Squirrel Digest, an arts magazine that debuted at Goshen College last spring as an experiment in independent student publishing, will produce two more issues this year, one in the fall and one in the spring.  

Weeks before the fall semester began, the business department awarded a $6,000  entrepreneurship grant to the magazine staff, which is focused on stories about current students and recent alumni. Whether it be fashion, poems, art, music, travel or current events, GC’s Squirrel Digest has it covered.

The mission statement for the magazine is as follows: “Squirrel Digest is an official Goshen College student-run magazine looking to highlight student and alumni stories through feature writing, short stories, poetry, photography and other forms of art. We strive to bring in a wide variety of student expressions and work and look to connect the broader GC and Goshen communities with our audience.”

The Squirrel Digest was created by Charlie Aldrich ‘25 and made its debut in the spring of 2025.

Now that Aldrich has graduated, the position of editor-in-chief is being shared by Griffin Eash, junior graphic design major, and Mackenzie Miller, junior communications major and music minor.  

Thanks to the grant from the business department, the magazine is able to have a paid staff comprised of eight students, which includes staff writers, staff artists, a layout editor and a photo editor. 

According to Eash, the magazine is set to be fully compiled by Nov 1 and sent to print by late November or early December. He said, “So far, it’s been a lot of organizing, because we really want to keep it set up for the future. We want to make sure it keeps going.” 

Though the magazine was first published in the spring, the idea began earlier. Aldrich said, “In fall of 2024 I was really burnt out as executive co-editor of The Record and I wanted to really pursue a passion project.” 

At first, he didn’t tell anyone about it – and he was nervous to ask for help because that meant that it was “real.” He felt that if he asked for but the magazine didn’t actually happen that he would be “letting people down.” 

Speaking on what motivated him to go for it, Aldrich said he told himself, “Hey Charlie, if you want to do this you need to do it now. You have great support and it’s your last semester. It’s now or never.”

Mafe Aguilar Vargas, a junior graphic design and marketing major and visual specialist for the original Squirrel Digest, emphasized the importance of collaboration. She said, “If you are going to start something don’t do it alone. Connect with people.”

Aldrich said that Squirrel Digest was hard emotionally, financially and academically. He was balancing 16 credit hours, and said, “It was extremely overwhelming.” In addition to time, Aldrich provided financially as well, funding the full magazine himself. He paid $803 for the 70 print copies that were distributed across campus. 

Despite needing to use his own money for the magazine, Aldrich said, “It is the most fulfilling thing I have done so far. It gave me a sense of purpose and I felt called to do it.” 

Eash said, “Charlie did a lot of work to get it done, and it was a very well thought-out magazine. Everything about it was very cohesive, and it just was an impressive effort overall.” 

Eash had considered starting a magazine of his own, but it never made it any further than an idea.Eash told Aldrich that he thought the magazine was amazing. Aldrich asked Eash if he was interested in keeping the magazine going – together with Miller – and both accepted.

The co-editor-in-chief position is filled on a semester basis, and while there are some possible candidates, the spring semester editors have not yet been decided. 

Aaliah Higareda, a senior graphic design major, was the creative design manager for the first issue of Squirrel Digest. She advocated for projects like this, saying, “Go for it. Take the risk to do what you truly want to do. Nothing stops you from pursuing your dreams. There are so many ways to express yourself in a place where everyone can come together.” 

Eash said, “When it comes out, read it. That’s all I ask.”