Student Media gears up for new magazine

Southern University’s Office of Student Media is gearing up for the release of their first student run magazine for the 2006-2007-school term.
The magazine’s name, which will debut in the May 2 issue of the DIGEST, is slated to hit newsstands Sept. 5 of this year’s fall semester with a run count of 3,000 copies per issue. The magazine will print five times a year.
Derick Hackett, director of Student Media, has high hopes for the magazine, its staff and readers.
“The magazine’s purpose is to serve as an expression for the students. It is a different media option for students other than a newspaper and yearbook.”
Vacant positions for the magazine include, copy editors, staff writers, graphic artists and advertising representatives.
“Working for Student Media as a advertising representative can be very helpful for business and marketing majors,” said Stephanie Cain, advertising and business manager. “The students have the opportunity to apply classroom instruction to real life situations before they are out of college.” Representatives can also earn commission on advertisements.
Kivoli Thomas, publications assistant and soon to be Magazine advisor for Student Media wants students to know that prior experience nor not being a Mass Communication should be a hindrance to joining.
“Students should take full advantage of Student Media. And not just communication students. We operate just like the professionals – there is nothing like real world experience,” Thomas said.
The summer issue will focus on the literary side of Southern. Poets, short story writers, photographers and artist are asked to submit their best work for publication. Student Media will accept submissions year round.
Poems are to be no longer than one page and short stories can range up to 3,000 words.
“As for photo submissions, photographers should have them in 300 dpi format, 8×11 in size and cropped,” Hackett said. Both black and white and color photos are accepted.
The addition of the magazine comes after the spring 2002 referendum that allowed the Southern DIGEST to print twice a week with color pages and the spring 2005 referendum that increased students’ tuition for the funding of the magazine.
“I thank God, Mr. Hackett and the 1536 students who voted for the magazine,” Thomas said. “This gives our students one more advantage to add to the benefit of being a jaguar. We are one of the few HBCUs to have this luxury.”