Be More Know More’s mission is to seek out the stories that no one sees. And that’s just what the student-run magazine, The Muse, does too.
The Muse is a creative publication that aims to share the interests, talents, and research of students on campus. Based on Loyola’s campus, The Muse works to uncover the hidden talents on campus.
Editor in Chief, Elizabeth Thompson ‘26, has a variety of interests. These include, visual kei music, gothic fiction, Bungo Stray Dogs, and collaging. With a myriad of interests, it is no wonder why she started the Muse.
“Last semester I was looking for more ways to get involved on campus, but nothing really stuck for me. I started thinking about things I liked and things I felt gave me purpose, and I remembered how it felt when I was on my newspaper staff in high school.” Thompson said.
Thompson elaborated, “We started talking about having more spaces for student’s creative work and interests that was more than exhibiting. We wanted to engage the community and start conversations, and we started playing around with “what ifs.” One day, I just decided “why not?””
The Muse is also composed of other students with backgrounds in many different areas. And it speaks to the spirit of the Muse. There are staff members that are Writing majors, Biology majors, students that are studying to become elementary school teachers, as well as Global studies majors.
The variety of backgrounds and perspectives are what make the Muse so special, as they offer insights that go beyond the page. This allows the staff to make connections to many different areas, resulting in a richer reading experience in the Muse.
“One of my goals for the Muse is to be a snapshot of the community…of what Loyola students are engaged and interested in… I just want to give people a place to share the things they are proud of or excited about. It’s not my job to criticize or judge it. I’m more interested in learning about what other people have to say about their own work.”
The Muse follows a less rigid submission process to make the magazine accessible to students. The submission process is more about providing a safe space for student’s ideas rather than a strict set of guidelines. There have been features about music, comic submissions, and even short stories.
Thompson said, “It’s so much more rewarding to see other people commit to it and add their own ideas. That’s the collaboration I always hoped for, to get people excited about sharing their interests and ideas with other students on campus and start conversations.”
The Muse accepts submissions regularly and students can submit their work through an interest form, here.
The Muse has no plans to slow down, even after the staff graduates.
Thompson said, “Eventually, we hope to be in print and be more tangible to the community that way. Even if we never get there before I graduate… I really just want to leave something meaningful behind as my way of giving something back to the student community…It would make me happy to see people after me continue to believe in the magazine and see it change and grow through the years beyond my original imagination for it.”
The Muse cover, courtesy of the Muse staff:
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