It can be difficult for college students to find a creative outlet that lets us express ourselves and our individuality. Here on campus, there are three unique student-led magazines that do just that. SMU’s newest publication, Hugo Magazine, is a digital publication written by and for students of color.
“We want people to be able to come and read this regardless of who they are, what background they come from,” Hugo’s editor-in-chief Temi George said.
Hugo magazine is set to launch later this year and is currently looking for staff members. The magazine stems from another student-led magazine for African-American students called green book.
“The focus is making people feel like they matter,” Greed Book editor-in-chief Belle Campbell said. “So, whatever anyone can contribute to the magazine, i try my best to take.”
While Hugo Magazine will be digital-only, Green Book is sticking to a physical magazine format. A PDF version of Green Book is available on Fondren LIbrary’s website. All physical issues of Green Book ran out last year, as only a limited number of copies were made.
“It lasts,” Campbell said. “It’s gonna outlast–you can put that away and pull it out and show your grandchildren. And they’ll be like, ‘Wow, you guys had paper magazines?'”
SMU Look Magazine has a physical and online presence, providing a creative outlet for SMU’s fashionistas. Ali Mikles, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, says there are copies readily available to students.
“The physical copies of the magazine are all over campus,” Mikles said. “We have different baskets that, you know, are in the libraries and different departments of the school.”
SMU is not the only school in the area with student-run magazines. The University of Texas at Dallas has AMP, a student opinion and satire magazine that is online and in print format.
The University of North Texas has a literary magazine called The Mayborn, which is printed once a year and available online in PDF format. These online publications show Hugo Magazine is not alone with its web-based format.
“To not be online and to not have an online presence like ours is to not be a part of the conversation at all,” George said.
Whether people prefer digital or print publications, anyone can find a magazine where they can express themselves.
