Voces/Voci/Voix/Vozes — 20th Anniversary
For 20 years, the Department of Romance Studies has proudly published a multilingual journal that showcases the creative and academic work of its students across the four romance languages: Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. Each April, a booklet is published, bringing together a diverse array of voices and perspectives that reflect the department’s vibrant language courses and their role in fulfilling the university’s six-semester language requirement. This magazine is a true celebration of linguistic and cultural diversity.
From its humble beginnings, the journal has grown into a polished and widely anticipated annual publication. Initiated by Anne Cantú (Lecturer in Spanish), the journal has flourished for 20 years. Year after year, her tireless work and dedication produced a unique collection of student texts, shaping it into what it is today. With support from the department from the outset, the journal grew from a Spanish-only publication produced by a local copy center to include all four languages taught in the department, with professional-grade printing more than 50 pages long.
From its inception, student editors have collaborated on every aspect of design and production, and the cooperation of the language faculty has been vital for quality control. The journal incorporated work from students at varying levels of language proficiency in the form of narrative, poetry, and essays. In 2016, when the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) officially became part of Tufts, the Voces/Voci/Voix/Vozes team began working with SMFA students to produce the artwork for subsequent issues. Not even Covid slowed us down; the journal was published continually through 2020 and 2021, albeit with fewer hard copies, relying on our website to reach our readers remotely.
When Cantú stepped down after 17 years, the project’s leadership was taken over by Magdalena Malinowska (Senior Lecturer in Spanish) and Rose Facchini (Lecturer in Italian). Together with a team of students, they continued Cantú’s great work with the 2023 issue. In an effort to expand horizons and give new voices a chance to be heard, the 2024 issue featured a special addition to its usual content by featuring work produced by students from Spanish courses taught via the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College (TUPIT). In a similar vein, the 2025 issue brings back a retrospective of Voces/Voci/Voix/Vozes from the past by showcasing poetry from 2006, 2010, 2015, and 2020.
As the journal approaches this milestone 20th anniversary, we reflect on the evolution of this publication and the collective effort behind its success. This year’s edition represents not only the work of talented students but also the dedication of faculty and staff who make this project possible. We are commemorating this anniversary with department festivities in April and a renewed focus on the collaborative spirit that has always defined the Department of Romance Studies.
Who knows what the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years of this unique publication will bring?