Pop start: Why <I>iris</I> eyes are smiling

iris magazine (yep, they do that lower-case thing) shows no signs of hiding out in the UVA Women's Center, which has been sponsoring it for many of its 25 years. In fact, iris is beaming into the city.

The release party for the latest semi-annual issue occurred at The Twisted Branch, a Downtown Mall tea room, on November 10. Activities included poetry readings and the musical stylings of local faves Morwenna Lasko and Jay Pun as well as Meloscooter. The $7 admission fee included the latest issue.

From a stapled packet in the '80s to an increasingly glossy magazine for progressive young women, iris features non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and art published by UVA students and four editors.

This semester's theme– Pop!– looks at guilty mainstream pleasures including Girls Gone Wild, as well as music reviews, and even a talk show-host quiz.

Even though the party's over, you can find an issue at select newsstands around Charlottesville.

Coordinating Editor Annie Schutte, Layout Editor Angela Trentacoste, Associate Editor Naomi Ryan, and course instructor Sarah Whitney relax after a semester of hard work.

Margaret Marshall, Shi-Shi Wang, Julia Mackaronis, Libby Burton

Webmaster Andrew Pratt revels in iris  glory with Steph Finn

Frank Michael Munoz, Suedmedha Sood, and Kelly Ellis

Jay Pun and Morweena Lasko entertained the crowds until the party wound down around 11pm.

Interns Annsley Chapman and Steph Salter gladly accepted the $7 admission fee.