New Charger Bulletin Magazine Provides ‘Outlet for Critical Thought and Discourse’

As a communication major with a concentration in multi-platform journalism and media, Amanda Castro ’22 created the Charger Bulletin Magazine as part of her senior thesis project. Since accepting her degree at Winter Commencement, she has launched her career as a live blogs reporter with the U.S. Sun.

The Charger Bulletin Magazine continues on, and the student-led Magazine is now in its first full year of operation. Three student leaders of the publication discuss why they are excited to be involved with the Magazine and why it is such an important and exciting opportunity for Chargers.

Isabelle Hajek ’22, head editor

During my collegiate career, I have written hundreds of thousands of words, less than 10 percent of which I can say I was truly passionate about. That's how it goes when you're in school – you write as part of assignments where the topics are often dictated to you, rather than chosen by you. That's not how the Charger Bulletin Magazine works, and that's what makes it special.

Before taking up journalism – in jest – I would tell people that I prefer an essay over math any day, but I would never say that I particularly loved writing. That has since changed, because of opportunities like the Magazine.

The Magazine provides an outlet for critical thought and discourse that is student-driven. Instead of being assigned topics and writing about them, our writers can write about any topic without fear of judgment or consequence.

Whether it is a traditional magazine article or something more experimental, we focus on building up each other's creativity, critical thinking, and writing skills in a collaborative setting. No one is turned away, regardless of experience or skill.

As it stands now, the publication was created by a communication honors undergraduate student, is run by a senior psychology major (myself), a sophomore international affairs major, and a sophomore cybersecurity & networks major. We have writers both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, pursuing a range of academic disciplines, with varying experience in journalism.

What may be the most exciting aspect of the Magazine, aside from the aforementioned content and creative freedom, is that it is new. Because this is its inaugural year, the Magazine is in the establishment stages, so students still have the opportunity to shape its narrative, culture, and legacy. While other organizations on campus have reputations and legacies in place, the Charger Bulletin Magazine is in its infancy and still malleable to modern student values and wants.

Although in May I will have to leave the Magazine behind and assume the role of a reader, I am confident in the staff's ability and passion to discover and develop the publication's legacy so that it continues to grow in student engagement and impact.

Samuel Weinmann ’24, editorial head

In spring of 2021, I received an email from Amanda Castro ’22, who, at the time, was the managing editor of The Charger Bulletin. The email described her senior thesis idea – to create a publication that allowed for more long-form pieces, creative writing, and photojournalism. At the time, I had been writing for The Charger Bulletin's politics section for quite a few weeks, so I was eager to help.

Over the summer, as the Magazine's website was created, and a small staff of writers had been built up, I had my first long-form writing experience for a magazine. Little did I know that a few months later, I would take up a leadership position at this magazine.

Throughout the past few months, I have been privileged to get to know the talented staff of writers who now make the Magazine what it is today, and I feel grateful for the opportunity to get important experience in writing, leadership, and marketing.

Although Amanda has since graduated and is now working as a reporter for the U.S. Sun, the Charger Bulletin Magazine has been operating under new leadership, and it is now gearing up for its third publication of 2022. Over the past few months, I have been working hard with Isabelle Hajek ’22, the head editor, and Sankofa Benzo ’24, the managing editor. As editorial head of the publication, I have been tasked with managing the Magazine's marketing, as well as other writing and editing duties I share with the other staff.

Although we are still a new publication, our work has already been read in 29 different countries and we have thousands of article views. It has been a lot of work so far, but the Magazine has provided the staff and I with rewarding leadership opportunities, as well as valuable journalistic experience that we can take with us into our careers.

I am so proud of all the work that has been put into this Magazine to make it a reality, and I look forward to giving as many students as possible the same journalism experience that was given to me when I first joined the publication.

Sankofa Benzo ’24, managing editor

I believe that math is the fundamental truth of the universe. For this reason, I enjoy being a STEM major, as I deal with absolutes and the indisputable truth. I do not often allow myself to seek out more than one interpretation. Despite my comfort in this, I have always had the burgeoning sense that there was something more to life than this rigid way of thinking.

This revelation came forth when I received an email from Amanda Castro ’22, the managing editor for The Charger Bulletin at the time, about article topics for her newly created Charger Bulletin Magazine. Of course, I had written for the newspaper, but the Magazine allowed me to release my apprehensions and inhibitions. No longer did I have to limit my mind to curt and pedantic proofs and technical memos. I could write – at length – of the thoughts flouncing through my mind without reservations.

The Charger Bulletin Magazine seeks out creative and formidable minds that can write impactful pieces about intriguing topics. Our pieces oscillate between cultural critiques and more personal introspection. As a student-driven publication, the Magazine has editing standards, but we are not bound by the limitations of an organization or an adviser, allowing us to write about anything that catches our fancy.

With the current editorial board and regular writers, it seems that the Magazine is carving itself out to be an unrelenting voice that never shies away from the difficult truths. Our insistence on giving a discursive lens to topics is what makes our articles flourish long after the initial publication date. This is why, despite our infancy, we have amassed a number of readers from different countries.

It is an honor and a privilege to have been able to work with Amanda Castro and now to be able to work with our current editorial board, Isabelle Hajek ’22 and Samuel Weinmann ’24. I am grateful that I get to be a part of the Magazine and to learn from our editors and our writers.

We are in the early stages of metamorphosis, and I cannot wait to see our final form. Please look forward to this publication's emergence as one of the most renowned publications for the student body.

Isabelle Hajek ’22, a psychology major, serves as head editor for the Magazine. Samuel Weinmann ’24, is an international affairs major serving as editorial head of the Magazine. Sankofa Benzo ’24, managing editor of the Magazine, is a cybersecurity major.