On Friday, April 24th, the campus community came together to explore the intersection of independent publishing, student agency, and radical pedagogy in the two part event “Wake Up To Zines.” Sponsored by the Dr. Samuel T. Gladding Fund, which vitalizes humanities programming at the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, and the Program for Leadership and Character’s Co-Sponsorship Event Grant, this day-long event hosted students, faculty, and staff to examine zines in new and exciting ways.

The event was planned by WFU Writing professors Franziska Tsufim and Sebastian Terneus and High Point University faculty members Lauren Ksa and Justin Cook. ZSR librarians Craig Fansler and Rebecca May assisted in the planning, design, and implementation of the event. By bridging the gap between student creativity in the morning and faculty innovation in the afternoon, the event illuminated how subverting traditional formats can foster leadership, character, and intellectual engagement.

Morning: Materializing Student Voice at Zine Fest

The day commenced in the Special Collections & Archives Research Room, where 57 students, faculty, and staff from Wake Forest and High Point Universities gathered for Zine Fest! Students from classes taught by Professors Tsufim, Terneus, Cook, and Ksa had the opportunity to showcase their class zine projects and distribute their zines to attendees.

Attendees interacted with students and their zines, engaging with independent narratives that spanned personal histories and experiences, political and environmental critiques, and avant-garde art. To encourage a deeper critical engagement with the medium, participants took part in a zine scavenger hunt, following a zine-based prompt designed by Craig Fansler.

Afternoon: Demystifying the Classroom through Zine Pedagogy

The afternoon workshop, Celebrating Zine Pedagogy: A Workshop for Faculty & Staff, was hosted at the Wakerspace and was led by Lauren Ksa and Justin Cook of High Point University. With 14 faculty and staff members in attendance, participants examined how the zine’s non-traditional, democratic structure can be used to deconstruct rigid academic hierarchies. The group then went on to create their own zines, using another zine-based workbook designed by Craig Fansler. The Wakerspace provided materials for folding, cutting, collaging, and additional creative design.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the Dr. Samuel T. Gladding Fund and the Program for Leadership and Character for their generous support, and to the creators and educators who lent their time and vision to the day.

You can see all of the pictures of Wake Up to Zines here.