the MSU Symphony Orchestra as a second violinist. I am also involved in virtually everything around campus pertaining to Residence Life and Creative Writing. One day, you might see my bubbly self sharing my amazing MSU experiences to prospective students and families as a University Ambassador. The next day, you might see me reading my poetry at a Pagination Bookshop Open Mic Night (please check out Jen Murvin’s wonderful bookshop if you haven’t already!).

What do I want to do with my Creative Writing major, you might ask? My dream career is to be a writer or editor at Hallmark Cards. I absolutely love composing verses and creating cute designs for the handmade cards I send to my friends and family. I create cards for all occasions imaginable, whether it’s a whimsical Star Wars-themed birthday card (I love anything and everything Star Wars) or a pop-up teddy bear sympathy card for a friend that just lost a loved one. I’m also hoping that my Spanish minor will come in handy if I had the opportunity to work at Hallmark. My passions for Creative Writing and Spanish blended together beautifully when I wrote an original children’s book for a Spanish class, and I would love to work on similar projects in the future. I would also enjoy writing Spanish cards for Hallmark’s Vida line, which is exclusively for the Latin American community. DaySpring Cards (which is the Christian subsidiary of Hallmark) is another company that I’m thinking about applying for. I would love to write cards for a Christian audience, and I already use Bible verses in a lot of my own greeting cards. Regardless of where I might end up, it would be a dream for me to write cards that could go to millions of people all over the world. I’m currently applying for a summer Writing and Editorial Internship at Hallmark!

How did you hear about LOGOS?

As a senior in high school, I remember seeing LOGOS listed as one of the many perks of enrolling in the Honors College on a packet I received in the mail. What in the world does that stand for? I thought, not really motivated to research the mysterious acronym as the swarms of college mail continued to pile in. A few short months later, I was sitting in the PSU theater at my SOAR session. I was trying to keep my growling stomach quiet during yet another financial aid presentation. When I heard Shannon Wick (our former Managing Editor) talk eagerly about the LOGOS journal and how it was one of the first organizations she joined on campus, my dinner daydreams immediately faded away. That could be me! I thought to myself. I applied and was accepted as a Peer Reviewer the following September. Little did I know how much I would enjoy this role.

I had always loved writing (I would hope so because it’s a huge part of my major!), but LOGOS was one of my first sneak peeks into the amazing world of publishing. I found that I was just as much at home in the collaborative discussions with my small group of Peer Reviewers (led by my lovely Associate Editor, Cara Sibert) as the close-knit workshops in my creative writing classes. I am also an Associate Editor for LOGOS Volume 13, and I hope that I can help instill the same enthusiasm I have for the reviewing process and LOGOS as a whole into my Peer Reviewers.

What made you want to apply for this position?

I was actively searching for an internship experience that would help me stretch my creative abilities, and the Social Marketing Editor position sounded like the perfect fit. I get to use my knack for writing clever lines to help encourage students to submit (or get involved with) LOGOS. Staging Volume 12 of LOGOS at random places around campus has already been a ton of fun to work on! Writing blog posts that feature some of the outstanding research of faculty and students at Missouri State is also a huge part of the position, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to refine some of the skills I gained during high school as the journalism intern for the Park Hill School District Professional Studies program. I had some really cool opportunities to interview students and their project managers from industries that I knew very little about, from a local recording studio to the control tower at the Kansas City International Airport (which I actually got to go up in!).

What is your advice for submitting and/or applying to LOGOS?

My number one piece of advice if you’re thinking about submitting to LOGOS? Go for it! You’ve got nothing to lose! Pick a piece you’ve worked on that you’re passionate about. I would also suggest getting as much feedback as possible before you submit your work. If it doesn’t make it into the journal, don’t be discouraged! Read the feedback that the amazing Peer Reviewers at LOGOS leave for you. Work on making your piece (and the knowledge you have in your field) even better; that’s the best way to learn!

If you’re a member of the Honors College and would love to improve your own writing and collaborative skills (as well as get a pretty snazzy resume line), consider joining our team! We’re always looking for more Peer Reviewers. I can say from personal experience that becoming a Peer Reviewer definitely helped me improve my own writing (both academic and creative) as well as reevaluate how I provide feedback on the work from my own peers. Our Peer Reviewer applications will open again in mid-August, so you have plenty of time to think about it! If you’ve got some experience with LOGOS under your belt, take advantage of some of the other amazing leadership opportunities we offer. We’re currently looking for the Copy Editor (if making things look pretty and fixing grammar is your thing) and the Chief Editor (if you want to be one of the head organizers and recruiters). Okay, I’ll end my advertising campaign now, but please…apply, apply, apply!

Closing Thoughts

I can’t wait to see what this semester brings for LOGOS; it’s going to be another fantastic publishing season! I hope that I can help the Social Marketing Editor position grow in new ways this semester as well, and I’m eager to get started on some cool marketing campaigns (stay tuned). Oh, and if you ever need ideas for what to write in a greeting card, stop by the Honors College office. I’d be glad to offer you inspiration!

How I Found LOGOS

I first ran into LOGOS: A Journal of Undergraduate Research during an Open House at Missouri State University in the summer of 2017. It was pouring down rain, and there were plenty of puddles for me to jump into (adults can jump in puddles too) on my way to the Plaster Student Union to attend a lecture introducing the MSU Honors College and its resources to potential students. At the time, I was a senior in high school trying to decide where I wanted to attend college and what field I should enter. 

The Assistant Director of the Honors College, our very own Scott Handley, was preparing the PowerPoint presentation when I plopped down in a seat toward the back section of the room with my father. The information Scott touched on was information I had already read on the MSU website when considering attending MSU to earn my undergraduate degrees in Professional Writing and Creative Writing. I remember doodling on the papers they gave us as I listened to Scott’s presentation. I was really into drawing trees at that time.

My father elbowed me hard in the ribs once Scott began to talk about the university’s journal, LOGOS. It was the first time I had encountered a student-run publication that published students’ works using a double-blind peer-review process. At the end of the presentation, I immediately grabbed a copy of volume 9 and started flipping through the pages of the journal. I remember stopping at a poetry piece called “Europa, Untethered”  and a photography piece called “Permanent Fear,” which was also displayed on the front cover. I thought the poem was beautiful and was amazed that someone from MSU had written it. The photos made me pause and remember those who have marks upon their skin. Reading those published pieces made me want to write, send in my own submissions, and be a part of the team that made it possible for students to publish their work. These students were able to show their work to the world through LOGOS, and I desperately wanted to be a part of that image. Up until I left for college, LOGOS was one of the main things that held my attention as I prepared to leave my hometown of Linn, Missouri.

As an avid reader and writer wanting to get a taste of the publishing world, I found my niche in LOGOS. I became a Peer Reviewer the following fall semester in 2017. Matthew Freese, now Chief Editor for volume 13, was my Associate Editor during my first year with LOGOS. I worked with the other reviewers at a small table in a circle with our laptops in the lobby of Meyer Library with the smell of coffee in the air while Matthew led our discussions about the round of submissions. One piece I remember our group getting excited about was called “Small Black Eyes,” which was published in volume 11. The conversation for this piece lasted for a while. Once we filled out our review forms, we started talking about the symbolism and possible interpretations of the piece. After working with Matthew, meeting other members of the LOGOS team, and being a part of the different conversations about the submissions, I knew I wanted to become more involved with the journal.

In the fall semester of 2018, I became one of the Associate Editors for the journal. However, this position was a learning curve for me. It was the first time I was in a leadership position that required managing a group of people. I had to learn the best ways to schedule meeting times that worked with everyone’s schedule, which meant a lot of trial and error on my part. I also had to figure out what to do if one of my reviewers ran into issues. Throughout all of my more challenging moments in the position, I always had other members of LOGOS at my back, and it made all the difference in the world. Older members of the team gave me advice on the best ways to manage a peer group and helped me when I made a mistake. Because of their help, I am now more prepared for next year and know to ask questions when I need just a little bit of help. 

I enjoyed leading the Peer Review groups and starting the discussions about the submissions. It was fascinating to see what other people’s perspectives were on a certain piece. There were times where we would spend almost 30 minutes talking about a certain submission because someone noticed something that no one had caught. The conversations during the peer group meetings were my favorite because of the insight they gave me. I also loved that I had the opportunity to read more of the work that was submitted to LOGOS and be a part of the team when we broke the journal submission record with 109 submitted pieces from MSU students. Now, I am about to start my third year on the LOGOS team as the Copy Editor and Social Marketing Editor for volume 12. As the Social Marketing Editor, I will be running the LOGOS social media accounts, writing blogs, and letting students know what LOGOS is up to. I am also planning to continue as an Associate Editor in the fall semester of 2019 for volume 13. Being part of LOGOS has been one of the best parts of my college experience. It has allowed me the chance to read papers from a large variety of disciplines written by MSU students that have helped me learn more about the world and meet amazing people like Emily Joshu, Shannon Wick, Maria Meluso, and many others. Some of the most memorable pieces I have had the opportunity to work on were “Small Black Eyes” and “Three.” These are two of the pieces I have worked on and still think about from time to time. After sending in my review forms and marginalia comments, I waited to see which submissions I had reviewed would get published. I was so excited to see these two submissions in LOGOS volume 11. 

 

Some Advice to Those Wanting to Join or Submit

Reading these submissions has also encouraged me to submit my own writing. LOGOS focuses on getting student work published and out into the world. (Please send us your work! We want to know what MSU students are doing.) If you’re accepted, you get published. If not, you get comments from reviewers on ways to improve your piece, and you can always send it back to us for the next volume. For those who are considering becoming Peer Reviewers, my advice to you would be to not read the submissions all at once. It will not only leave you worn out after reading all of the submissions, but you will also not be able to enjoy the reviewing process. In other words, take your time reviewing! As a procrastinator, I learned this the hard way, and I missed out on some interesting papers because of it. 

Now, for you Associate Editors, here are some words to the wise: when you first meet your peer group, go ahead and choose a meeting time for the rest of the semester. For instance, schedule a time that fits with everyone’s (or, most everyone’s) schedule, and always meet at that time, like Tuesdays at 7:00 P.M. I did not do this my first year and spent the whole semester running around trying to work with everyone’s schedule. So, in short, schedule it once, and always meet at the same time and the same place. It will save your sanity and keep confusion out of the mix when talking with your peer group.

To Close

There is never a dull moment when it comes to LOGOS, and I love the work I am doing. I am so excited to be the new Copy Editor and Social Marketing Editor. I love having the opportunity to see what other MSU students are doing in their own fields of study and helping those students become published authors. Although I know these positions will come with their challenges, such as coming up with witty lines in social media posts, I am more than ready to dive in. With these two new roles, I am hoping to expand the awareness of the journal, be more active with MSU students, bring in more submissions for next year, and make sure volume 12 is just as phenomenal as the previous volumes.