As the Graphic shuts down Quark and Photoshop for the semester Currents Pepperdine’s student-run magazine makes its appearance on the campus scene. Editor in Chief Kate Schwartz and Assistant Editor Caitlin White are eager to share their hard work with the Pepperdine community through this once-a-semester publication.

Schwartz and White have had this project in the works since August 2009 when they got together to brainstorm and plan the basic layout for the fall issue. They quickly decided they wanted to take the magazine a more retro route in way of slightly larger less glossy pages. Stories were assigned in September and the finished copies were back to the editors by October. 

White and Schwartz then spent the next two-and-a-half weeks editing and working on layout and page designs. The beauty of working on a magazine is the ability to play with and explore color and the potential of page design. This issue is scheduled to contain “a lot of great student art and photography White said.

Currents’ staff consists only of the editor in chief, assistant editor, photographers and staff writers. In this case, the editors also took on stories themselves. Because of this, White and Schwartz have gained a personal connection to the magazine.

It started off so scattered and now it actually looks like a real magazine Schwartz said. This issue doesn’t focus so much on little current events of Pepperdine drama but talks about much broader issues. The articles will be fun to read for a long time.”

The editors took the time to assign stories they felt would be particularly personal to the readers of Currents including an in-depth look at Malibu surfers a revelation of little-known L.A. hang-out spots and an interview with a documentary film-maker who dissects the meaning origin and question of happiness. They’re especially happy with the turnout of the pieces they will be running in Seaver’s 93rd issue.

“The stories are all so strong and they’re exactly that— stories White said. Instead of articles we’re trying to tell the stories of Malibu and Pepperdine— what is important to people what is close to their hearts and why.”