T H E A G E N D A

March 2017 / Ed. 01 / Reflections, musings, and thoughts

MUCH MORE THAN A SENIOR

P R O J E C T : A C R E AT I V E O U T L E T
Lizzy Elkins
While looking for a more personal outlet for my creative
thoughts and contemporary layouts than the student newspaper I
currently edit for, and while wanting to organize something youth-
based with the talented artists and writers with which Im ac-
quainted, I stumbled across the idea of doing a one-edition, small,
student produced newspaper for the last big journalism venture
of my four-year journalistic career. So here we are. The Agenda
(whose name will be explained in some detail below), is a publi-
cation that focuses on art, culture, society, gender, race, and sex-
uality and how my peers and I, as teens, internalize societal pres-
sures, reinforce them, defy them, and break boundaries. Inside,
we discuss how we define ourselves, what makes us individuals,
what our hopes for the future are, and how we interpret the world
around us. We discuss the different lenses through which we each
see the world and talk about things like coming-of-age and being
different.
This publications goal is to be a true reflection of in-
ternalized feelings, thoughts, reflections, and impressions that we
may not divulge in everyday conversation, or that take longer to
explain or mull over than we normally have to discuss in class,
with friends, or with teachers. The articles following are related
to graduation, highschool, and just being young. Before ventur-
ing any further, may I note that everything in this publication was
done by a student. Whether that be the layout (by yours truly) or
the visual essay on being queer in LA (done by an undergrad at
LMU LA), every morsel of this masterpiece was conceptualized
and carried out by a student (save for the printing, for which we A final venture in journalism and graphic design before I head
graciously thank _ Printings Don Atwell). off to college to study International Relations/Political Science/
The name of this small, independent, student-run, writ- Chemistry.... who knows?
Photo by Emiliana Rawley
ten, and laid-out paper is The Agenda. I chose this name both on a
the (insert demographic here) agenda. The Feminist Agenda. The
whim and for a couple of reasons (note: a contradiction, which life
Liberal Agenda. The Gay Agenda. The Black Agenda. We are here
is full of, and of which many undoubtedly exist in the following
to represent all of these so-called agendas and more- and to put our
pages). First, the publication is named thus because people often
own spin on them. The Agenda is a presumably one-edition publica-
remark to me, wow, youve got a lot on your agenda for the day.
tion by students, for students, dedicated to representing and discuss-
And the response to that is yes- my peers and I, the contributors to
ing these agendas and our thoughts on them, whether that be The
this paper, are driven, ambitious, and erudite, and were not here
Biracial Agenda, The Trans Agenda, The Nerd Agenda or Satirist
to mess around. Were here to get stuff done.
Agenda- and everything inbetween. Next time you hear someone
The second reason- youve inevitably heard the phrase,

remark, Well the (insert demographic here) agenda does (insert
thing)..., simply refer them to The Agenda (this publication in your
Our motives are sim- hands), and it will satisfy their deep desires about The Agendas.
Lastly, my remarks about the artwork and writing in this pa-
ple and few: To edu- per. While most papers contain the disclaimer that their writers dont
cate, to create, to ex- necessarily represent the opinions of the actual publication itself,

that certainly isnt true in this case. This is a close knit, hand picked
press and enjoy the creative group of people who are talented, well-spoken and share similar be-
process, to have fun, liefs. If you read something and dont agree, think about it for a little
and to learn from while and then start a conversation. Our motives are simple and few:
To educate, to create, to express and enjoy the creative process, to
each other. have fun, and to learn from each other. Hopefully in the pages that
follow we will accomplish at least one of these goals, and leave you
thinking about how you have been impacted by others, and how you
All layout by Lizzy Elkins using Adobe came to be the person you are today.
InDesignCC2017