Welcome to Synthesis Publications!

The Staff • September 1, 2020

Who we are.

Amidst all the tragedies and plights devastating our world, we, the original co-founders of Synthesis Publications, came together to build this website as a means to inspire creativity in others as well as to bring awareness to current issues. Our team of driven high-school students formed an unforgettable bond while creating what we hope will grow into a large and influential platform. Though we have a shared passion for writing and art, each of us offers a different perspective on national and global themes, thereby making Synthesis a melting pot––a combination of all of our unique backgrounds, talents, and interests. 

The genius behind this idea, Elise Tao, is the one who masterminded the project, which began with journalism but quickly expanded to include poetry, short stories, personal essays, photography, art, and more. Under her leadership, the rest of our staff were eager to set this idea in motion, and we pushed ourselves to complete the website within the last three weeks of our summer.

Spread across the entire United States, from California to New York, with diverse ethnic backgrounds and completely different lifestyles and personalities, we give you a huge variety of news articles and opinions, not to mention poems and personal essays that reflect our own individual life experiences as well.

With goals to magnify the voices of Generation Z, we represent the progressive and determined attitudes of today's youth, looking to incorporate the works of other teens on our website as well. While we witness the world around us fall into a period of instability and hopelessness, it is our duty as the future generation to not only report on the injustices and catastrophes, thus educating others, but to also call attention to issues such as racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equality, which is of extreme importance to all of us in Synthesis.

We may not be as skilled as reporters and journalists in renowned publications such as The New Yorker or The New York Times, but it is our fresh, youthful perspectives on similar subjects that truly set us apart from other successful magazines and newspapers. As teenagers, our voices need to be heard––the efforts put into progressing our society now are what we will have to live with in the future. Thus, the creation of Synthesis began, fueled by our passions and desires to express ourselves freely and ultimately completed due to the painstaking efforts of our staff members.

Why us.

Unlike most magazines and newspapers, we are not stationed around a specific region. Instead, our writers and artists are spread out all over the United States. Thus, our perspectives are not only younger, but our ideas, opinions, and the events we may witness and document have a broader range than what is typically seen. Speaking of variety, Synthesis Publications offers all different styles of writing and art, in contrast to newspapers including only a few specific types of material. Here, you will find a little something for everyone: writing or art, formality or informality, clarity or obscurity. Or perhaps a little of everything? We don’t judge! Our platform is a safe haven for all audiences, regardless of background, race, age, opinions, etc. After all, we ourselves are a jumble of organized chaos, embracing ideas from all over the place on distinctive forms of art; a synthesis.

Our roots.

Synthesis Publications was founded by a group of freshmen and sophomores in August of 2020. (Most of) the group met during an online summer program at Columbia University, centered on journalism and non-fiction. After the program ended, Elise Tao, one of the students, knew she didn’t want to lose contact with the others. She always had a desire to begin a newspaper or literary magazine of some sort. So what better opportunity did she have than this? Elise knew that with the help of the other students, they could form a publishing guild of their own. It would include all different media: combining journalism, visual art, short stories, and more, accepting submissions from teens around the world. 

And so it began. The group had their goal and were determined to see it through. After weeks and weeks of meetings, texting, Zoom calls, and a healthy dose of arguing, Synthesis Publications was born. It wasn’t easy; each staff member had to be fully committed and sacrifice a lot of time to make the publication the best it could be. Each person used their connections; contacting friends, siblings, and acquaintances to see if they were interested in submitting. And on September 1st, 2020, their hard work finally paid off. 

The Synthesis site was ready for the World Wide Web just one short month after its founding. The Synthesis staff continues to promote its content by posting on social media, spreading awareness in their communities, and encouraging more and more people to submit. We are determined to continue to grow our subscriber base in the future.

But above all, the unique dynamic of Synthesis is what allows it to thrive. The staff aren’t just coworkers-- Synthesis is a family. Each member has a special connection with the others, and their friendship is what helps them push each other and make each of their pieces live up to their full potential.

Hard work, determination, and friendship. The three principles that Synthesis Publications is built on. The three ideals that we hold so close to our hearts-- the three ideals that we live by-- are what will allow Synthesis to continue to grow and blossom in the future.

Representation.

Synthesis by definition is the “the composition or combination of parts or elements so as to form a whole.” Our publication is a community, and each and every staff writer, artist, and creative contributor brings our community alive. Our voices, ranging far and wide across the U.S, are the parts and elements that make our publication whole. But what makes each voice so valuable, is that every voice represents a special point of view. Every one of our writers comes from a different walk of life, and their culmination of experiences results in unique and creative artistry.

Synthesis budded from a Columbia class in nonfiction and journalism, that all the original staff members partook in. In the application, we were asked how where we come from has made us into who we are. And from then on, all of us began to understand the idea of roots, and how unique they truly make us. With roots in California, Washington, New Jersey, New York, D.C, Synthesis became a mini-map before it even began. The question “Where are you from?” was asked with both ease and curiosity. And the answer wasn't just a fact, but a revelation. 

However, Synthesis’s diversity only begins with where our staff is from. The multitude of stories and experiences that derive from their roots is what makes them great artists and writers. Each voice has a story behind it. Every staff member has something they want to put out into the world. No two stories are ever identical. From pieces about ourselves to politics, to music, to fantasy, to art, our work is peppered with originality. Our writers have cultivated a voice, making their writing unique and purposeful. 

The diversity of our staff makes sure that Synthesis Publications is a space for every experience to be highlighted, and no experience to be undervalued. And while our staff represents many different experiences, we are always looking for different points of view and different types of creativity. We want to learn as much as we want to create. 

Not only does Synthesis promote creativity, but through writing, we want to strive for a better future for our world. And one way to start is to value our differences and promote diversity among our voices. We cannot move forward if we don’t understand and lift up those who are different from us. That is why representation and diversity are so important to us at Synthesis, and our staff reflects that. 

The impact.

At Synthesis Publications, we encourage young writers and artists to create with purpose. We aim to motivate our audience, no matter their identity or beliefs, to voice the ever-changing nature of this world. This is a platform for acceptance and belonging. Truth and integrity. Passion and empathy. By definition, “synthesis” is the production of chemical compounds by reaction from simpler materials. Our 'synthesis' comprises of ideas, people, stories, images, and soul in coalescence. We effectively communicate our thoughts to deliver content of our own, a means of showcasing depth to our audience. Synthesis is simply our projection to the world. Externalizing the internal. Letting others internalize our external. Hoping to entertain, inform, and persuade. This is Synthesis Publications.

Thank you to everyone on our staff:

Elise Tao - Founder, Writer

Athena Wu - Co-Founder, Writer

Fiona Lui-Martin - Writer

Sienna Maguire - Artist

Sasha Lee - Writer

Noah Goldwasser - Contributing Writer

Navya Dalmia - Writer

Calista Lee - Writer

Jana Gallevo - Photographer

Bryce Ocden - Photographer

Sophie Morales - General Manager