Seattle University's student newspaper since 1933

The Spectator

Seattle University's student newspaper since 1933

The Spectator

Seattle University's student newspaper since 1933

The Spectator

Seattle University Writers Take up the Pen—and the Web

    Taylor+de+Laveaga++%E2%80%A2+The+Spectator%0A
    Taylor de Laveaga • The Spectator

    Whether you like to write on paper or type away online, you now have more opportunities to show your work to a broader audience.

    Aside from The Spectator, other student publications on the Seattle University campus include Fragments, The Catalyst, the KSUB blog and the Seattle Journal of Social Justice, many of which now feature online components that are creating more opportunities for students to showcase their work.

    Taylor de Laveaga  • The Spectator
    Taylor de Laveaga • The Spectator

    Literary magazine Fragments has recently established an online component titled Axis. From left to right: co-editors-in-chief Benjamin Porter and Sheldon Costa, and Scott Broker and Jamie Wiff, co-editors in chief of Axis.

    Since Fragments is a yearly student literary magazine, the popular group has decided to add a new online component this year called Axis, which will be able to showcase other mediums of art such as music and short films. A new online publication will come out every month to a month and a half, so the group will accept rolling submissions throughout
    the year.

    “Ultimately, the artistic community [at Seattle University] can become very active and be an impressive community,” said sophomore Scott Broker, co-founder of Axis. “We need an outlet that has not previously been provided.”

    The physical magazine, sponsored by the English department, is made up entirely of student submissions that contain visual art, poetry, short stories and more.

    “[Fragments is] important because it allows students to get their work out there and to be published,” said Benjamin Porter, co-editor-in-chief of Fragments. “Getting recognition and feedback is important. It’s good for students to see what others are producing and the talent that goes into it.”

    Fragments will accept submissions until mid-February for this year’s magazine and the staff plans to have a launch party in early May for the release at Elliot Bay Book Store, where students will have the chance to share their work.
    “It’ll be a good time for all,” Porter said.

    Another on-campus publication is The Catalyst, which comes out once a quarter and primarily focuses on social justice issues. Each issue of the publication has its own theme and accepts submitted works that pertain to that theme. The upcoming Fall Quarter issue is titled “Student Movements, Student Voice, Student Power: Empowering Students to Change the World” and will be released Thursday, Nov. 21. It focuses on the obstacles students’ face, such as debt, as they try to make the world a better place.

    “We have been students our whole lives, but we rarely ask what our responsibilities are, which is to pursue a career aimed at making a more just and humane world,” said editor Logan McDonald.

    The themes for the other two issues for this year have not been decided upon, but they will be published toward the end of both winter and spring quarters. The Catalyst also plans to host writing workshops and have open forums around publication dates so that the issues can be paired with discussions. They also added a blog for students to send in off-topic articles.

    “We would love to have students from all areas to write in,” McDonald said.

    Beyond print media, other student media organizations are working to grow their online presence this year as well. Student radio station KSUB has joined in with a new blog, which is set to publish local music news and events going on around Seattle. So far, the blog has hosted show previews, concert reviews and album reviews, as well as weekly posts on the Cultural Language Bridge program.

    For the rest of the year, they are hoping to publish more reviews and find more writers. There is no set publishing schedule, but all submissions go through KSUB News Director Jasmine Schwartz and can be posted at any time.
    Right now, the station is focusing on online content, but may look to add a physical publication later on in
    the year.

    Within Seattle U’s School of Law, there are four student publications, one of which is the Seattle Journal of Social Justice. The journal releases three issues a year that feature works like scholarly papers, personal narratives and poetry.

    On March 14, they will be hosting a symposium titled “Law, Peace, and Violence: Jurisprudence and the Possibilities of Peace” that will be open to the public.

    “The symposium will focus on how law can help make a more peaceful world,” said Editor-in-chief Elyne Vaught.

    In addition to the three issues, they also have their own online component known as Digital Commons, which hosts all their articles and featured artwork.

    With Seattle U’s student publications beginning to utilize more online resources, students across campus now have a greater opportunity to showcase their written talent in the Emerald City.

    The editor may be reached at [email protected]

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