Letter from the Editor

Dear reader,

Brainstorming the theme of this issue seemed to come easy for me and my editorial team. In our process, we thought of what this past year, living through a pandemic, has looked like for us. We thought of the events we witnessed, the stories we created and the moments that revealed themselves. We thought of what that might look like as a literary work.

And here, I present to you Hidden Histories. 

In this issue, our writers delved into their own pasts, and how that relates to our world today.

Our first piece, “Gutter Boy” by Hunter Pollitt, explores what it means to be Black today. Hunter’s work was originally a journal entry, and we tried to keep as much of that intimacy as possible.

Next up in this issue is Mihaela Manova, who wrote a story about a remote student with a passion for poetry. This piece offers insight into the mind of young creative, Emma Sullivan. 

Sean Scott, writer of “Meeting Dana,” introduces the world to a loving pit bull rescue. We hope you develop a soft spot for this pup just as we did. 

Then there’s Annah Hahn, who wrote about their experiences as an Asian American growing up in the Ohio school system. They offer a deep dive into what it means to be a minority in the Midwest. 

A returning writer, Henri Robbins, interviewed three transgender Miami community members and discussed what it means to find their identity. Henri also wrote two poems, “Hands” and “After the Tone,” for this issue.  

Madeline Phaby’s piece takes center stage on this issue as our cover story. Her look into the hidden history of Greek life at Miami allows readers to consider what really goes on behind closed doors. 

One of our assistant editors, Hannah Horsington, also wrote about her love of writing obituaries. While she’s writing about death, she’s also writing about what it means to live. 

Abigail Kemper, another returning writer, spoke with members of the Myaamia tribe for this issue and discovered what it means for them to reconnect to their lost native histories.

Another writer, Sydney Hill, discussed her body image and her wish to be perceived by the way that she thinks and feels, not the way that she looks. 

And finally, our editor in chief-at-large, Chloe Murdock, also took the time to write for us one last time. Chloe goes into full detective mode in “What is This Place?” as she explores the mysterious Monkey Mutual Aid Society. 

A huge thank you to all of our writers. Every single one of you is extremely talented.

I’d also like to take this time to thank my wonderful editorial team: Hannah Horsington, Claire Lordan, Jake Ruffer, Skyler Perry, and Chloe Murdock. I appreciate all the hard work each of you put into this issue. I think we did an amazing job.

As for you, Chloe, just because you’re graduating doesn’t mean you get to get rid of me just yet. Expect many panicked phone calls from me next semester.

My last thank you goes out to Mason Thompson, our art director, and his fantastic design team. Nothing would be possible without the time and energy that each of you put into all of this. Mason, thank you for helping me every step of the way. I think I finally understand what a “bleed” is. 

And reader, I hope you get as much joy reading this issue as we did putting it together. 

With that, here’s Issue VIII.

Please enjoy.