I am fortunate to have a public platform to publish my writing. I have the privilege of publicizing my opinions through my editorials on a weekly basis. Many students are writing quality articles in speciality publications, but sadly they are often lost in the shuffle.
Most of the publications reach out to different student demographics and contain interesting articles. Print media that reach out to different communities on campus help strengthen students’ bonds through a shared medium. The publications often print articles about events or subjects that are specific to the community and may get skipped over by other news outlets.
These publications don’t only benefit their target community. The articles can inform other students anxious to know about clubs and communities on campus.
“The Soapbox” is a great example of a specialty student publication that floats around campus. This publication covers justice and peace issues on campus and worldwide. It is refreshing to see a student-produced publication confronting important issues. The publication also includes literature and art by talented students.
Sadly, it is difficult to spot “The Soapbox” around campus. Some copies were left in campus eateries and other locations, but they are a bit difficult to obtain. Unfortunately this is a common theme with most student publications, making it difficult to continue printing editions.
A second great publication is “The Pulp,” which mixes honest dialogue with satire. The small publication is easy to enjoy with content such as fake Public Safety briefs. But the one-page editions are difficult to get ahold of. I found mine through word-of-mouth requests and suggest you do the same.
Another forgotten publication is the “Summit Avenue Review.” The yearly art and literary review is mostly student-produced and includes only student submissions. The publication is an excellent way to discover the creative sides of many St. Thomas students.
A variety of student publications have come and gone during my four years at St. Thomas. They often make an appearance for several months, then fade away. I think this is a shame. Many of these publications inevitably die off from a lack of available publicity and advertisements.
It is difficult to say how the St. Thomas community can support student publications to help them thrive, but these publications are hidden gems at St. Thomas. My best advice is to enjoy the publications while possible.
Gina Dolski can be reached at grdolski@stthomas.edu.
Two other great campus publications are “The Signature” and “The Dead Rabbit”. I encourage students to check these publications out.
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You’re right Gina, some student publications are unfortunately neglected or underrepresented. Thanks for shedding some light on the issue. “The Pulp” is a great emerging publication, as are the others. Michael, thanks for the shout-out about “The Signature”. As the co-editor of this publication, I am happy to report that “The Signature is available both in print (limited quantity) and online. This is the department newsletter of the Center for Catholic Studies featuring undergraduate student news pieces, reviews, and feature articles. This month’s issue features a piece on Clare Naughton’s semester abroad in Egypt leading up to the political protests in Cairo and her thoughts on the matter. You can read past issues (including the new April edition) at:
http://www.stthomas.edu/catholicstudies/undergraduate/signature/default.html We highly encourage letters to the editor which can be submitted to me at eajamison@stthomas.edu regarding comments on the articles or opinions in general that you would like to have potentially published.
I have read ‘The Soapbox’ and ‘The Pulp’, both are good and informative. Personally, if it is not online or does not have a website, I am not going to read it. This is the 21st century, I don’t want to carry around a newspaper or a publication. I bet there are people like me.