Dearest Reader,
The Vernal Pool is a student run literary journal that provides undergraduate students of the University of California Merced an opportunity to showcase their literary and artistic creative pursuits. The Vernal Pool takes great pride in showcasing the works of our diverse student body.
This year has been difficult. Our entire way of life has been upended by a global pandemic with no end in sight. California wildfires have blackened our skies while political anxieties have reached their boiling point. Through all of this difficulty and unease, the spirit of the creative has never been quenched. In prose and poetry, photography and art, the authors and artists of The Vernal Pool have demonstrated their admirable perseverance.
I would like to thank the entirety of the editorial board for their hard work and determination. More than anything, this editorial board has exemplified tenacity, devotion and creativity while we have produced this journal without a single in-person meeting. To managing editors Remy Sumida-Tate and Jessica Chapman, thank you for your brilliant organizational work and superb leadership. To the web managers, Jason Falcon Vizcarra and Cosette Rosales, thank you for your excellent troubleshooting and asset management. To copy editors Rosenda Sanchez-Avina and Emilia Gregorio Melchor, thank you for providing the utmost attention to detail and personally assessing each outgoing piece of correspondence. To the genre editors, Isaac Perez and Rizheng Zeng in fiction; Salma Hayter and Maricruz Solano in Creative Non-Fiction; and Monsterrat Bautista in Poetry, thank you for shaping the journal through your selfless professionalism and devotion to creativity. To public relations manager Kim Matheson, thank you for being our primary link to the outside world, despite a busy work schedule. To social media manager Brandon Voong, your connection to technology has proved invaluable, and I thank you for your creativity. To podcast director Andrew Hardy, I thank you for all but single-handedly producing our podcast. I would like to extend further thanks to Professor Callie Kitchen and the rest of the Merritt Writing staff for your unwavering support and direction.
It has been my privilege and honor to work alongside this stellar group of individuals. The actions of this team have reflected the highest standards of UC Merced’s scholarly tradition. Their tenacity, devotion and creativity have been beyond reproach. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all of your hard work and determination.
The last bit of thanks goes to you, dear reader. Your readership provides direction, guidance and ensures our excellence. Thank you for your time.
Very Respectfully,
Ross M. Koppel
Editor in Chief
The Vernal Pool