Life-long aspirations lead to accomplishments at Beavers Digest

Growing up, Halie Sutton was always interested in publication—now she gets to lead her own team of passionate individuals. As a digital communications junior, Sutton pursued her interests in photography by first volunteering for Orange Media Network. Sutton now works as the editor-in chief of the universities magazine—Beavers Digest. When she’s not spending time with Orange Media Network, her hobbies include cooking and riding sand dunes on her quad.

Taylor Collins: How did you get involved with Beaver’s Digest?

Halie Sutton: Beaver’s Digest started last year and I got involved by being a volunteer photographer. I was actually a part of the founding team because I joined the staff before it was even called Beaver’s Digest. Last fall is when I became a photographer for Beaver’s Digest and I fell in love with the atmosphere—I fell in love with the community of Orange Media Network. Then I applied to be graphic design director in the winter. I got that position and I held that until Spring, which is when I applied for editor-in-chief.

TC: What was the name of the magazine prior to Beaver’s Digest?

HS: Well [pauses to laugh] it was in the mix because no one knew what to call it—so it was Beaver Mag. No one really thought that was a great idea. The previous editor was satisfied with Beaver’s Digest and that became the name of it.

TC: Is there a reason for the name?

HS: We still wanted to include the name ‘beaver,’ because we took over Beaver Yearbook—that’s when the previous editor decided, “Hey let’s create the same idea, the same concept but in a magazine format.”

TC: How does this magazine take the place of the yearbook?

HS: We still have the whole idea of the memory, we still have the student life idea but we wanted to make it readable.

TC: What do you try to capture within the magazine?

HS: We are split into four sections: the student life, health and fitness, arts and culture and our section for sports—which is ‘#gobeavs’. We are a term released magazine…. so we have to make sure that our content which we created six weeks ago is still relevant for the next ten weeks while our other one is being produced.

TC: What are your responsibilities as editor-in-chief?

HS: As editor-in-chief I look over a lot of things. I look over the design, I look over the content, and handle meetings.

TC: When did your interest shift from photography to publication?

HS: If you ask any one of my family members or friends they would tell you that, “Halie has a magazine addiction.”

I started out with publication by just being interested in the magazine world, probably when I was in middle school when I first made my subscription to Cosmo Girl, then Seventeen Magazine and now Cosmo. I’ve always been interested in how they do that—not only that but the design of it also. By using my photography skills I’ve been able to embrace more than that.

TC: Which role in the publication would you like to play?

HS: I definitely want to be more on the design and content side of it—just because that’s what I feel like I’m strongest at and definitely work with lifestyle because you can do more than just fashion.

TC: What was a highlight of this past fall’s publication?

HS: There are a lot of them! I would say that the biggest highlight of fall term was getting Storm Woods to interview with us because we’re so new [as a magazine]. I was surprised that one of the MVP football players would sit down and actually have an interview with us. I would say that’s the biggest highlight… for him to be our front cover was incredible.

TC: How do students become involved?

HS: Majority of my staff is practicum students and volunteer students. We’re definitely trying to reach out to more than our current staff because I need as many writers as I can get. We want people from all majors, from all interests to join our staff. Even if they don’t write they can still be a part of the editorial board.

TC: What are you looking forwards to for the next magazine?

HS: Probably my new staff, because I get new people every term. I also am looking forwards to having my returners and being able to engage with other students and say, “Hey come be part of this! Come learn what we’re about!” and have them fall in love just like I did.

TC: What made you want to come to OSU?

HS: As a kid, my dad’s side of the family moved Oregon and my mom’s side of the family moved to Arizona (all of us are from California). I came to Oregon every summer after I was ten so I got eight years basically of Oregon living in the summer and I fell in love. I looked at Oregon schools: U of O, Portland State—but Oregon State had that family feeling.

TC: What do you do in your free time?

HS: I like to cook—I like food! And photography is a big thing, taking pictures of food is a big thing. Just photography’s the biggest thing that I do on my free time. I have started with video because I need to learn more on that. I also go to the dunes. Sand Lake is a big thing, riding my quad is a big thing… I was in the sand dunes since I was two. There’s a picture of me in my dads jeep sitting there and I’m like, “Okay, so that’s where I get it from!”

TC: What food do you like to cook?

HS: So I’ve mastered chicken foods—all foods with chicken. I learned almost everything you could make with chicken. Then my biggest thing I love to cook is breakfast. I can make eggs in every single way possible!

TC: What got you interested in cooking?

HS: Just my whole family. I’ve been surrounded by home cooks, I guess. My dad’s side of the family are Filipino, so I was interested in the Filipino and the Asian cuisine. My mom said that at a very young age, I had a “very sophisticated pallet” because I never ate baby food.

TC: If you did not pursue media studies would you have chosen culinary school?

HS: I’m not sure just because I love what I do now…. I like where I am today, I don’t regret it at all.

[email protected]