In a heated political climate, civilized discussion about personal viewpoints can be difficult to isolate from emotional discourse.
“In politics, everyone is always yelling at each other,” Clare McCullough, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences said.
McCullough aims to create a space for dialogue with Mellow Mag, a new online publication.
Composed of five to 10 writers from Marquette University and students from other parts of Milwaukee, the group aims to promote discussion of today’s political and artistic climate in a balanced and respectful way.
“In politics, everyone is always yelling at each other,” McCullough said. “Especially in America now, divisions are something we need to embrace instead of ostracizing people because they don’t believe what you believe.”
The content that writers submit is published to MellowMag.Squarespace.com. Members meet twice a month to discuss their current projects.
“We just get together and talk about issues that we’re passionate about,” McCullough said. “It’s an open space for people to feel okay to ask questions and … (share) their opinions and see both sides of certain arguments. It’s really just a space to come and have discussions in a compassionate and intellectual way.”
The group of writers, in addition to producing content for Mellow, send letters to lawmakers and those influencing government policy.
Two weeks ago, the group wrote to the Wells Fargo CEO and urged him to disinvest the Dakota Access Pipeline.
McCullough said the hope is that students will view Mellow Magazine as an alternative place to learn about the cultural splits America faces at a time when the country is as divided as ever. She also wants people to see the publication as being especially geared toward discussion and open-mindedness.
Meetings are open to the public and the magazine accepts contributions from anyone.
“Not everybody is into politics, but the personal does intersect with the political very often, so we focus on art and politics,” McCullough said. “We try to … create a community space that is more laid back than most political discussions.We want to get the information out by educating people and showing them how exactly the issues affect their lives. How can we advance our human rights and liberties while still maintaining peace?”
The magazine has published seven pieces on the Women’s March on Washington, Black History Month and a poem from contributor Chris Kresser.
Jake Champe, a sophomore in the College of Business Administration, follows Mellow Magazine.
“Any time students take charge is pretty cool,” Champe said. “And I think that with the way political issues have become so divisive lately, a news source dedicated to dialogue could be very valuable.”
Jessica Kathe, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said it was important for a publication to allow people to express their views in a welcoming environment.
“College is a time for discussion and expanding your viewpoints,” Kathe said. “An online magazine like this seems perfect for that, especially if it’s meant to be a back-and-forth that lets people learn about other sides of important issues today.”
Mellow Magazine is only available online but McCullough hopes that it can expand to print in the future. She also hopes to change the publishing schedule from quarterly to monthly.
