Figs & Thistles is one of the many media organizations run by Presbyterian College students to be enjoyed by Presbyterian College students. It is a literary arts magazine that invites students to submit five main types of art: poetry, non-fiction, fiction, photography, and visual arts. These submissions are then put into a Canva template where the background is customized artistically by editors selected from the student body.
On Tuesday, November 11th, 2025, Figs & Thistles hosted a launch party for their 2024 edition that was finally being released to the public after much wait. Over the school year of 2024, students submitted capturing photography from their travels, heart-breaking poetry submissions, and so much more all captured within the pages of the new magazine titled “Unearth”. Editor-in-chief Alexandra McCallister and her recently promoted co-editor-in-chief Auden Uhl-Banks worked alongside promising new hires such as Opal Langsing and Kayla McCabe to set up seating and tables lined with Chick-Fil-A catering and beverages, all hosted underneath a newly painted sign sporting a homemade appearance with paint splattered everywhere. What was a shock to many was how many attendees arrived just as the clock struck five. Around twenty to thirty people lined up for food and sat down, most with a new copy of “Unearth” in hand.
It’s hard to put a magazine like “Unearth” into words. However, the themes surround identity crisis, one’s relationship with art, and the political ideologies of today. It speaks on the act of “unearthing” something, or to discover something as you search deeper. Self-inspection, hidden insecurities, and revealing the truth of one’s relationship with their past are all incredible yet introspective themes that surround many of the art pieces in the magazine.
The best part of all of this is that the entire organization is student-run. Whilst staff are always present to give a hand and serve as advisors, students edit the magazine, write the literary pieces, draw the art, take the photos, design the flyers, and plan the events like the one many recently attended. It’s truly amazing that throughout college, some of a young person’s most stressful years, amazing artists can come up from the shadows and truly wow us all. An amazing aspect to all of this art and design? The magazines are free for all who wish to have one. Your mother? Your roommate? Your favorite teacher? Yes, pick one up in the Lobby of Neville or even better, find a Figs and Thistles editor on Instagram and ask for some. One? Seven? You got it. The more readers who enjoy the endless hours of effort put into these pages, the better.
