What's up with Zines?

 A zine is a cheaply crafted catalog used to get an artist’s work and/or thoughts out to the public. It was really popular in the 1970s and became less popular with the use of the internet and blogs. I have just recently learned about them and am fascinated! When I was growing up I used to make little booklets, magazines, and handouts all the time for myself, friends, and family. I would even craft them when I had free time in elementary school and was so excited to show them to teachers and the principal. I find, along with others, an appeal in something that physically fits so well in your hand has things to look at and isn’t overwhelming with content. I used to have an American Girl book that was the miniature and summarized version of the big book and I loved it so much more.

When looking at zines, I found one that spoke to me in this current time with COVID-19. It is a zine made recently by a woman speaking out about the need for patience and flexibility with the virus. She also reflects on the frustrations and joys that she has experienced. I love the monochromatic color schemes on each page that make a rainbow to show community. I also appreciated her loose drawings and text to express her feelings. 

In order to fully understand zines, as a class, we are making our own. We are making them while reflecting on our manifestos. What is a manifesto? This is another recently learned term for me. It is a declaration aimed to reach the public and create change. In my manifesto, I focused on the concerns for the way school systems reach out to English Language Learners. Writing this made me reflect on the experiences I have had with ELL students and the need that there is for change.

This experience of writing a manifesto and preparing to make a zine to reflect it has been a good experience for me. If I had to share it with someone, it would probably be rural school districts like the one I came from. They are ill-prepared for students who need support while learning English. As educators, we have a big responsibility to invest in these students and ELL student numbers continue to increase.