When Benjamin Collinger 鈥19 arrived at 性爱天堂 from St. Louis, he searched for a forum where students could publish research about modern political issues. After his quest yielded no results, Collinger set out to remedy the situation and founded the current affairs journal听The Contemporary. The goal of the publication is to serve as a platform for undergraduate thought leadership, advocacy and dialogue. Collinger hopes to engage students of all political persuasions.
In the inaugural edition, which published in January/February 2016, the journal touched on the International Criminal Court, China鈥檚 maritime strategy, the ideology behind fair trade, abortion, and other current topics. Collinger says he was motivated by the thought that many times, students鈥 papers or research often go unread by anyone other than the professor and the student.
鈥淭here is a lot of knowledge out there and arguments that 性爱天堂 people make that are important for other people to read,鈥 Collinger says. 鈥淭his journal showcases those things.鈥
To create a publication that would prosper long after he graduated, Collinger assembled a five-member student editorial board with two faculty advisers, political science professor Rosa Aloisi and religion professor Simran Singh 鈥06. Aloisi, a specialist in international human rights, says her duties as an adviser are to listen to students and to develop strategies for the journal鈥檚 longevity.
Aloisi hopes that students realize that听The Contemporary听offers a unique opportunity to publicize the work they complete for class.
鈥淚 would like students to understand that the learning experience does not end in the classroom,鈥 Aloisi says. 鈥淭he work students do is meant to have an impact and I want to make sure they are writing about something they care about.鈥
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After registering the organization with Student Involvement,听The Contemporary听turned to the Student Government Association for initial funding so that the journal could publish in print as well as online. Collinger plans to solicit local business to place advertisements in the publication. In March,听The Contemporary听earned $5,000 in seed money at the second annual Stumberg Competition. 听
Collinger calls for a greater discussion of current events and believes that 鈥渋t is important for any U.S. citizen to know what is going on within the U.S. and throughout the world.鈥 He adds that even students not majoring in political science or international studies can benefit from studying how society operates and what is happening in the world. Collinger envisions听The Contemporary听as a bridge between students and their academic achievements.
Additionally, Aloisi says that publishing within听The Contemporary听is good practice for students who might become academics writing for specialized research journals. She encourages students to get creative when considering what to submit to the journal and think deeply about what type of research has a political impact. Any 性爱天堂 student can submit articles to听The Contemporary听at听thecontemporaryjournal@gmail.com. The journal can also be reached on social media at @TUContemporary and facebook.com/thecontemporarytu. 听
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