By Jacqueline Zuniga

The Toyon Multilingual Literary Magazine held a launch party April 22 in the Great Hall to highlight one of the university’s longest running student publications and brought students, faculty and contributors together for an afternoon of readings and celebration of the 72nd issue. The event featured published work, student run presentations, free copies of the new issue and Palestinian desserts. Toyon advisor Marcos Hernandez said the publication carries a long legacy on campus, dating back to 1954. 

“Toyon has been printing [literature] since 1954,” Hernandez said. “As a legacy publication in Humboldt, Toyon’s pages reflect a rich history of art and social activism on-campus.”

 He pointed to the magazines’ connection to documenting movements such as the counterculture in the 60s, the student-led anti-war movement in the 70s and local multicultural organizing efforts through the years. More recently, the magazine has featured the global movement in solidarity with Palestine. He emphasized that Toyon not only serves as a literary outlet, but also is a space for students from all majors to publish their creative work.

This year’s issue centered on “sumud,” a Palestinian noun meaning steadfastness, perseverance or persistence in the face of adversity. Guest editor Jamilia Hashem said she helped shape this year’s theme by working with the editorial team to help encompass and embody what sumud means.

Hashem was involved in last year’s issue, which led her to be invited back with a bigger role as guest editor. Hashem said that this issue is meant to reflect the ongoing commitment to raising awareness about Palestine and other issues rather than a singular movement.

She worked with the other guest editor, Dr. Abdulaziz Akila, to shape the theme of this issue from the perspective of two Palestinians. They focused on both personal and collective experiences to reflect ongoing struggles. She also said Toyon connects different social issues and shows how storytelling is part of activism through journalism.

“This isn’t just a performative piece of standing with Palestine,” Hashem said. “We really want to keep carrying this message forward.”

Attendees shared their reactions to the event. Neveah Salinas, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, described the experience as impactful and educational. 

“It was very nice to hear all the different pieces,” Salinas said. “It was for sure eye-opening.” 

Salinas added that the readings helped her better understand the issues happening in Palestine. She encouraged others to attend future events because of the sense of community present during the event. 

The launch of Toyon 72 showed how student writing and art can bring multiple communities together. Through readings and presentations, attendees celebrated the magazine’s commitment to social issues and creativity. 

Jacqueline is a journalism major, a news manager for KRFH and she aspires to be a sports journalist one day.