The Wellian Magazine launched in October of 2020 as a monthly publication founded by Duke undergraduate students. Two of the founders of the Wellian Magazine are English majors: Akshaj Turebylu, Literature Editor, and Noam Cherki, Politics Editor and a double major in Political Science. Professor Mesha Maren is the faculty advisor of the new student publication organization. English major Victoria Wang, who is also pursuing an IDM in Psychology, is a writer for the Wellian.
The Wellian Magazine was founded during the summer of 2020:
In my freshman year, I took an English seminar with Professor Thomas Ferraro. Before COVID, our class was held in the Allen Building (in a room much too small for fifteen people). Yet, that was exactly what Professor Ferraro had in mind: an intimate setting, familial and relaxed, where we could be sensitive yet informal, jocular and attentive. Like any good Mediterranean potluck, everyone should have something to offer (delicious food or compelling conversations—never arrive empty-handed!). Through The Wellian Magazine, I hoped to create another Mediterranean Dinner Table: bring together students with various interests bound together by the common goal of creating a magazine. - Rennica Huang
This publication seeks to promote political discourse; that is, to provide a forum for diverse backgrounds, political stances, and opinions. This digital magazine consists of four departments: Culture, Literature, International Affairs and Politics.
The Wellian Magazine is named after Ida B. Wells and seeks to honor her legacy of investigative journalism, education work, and civil rights activism. She is well known for her investigation of the lynching of African American men by white mobs in the 1890s and for being one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
We named the magazine after Ida B. Wells:
With limited experience in publishing, I knew I was standing on the shoulders of giants. Magazines were one of the most unique mediums through which difficulties, paradoxes, and surprises of society could be examined. Editors had to prioritize design and content to create a work that authentically connects with their audience. Therefore, a magazine was nothing short of a piece of art, where collaboration and diversity are necessary to deliver a striking presentation. Constantly in awe of the dedication of journalists and public figures who have contributed to the periodical mainstream, I wondered: was there a way to appreciate those before me while searching for the next frontier? I felt the need to ground my own work in the writings of the past. Ultimately, Ida B Wells, an investigative journalist and civil-rights activist, became the inspiration for the name of the magazine and the mission of this organization - Rennica Huang