Founder
I started Happy Medium Magazine at Binghamton University in December 2023 with an incredibly talented team of writers and editors.
Editor In ChIef
As the first Editor in Chief of Binghamton University’s student-run politics magazine, I launched the publication as a website and, six months later, quarterly print editions.
I was awarded a research fellowship through the Binghamton University External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center’s Summer Scholars and Artists Program to compile, edit, design, publish, and distribute Happy Medium Magazine’s first print edition, which was released in August 2022.
In October 2022, I was awarded a Harpur Edge Student Support Fund Grant, which provided us with the necessary funds to cover the 2022 midterm elections and publish our second print edition.
At the Binghamton University Student Awards Gala in May 2023, I was awarded the Student Organization President of the Year Award. Happy Medium was also awarded the Outstanding Organization of the Year award, as well as the Excellence in Community Engagement award for our High School Magazine Development Program.
Director,
High School Magazine Development Program
November 2022 – Present
I launched Happy Medium’s High School Magazine Development Program in November 2022 under the mentorship of faculty advisor Dr. Heather Dorn. The spring 2023 pilot at Chenango Valley Central School District resulted in the first edition of Valley Unveiled.
The pilot of the High School Magazine Development Program was funded by a Community Engagement Faculty Teaching and Research Enrichment grant from the Binghamton University Center for Civic Engagement.
In October 2023, I joined a group of high school students who had participated in the pilot in presenting about our work at the New York State School Board Association Annual Convention.
I continue to direct the High School Magazine Development Program on behalf of Happy Medium.
Founder,
Summit on Student Political Engagement
As editor in chief of Happy Medium, I founded the Summit on Student Political Engagement through a collaborative effort between student leaders. This student-led coalition includes Happy Medium, College Democrats, College Republicans, and College Libertarians, and the Center for Civic Engagement’s student group Bing Votes.
The Summit meets at the beginning of each semester to allow a space for the student leaders of these groups to meet each other, discuss avenues for collaboration, and air grievances in a diplomatic setting.
Political Director
May 2023 – May 2024
Upon graduating and beginning full-time employment at the Center for Civic Engagement, I transitioned into the role of Political Director.
As Political Director, I advise the Editor in Chief and Executive Editing Team on matters of politics and organizational logistics. In my role as Political Director, I fulfill the following duties:
Interview Committee Chair: trains writers on interview etiquette and coordinates interviews with candidates and public officials
Head of Policy: settles disputes over interpretation of existing organizational policies and drafts new policy under direction of the executive editing team
In my capacity as Head of Policy, I recommended a structural reorganization to the incoming Executive Editing Team. One result of this restructure was the formation of HM Publishing—a subsidiary organization responsible for coordinating the publishing and distribution of Happy Medium Magazine and Valley Unveiled. HM Publishing allows Happy Medium to offer these services to other student-run publications at Binghamton University. Starting in spring 2024, HM Publishing with print and distribute Harpur College’s Sharpur Edge (which I started during a graphic design internship at the college’s student development center) and the Binghamton Policy Project’s The Blueprint.
Trevor Fornara ★ 