From an Idea to a Reality: How 7500 Magazine Was Born

75oo Magazine is Woodbury’s student-produced arts publication which has just released its fall 2017 issue featuring pieces on Melissa Archer, Allen Helbig, Camille Brown, The Walk Watts Project, Ron Russell and more. The title of the magazine is a reference to the address of Woodbury (7500 Glenoaks Blvd.) We asked Risa Williams, the faculty advisor for 7500, a few questions about the magazine, how it began and where it hopes to go:

How and when did 7500 Magazine get started? Who works on the magazine?

Risa Williams: I was teaching a class called “Art of the Pitch” and as part of the class, students had to work on teams and come up with a project to pitch to a panel of experts.

One of the teams of students pitched the idea of a Woodbury student arts magazine. I was so inspired by the pitch that, after the class was over, I took that team of students to meet with administrators to see if we could make this pitch a reality.

7500 Magazine began as a class called “Contemporary Journalism” (it’s now called “Digital Journalism.”) The class is open to all majors and, when students take it, they are automatically on the staff of the magazine. Everyone in the class is assigned both creative and website/marketing/business tasks and they must all work together to create a cohesive issue every semester.

It is really wonderful to see students from different majors together working on one project that connects them to the outside community!

What kinds of content does the magazine produce? What is its goal?

Risa Williams: Our goal is to feature arts, media and culture throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

I try to connect students with local artists, writers, actors, musicians and businesses to feature their work and projects in the magazine. Our features are mostly interviews with artists and community leaders which gives the students a chance to experience what it’s like to interview someone in person and also to form connections with the outside arts community. We also have a blog which features food, event, music, and local experiences. Additionally, we like to feature people at Woodbury who are doing extraordinary things outside of campus.

What kinds of things would you like to see 7500 Magazine do in future issues?

Risa Williams: It would be great to incorporate more video and podcast content in our site. That has always been a part of the original pitch of the magazine. We are also releasing our first print edition this year as well.

Click to read the Fall 2017 issue of 7500 Magazine