Student-produced magazine an award winner

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BYU students are involved in producing an award-winning travel magazine that targets readers nationwide.

Stowaway Magazine is a publication that was created in January 2010. Developed on campus, students completing a minor in editing create the magazine for their capstone course before graduation.

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Editing minor students collaborate in their class to create Stowaway Magazine, which has won two awards.

“It is such a great experience because it is a real magazine,” said Lindsay Brown, managing editor for the magazine. “It is not a mock up. We sell ads and have a real presence in the creation of a magazine.”

Stowaway has been published for almost two years, but its topic has not always been centered around the idea of travel. After the magazine was published several times, Stowaway took on the unique angle of travel. It’s theme: EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER.

“Why travel?” asked Marvin Gardner, professor of English Language in the English Language in the College of Humanities. “Because everyone in my classes has been to amazing places. BYU is amazing in that the students are very international in their experience. Many of them have lived in areas all over the United States.”

Stowaway recently won two awards. The first was the Bronze Award for “Best Editorial/New Publication” in the Print/Magazine category of the 2011 ContentWise Magnum Opus Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Custom Media, presented in conjunction with the Missouri School of Journalism. It also won the Award of Excellence for “Custom-Published Magazines and Journals,” presented by the 2011 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence.

“I really believe we have a really great magazine, and it is for young adults, by young adults,” said Sarah Tomoser, web manager for the magazine. “The magazine helps the readers that can’t get over to the countries themselves. They become more enlightened about those countries and different cultures and experience more of the world than just right in the classroom or where they live.”

Each semester, a new group of students take the class and create a new edition, making Stowaway a quarterly travel magazine. Each edition is a culmination of new ideas from new students.

“Our idea with Stowaway is not just a vacation magazine,” Gardner said. “It focuses not only on leisure, but on service oriented travel and education oriented travel.”

Every student is involved of every task in putting together a magazine: planning, writing, editing, designing, creating web content and selling ads.

“When I first started looking through the magazine, I was very surprised it was created by students,” said Stephanie Smith, business manager for the magazine. “It looks very professional and you can see the progress as we have been able to build upon the first issue.”

Students each take on a responsibility in completing the magazine. Whether a business manager, managing editor, art director or assistants, all members of the class write articles for the publication.

“The magazine has also taught me how to work with deadlines, how much I should research before I do a project and obviously how to use the programs,” said Marissa Empey, art director for the magazine.

Students in the editing minor work hard to publish the magazine every quarter. Right now, they are working on the winter and spring 2012 issues.

“It’s not just for BYU students, it really is for everyone, especially young adults,” Tomoser said.

All current and past issues of Stowaway can be read online at stowawaymag.com. Free digital versions of the magazine are available at magcloud.com. MagCloud also offers a free iPad app that includes access to all issues. Stowaway Magazine can also be followed on Twitter and Facebook.

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