A staple of the Trinity publication sphere, Misc. magazine celebrated its 130th birthday on Monday with a soiree in the Graduates Memorial Building (GMB).
Ireland’s oldest student publication, Misc. boasts a litany of contributing writers such as Samuel Beckett, Leo Varadkar, and David Norris, to name a few.
Seeking to capture the “cultural and social campus” of Trinity, since its establishment in 1895, Misc. has seen immense political change, cultural revolutions, and generations upon generations of students on campus.
Speaking to Trinity News, Misc. editor-in-chief Phoebe Pascoe spoke about the characteristics, expectations, and future plans of the historic magazine.
“It was originally known as TCD: A College Miscellany, and has had a few different names,” Pascoe said, noting how it used to be published weekly.
“The editor used to be anonymous, as did most of the writers – so they published some pretty controversial and outlandish pieces, especially in the early years.”
Alongside a shift in anonymity practices, the nature of student comment has also changed dramatically throughout the years.
Commenting on what surprised her about the history of the magazine, Pascoe noted “how right wing student political opinion seemed to be at some points in the past 130 years.”
”There are definitely editorials that I wouldn’t have published – they also used to really slate specific students in satirical articles, which I don’t think we’d do now!”
Despite changes in the tone of student voice, the key characteristics of Misc. have remained strong through its lifespan.
Pascoe identified the “elements that Misc’s name implied of being a miscellany – of incorporating lots of different interests which students have” as one of the core facets of the magazine’s personality.
“That kind of hodge-podge nature, I think, has remained the same but also meant that it has adapted as students evolve, and Trinity evolves.”
On a personal note, Pascoe noted: “What drew me to Misc. was its ability to sit in a place in between a lot of the other student publications which have more specific remits.”
”Anything goes at Misc., but that doesn’t imply a lack of care or that we don’t try and hold our output to a high standard.”
When asked to predict the characteristics of Misc. in another 130 years time, Pascoe said: “Fingers crossed, Misc. will remain a place where writers at Trinity feel safe in submitting their work, whether it be their first article, the only they ever write or writing that might otherwise fall between the cracks.”
”I would love to see Misc. do some investigative features – not to tread on TN’s toes!” she said.
“I think the fact that we have so much longform and take a considerable amount of time between issues means that there is potential for a really great delve into some long standing issues at college, or just interesting minutiae that would make a fascinating article.”
Casting her eye to the 130th edition, Pascoe alluded to what readers can expect.
“We’ve tried to make this edition a mixture of looking back and reflecting on Trinity currently,” Pascoe noted.
“I don’t know if we’ve achieved the latter yet – it’s something we’re always striving towards, but I hope this issue is a bit of a time capsule for Trinity in 2025, as well as reflecting on all the changes it’s undergone since Misc. began.”
