The future of any publishing department is always questionable. What do I see for Toyon's future? Well, Toyon has been going strong now for sixty three years. I personally do not see this literary magazine disappearing anytime soon. This magazine is an essential program to Humboldt State's English department and for its majors to get a peek into the publishing career. I cannot imagine Toyon being cut from the curriculum.
With this said, I can see some changes that may occur to the magazine in five years. The biggest change I feel is that Toyon may become an online only magazine. The program has a very small printing budget and we rely mostly on donations. If donations become slim, it may be decided by the department to have Toyon be published as an online magazine. The chances of this happening I feel are high reguardless. More and more books are being published as online only. Humboldt is also a very "green" university and may feel that having the magazine online, rather than printed, would be better for the environment. One of our new sections in the magazine is Environmental Justice, and as this section grows the staff may concur with the online only idea. I feel this will be the biggest change to the magazine's history.
There are some recommendations that I have to future staff members of Toyon. Firstly, it is very important to understand this is a big commitment and will take a lot of time in one's schedule. If members felt that this "class" would be easy to do because it is only to units, guess again. It is crucial that this is understood early on in the semester. Secondly, keep up with the work load and do not procrastinate. If one member falls behind on the schedule it will effect everyone else on the staff. Also do not be afraid to ask for help. We are a team on this magazine and want to make sure everyone is as stress free as possible. Lastly, have fun and enjoy the process! I promise by the end of the semester, one will feel accomplished with the work that they have ended up putting together.