UPDATE: Deadline has been extended to Oct. 16.

The University of Hartford is a hub of culture oozing with art and creativity.

The ingenuity of students and faculty is too precious to have simply slip through the University’s fingertips. The solution to capturing the talent on campus is clear: Aerie.

Aerie is a literary journal that publishes poetry, short stories, plays, visual arts and various media, and comes out with a new edition every year.

Started up over 20 years ago by the English department, the magazine used to be a collection of mostly award winning student writing pieces. The submissions board was made of only faculty with an eye for good literature.

But over the years, Aerie has evolved tremendously — today students have taken over.

The submissions review board is solely composed of students and they receive works from all areas of the University beyond just the English department.

You submit it, they’ll consider it.

The people behind Aerie encourage everyone on campus to take part in contributing to this collection.

They want to honor the precious work of students and faculty, and to make the writer or artist feel what it’s really like to go through the process of publication. The operation for a writer carefully pick their best work is key, as all submissions are seen with no author, anonymously when they are reviewed by the board.

“The writer isn’t there, isn’t in the room. None of the editors know who the writer is.  So the work must stand on its own,” said Aerie advisor Dr. Benjamin Grossberg.

This is how it is for writers in the real world trying to get their work published. Grossberg believes that writing is meant to be celebrated and shared with others. Literature is a form of communication as an author tries to convey his message through a poem, short story or play.

“I want our student writers to think of completing the circle, to find audiences for their work,” he said.

But art is not always something happy-go-lucky.

Some works of literature Aerie has seen are crude, dark and raw. Perhaps some of the greatest work on campus is being kept hidden because the writer is nervous that it is not “appropriate” for submission.

The assumption that the work will be immediately denied is false, however.

“You ask how heavily I sensor submissions. The answer is that I don’t,” Grossberg said.

There also may be artists and authors on campus who might feel like their work is too bizarre or different to submit, and that the content won’t fit in with the rest of the book.

“Aerie is always looking to be surprised,” said Aerie editor-in-chief Katy Carter. “We can’t wait for that next experimental piece that is completely its own category.”

There truly is nothing too weird for Aerie. Take the chance, share your message with others and become a part of the vivid culture that the University of Hartford holds by giving in your work.

Do it fast, because submissions are due by Oct. 9.

For more info on how to submit your work, you can go to aeriejournal.com/submissions.