News

When first-year student Lizi Tevdorashvili ‘28 moved from the country of Georgia to Brooklyn, she never imagined she’d soon be helping to lead a creative community at Lehigh University.

Tevdorashvili, 18, served on the executive board for Voices, a student-run literary magazine published in the spring semester. Next year, she’ll be President of the executive board, when the magazine celebrates its 10th anniversary.

“We just want to create an environment where people will be able to come, spend time with us, and have a voice,” Tevdorashvili said. “Somewhere they can say whatever they want, write a poem or story or share their art, and know that their voice has been heard.”

Voices celebrates Lehigh’s diverse community of student, staff, and faculty artists, photographers, and writers. More than 100 people from the Lehigh community submitted art, poetry, and creative writing for inclusion in this year’s magazine.

It is run by students, with support from Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and International Center for Academic and Professional English (ICAPE). ICAPE Language Specialists Teresa Cusumano and Maria Cristina Montufar serve as faculty advisors.

“Voices is more than a literary magazine,” Cusumano said. “It seeks to foster community, creative expression, and a welcoming environment. Voices highlights and celebrates the creativity, diversity, and inspiration that flourish at Lehigh University.”

Voices is available in hard copy format upon request, as well as online, where digital versions of both the current and past editions can be found. Submission to the magazine can be sent through that website.

Originally named International Voices, the title has been changed to Voices to emphasize that submissions are open to all, not just international students. However, many international students at Lehigh have contributed submissions, helping them feel connected and heard after adjusting to a new environment.

“I’ve seen so many students here from different countries—from places like Asia and South America,” Tevdorashvili said. “We have a very diverse student body here at Lehigh. I’m proud to be part of that, and to be part of something like Voices that celebrates that diversity.”

For example, one of the submissions was a poem called The Deer and Its Lion, by Nino Teodoradze ‘28, a bioengineering student who is also from Georgia. Tevdorashvili said it made her proud to see an international student from her own home country contributing to Voices.

Tevdorashvili first learned of Voices during Lehigh’s Fall Club & Community Expo last year. As president next year, she hopes to help increase student engagement, grow club membership, and explore rebranding and promoting the inclusive identity of the magazine.

“I know a lot of the students who were published this year were very proud to see their work featured,” said Tevdorashvili, who is studying at Lehigh’s College of Business, with plans to major in economics and minor in international relations. “We look forward to growing that engagement next year.”

In addition to the magazine, Voices hosts several social activities and service events throughout the academic year. The club collaborates with Lehigh’s Gender, Leadership and Empowerment Center, Lehigh After Dark, and other organizations in the Bethlehem community.