One of the Pacific Northwest鈥檚 largest-circulation magazines is changing its name and look.
鈥� the new quarterly publication from the 天美影视传媒 Alumni Association 鈥� is out for home delivery next week replacing what since 1989 has been known as Columns.
鈥淲e wanted a name that was clear, powerful and resonant,鈥� said Jonathan Marmor, the magazine鈥檚 editor. 鈥淭he expanded content offers the reader an incredible range of stories about impact and innovation in our community and around the world, told through the lens of the UW.鈥�
It was time for a redesign for the magazine, he said. Younger readers and alumni from UW鈥檚 Bothell and Tacoma campuses didn鈥檛 understand the connection between the Columns name and the four historic Greek columns, named Loyalty, Industry, Faith and Efficiency, in Sylvan Grove 鈥� a tribute to the University鈥檚 early beginnings in downtown Seattle. And the magazine wanted to widen its audience and compete with commercial magazines for readers鈥� time and attention.
鈥淭he new magazine reflects the global nature of the impact of the 天美影视传媒,鈥� said Paul Rucker, the magazine鈥檚 publisher and executive director of the UW Alumni Association. 鈥淭hese changes should expand our audience by attracting new readers and people from outside the UW鈥檚 immediate circles with top-notch story telling at its finest.鈥�
Since June 1908, the alumni association has published a magazine for graduates of the UW. Originally called the Washington Alumnus, the publication was created to share the news of the school with alumni and other people interested in the development of the state鈥檚 foremost higher education institution. The first issue featured a view of Mount Rainier on the cover and sold for 20 cents, or $1 for an annual subscription. Though the business model and the format changed many times, the Alumnus continued its work, with a few brief hiatuses for financial reasons.
The name Columns first came to campus as a student-produced lampoon magazine from the 1920s through the 1950s, while the Alumnus title persevered through the decades as the name of the alumni publication.
Then, in 1989, during the Campaign for Washington, one of the UW鈥檚 first major fundraising campaigns, the magazine changed names to Columns, and expanded circulation to all living alumni of the school, or about 115,000. Today, the magazine is mailed to around a quarter million households worldwide.
天美影视传媒 Magazine, the newest incarnation, has a spine like a book and is a larger format both in the physical size and the number of pages, Marmor said. It鈥檚 designed to linger longer in offices and homes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a completely different physical product,鈥� he said.
Readers will find long-form storytelling about the research and scholarship at the university and its impact on campus and around the globe. The 鈥淔orward鈥� section is home to opinion and letters; the 鈥淗UB鈥� contains news and research stories from the university; Impact showcases stories of giving. And 鈥淐olumns鈥� will live on, in a fashion. The name remains in the magazine as the title of a section devoted to alumni news and news about the university community beyond the three campuses.
The changes should attract new audiences to both the print publication and its digital counterpart.
鈥淯W has so many amazing stories to share,鈥� Marmor said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait to tell them.鈥�