With a wide-ranging story selection and a convenient size, Columbia Magazine could easily compete with consumer magazines for a reader's attention. This is intentional: the latest iteration of Columbia Magazine is the result of a recent redesign in which the editors sought to place less emphasis on administrative news and present a magazine that could be enjoyed by all readers.
The editors pulled it off, with stories that one judge described as "maddeningly good." The strength in writing and story selection is seen in such diverse topics as the effect of reopened relationships with Cuba on that country, alumni disrupting the food industry, and the "secret life of volcanoes." The magazine's design is a weaker point than its story selection, although it does not detract from the overall package.
