When REFINE Magazine entered the running for the Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) Mark of Excellence Award for Best Student Magazine, they had no idea what was to come. Against countless well-funded, institutionally supported magazines from public and private schools across the country, REFINE - an independent magazine run entirely by students without so much as a penny of funding or a faculty advisor - has come away with the Best Student Magazine award not only from the Midatlantic region (Region 1), but nationwide. The winning issue, “Sustainability,” was published during the Fall 2019 semester and checks in at a whopping 90 pages.
Founded by Sarah Madaus ‘19 in 2018, REFINE is a completely independent magazine run entirely by students, without any institutional ties to Temple University. However, the magazine is completely produced by women Temple students, and the university is a prominent feature in the magazine’s content. Outgoing Editor-in-Chief Francesca Furey ‘20 says that this was a deliberate part of the magazine’s founding, as it gave the staff the freedom and accountability to build and maintain the magazine from the ground up. Given this level of independence, the odds initially seemed stacked against the women-focused team.
“I never expected such a young publication to receive this type of recognition,” says Senior Editor Lindsay Bowen. “My late nights spent doing final edits in the Charles Library were worth it.”
For the Sustainability issue, Furey was inspired by her spring break trip to Arcosanti, Arizona with Klein College of Media and Communication’s Office of Global Opportunities, which complemented her prior interest in environmental issues.
“I always knew I had an environmental connection,” she says. “I really wanted to do environmental reporting, or environmental activism, but after I went I realized that my connection with it was so much deeper than I thought.”
In addition to her interest, Furey believes that sustainability is a time-sensitive topic, and finds it important to spread awareness about how people can individually get involved. She says she understood how important it was to dedicate the whole issue to sustainability and not just one section because she knew there are so many ways to address individuals’ impact on climate change.
“I think being eco-friendly and environmentally conscious is something that everyone wants to pursue, but like sometimes you don’t know where to start because you feel so insignificant and small,” she says.
From the first glance it becomes clear that, similar to fighting climate change, this magazine was no small effort, and required the hard work and dedication of a cooperative team. Composed entirely of women Temple students, the magazine’s staff had an incredibly authentic experience of what it is like to produce an independent magazine and be recognized for its superior quality.
“Putting together the Sustainability issue allowed me to get to know and work alongside some of the best student journalists, editors, and visual artists at Temple,” says Features Editor Rebekah Harding.
Though the Sustainability issue won the 2019 SPJ award, REFINE has since published a Spring 2020 issue, “Rejection,” of which the team is also immensely proud.
“Despite a pandemic, we still produced a beautifully crafted issue full of compelling stories and elegant photography,” says Senior Editor Gabrielle Houck. “We not only made it work, but we went above and beyond during an uneasy time to provide our readers with the quality content they expect and deserve.”
REFINE seems to be defined by this determined perseverance – after all, if it weren't for the staff’s own self-motivation, the magazine would quickly cease to exist. To win an award from an organization like SPJ at the national level is not only unprecedented, but inspiring.
“It’s like, everything you’ve just done, for free, because you wanted to – paid off,” Furey says.