Who doesn’t love freedom of expression? Zinesters Local 55104 is full of that. A group of Hamline students by the name of Zinesters Local 55104 is the new zine club on campus run by Stewards Senior and Oracle columnist Andrew P. Weston, Senior Sophie Warrick and Junior MJ Luna. Here is what you need to know about Hamline’s new zine club.

“It was created by Andrew Weston. They came to me and said ‘you wanna do a zine club?’ and while filing paperwork, we wanted one more person to bring. And that’s when MJ joined,” Warrick said.

Zines were first seen in the 1930s and continue to be seen in today’s world. They have even found their place here on our campus in 2020. For students who do not know what zines are, Weston defines them perfectly: “Zines are small, self published booklets that fall somewhere between a newsletter and a magazine. They have served as a powerful outlet for content considered to be too niche, risqué or outside of the mainstream.” 

“We wanna create community and our goal is to create social change through zines, push boundaries and educate the community,” Warrick said.

Zines have historically provided a space for marginalized and underrepresented voices. If you want your voice to be heard, no matter who you are, Zinesters Local 55104 offers a platform for that; they are an inclusive space for all. In addition to this, whether you are a true artist or not one at all, there is a place for everyone.

“Anybody can join regardless of their knowledge of zines. You don’t have to be an artist. You can join even if you’ve never picked up a pencil in your life,” Warrick said, “We want to make sure everyone feels heard.”

When it comes to creativity, Zinesters Local 55104 believes that the sky is the limit. In this club, there are really no restrictive regulations and freedom of expression is always encouraged.

“There are really no rules. You can jump in and write whatever you want,” Warrick said, “We are a safe, independent platform of expression. We will never censor you.” 

If you would like to be more involved on campus, want your voice to be heard, are looking for a creative space, want to create social change and educate others or simply want to be a part of an inclusive community, Zinesters Local 55104 extends an invitation to you.

Want to stay in the know? Follow Zinesters Local 55104’s Instagram @hamline_zines and/or email them with the address zines@hamline.edu to be on their email list and get updates on what they are up to.