Meet the Staff
bio
Gaia Splendore
Editor-in-Chief
Hey all! My name is Gaia and my love for literature started when my mom would read Nancy Drew to me before bed every night and peaked when I read Madame Bovary in AP Lit. Prose is my jam, but I've been dipping a toe into poetry this year. Writing and oration has always been the way my brain defaults to express itself.
Sophia Behnke
Editor-in-Chief
Sophie is a Senior double-majoring in English and Creative Writing with a minor in WGSS. This is her third year working with SAGA, and she's beyond excited to put together this year's magazine! When she's not writing poetry, she works in the Reading/Writing Center as a Peer Tutor and serves on Chi Alpha Pi's executive board as Secretary.
Maggie Tracy
Copy Editor & Web Editor
Maggie Tracy is currently a student at Augustana College, pursuing a major in Creative Writing. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of literary genres, she aims to explore the depths of writing and editing.
Natalie Whitney
Poetry Editor
I'm Natalie, and I'm on the Poetry Board! My majors are Political Science and History, and I'm minoring in Film. In my free time, I like to have movie watch parties and spend time with my friends. I'm excited to read all the wonderful submissions!
Mackenzie Whitlock
Art Board Editor
Mackenzie is a Senior majoring in Film and Creative Writing. She spends much of her time sketching, with a focus on traditional and digital 2d art. She is excited to work with SAGA this year and is equally excited to see all of the great submissions this year.
Bethany Yanchick
Poetry & Prose Board
Bethany Yanchick is a Freshman majoring in History and Environmental Studies. A lover of Arthurian legend, lemonade, and Annie Dillard, you can find her traipsing around with mud on her shoes.
Kellan King
Copy Editor
I’m an English, Communications, and Multimedia Journalism Mass Communications triple major. I’m the Assistant Sports Editor for the Augustana Observer, and I’m really excited to see what students at Augustana can create!
Brandon Tran-Millan
Prose Editor
I am one of the prose editors. I’m an English major, I’m from Portland, Oregon, and I’m a tutor at the RWC.
Morin Windle
Prose Board
My name is Morin Windle, a Psychology, WGSS, and Creative Writing major from Aurora, IL! Outside of class, I love reading, baking, and hanging out with friends, and I'm excited to see all the great work from Augustana students submitted to SAGA! My favorite quote comes from Tolkien: "Not all who wander are lost".
Rhiana Winston
Social Media Manager
Hello! My name is Rhiana, and this year social media manager :D. I'm majoring in film with minors in theatre and creative writing. What is life if we didn't have the visual and written arts? It would be pretty boring, I dare to say.
Rebekah Kalmbach
Prose Board
I’m an Art & Creative Writing double major with a minor in Art History. I’m from Davenport, Iowa (i.e., just across the river), and I’m currently a junior and the Head Copy Editor for SAGA. When I’m on campus, I’m usually working as a Reading/Writing Center peer tutor or I’m down in Special Collections for all sorts of archival and exhibition projects. Eventually, I will allow the book I wrote when I was 15 to see the light of day.
Vivian Borhoeft
Poetry Editor
Hello! My name is Vivian Bornhoeft, and I am one of the poetry editors! I am a freshman majoring in MJMC and Marketing, as well as minoring in Creative Writing. I am so excited to see the amazing work students submit to SAGA because I know everyone has something special to say, and I love seeing how creatively people can write those thoughts. Just for fun, a quote I love is "I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life" - The Great Gatsby.
Madeline Hutchinson
Production Editor & Treasurer
Madeline Hutchinson (she/her) is a senior from Schaumburg, IL, and is the production editor and treasurer of SAGA. She is majoring in English and Creative Writing with minors in Spanish and Theatre. Outside of clas,s she participates in Augustana Theatre and the Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble. Her favorite part of SAGA is reading everyone’s pieces for the first time.
Emily Guz
Art Editor & Production Assistant
Hello! My name is Emily, and I am majoring in Graphic Design with minors in Art and Scandinavian Studies. I am super passionate about the arts and very excited to work with SAGA to represent the student body's creative pursuits!
Skylar Guarini
Prose Board Editor
Skylar Guarini (she/her) is from Kansas City, Kansas, and is currently majoring in Creative Writing and Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She self-published a book at ten and has been writing ever since. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, animating, and managing collaborative art projects.
Alyson Garcia
Prose Board
My name is Alyson Garcia, a creative writing major with a minor in theater. I am a new member of the SAGA Prose board. I’m from Marshall, Illinois, and I love watching movies, spending time at local parks, and making music. My favorite quote at the moment is “loves never wasted when it’s shared.” from the song “A Couple Minutes” by Olivia Dean. I’m so excited to get to see so many different peoples souls poured onto a page.
George Young
Poetry Editor
George Young is an Augustana freshman majoring in Creative Writing and English, and has the honor of being one of SAGA's poetry editors! He's from Port Byron, Illinois, and you may often find him writing poetry, reading, thinking about his boyfriend, or talking incessantly to anyone who will listen. Find their poetry in Atlas 19, Atlas 20, and RatTrap Volume 1.
Carol Lindenberg
Poetry Board Executive Member
Hi! My name is Carol Lindenberg, I’m from São Paulo, Brazil, I’m a Poetry Board Executive Member, and I plan on majoring in English and Creative Writing. I love dancing, reading, writing, partying, hanging out with my friends, and going to the gym, and one of my favorite quotes is “To thine own self be true” by Shakespeare. I’m really excited to get more connected with the literary world on campus and bond with people with the same interests as me!
Sarah Welker
Hi! My name is Carol Lindenberg, I’m from São Paulo, Brazil, I’m a Poetry Board Executive Member, and I plan on majoring in English and Creative Writing. I love dancing, reading, writing, partying, hanging out with my friends, and going to the gym, and one of my favorite quotes is “To thine own self be true” by Shakespeare. I’m really excited to get more connected with the literary world on campus and bond with people with the same interests as me!
Stephanie Reyes-Gutierrez
Poetry & Art Board
Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie, and I am a new member of SAGA's Poetry and Art boards. I major in English and WGSS, and I am extremely passionate about literature, self-expression, self-discovery, and honesty. I'm really excited to get to see the incredible work that students will share with us this year!
Phat Lam
Prose Board
My name is Phat, a sophomore and a SAGA Prose Member, double-majoring in Data Analytics and Applied Math. I'm from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, and I love watching K-Dramas and enjoying my favorite snack, a banana! I'm so excited to meet and work with new people in this environment this year. My favorite quote is: “The world is full of disappointments, and sometimes people let you down. You can’t just run away.” – Midge Maisel.
Jaida Collins
Poetry Board & Prose Board
Hey y’all! My name is Jaida Collins and I'm from Chicago, Illinois. I’m a Senior majoring in English with a Philosophy minor. When I’m not buried in books or writing papers, you can usually find me listening to music, hooping, or video-gaming. One of my favorite quotes is from Albus Dumbledore: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” (A wise reminder from the greatest wizard ever!)