Making a Magazine

Have you ever opened up a print publication and wondered about all the work that had to happen before you could hold it in your hands?

If so, "Skyline Magazine" might be the course for you!

Taught by Trinity University Communication Professor Melissa McMullen, Ph.D., "Skyline Magazine" is a hands-on, collaborative course where students produce their own magazine.

"The course mimics a real-world magazine production experience where decisions are made about writing, editing, and designing," McMullen says.

Students in this course learn fundamental magazine production principles and skills related to writing articles, copy editing, photo editing, graphic design, and page layout through class lectures and textbooks, such as Feature & Magazine Writing: Action, Angle and Anecdotes by David E. Sumner and Holly G. Miller; Editing by Design by Jan V. White; and The Associated Press Stylebook. Students also learn to use Adobe software, like InDesign and Photoshop, to create designs and layouts.

After learning the ropes of how to produce a magazine, it's time for the students to take charge and put everything they've learned into practice. While McMullen provides her feedback throughout the production process, the resulting professionally printed magazine is student-created.

McMullen's favorite part of this class is giving students the space to see what they're capable of. "I offer them my guidance and feedback. But ultimately, the magazine is written, edited, and designed by students. It is a testament to their creativity, enthusiasm, and hard work. As a professor, it's so rewarding to see that!" she says.

And the student-led nature of this course is the rule rather than the exception when it comes to creative projects at Trinity. Whether it be research in a lab or building the layout of a magazine in a communication course, students at Trinity are given the space to not just complete their assignments but also develop and lead them.

All students in "Skyline Magazine" come together to discuss their goals and provide feedback on elements of the magazine, ranging from article focus and organization to colors, layout, photo sizes and orientation, text placement, and more.

The collaborative nature of this course creates a friendly and unique classroom environment. "My favorite part of the class is probably the people in it," says Avery Deithloff '27, a communication major and psychology minor. "You kind of get to know everyone in the communication department, but our class is very small, so it's fun to hang out with them and form those close friendships."

"Skyline Magazine" also gives some students the unique opportunity to take on leadership roles throughout the magazine production process.

"Anyone in the class can put their name forward for these roles," McMullen says. "I then selected the students based on their performance in the class, as well as considering how the role might help them with their future career goals." This year's student leaders are Editor Avery Deithloff, Art Director Jailyn Martin, and Photo Editor Katie Simmons."

Art Director Jailyn Martin '26, a communication major and business and sport management double minor, took this class in order to gain hands-on creative experience.

"In this course, I've seen firsthand how compressed the magazine production timeline becomes when everything must happen within a single semester. It's a tight, disciplined process that forces you to make decisions and make adjustments quickly," Martin says. "The work produced here directly strengthens my resume, portfolio, and overall experience, especially as I prepare for a career in sports media and communications."

Students feel that this class helps them demonstrate and cultivate their skills involved in the magazine-making process. "Before this class, I never really knew about all the individual steps that go into a magazine. To make a successful magazine, it really takes such a wide range of skill sets," says Lexi McCann '28, a psychology major with a double minor in communication and entrepreneurship. "I'm excited to be expanding on each and every one of those skills."

Every issue of Skyline has a different theme, and this year, the students' magazine features 11 profile articles of alumni and students working in communication professions, most of whom were involved with the communication department. These profile articles span across multiple decades-from the earliest alumni who graduated in 1991 to a current student about to graduate in 2026.

"We selected alumni to interview, conducted the interviews, and wrote profile articles based on those interviews. We are now editing and revising these articles before putting them together visually and making the magazine design cohesive," says Photo Editor Katie Simmons '26, a marketing and communication double major.

"We also had to gather photographs for the magazine from our alumni. As the photo editor for the magazine, I edited the photos from our alumni in Photoshop to ensure proper sizing and color quality. I also designed the section divider pages and the front and back cover of the magazine," Simmons adds.

Past "Skyline Magazine" student leaders have gone on to work in writing, editing, and designing. For example, Catherine Clark '16, who served as editor for Skyline 2016, is now the senior editor at Humane World for Animals. Nayeli Perez '16 served as the art director for Skyline 2016 and is now the senior product designer at Gantri. Ellie McGrath '23 served as editor for Skyline 2021 and is now the marketing manager at SUPPLY, and Cade Blalock '22, who served as the art director for Skyline 2021, is now the marketing and design manager at SATX Bars.

This impressive list of alumni is a testament to how even one course at Trinity can make a lasting impact on the trajectory of students' paths after graduation.

"I'd recommend this class for anyone interested in writing, design, or storytelling," Martin says. "By the end of the semester, you walk away with a polished, tangible product that reflects months of hard work, and that's rare. The class is only offered every four years, so it's not an opportunity students should overlook."