The April 2019 issue of Bagheera, Birmingham-Southern College’s student magazine, was the brainchild of senior Hope Tucker and recent graduate Hannah Scofield ’19. With a medley of fonts, graphics, and satire plastered on every page, the “Blastgheera” issue took the form of the modernist Blast magazine published in the early 19^th century.

“Our English professors enjoy that one more than the other issues because they get it,” Scofield says.

As the two main writers for this issue, Tucker and Scofield quickly united on the shared humor and reference. The issue includes layers of bold ideas and inside-campus jokes that they hope unite the BSC student body.

Scofield, last year’s editor-in-chief, passed the leadership of Bagheera on to Tucker in May. Tucker is a senior from Lake View, Alabama, and an English major like Scofield. Both began as hard-working staff writers and section editors before heading the student-made publication. They have also both transformed the magazine to make it something that students want to pick up and read.

Though BSC’s campus news has taken various forms over the decades, the newspaper transitioned into a student magazine in the early 2000s, titled “Bagheera” after the panther in Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Tucker and Scofield agree that the magazine layout allows the writing to be visual and creative.

“I like a more narrative style. I’ve done so much journalism, but I like my creating writing,” Scofield says.

When she stepped into the editor-in-chief position last year, Scofield transitioned the magazine from mainly factual reportage to a collection of news, lifestyle pieces, personal stories, and creative writing, printed in bright color. Her majors in both English and media and film studies are reflected in the visual storytelling.

Scofield was inspired by archived BSC publications, including the 1907 Pegasus yearbook, filled with cartoons and designs. Scofield and Tucker decided to renew these hand-drawn elements in their own work. The August 2019 issue even includes a BSC cartoon strip created by student Aidan Sullivan, a senior from Nashville.

Bagheera’s style also centers on including all parts of campus, all styles of writing, and all different perspectives. While the magazine has a set staff for each section, anyone can write and submit articles.

“One of my favorite parts about Bagheera is that it connects everyone together,” Tucker says. “It’s a magazine for every student on campus.”

To Tucker, this means any story or topic is fair game. She’s had the opportunity to cover both campus events and world or national news, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Tucker got to connect with a friend from Texas who was impacted by the disaster and appreciated the chance to address real conflicts through campus news.

That’s another aspect of Bagheera that Tucker hopes to capitalize on this year: personal writing. Along with reaching out to all different perspectives, she hopes Bagheera’s writers can dig into the issues they care about on a personal level. Scofield sought that last year, too.

“I’d tell other writers to pour their hearts into these pieces. People want to hear about real and personal experiences,” says Scofield, who is now a graduate screenwriting student at the University of Southern California.

Tucker has reached out to multiple organizations to promote the outlet for writing and opinions. Her first issue as editor-in-chief, called “The Family Issue,” features writers from residence life, the Black Student Union, and Spectrum, as well as an opening letter from SGA President Austin Lewter. Tucker is also getting BSC faculty and staff involved, often featuring their words of wisdom on Bagheera’s social media.

“A lot of people assume we don’t want to hear about their opinions, but we do,” Tucker says. “I want students to feel like they can be a part of Bagheera. At BSC, everybody is so different, but we can all come together, learn about each other, and connect in the end.”

Interested in sharing your writing with Bagheera? Email Hope Tucker at [email protected] to submit pieces and ideas. Also, find copies of Bagheera in buildings around campus, and keep up with the publication on Instagram @bscbagheera and Facebook.