In two days, ISSUE XXVII will be in the hands of our readers. As our Editor-in-Chief, Liz Gonzalez, hopes, each reader will see a little bit of themselves reflected amongst 64 beautiful pages.

Leading up to launch, the fall semester at MUSE has been a truly exciting one, filled with unique events and projects. “We have achieved so many new feats and engaged the Queen’s community in new ways,” shared Liz. Mariam Guirguis, our Business Director, also expressed her gratitude for being able to grow our community—and for selling out every event we’ve held this semester, from our Mini Desk Concert, Tea Room Coffeehouse, and the first-ever MUSE vs. VCFS Battle of the Bands. “Seeing the general student body get just as excited as I do about our events and achievements has been so heartwarming,” shared Mar. 

Achieving such monumental student engagement would not be possible without a team who is equally as engaged. Liz emphasized that over her three years on MUSE, she is consistently blown away by the sheer creativity and talent of the team; “students from all sorts of academic backgrounds are united by their love to create, and it is always awesome to see new members find a safe and inspiring haven within this team,” she explained. The MUSE family is growing, and with each new member comes a newfound commitment to authenticity—as Mar shared, “when I think of MUSE I think of being authentic to yourself, and that’s exactly what’s manifested through each member of the team.” 

ISSUE XXVII is promised to capture the enthusiasm and commitment of both our internal and external communities, with a newfound commitment to cohesion and elevated storytelling.  Liz’s vision for ISSUE XXVII has been clear for months, beginning in the summer with the careful curation of a brand guide and an in-depth analysis of previous MUSE issues. “This year, it was a really big priority to maintain cohesion throughout the issue that did not wash down the creativity of each project.” The themes of the issue, though exceedingly diverse, are connected in their “inquisitiveness and sentiment,” explained Liz. Having overseed each portfolio in preparation for the issue, from Creative, Print, Marketing, and Business, Liz explained the wide-spread commitment to “challenging ourselves to find the strings that thread all these stories together, both narratively and visually.” She credited Armita, Creative Director, and Nadisha, Head of Layout, for having the immense attention-detail needed to “really pull the pieces together.” Having two months to create the issue leaves only a few weeks to finalize the layout process, and with this tight timeline came all the more challenge of ensuring the magazine flows well. Nonetheless, Liz is confident that the finished product is one that feels “whole” and together. 

With Liz’s leadership and passion for elevating the MUSE brand, ISSUE XXVII is sure to reflect a version of MUSE that is heartfelt as always, yet more cohesive and united than ever before. As Mar concurred, “every shoot had my jaw on the floor, you could tell me it’s all out of a professional publication and I would not bat an eye.” 

Here’s to ISSUE XXVII, an issue with “heart and soul written all over it,” in the words of Mar. Share it with your loved ones, keep it for yourself, and join us this Thursday, November 30th to celebrate curiosity and creativity. 

What was your muse while working on ISSUE XXVII?

Liz Gonzalez, Editor-in-Chief: 

“My MUSE was all of the contributors to this issue. I was so grateful that they felt inclined to share their craft with our magazine, and to use our platform to amplify their voice. It felt like a huge responsibility, but it made the entire process (and the many long nights watching Armita and Nadisha fiddle on InDesign) worth it.”

Mariam Guirguis, Business Director:

“I know this sounds super cheesy but my muse for ISSUE XXVII is MUSE. This upcoming issue is a direct reflection of the abundance of talent overflowing within our team and their commitment to a creative space at Queen’s. Being constantly inspired by MUSE as a whole, it's only fair to credit this issue to all the minds that contributed to its creation.”