The bridge between the University of Illinois and prospective Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications (ALEC) students is expanding with The Morrow, a new student-produced online magazine.

The Morrow takes its name after the university's storied Morrow experimental agriculture plots. It was created in a new class called Publication Development and Production, led by agricultural communications faculty member Dr. Owen Roberts.

Class members and other student contributors offer readers a glimpse into on-campus activities and opportunities available at the U of I, especially those in the ALEC program.

"Our motivation is helpfulness and clarity," says managing editor Kali Walker, an agricultural communications junior from Cerro Gordo, Ill. "The class members agreed that we had a long list of questions when we first considered being an Illini. We want to help eliminate that uncertainty."

This inaugural edition offers a first-hand look at topics such as where an ALEC degree can take its graduates, the experiential learning opportunities within each ALEC track (leadership, education and communications), inclusivity across the increasingly diverse campus, and a healthy dose of Illini pride.

"The Morrow is aimed at prospective students, but it also gave those of us who created it a unique chance to develop marketable skills and a finished product that we hope will capture the eye of employers," says photo editor Ava Oros, an agricultural communications junior from Hettick, IL. "Although creating the magazine was our class assignment, it quickly became more than that to us, it was real life."

Roberts says online news and publications like The Morrow serve an important communications role for many agricultural organizations, commodity groups, businesses, and media.

"Experiential learning activities, like creating online publications, are exciting and rewarding for students, and help meet the needs of employers," he says. "We appreciate the widespread support we received for this initiative from the agri-food community and from communications colleagues, as well as from the college and alumni."

The Morrow is being distributed to a network of agriculture teachers, extensionists, 4-H leaders, FFA leaders and Illini alumni.

For more information about The Morrow, contact Owen Roberts at oroberts@illinois.edu. For information about the ALEC program, contact Gary Ochs at garyochs@illinois.edu.