By Maureen Wilson —
Illuminati: Journal of the Arts is a student organization focused on publishing and elevating the creative voices found at the Miami Regional campuses. For their upcoming celebration, they’re planning to print a physical edition (the first since 2019) and a launch party in the spirit of LLW week. The event is on May 1, 2025, which will take place from 7:00 – 8:30 pm on the Middletown campus.
The Illuminati became an organization in March 1994, with Prof. Kathryn Lacey as Faculty Advisor (1994-97) before turning it over to John Tassoni in 1998. Initially, they only accepted poetry and short fiction, but would later include categories for artwork and creative nonfiction. Around the same time, they created the Malcolm Sedam Contest (now Writing Award and Scholarship), named after the prominent poetry professor of the early MUM years who also founded the first Regional literary journal, Dimensions, in 1968.
During that fall, the Illuminati started setting up coffee and poetry events at Verity Lodge, sporadically appearing until 2001. These meetups would develop into Illuminati Coffeehouse, a place for writers and artists to bond and perform their work on Friday nights. Two years after its creation, the organization received the “Student Organization of the Month” honor, and in 1998, KAOS (MUM’s student newspaper) featured Illuminati poetry selections. In their own words, they celebrated the Illuminati as “a magazine which, we think, reflects the finest jewels of our language this side of professional efforts, sometimes surpassing them.”
This positive reputation culminated in the Illuminati being honored Student Organization of the Month a second time, in 2000. A year later, Dr. Eric Melbye joined as co-faculty advisor with Dr. Tassoni, who would resign that role the following year. 2002 was the only year, up to that point, that no issue had been published simply because many of the staff were moving or graduating. The organization rebounded, hosting numerous events during the 2000s such as a fireside poetry reading (2003), a cosponsored breast cancer benefit (2nd Annual Pink Ribbon Hafla, 2005), and an art gallery and release party (2007). 2008 would be one of their more productive years as they established a writing group at the then-existing Miami Middletown Downtown building and hosted an informational pizza party with WMUM and The Hawk’s Eye. The organization would later go on hiatus for a decade before being revived in 2018.
The Illuminati had a semi-rebrand upon returning, now catering to the creativity of both Regional campuses rather than just Middletown. Dr. Melbye remained the faculty advisor but was joined by Prof. Michelle Lawrence this time (who herself was Editor-in-Chief from 2005 to 2009). Every spring, they consistently uploaded past releases to the official site, along with new ones. To accommodate both campuses, weekly meetings on Zoom were held. In 2023, the Illuminati won a couple of organization awards for Student MVP and Advisor of the Year. Prof. Lawrence would move on from her position that year, leading Prof. Jimmy Hollenbeck to become a co-faculty advisor. Since then, the Fall Writing and Art Competition has been established with great success. Regarding the competition, Dr. Melbye remarked that “the process of planning, implementing, editing, formatting, and publishing this work serves as a sort of training ground for students before the annual spring publication cycle begins. It also gives the Regional campus community another opportunity to share their creativity with the world.”
So, what does the Illuminati look like now? The current masthead consists of Sean Hopper as President and Editor-in-Chief, Lindsey Cooley as Vice President and Assistant Editor, and Kat Keefer as Treasurer. The other members participate as judges during submission periods to determine what will be published. For the upcoming academic year, there are several positions open, as well as internship opportunities associated with those roles during the Spring semester.
The Illuminati is much more than just a student organization; it’s a haven for those with a creative passion who might be unsure about their abilities or unmotivated by those who say stories and art have no place in this world. Dr. Melbye summarizes it well: “The Illuminati is for everyone, not just creative writers, and when students get involved who are majoring in a science, for example, it’s very meaningful. Everyone benefits from creativity in some way.” There also exists a great sense of community, passion, and pride among its members who keep it alive. The long process of planning, reading, editing, and eventually publishing is mostly unnoticed, but is undeniably a treasured experience for everyone involved. Despite how old the organization is, its voices remain young and relevant.