Showcasing feminism, boundary- pushing art, and literature online, “The Rage” offers another outlet for creative students and activism.

The Rage is a student-led publication. The members who are involved describe it as an online feminist art and literature zine. Zines have a long history and are short for works such as magazines and fanzines. Zines were popularized as a feminist tool in the 90s, alongside movements such as “Riot Grrrl,” a feminist punk rock movement. Zines are directly related with underrepresented communities.

“We took a lot of inspiration from movements like Riot Grrrl and are trying to make it even more inclusive than they envisioned,” Brittany Davis, graduate student, said.

The publication is affiliated with the  Women and Gender Studies program and Student’s Advocating Gender Equality (SAGE). Many of the students involved choose to pursue a major or minor in Women and Gender Studies.

“The Rage was conceived as a space for the local campus community to submit art and literature that is not necessarily considered consumer or marketing friendly,” Davis said.

The idea for the zine started when a student studying Women and Gender Studies had to develop an activism initiative. They wrote a piece and submitted it to a campus publication. After submitting their work, the student’s piece got rejected for its explicit themes and language.

After the rejection of that piece, other students got together and compiled their own pieces that contained similar ideas. The students used this initial project development as a proof of concept when they pitched it to the university Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) coordinator.

The Rage differs from other campus publications like Tempo and Archarios magazines. This new publication is an opportunity for students to challenge norms that could not be in other campus publications but must be approved by university marketing. The Rage is not directly affiliated with CCU, therefore they will avoid many of these setbacks.

“We want to be able to talk about sexuality in a meaningful and explicit way and not have to dance around it for the sake of censors,” Davis said.

That student’s initial activism project is what pushed for this new publication. They desired to have a less censored space for proper education and representation.

Along with Davis, senior Justin Sisler is also involved in this new project. He provides helpful insight and has a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Additionally, he is in the honor society for women’s representation.

“I know there is a lot of underrepresentation of marginalized identity, perspective, and gender equality on campus,” Sisler said. “So, it’s nice to bring attention to that. I am focused on inclusivity and making everyone feel equal.”

Art and literature that is submitted to the zine is centered around marginalized and underrepresented communities who are not commonly represented in mainstream media. These groups include women,
the LQBTQ+ community, those with disabilities, and other minorities.

“This publication is focusing on the people who aren’t heard of or don’t know that there is a voice to be heard of,” Sisler said.

Although The Rage differs from Tempo and Archarios, they are also considering doing themes in the future. These themes would center around a certain topic, and the art or literature submitted would have to follow through according to the assigned theme.

The Rage will have their first issue published in November and they are accepting submissions now. This first issue will focus on campus community and feminism in general. The last day to submit will be Friday, Oct. 21.

Literary and visual artworks can be submitted to RageZineSubmissions@ outlook.com. For more information, contact Amanda Masterpaul, Women and Gender Studies lecturer ([email protected]).