An Interview with our Editor in Chief

photo by JJ Tanaka

Everyone loves a good girl boss moment, and the ultimate girl boss - Zoe Glasser, Senior at Syracuse University and Executive in Chief of our own lovely Jerk Magazine - is sharing all of her hard work with Syracuse University through her wonderful, amazing, brilliant capstone project! 

The Capstone Project is centered around the LGBTQ+ community, and what do we at Jerk love more than a girl boss? You guessed it: all things gay and all things slay.

In one outstanding fell swoop, Zoe has combined two of Jerk’s most beloved topics - queer representation and writing - and made it into the wonderful Coming Out Issue that is now officially ready for you to read!!! (Pick up a copy at your nearest academic building!! Newhouse is chock full of ‘em.)

If you couldn’t tell by her executive title, Zoe possesses the borderline magical gift of sharing her life’s experiences through words in a way many others cannot. It is by sharing those experiences she is able to spread a resounding sense of community to people who can relate to and resonate with her work. Not only does she have a natural talent for prose and a deeply creative mind, she is a born & raised Jerk and we are honored to have interviewed one of our own.

Okay, we’re blushing. So,  let’s get to know more about Zoe & her Capstone Project!

Jerk: Where are you from?

Zoe: I’m originally from Northern Virginia, but my mom received a job opportunity when the pandemic hit, so now we live in Hawaii!

Jerk: How did you get involved with Jerk Magazine?

Zoe: I joined Jerk my first semester of freshman year. I was actually thinking of joining a different magazine, but when I went to the involvement fair on the quad and saw how cool the magazine looked, I decided to join the digital team. I was originally a Newspaper and Online Journalism major (this was back when Magazine and Digital Journalism were two different majors) but I loved Jerk so much that now I’m majoring solely in Magazine!
Jerk: What exactly is a Capstone Project?

Zoe: I’m involved with both Newhouse and Honors, which have two different requirements for the end of the year: The Capstone Project, and the Senior Thesis. I’m in one of the few majors that allows me to combine my Newhouse thesis with the honors capstone - the Renée Crown honors program. I took MND 406 last fall - Magazine writing - and with the help of Professor Melissa Chessher (staff advisor, also helped found Jerk, and former chair of the MND department) I decided to do my Capstone Project and thesis through Jerk Magazine.

Jerk: What about both your major and Jerk inspires you?

Zoe: “I honestly think the people more than anything inspire me, both at Jerk and within my major. Magazine majors and Jerks all are ridiculously talented human beings, and it's such a pleasure getting to work with them because every time I get to sit down and work with them and read their writing, I think: ‘Oh my God, you’re so good at this!’ It makes me want to be good too.” More than the people, I’ve been out as LGBT since I was twelve years old. The same year that I came out was the same year that gay marriage had become legalzied. I remember being at sleepaway camp, finding out, and crying. I realized that this decision was really important, and it ultimately motivated me to continue talking and writing about these issues.

Jerk: What do you hope will be the impact of this Capstone project?

Zoe: “Jerk Mag means the world to me,” and it does amazing reporting in a way that matters and impacts the community. “Calling it the coming out issue is a little bit of a misnomer, because it’s not all about specifically coming out, it’s also about other experiences that LGBTQ+ people have. We talk a lot in this issue about how the idea of coming out and the idea of labels as we know them aren’t flawless. Part of what I want to do is bring some nuance to these issues, because the fact of the matter is you don’t have to come out. Another part of it is, you know, in the past couple of years, we’ve seen increasing hate… A way to maybe indirectly remedy that is to tell a variety of diverse LGBTQ+ stories.” I’m not saying that I’m going to change the world with this magazine, “but I am saying that if I can help tell people’s real stories about their experiences with their identities, and impact someone and touch their life in a positive way… then I’ve done my job.” 

There you have it folks! A look into Zoe Glasser’s brilliant mind, and a little bit of insight on what she’s hoping her Capstone Project will mean to Jerk readers and SU students alike. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Coming Out Issue, and be sure to give Zoe Glasser a shoutout! We at Jerk are so proud of her and all of her accomplishments.