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Christmas Market by Soundings Celebrates the Beginning of the Holiday Season

The Soundings Literary and Visual Arts Journal at Oklahoma Christian University will host a Christmas Market on Nov. 2, for the first time since 2019.

The Christmas Market is a traditional event which is part of Lightning of the Commons, an Oklahoma Christian’s annual event, with fireworks, hot chocolate, and a visit from Santa Claus on.

Soundings sponsors the market and has its own booth at the event. The funds from the market go toward publishing a journal composed of student, faculty and staff creative works. Ann Magner, senior editor of Soundings, is organizing the event this year.

“The Soundings Christmas Market is a huge fundraiser for our journal publication because our journal is free,” Magner said. “So, it’s a really crucial way for us to be able to promote the creative community on campus.”

Magner said Soundings contacts previous vendors to organize the market.

“We contact outside vendors and people on campus to come and be a part of a Vienna-style market, so it’s a pretty big variety,” Magner said. 

The Christmas Market is going on its eighth year at Oklahoma Christian.  This year’s Christmas market comes before Thanksgiving because of the changed school schedule, which may affect future Christmas Markets.

“If we keep that [new schedule], we’ll never be in December again. So, it’s definitely going to look different from now on,” Magner said. “I’m hoping we can keep that tradition and the air of celebration alive on campus.”

Nathan Shank, Soundings sponsor and assistant professor of English, said Soundings  provides many opportunities for students.

“It lets those who work on its staff gain experience in the publishing field. The editor and staff have to manage the whole publication process themselves, from working with a budget to soliciting submissions to working with the printer and having the journals out on time,” Shank said. “So, there’s a professionalization that happens as students work on the journal, even for the interns and non-editor staff members.”

Shank added how Soundings Christmas Market impacts students’ passion for writing and creativity. 

Soundings is central for OC students who express their thoughts creatively. While it is selective about what submissions it accepts, Soundings champions creative writing on campus. For many students, submitting to it drives them (and me) to write poems and stories. It gives us a goal,” Shank said. “Soundings Christmas Market and the vendors who sell at it are part of this shared mission.”

Soundings will open the submission for their yearly published journal during the Christmas Market. 

People who want to sell or promote wares at the Christmas Market must sign a form and purchase a booth. Magner said Soundings still has available booth reservations if students are wanting to sell their art or they have some kind of business they want to promote.

The sign-ups for a Christmas Market booth are open until Oct. 15. Interested parties can sign-up here. Questions can be directed to Ann Magner  at ann.magner@eagles.oc.edu.

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