You know it’s going to be good when the first gathering of something starts with fresh-baked cookies and a pair of thousand-watt smiles. The Independent, the new student publication on campus, had its first official meeting on October 24 – one thing is for sure: this will be no Sandspur 2.0.
This monthly magazine publication, according to its co-founders Scott Novak (Editor-in-Chief) and Mary Catherine Pflug (Publisher and Chief of Design), will be “articulate and audacious” with contributions from students and professors alike. “We’re all about collaboration,” says Novak. “We want a really eclectic mix of topics.” The format follows that of the New Yorker and will indeed include a wide range of topics, including politics, travel, yoga, research, poetry, and much more. There’s even a food column written by a beloved Francophile.
“This will be a place for students and teachers to express their voices in a longer format,” says Pflug. The duo expressed their desire for the publication to be more of a forum than a newspaper. One aim is to increase the coverage of service projects, study abroad programs and other projects on campus. For the first issue they’re looking to have 1000 in circulation and they desire to launch a website as well. If feasible, they’d like to expand to the Winter Park area and possibly even bring in local professionals to write pieces.
Interestingly enough, The Independent has an unintentional connection to Rollins history. Hamilton Holt, eighth president of Rollins College, was editor and publisher of a weekly publication by the same name in New York from 1897 to 1921. Novak and Pflug assure us that the name is pure coincidence.
When the pair was asked about what they wanted for publication, Pflug responded thusly: “We want this to be something that you’re proud to be associated with. We want people to want to pick up a copy, and for it to be appreciated on campus. We want this to be an asset to the college.”
The first deadline for submissions is November 7, with an article length of 1000-2000 words a piece. The first issue is expected to be released on December 3.
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