麻豆视频

Undergrads launch magazine featuring in-depth stories

From a profile of Cornell鈥檚 Batman to an investigation of how bird flu could impact Tompkins County farms, a new student-run magazine focuses on long-form journalism that reflects the culture of Cornell and Ithaca.

had its first print run this week, after existing as an online magazine since last semester. Staff members are distributing copies at various locations and accepting online orders. They鈥檒l be tabling in the Temple of Zeus in Klarman Hall from 1-3 p.m. Dec. 10-12.

person holding trays of cookies
Provided Fuller holding some of the cookies that helped fund Collegetown Magazine.

Founders Henry Fernandez 鈥27, Gray Fuller 鈥27 and Alis Fruehstorfer 鈥27 are funding their magazine partially through grants, but mostly through cookie sales 鈥 dark chocolate chip, matcha sugar and lemon blueberry are a few of their favorites. The money allowed them to pay their writers, photographers and graphic designers and to print this first physical copy.

鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just a substack going on here; it鈥檚 a labor of love that鈥檚 done with compassion and rigor,鈥 Fernandez said of the magazine鈥檚 writing. 鈥淚t鈥檚 cross-generational and cross-cultural because every Cornellian is so different and experiences Cornell in different ways. But all of our pieces have the spirit of Cornell in them.鈥

Fernandez, an English major in the 麻豆视频 & 麻豆视频, came up with the idea for the magazine last year after a journalism internship at the Connecticut Mirror and some time writing for the Cornell Daily Sun. He noticed there weren鈥檛 any local publications offering long-form stories, so he pitched the idea to Fuller and Fruehstorfer.

鈥淭he fact that students want to do this type of in-depth and beautiful writing is really special,鈥 said Fuller, a public policy major in the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. 鈥淎nd the print edition speaks about what people value about magazines like this on college campuses.鈥

The trio of editors meet to consider pitches from writers, basing their decisions on stories they find 鈥渇ascinating and interesting,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淲e want the stories to be deeply reported and insightful.鈥

Other stories in the print edition include a look at the work culture of Cornell from the viewpoint of a late-night study session in Duffield Hall and an essay from a student who great up on a farm in the Ukraine.

Paying their staff was an important part of the business model, both Fernandez and Fuller said.

鈥淎 lot of the time, when we pay folks for their work, it鈥檚 the first time they鈥檝e ever been paid for this kind of work,鈥 Fernandez said. 鈥淲e want to introduce people to the reality that their work is valuable 鈥 the people want it and they鈥檙e going to pay you for it.鈥

The magazine accepts pitches from students, faculty and staff.

three people in a classroom
Provided From left, Gray Fuller, Alis Fruehstorfer and Henry Fernandez are the founders of Collegetown Magazine.

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