Dear reader,
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Allison Schmidt and I am the current co-editor-in-chief of Loco Mag. It was brought to my attention that Loco Mag recently became a teenager. That is a huge accomplishment for an online college publication. For this article, I wanted to explore all the ways that Loco Mag impacted students and the way that it impacted me.
As a child, I was never afraid of failure. My heart was always steady. Everything was calm. Panic rarely came. It was like this when I was in school, too. I felt no need to change because it was how I always expected to live. Life with minimal risk and low expectations made me extremely comfortable with myself. Without any risk, there is no chance of failure. So, I never took the road less traveled. That all changed, of course, my senior year of college at Arcadia.
I was offered two leadership positions for student-run organizations within the Media and Communication department of Arcadia University: 1853 Communications and Loco Mag. Previous leadership of both organizations kept trying to get me to choose one to focus on, and I remember thinking: Why can’t I do both? 1853 was expected because of my concentration in public relations. However, Loco Mag was completely unrelated to my major, and doing both simultaneously was risky. It was the fear of failure that made me hesitate, but it was the unique atmosphere of Loco Mag that made me want to do both.
While Loco Mag is a class, it is a class like no other. It celebrates creativity, encourages independence, builds impossible futures, and fosters a community between strangers. For thirteen years, Loco Mag has been changing the lives of multiple students – including myself. I used to be someone who never feared failure. Now, I am addicted to it. The feeling of risk, ambition, making the impossible jumps, and breaking the limits you once put on yourself makes me feel free, like I can do anything. Loco Mag made me feel like I could do anything, and it is a tragedy to know that nothing I do for Loco Mag would have the same impact Loco Mag did on me.
As the current co-editor-in chief of Loco Mag, I have come to understand how much having a space like Loco Mag matters. I recognize, now, the true importance of having a class that is able to bring the vibes, unleash pure chaos, supports students entirely and gives them a chance to speak on topics that they love. I see how it changes people and how it changed me. Not only me, but the rest of the executive staff as well: Ethan, Patrick, Peri, and Aleishka. Loco Mag mattered to all of us in multiple different ways.
Loco Mag was a community that Ethan, co-editor-in-chief, thrived in and truly cherished. In his own words, “This community has fostered me, allowed me to make friends and college memories. What more could someone ask for?” Loco Mag meant something more to him than just a two-credit class.
Peri, our scribe, also saw Loco Mag as something more than a class. She saw it as a way to enjoy the parts of her that she always kept low-key. Peri said, “While I’ve been here, Loco Mag has helped me be more confident. I’ve felt more comfortable expressing myself and not being ashamed of my interests, which is huge for me.” Loco Mag gave her the freedom to truly enjoy all the things that make her happy in life.
Aleishka, our PR Manager, was given a chance to express creativity through a way that was entirely new. Aleishka stated, “Being able to do something outside of my usual style of content was fun and interesting.” There is something significant about a class that always challenges students to grow both creatively and academically. Loco Mag did that for Aleishka.
Patrick, our copy-editing manager, also felt strongly about Loco Mag. Ethan was actually the one who inspired him to join. It didn’t take long for him to care strongly about Loco Mag. The class mattered to him because it allowed him to be his own person. In his own words, he said, “Loco Mag has really taught me a lot about two things—being my own person and helping to lead others.”
Loco Mag is the heart of the Media and Communication department at Arcadia University. There are no words to describe the impact that it left on me and countless others. The least I can do is write this article, which is basically a love letter to everyone that made Loco Mag what it is today.
This is to all of the previous co-editors-in-chief, the previous staff, the current staff, the future staff, the writers, and the faculty advisor. This article recognizes that none of Loco Mag would be here without you and your hard work. This article celebrates you and it celebrates the last thirteen years of Loco Mag.
Love,
Allison
Featured Image By Allison Schmidt via Canva
