Argus, first published in 1976, is Northwestern State University’s art and literary magazine. The Argus staff works throughout the year to publish their magazine while also producing monthly ‘zines. This year is the 50th anniversary of the magazine.
Each year, the Argus editorial team selects a theme for its magazine’s content. This year, the theme is “Serendipity.”
Rebecca Scott, a junior English and liberal arts major in the Louisiana Scholars’ College, is serving her second year as editor-in-chief of Argus. “Our editorial team decided that ‘Serendipity’ was the perfect theme for our 50th anniversary edition, as we all found joy and a place to call home within Argus,” Scott said.
Scott is an advocate for trying new things and described what serendipity means to her. “Serendipity refers to the unexpected discovery of something joyful. When I first came to NSU, I was originally a psychology major who never felt entirely satisfied with the future that lay ahead. After my first year working as editor-in-chief, I knew that the world of English was my true passion, and my journey was best described as serendipitous,” Scott said.
Compared to other student media organizations, Scott feels that Argus serves the student body the most. “We provide real-life experience working with an editorial and publication team, and being published in our magazine is a great way to build résumé experience. Not only can you build experience by submitting, but you can also be rewarded for your work by potentially receiving a cash prize from our category awards,” Scott said.
At the end of each spring semester, Argus hosts a release party for their magazine, where cash prizes are awarded for first, second and third place in each category. Argus also partners with the NSU Argus Creative Writing Award, which allows the winner to speak about their piece at the release party. Scott believes Argus is an incredible opportunity that is offered for NSU students. “As a creative, nothing can beat the feeling of holding a physical print copy of our work,” Scott said.
Aurora Bauer, a senior psychology major, serves as a junior editor for Argus. Bauer joined Argus after attending the organization’s events and was drawn to how friendly and welcoming the environment was. Bauer said the biggest thing that sets Argus apart is the umbrella of media that is involved. “The Argus book includes not just literature, but photography, fine arts and other forms of creative work,” Bauer said. “This allows Argus to showcase the talents of anyone willing to share their creations.”
Grace Culpepper, a third-year psychology major, serves as the design editor of Argus. Culpepper said the theme ideas for their monthly ‘zines stem from the theme of their main magazine. This year, each ‘zine theme represents one decade that Argus has been an organization. The first ‘zine theme was the 70s, and their final ‘zine will finish in the 2020s.
Culpepper believes the ‘zines play a role in making Argus a unique organization. “We have yearly publications like Potpourri, monthly publications like The Current Sauce and we rely on the student body like KNWD,” Culpepper said. “Our work is entirely composed of art given to us by the student body. Without the students at NSU, we wouldn’t have a publication at all.”
Argus, NSU’s art and literary magazine, provides NSU students with a way to publish their work while also winning awards. The staff worked throughout the school year to compile students’ writing, artwork, photography and more for “Serendipity,” while also producing their monthly ‘zines.
