Women’s society aims to publish diversity magazine

Kyndal Reimer

Everyone has their own unique sense of identity. On college campuses, it can be difficult to make one’s character known.

One group, the Iota Iota Iota Women’s Studies Honorary, also known as Tri-Iota is providing an outlet for students to express their identity through their up-and-coming self-published magazine.

Tri-Iota is an organization that stands for the preservation of the feminist values of equality, inclusivity and the celebration of the diversity of women’s experiences. They also value other socially marginalized members’ experiences.

The zine, short for magazine or fanzine, will feature submissions from students. Anyone is welcome to participate in creating images, prose, poetry or any other form of art surrounding the subject of identity.

“We’re using this zine as a way for students, specifically underrepresented students, to finally let their voices be heard,” said Shelby Dill, president of Tri-Iota and a senior in women’s studies. “This is a way to shine light on different facets of the university.”

The Tri-Iota honorary has attempted to publish a zine in the past, but struggled because it did not receive enough submissions. It hopes the broad subject will encourage more students to get involved. It also hopes the anonymity option will get students to be more willing to participate.

“The zine is also a way that students can communicate their frustrations with the student body and the administration,” Dill said.

The timeliness of this zine is especially relevant because of a number of current events.

“With recent issues such as Students Against Bigotry, the Donald Trump protesters at the Cy-Hawk game, the hate-speech pastor and so on, there are a lot of frustrated students. This is a way to release those frustrations,” said Sarah Hohnstrater, senior in English and a member of Tri-Iota.

Tri-Iota has succeeded in the past with events such as equality bake sales, the privilege race it hosts every October and the open forums it hosts and participate in. The honorary wants to add the zine to its list of accomplishments.

“We hope people really take this opportunity seriously,” Hohnstrater said. “This is a way to reclaim our voices here on campus. This administration has a way of making marginalized people feel like they’re voiceless. We’d like to give the mic back to those students.”

Submissions are due Dec. 4.