Becca Marion ’12 and Laura Passarelli ’12 were looking for ways to counter negative body-image messages they perceived in the Scripps College community. When they couldn’t find one, they created it – one issue at a time.
Clockwise from top left: Amy Borsuk, Victoria Davis, Nikki Broderick, Catherine Wang, Ann Mayhew, Asia Morris, Skye Olson, Emma Kellman
“Since magazines often promote one-dimensional interaction of people such as surfaces and appearances,” Becca says, “we wanted to use the medium to work in another direction.”
In 2008, the two formed [in]Visible magazine around a shared vision of helping encourage Scripps students like themselves discuss body image openly. And they did it with no prior print or publishing experience.
Now in its fifth semester, [in]Visible has grown to include the works of writers, editors, designers and artists. It publishes once a semester and features a variety of features on topics ranging from eating disorders to weight-lifting to and autism. It’s gained—and continues to gain—a strong student fan base as a result.
Victoria Davis ’14, a staff writer who takes over as Editor-in-Chief for the 2011-2012 school year, has been excited about [in]Visible from the moment she stepped foot on campus. “[in]Visible gives students an avenue to channel their passions in a way that transcends the pages and touches its readers,” she says. “It reports on Scripps-specific issues, enlightens people about global issues, and gives students a voice to challenge societal standards.”
Similarly, student-run newspaper voice seeks to open dialogue on campus. Run by co-editors-in-chief Vritti Goel ’12 and Tori Mirsadjadi ’12, voice publishes bi-monthly and is one of two student newspapers within The Claremont Consortium.
“I think voice is good for Scripps because it brings out people’s voices,” says Vritti. “Whether it’s a news story, a review, or a rant, voice contributes to Scripps’ personality and sense of community.”
Tori agrees: “I love getting reactions to the latest issue, even if they’re negative, because I feel like getting any response means people have been inspired to think. Controversy is healthy.” Voice has gotten backlash from controversial articles on subjects ranging from the Motley’s (old) wobbly tables to topless tanning to criticism of the Core program.
Voice editor Vritti Goel
Voice encourages outside participation; indeed, many of their articles are penned by guest writers. “My favorite part of working for voice is seeing other students get involved,” Vritti says. “If it wasn’t for voice, I wouldn’t know these other students, faculty, and staff quite as well. I am much more informed as a result.”
[in]Visible and voice not only allow for a richer community at Scripps, but also give students a way of expressing themselves. And as more and more generations of Scripps students add their own voices to the dialog, we look forward to more thought-provoking publications in the future.
For more information on voice, check out their website. For more information on [in]Visible, check out their website; the Spring 2011 issue of [in]Visible is available now.