Maddox Adkins

Zine Prints

With mainstream media taking a lead in covering the day-to-day actions of newly inaugurated Donald Trump, student voices can be easily overshadowed by the frenzied early days of Trumps second term. Rather than reporting on mass firings or the renaming of Gulfs, Hayfield senior Maddox Adkins actually distributed a magazine, or ‘zine’ in late January. This more grassroots form of publishing has given several Hayfield students a voice- though unaffiliated with the school.

“The zine was entirely edited and created by me, and most of the art was mine,” Adkins said.

This zine, though, wasn’t just a one-man job.

“The submissions were made by people from Hayfield but also includes art and writings from people all across the country. I’m fortunate to know people who are very talented writers, authors, and poets who want to have their voices heard,” Adkins said.

The idea for this student publication took place after the November 2024 election results, where Trump won all seven swing states despite the campaign efforts of the Democratic party and Kamala Harris. These results didn’t go unnoticed at Hayfield, leaving many students wanting to get more involved in politics and activism, regardless of party affiliation.

“Many people were very concerned about their future [post election], and wanted to fight for their rights to be heard,” Adkins said. “I wanted to funnel all that energy into something productive, rather than getting into pointless draining debates on social media,”

But why in the format of a zine? Zines gained popularity in the 1990s, with their messy, unabashed style calling out issues in the music industry such as sexism and sexual assault. However, their popularity has since dwindled with the rise of technology and social media, the similar Me Too movement in 2017 mostly taking place on Twitter.

Adkins discovered zines through his love of the local music scene.

“I go to many local punk shows where lots of young people will sell or freely distribute their zines, and I think it’s a great way to basically self-publish your own work,” Adkins said.

Though Adkins zine is political, not all have to be.

One upside of this unconventional publishing method is the ability to include any student, regardless of their writing experience.

“I haven’t really had any formal journalism experience ever, but I’m passionate about politics and art, and I know there are plenty of people just like me who just need a push to get started,” Adkins said.

With the publication being completely unaffiliated with Hayfield, that takes off a certain pressure from its contributors to restrict their language and feelings about the current political climate.

“ I believe that uplifting voices that may be underserved can help introduce outsiders to new perspectives, especially from those of queer people, women, and people of color,” Adkins said.

Hayfield Secondary has many student-led initiatives aiming to help minority communities, such as Best Buddies or the new Women in STEM club. In creating this zine, and enlisting the help of other students, Adkins has found a new way to help- by letting everyone’s voice be heard.