TR Campus has created a space where students can be vulnerable when expressing their art.
Roots & Reflections allows students to submit nonfiction, fiction, poetry, photographs and other art designs.
This publication is completely student-led. Students can find flyers around campus that give you the information on how to submit your work.
In the past, students took a class where they could read and view all submissions. Each submission is viewed anonymously.
The goal for each design or writing piece chosen is to see how it speaks to college students. This year was done differently. Due to the class being canceled, they had to work with a small group. It didn’t stop them from getting it done.
Samantha Goldblatt was one of the students that helped co-edit and had some of her art published. She said one of the pieces featured meant a lot to her. It’s called “Maternal Ties” and is about Judaism and her connection to it.
“I have a lot of doubt about whether I’m Jewish enough or not,” Samantha said. “It’s something that I kept going through last year, I’m glad I could write something about it.”
Former TCC student Titus King who’s published poems in Root & Reflections spoke about his favorite poem he wrote,
which was titled “Trauma”. “I got diagnosed with cancer during the pandemic, it was my first reaction to the whole experience,” he said.
He said writing this poem was his coping mechanism when everyone was isolating themselves from each other.
“It’s a very vulnerable piece, it got me talking to external figure whether that be a person or god or whatever,” King said. “I’m
pretty sure a lot of people can relate or identify to that.”
Students are advised by Professors Jerrica Jordan and Janae Corrado. Both have experience in journalism and graphic design.
They use their experience to provide input to students regarding their work in the magazine.
“I want students or other readers to find something they identify with,” Jordan said. “For example, our writers are students who
are pretty quiet in the classroom, but they have so many things to say.”
Corrado said that it was hard to pick a certain story or design that stood out to her. She loved them for all different reasons.
“I am, however, excited that several Spanish-language entries were accepted into our publication this year-that has not been
the case in the past,” Corrado said. “It means a lot to me to be able to express myself for everybody and show them a more vulnerable side to me,” King said.
The name “Roots & Reflections” was voted by the very first class in 2020. They thought the magazine was reflective of what
the student experience was like.
“It’s about letting the students do what they feel is leading them to the best outlet or the best creative expression for them, what
they want to see in the magazine,” Goldblatt said.
