On the Danforth, a student-run magazine produced by students in the Publishing- Book, Magazine, and Electronic program, is back with its summer issue. The magazine, which is published bi-annually, allows students to create, design, write, edit and publish their work, which has been proved to be an extremely effective method of bringing experiential learning into the classroom. The theme of the summer edition is boundaries and each page is thoughtfully designed and written in a way that highlights what boundaries look like in the Danforth community. Samin Nabipour, Editor-in-Chief, describes what this theme means within the magazine. She says that the theme touches on: “how boundaries have made us who we are and how they are transformed into shaded and vague concepts; how they are transcending the essence of identity; how they are forming and deforming the pieces of the puzzle that is today’s society; and how each piece of the Danforth helps paint the bigger picture more clearly and more intelligently.”
Samin continues, “From day one, it was mentioned to section editors that the theme need not be obviously clear or pointed out, as long as it was considered in the content and was in harmony with the rest of the magazine. I am delighted to say that in all of our articles it was either the founding stone or subtly mentioned. It was a brilliant experience working with the section editors and authors as well and I believe they delivered a fantastic job. In our weekly meetings, we discussed almost every line and aspect of each article and made sure to examine them from every angle.”
Pauline López, Art Director, says, “The making of On the Danforth magazine was my favourite experience during my time at the program. The idea of a project of this size entirely run by students seemed like a challenge I wanted to be part of, and I feel proud of what my classmates and I have accomplished by working as a team. As Art Director, I worked on the layout of the magazine by shaping the visuals to meet the main concept created by the editor-in-chief: boundaries. With this in mind, the aesthetic of the summer issue comes from using lines as divisors and connectors at the same time on each page. This created a cohesive look-and-feel for the magazine that is complemented with a summery colour palette.
I also had the opportunity to design and illustrate the cover, and my inspiration came from walking the streets of the Danforth. What caught my eye at first was the distinctive style of the street signs written in both English and Greek, and that was something I felt I had to incorporate in the design. The aesthetic of the businesses of the area, the colours of the buildings and the lively atmosphere inspired me as well to come up with a colourful image to represent this captivating neighbourhood. Aside from my role in the design team, I was thrilled about writing an article that is now part of the publication. It was also the Danforth, the inspiration to write about art and the unexpected ways you can find it when wandering through this neighbourhood.”
Grace Leung, Creative Director, says, “The team was formed in October, started planning in November, designing in December, finalizing in January, printed in February, and was ready in March. Two months later, the public is finally able to grab a copy of the Summer 2020 issue of On the Danforth. During those 5 months of creating the magazine, the creative team had some ups and downs, however, we were able to make it through and adapt to any challenges that came our way. I just want to thank my creative team and the rest of the Summer 2020 team for all their hard work. Also, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Spring 2020 team for their collaboration and hard work as well. Both issues came out just the way we all envisioned it to be, clean and consistent. We may have had to wait an extra 2 months for the issue to be released, but it was well worth the wait! Don’t forget, if you can’t grab a physical copy of the magazine, the digital version is available online on www.onthedanforth.ca!”
Michaela Stephen, On the Move Editor & Sales Representative, says, “I worked one-on-one with each writer for my section. I edited their pieces, offered suggestions, and discussed their intentions for the piece. I tried to offer guidance as an editor without stepping on their toes as the writers. With the rest of the editorial team, we had meetings fairly regularly to make sure we were on track with submissions. We had such a great editorial team. Samin was an amazing editor-in-chief. She was dedicated, helpful, and enthusiastic. Although working on the magazine was a great learning experience, it was also a lot of fun. As for sales, I helped out the sales team with advertising sales. We emailed businesses as well as went door to door in the area to sell advertisement space in the magazine. Our team ended up selling over $14,000 in advertisement sales, which was super great.”
Prijanga Ahilan, Sales Manager & Writer, says, “I came into the program wanting to go into editorial, much like most of my classmates, but I was slightly interested in the business aspect of the industry. This prompted me to apply for the position of Sales Manager, just to see if I could even do it. What I learned was I loved being on that side of the magazine as a product. The role, and this program, challenged me to rethink where I see myself fitting within the publishing industry, and opened me up to possibilities I've never considered before. When the Editor in Chief told us her plan for the Summer 2020 issue of the magazine, and the theme itself (Borders), the first thing I thought about was defining the borders of the Danforth. I wondered, ‘what made the Danforth, the Danforth?’. Initially, I was moved by the strong Greek presence in the area and wanted to explore that, but as I was mapping through the area for businesses to approach in order to sell advertising (here's when my role as Sales Manager comes into play), I realized that there were various ethnic backgrounds that held strong footholds in the area. I started learning about Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and was inspired by the idea of local businesses cultivating community, so I wrote about it. The magazine itself is a product of a lot of hard work and love from our class. I'm incredibly proud of the work I was able to contribute and be a part of.”
Vrishali Parab, Writer, says, “I think that On the Danforth provides a window to look at our neighbourhood. Working on this project and contributing to this magazine gave me an immersive experience of the Danforth. Talking to its people, tasting its delicacies, and admiring its street art made me understand this community better. As a newcomer, I could not have asked for a more meaningful way of knowing this part of the city. I am sure that the readers will also enjoy our magazine's kaleidoscopic view of the Danforth community and culture.”
Her article, Battling Food Insecurity in a Community Bustling with Culinary Abundance, focuses on food insecurity within this community. She says, “Before coming to Toronto, I lived in Michigan, USA for four years. That is when I first learned of the severity of hunger in cities like Detroit. Back home in India where I grew up, malnutrition was a problem for many in our society. Though it was not something that I expected to find in what we usually consider to be the developed part of the world. That reality taught me to see food insecurity in its broader socio-economic and cultural settings. Perhaps that understanding kept me a little more aware when I landed in Toronto. Hunger and poverty can be invisible in our cities. When you have a privilege of never having to face any of those, it is easy to harbour misconceptions about those who have.”
As you can see, this project relies heavily on collaboration and creativity, which was in abundance throughout this entire process. Congratulations on such amazing and professional work!
By: Alexandra Few
Photos by Pauline López