USU alumna Lydia Velazquez had two zines selected by the Salt Lake City Library’s Alt Press Fest to be included in their grab bags in October. The two zines are titled “IM MOVING PAST THE FEELING” and “I WILL FORGET TO CALL.” Both zines address navigating difficult and draining emotions during transitional periods of time. She made the zines during the summers of 2018 and 2021. Talking about the inspiration and creation process, Lydia says, “Both summers I felt lonely and isolated for different reasons and I was trying to make sense of experiences during prior months while attempting to look forward to coming months. They're very similar in that way. While IMPTF is definitely more ‘coming-of-age,’ as I was moving through the end of my teenhood at the time, while IWFTC is a reflection on trying to be a ‘real person’ and dealing with the associated expectations while living through a pandemic and dealing with personal challenges during it.”
Lydia studied English with an emphasis in Professional and Technical Writing and a minor in journalism. A Maryland-transplant, she lives in Logan and works for the USU Office of Graduate Studies as a Communications and Marketing Assistant and for Gattaca Media as a SEO Content Specialist. She credits her time in Technical Writing for informing and influencing her zine making. Lydia reflects, “More than anything, the professors I had gave me the confidence to explore these creative endeavors seriously. Every professor I had was supportive of my interests, my chosen projects topics, and how I approached my projects. Their support and feedback really gave me the confidence to go from saying ‘I want to make zines’ or ‘I want to be a graphic designer’ to experimenting with my work, trying things out and saying ‘I am a zine-maker and a graphic designer.’”
Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed is a graduate student in his second year, pursuing a doctorate in sociology at USU. He recently helped survey Utahns to see if environmental concerns affect the decision to have children.
Utah State University President’s Office recently held receptions for this year’s round of inaugural lectures. Three recently promoted faculty in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences presented thoughtful reflections on their research and the even...
