SEFER rebranded as Olive & Ash

Since the ’70s, the university’s literary magazine, SEFER, has been an extraordinary outlet for CSU’s creative community to express their artistic talents and testimonies. Going forward, the magazine will continue to provide this same opportunity for students, but under a new identity: Olive & Ash. In recent years, the publication has been a project of the English Department.

After careful consideration by faculty, editors, and students alike, the magazine was adapted to reflect a more modern look and feel. According to Professor Daniel Leach, the magazine’s faculty supervisor, the new name is meant to be “more contemporary, more accessible, and more ambiguous.” 

The original name is derived from the ancient Hebrew word meaning “scroll” or “book of wisdom,” no doubt significant for the magazine’s original contributors decades ago, but Leach and the student editors have expressed concerns about its modern relevancy and wanted something more befitting of the student community of today. The current Managing Editor, Kayla Lass, came up with the new name because the words olive and ash are closely intertwined with the Scriptures and more recognizably Christian than the previous name. She said, “[We] wanted something that felt more professional and creative while continuing to draw on the Christian nature of the school.” 

More than just a name, Olive & Ash brings a whole new look to the magazine, courtesy of fall 2024 graduate Belle Lewis, who designed the new logo and assisted with creating the new aesthetic for the upcoming print journal. A new color palette, a revised assortment of fonts, and an updated digital presence are among the major changes brought about by Lewis and the editors. She designed the new logo with a professionally academic image in mind to represent both the Christian identity of the magazine as well as the range of serious material published within its pages. Under a new identity, the magazine will continue to pursue the same purpose according to Lewis and the editors: to “polish, present, and publish the artistic poems, fiction, and nonfiction accounts of students attending Charleston Southern University.”

Following the magazine’s renovation, the editors will continue to provide a multitude of ways for students to become involved. Those interested can meet with either Leach or Professor Kyler Campbell in Norris Hall 105. Additionally, Olive & Ash will continue to sponsor on-campus events “designed to foster creative culture” according to Leach, including open mic nights at Java City, bimonthly writing workshops open for all writers new or experienced, and visiting authors and writers for live readings and craft talks. 

In addition to fostering creativity and inclusion, these are also great opportunities to meet the student editors and, in Leach’s words, “experience some of the incredible things happening in our community of writers and artists.” Lass said, “It’s truly a place where students can be open, honest, and creative.” She said she hopes the rebrand will “allow students to feel connected to writers of the past while being continuously encouraged by peers and professors.” 

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