WORD Magazine was created in the fall of 2007 as a way to redefine what it meant to be a college student living in Isla Vista. By choosing to highlight the numerous cultural and innovative aspects of student life rather than perpetuating the negative party school stereotype, WORD was able to draw attention to a different side of this vibrant community.

With guidance from illustrator/designer and former WORD staffer Sadie Solomon, and IV Arts Director Anna Jensen, students learn the ins and outs of magazine publication. Due to being a student-driven publication, each story, photograph, and illustration was created by someone who knows and loves Isla Vista in a way that only a local can.

Today, WORD‘s mission remains the same as when it first started:

• Provide an inclusive and supportive environment for budding writers and artists to learn and grow

• Showcase Isla Vista and UCSB students in new ways that emphasize originality, creativity, and community

• Make people proud to call Isla Vista their home