Undergrads Launch On-Line Magazine

Soon this fall, a Harvard publication will break away from print, paper, and the press to join the growing media of the Internet.

Icon, an on-line magazine founded by four undergraduates, held its first meeting last week, soliciting everything from fables to essays on American politics.

The September 24 meeting started with organizers telling a mix of personal stories and fables. Attendees joined in, telling other narratives to demonstrate that "almost everyone has a story to tell."

But the on-line journal will not be limited to stories. Poetry, photo essays, creative writing, critical essays--virtually everything, say the organizers--will be welcome on the site, located at www.digitas.harvard.edu/icon.

Darryl Li '01, Parul Singh '00, Swan Sit '99-'00 and Maryanthe E. Malliaris, who is also a Crimson executive, are Icon's four co-founders.

They said in their mission statement that they aim to create a publication that's "part magazine, part gallery, part forum," a "participatory space where the power of stories is given new freedom."

Although not yet officially recognized by the Dean of Students office, the group claims some 20 members.

The concept of the journal was the brainchild of a year's musing on the tools of the Web, like hypertext, interactivity and multimedia, by Li and Singh.

Li, who has experience in print journalism and radio, said he hopes to use the Web's tools to make the site more effective.

"So much of what's on the Web is not taking advantage of the medium," he said.

Joshua S. Vonkorff '01, a physics concentrator, attended last week's meeting.

"I've been looking for some [room] for creative expression," Vonkorff said.

Jacob Chudnovsky '01, co-coordinator of the Filmmakers' Network for Harvard-Radcliffe Television, also attended.

"The time has come for something like this in the Harvard setting," he said.

Chudnovsky said he would like to apply some of the same techniques--interactivity, multimedia--to his field of television.

As an on-line publication, Icon follows in the wake of popular mainstream sites like Salon and Slate but will try to distinguish itself by becoming fully multimedia.

"We're not providing news," Malliaris said. "It's about the way things connect. It's not simply about information."

Jason Q. Purnell '99 is among several Harvard affiliates who contribute to the Internet magazine Peel. He said recognizes a potential for both traditional and Internet media.

"I think [Internet publishing is] interesting. [But] I don't think it's going to pull anybody away from traditional print media," he said.

Icon's Web site is supported by Digitas, whichcreated Harvard's first on-line journal, Elektra,which is no longer published.

Elektra covered computer science interests,whereas Icon is aimed at the general Harvardreadership.

Even though Digitas offers Web space for free,Icon's other publication are defrayed byadvertising, the magazine's staff said.

On the eve of the on-line magazine's firstissue yesterday, Vonkorff was philosophical.

"It's something that has not been done muchbefore, and that's its only limitation.

Icon's Web site is supported by Digitas, whichcreated Harvard's first on-line journal, Elektra,which is no longer published.

Elektra covered computer science interests,whereas Icon is aimed at the general Harvardreadership.

Even though Digitas offers Web space for free,Icon's other publication are defrayed byadvertising, the magazine's staff said.

On the eve of the on-line magazine's firstissue yesterday, Vonkorff was philosophical.

"It's something that has not been done muchbefore, and that's its only limitation.