Friday marked the inaugural release of a new publication for the humanities and social sciences, The Aurantiaco. 

The annual journal strives to build appreciation for areas beyond STEM within the greater Clemson community, offering students the opportunity to be published for what might be their first time. 

“The pieces contained within this edition span a wide range of disciplines, anywhere from history to political theory to architecture,” said Meredith Johnson, editor-in-chief of The Aurantiaco and a senior political science major. “Yet they all share one common thread: serious, intellectual thought which sheds light on some aspect of the human experience.” 

Conceived of in a coffee shop downtown by co-founder Louise Franke, a senior biochemistry major, and faculty advisor Adam Thomas, the first issue boasts 11 peer-selected articles. 

Franke’s vision, combined with Johnson’s drive, is what brought The Aurantiaco from idea to press in only eight months, according to Thomas. 

“It’s become, as you can tell, much greater and more interesting than we could possibly have imagined it would be,” he said. 

Overcoming the time crunch was a challenge, Johnson said, but her hand-picked team of 12 editors is what made it all possible.  

An abundance of submissions also gave the group an opportunity to work alongside students, coaching them through their pieces with writing workshops. Less than 20% of all submissions received made it into this year’s issue, according to Johnson. 

Helen Schmidt, a senior political science and philosophy major, was thankful for the experience she received from publishing her article on Russia and international law. 

“What a niche that Louise [Franke] and Meredith [Johnson] found,” said Schmidt. “I appreciate that this opportunity exists.”