Wall Literary Journal

David Sherdil | Lariat

If you’re wondering what The Wall is, you’re not alone,  a surprising number of Saddleback students have never heard of it. The Wall is Saddleback College’s long-running student editorial and commentary publication, a space dedicated entirely to opinion writing, cultural analysis, and student-driven perspectives. It’s not a traditional news outlet, it’s a platform for ideas, voice, and rhetoric.

For years, The Wall has served as a kind of intellectual corner of campus: a place where students can challenge viewpoints, respond to current issues, explore personal narratives, and learn how to write persuasively. It’s run within the Journalism program, guided by faculty expertise, and supported by a small student team, including contributors like Aiden, who helps manage submissions, editing, and overall direction.

Despite its history, The Wall isn’t all that well-known anymore; I’d estimate that close to 45% of students don’t even realize it exists. That’s part of what makes the publication so special: it’s an underutilized opportunity hiding in plain sight.

Professor Gina Shaffer, who oversees the publication, describes The Wall as more than just a campus journal; she sees it as “a unique creative collaboration” where students gain hands-on editorial experience and learn to refine their writing and rhetorical skills. She emphasizes that the publication has a long tradition of excellence and notes that it “features the poetry, short stories, personal narratives, artwork, and photography of Saddleback College students” each year. She adds that the journal has earned repeated national recognition, receiving multiple First Place awards among college literary magazines, a point that highlights the quality of work produced by the students who contribute and edit it.

Professor Shaffer also stresses that participating in the class gives students the chance to experience the full editorial process, reviewing submissions, copy editing, layout, and even publicity. In her words, students become “part of the team that produces WALL,” gaining real-world skills while also having the opportunity to publish their own creative work. One of her students, Aiden, “As editor-in-chief, my job was really about cultivating all the pieces,”described his role as both collaborative and creative.

 “As editor-in-chief, my job was really about cultivating all the pieces,” Aiden said. “Everyone brings in different ideas, different voices, and different strengths. I try to take all of that and shape it into something unified that still feels true to each writer.” He explained that the most rewarding part wasn’t the leadership title or the structure he provided, but the experience of seeing the final body of work come together. “Watching it all cultivate not because of what I have done, but because I get to hear everyone’s art, that’s the real privilege,” he said.

If you are a student wanting to elevate your rhetoric, sharpen your writing, develop a stronger voice, or simply engage in meaningful conversation, then I highly recommend you take an interest in The Wall. It is among the most effective and most overlooked ways to grow as a communicator at Saddleback.

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