Best of CASE District II Award
 

Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology

Title of entry: The RIT Zine Scene

About this entry: While many point to RIT for expertise in STEM, "The RIT Zine Scene" draws attention to the vibrant creative communities on campus. The article underscores RIT's dedication to integrative, interdisciplinary education by showing that our students and alumni don't need to choose between a "left brain" or "right brain" category. They can be a biomedical engineer and a poet, or a physicist and an artist, without abandoning either interest.

From using zines as a method of research reporting to sharing memories and personal artworks, the article highlights how faculty, staff, and students utilize this unique form of communication. In addition to the text and visuals, the story included an interactive tear-out zine for readers so they could experience making their own zine and share it with their community.

While popular today, zines have existed for decades in alternative subcultures as a way to avoid traditional publishing barriers. In an accompanying magazine story about the RIT Archives’ zine collection, we show how our community has historically used zines on campus. By drawing attention to both current and historic use, we created possible connections for readers of all ages.

Along with the print story, the package resonated with our readers on social media and online. An accompanying Instagram piece was watched 20,908 times. The online story had nearly 2,000 page views.