The strength of a Yalie's pen-or keyboard

If you haven't got anything nice to say, Yale is the place to say it. From rumor-mill tabloids to hard-hitting news reporting, a plethora of undergraduate publications let Yalies express opinions and display talents. Poets and artists also can always find a forum.

There are three major publications at Yale dedicated to journalism and serious news reporting. The Yale Herald, which celebrated its 14th birthday in 1999, is distributed free to students each Friday. With its finger on the pulse of arts and entertainment, sports and intramurals, news and student opinion, student comics and poetry, as well as a weekly calendar of events, the Herald covers everything that affects the Yale community. The Herald also publishes special issues for the Yale-Harvard football game, Valentine's Day, Commencement, and incoming freshmen. The Yale Daily News (YDN) is distributed each morning free of charge. Providing up-to-date news and opinions, the YDN is the nation's oldest college daily. The New Journal, published five times during the year, is an analytical news magazine that covers cultural and academic issues concerning New Haven and Yale.

If you're more inclined toward creative writing, you might consider submitting to a literary magazine. The Yale Literary Magazine, the oldest college literary magazine in the country, features student poetry, artwork, and fiction alongside recent work and interviews with well-known authors and poets. The Yale Daily News Magazine (YDNM), published five times a year, prints long journalism, interviews, poetry, and artwork. At the end of the school year, the YDNM awards the prestigious Wallace Prize for fiction and non-fiction. Some residential colleges also publish their own literary magazines, which only accept submissions from their own students. For students who would rather review books than write them, there's The Yale Review of Books, a recent addition to the Yale literary circle.

Another newcomer to the world of Yale publications is Untitled, a magazine of undergraduate and graduate art, art criticism, and news and gossip on the Yale art scene. Untitled published its first issue this spring. Some residential colleges also publish their own art publications, such as The Morse Journal of Art and Architecture.

As for political and opinionated writing, there is also a publication for every political viewpoint. The Yale Political Monthly, which is non-partisan, covers the current political arena and features reviews on new books, often by Yale professors. The Yale Journal of Ethics features lengthy commentary on social and scientific issues. Light and Truth and The Yale Free Press, both conservative magazines, have been known to poke fun at other more "liberal" publications. For politics of a more academic nature, The Yale Course Critique compiles student opinions on Yale College classes.

And if jokes are more your bag, you can write for Rumpus or The Record, Yale's two humor publications. The self-proclaimed "Only magazine at Yale about stuff at Yale," Rumpus, the nation's oldest college tabloid, takes pride in its sensationalism. With headlines like "Pot and Man at Yale" and reports on such diverse issues as Yalies who strip for tuition and fraternity rituals involving salad, Rumpus has earned a reputation for stretching the truth. The Record, which recently re-invented itself as a glossy magazine, comes out infrequently. Publishing all things humorous, from "The Next Five Minutes of Saving Private Ryan" to comical book reviews, The Record is Yale's answer to Harvard's National Lampoon.

This is only a sampling of the publications at Yale. Experience is not necessary—most organizations seek new writers, editors, photographers, and artists. Whether you find a group that suits you or hanker to start one of your own, don't be afraid to speak your mind. Just grab a pen or a camera and join the fray!

—Graphic by Shawn Cheng

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