Name: Lauren Rosenblatt
Year: Sophomore
Major: English and Psychology
Fun fact: I’m addicted to chocolate and am afraid of stairs that don’t have backs attached.
(Lauren, right, showing off her Pitt Pride!)
Her Campus: So you are one of the people who jumpstarted 70 Faces at Pitt. Can you tell us a little bit more about it and how it got started?
Lauren Rosenblatt: Getting 70 Faces started was a long process. Courtney Strauss, an employee for Hillel at Pitt, saw one of my articles in the Pitt News, and contacted me about helping her find ways for students to connect their involvement with Hillel and their Jewish values to their love for literature, writing and the arts. We threw around several ideas including open mic nights, and trips to see speakers. We met for several months before Courtney decided that starting a publication would be a good way to encompass all of these ideas. The magazine will be a bi-annual publication, and each issue will focus on a different Jewish value that seems timely and relevant to students. This issue will focus on social justice. The title 70 Faces comes from the idea that the Torah has 70 different interpretations. For our magazine, we want to show all the different interpretations that students have of social justice and its implications in creative and unique ways.
HC: What is the biggest challenge you think you’ll face in taking on something like this?
LR: I think the biggest challenge right now is getting started. Since it is a new publication, we really don’t know what to expect through the journey to its completion. So the biggest challenge will be any unexpected things that come up along the way.
HC: What is your main goal with 70 Faces?
LR: My biggest goal is to create an outlet for people to share their opinions on important and timely values. I want contributors to be passionate about their work and proud of what they have created, and I want to give them a place to show off their talent. Lastly, I want people that read the magazine to think about these values in a way that they might not have before, and to be inspired by the works that they read, see, or hear.
HC: Can anyone contribute?
LR: Yes anyone can contribute! We want as many people with as many different viewpoints, lifestyles, etc. to contribute. Although its roots were in Jewish value, 70 Faces is not exclusive to only Jewish students or students involved with Hillel. Rather, we are encouraging people from all different religions and interests to submit work so that we can get a wide range of opinions and ideas. Jewish values are very broad and are generally important to people of any religion, so any student can connect with the theme. We accept all kinds of submissions as well – anything from artwork to photography to poetry to long form and short form writing. We’re working on a starting an online component as well so that people can submit music!
HC: What if someone has a lot of other commitments with other organizations? Will they still have time to contribute to the magazine?
LR: The time put into submissions is entirely up to the individual. Once the work has been submitted, we don’t require anything else from the author. So an extremely busy person would absolutely still be able to contribute. Since we are a new magazine, we are looking for other people to help with things such as advertising, layout design, and editing which would require more of a time commitment. But anyone who wants to be involved is more than welcome. Time constraints should not be an issue, we can always work around those.
HC: When is the submission deadline for anyone interested in contributing?
LR: The submission deadline is February 15th! Submissions should be sent to 70Faces.pitt@gmail.com or 4607 Forbes Avenue.
HC: Why do you think 70 Faces is important, and how will it impact the student body?
LR: I think 70 Faces is important for two reasons. First, it gives students to voice their opinions in a way that might not have been possible before. Most publications do not focus on a single theme, so by doing this we are encouraging students to write about something that may have been taboo in other publications. Second, I think it is important to give aspiring artists and writers a place to publish their work, along with the experience of being published. As an aspiring journalist, I know how important it is to share my writing, and I want to give other students an opportunity to share theirs. I don’t know as much about artists or musicians, but I assume that they want their work to be seen and heard as well. I think being published will also give students pride and confidence in their abilities and will help them as they move forward with their future plans.
HC: Tell us one thing about you that you would like people to remember you by.
LR: I hope people remember that I was interested in everything that they had to say. I like getting to know people and learning about their unique experiences, and I hope people remember that.
HC: Last but not least… who would you like to play you in a movie?
LR: I would love to be played by Katherine Heigl because I love her in Grey’s Anatomy and all of her romantic comedies.
Contact Lauren at lhr5@pitt.edu if you have any further questions about getting involved with 70 Faces!