Series S18 - Surface

Surface was a student newspaper run largely from student contribution that attempted to offer “alternative” political commentary as through seen in its tag line “Surface: emerging into public view.” Though each yearly volume was published by different elected editorial staff, they shared common themes including feminism, environmentalism, free speech, and sexual and gender identity. Also importantly Surface was a platform for Kingston artists and writers to feature poetry, short stories, photography, and various other art forms as seen in the vivid images of the covers. The publication also published articles about international politics from Southern American conflict, African Apartheid movements and United States military actions post-911 bringing campus debates into global focus. Because of the topics covered, Surface garnered a lot of controversy and debate on campus which lead to death threats, various editors stepping down and attempted civil lawsuits. In 1993, as a result of its controversial nature, Surface lost its funding by the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) in the fall referendum. It returned in 1994 but its loss of funding resulted in Surface remaining in a state of flux until its end in 2003.