The Social Media Activist's Handbook

Natalie Willoughby ’21

When Natalie Willoughby ’21 decided to publish a zine featuring her work on intersectionality in online activism, she was adding her voice to a rich legacy of self-published, underground magazines going back nearly a century. Like those zines, Willoughby’s project aims to spark a dialogue about a controversial topic. Taking inspiration from those publications, Willoughby is examining a new medium: online activism. It’s the culmination of a three-month summer research project, which Willoughby hopes will help her fellow students be better advocates for social justice.

Breaking Free of the Machine

Student actors perform onstage in Norton Clapp Theatre in a production of Machinal, 2021

In March, the stage lights came up in Norton Clapp Theatre on a very different kind of production. A small group of actors wearing face shields stood in front of rows of empty seats while cameras streamed the performance online. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the fall main stage show, Puget Sound’s Department of Theatre Arts found creative solutions to safely mount the spring production of Machinal.

No Passport Necessary

Illustration of two bike riders pedaling toward the French countryside

The coronavirus forced the cancellation of 2020–21 study abroad programs—including the long-running Dijon program that, for many French majors, satisfies a graduation requirement. So the program leaders had to get creative.

Black Lives, Black Voices

Colorful abstract illustration

For people of color, what happened wasn’t new—it was merely a reminder of what they have seen and experienced all their lives. To gain perspective, we asked three people to reflect on the issues the country has been grappling with. One is a Black student who has struggled to feel comfortable at Puget Sound—and who is trying to make the path easier for others who follow her. Another is an alumnus whose lifelong activism dates to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.