By Olivia Eiken | Staff Writer

Founded by a group of Baylor students, Trope Magazine seeks to be a common landing space for Baylor and Waco creatives alike. Its motto is “shattering the boundaries of storytelling,” and it is doing just that.

Irving junior Vennela Vattikuti, creative and styling director, said she created Trope Magazine as a way to redefine the very essence of narrative and diverse expression. She said her inspiration came from a unique opportunity she had while working as a stylist for Saffron — an editorial South Asian magazine based in Austin.

“The creative environment I was able to be a part of inspired me to create a similar experience for Baylor and Waco creatives,” Vattikuti said. “Therefore, I took it as my responsibility to create aninclusivespaceforstudent artists to express their perspectives through art.”

Vattikuti said each edition has a specific theme. Each contributor will then pitch whatever media they prefer that falls within the theme, ranging from editorial photoshoots to creative writing pieces.

This semester, the Trope Magazine team is creating and curating all of the creative elements for the first edition, expecting print and digital publication by January 2024.

Dallas junior Simin Kurji, marketing and social media director for Trope Magazine, said she is confident that a magazine is the perfect medium to execute the creatives’ vision.

Similar to Vattikuti, she said she credits fashion and creative magazines as a significant inspiration for her growing up and would like to provide that inspiration to others.

“Magazines are a great form of expression because they can combine literature, photography, art and fashion in a way that not a lot of other mediums can,” Kurji said.

Vattikuti said the Trope Magazine team chose to not be affiliated with Baylor for a few reasons, one being that they wanted the opportunity to invite young Waco artists outside of the Baylor community to contribute to the magazine.

“Our decision to be unaffiliated with Baylor is not based on what it lacks as an institution, but instead as a growth opportunity to expand our community further than campus grounds,” Vattikutisaid.

According to Kurji, the team also made the decision for independence to promote inclusivity.

“We wanted to make this magazine diverse and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their background and what they bring to the table,” Kurji said.