Our Story
What is a Smudge? A smudge is the threshold through which everything passes, the liminal, the place where anything can happen. A smudge is a site of liberation, the place where colors, cultures, aesthetics, traditions, blend, merge, and build. A smudge is a demarcation of transformation, the in between, the pupa and cocoon between caterpillar and butterfly. A smudge can become anything. The smudge is us.
Smudge was founded in 2021 when a group of students discussed the frustrations of cultural misunderstandings in the writing workshop, especially during critiques. Smudge was created to prevent further misinterpretations, to provide a safe space for writers and artists of color where they feel like their work will not be undervalued and misjudged.
Our name comes from a poem, “Smudge” written by Malachi Jones who won the Golden Portfolio Award from Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The final line of his poem captures Smudge's presence on campus: "A black mass against a bright canvas." Rather than hiding away, Smudge takes pride in this presence.
Check out our video “The Story Behind Smudge” here.
Soo Min Rhee (they/them) is a Psychology major with a sustained interest in fibre arts, storytelling, and occasional screaming. They were born in Seoul, South Korea, but predominantly speak English, which influences a majority of their work. They adore talking about doomed narratives. Unsurprisingly, one of their favourite authors is Ocean Vuong.
Editor in Chief
President
Maya Jana (she/her) is a double major in math and economics from Houston, Texas. She loves Pokémon, bugs, and everything cute. She's always thinking about her dog, Coda.
Head of Design
Almudena Soledispa (she/her) is a Design major with a double minor in Art History and Classics. She is interested in Architecture and Archaeology. She is from Spain, has an Ecuadorian background, and was raised in New York. She spends her time reading, sketching people and buildings, and visiting jazz clubs. As Head of Design, she enjoys working in a team and merging the team’s vision into a visual repression of Smudge.
Treasurer
Kiara Seth (she/her) is a prospective Neuroscience major. She was born and brought up in Mumbai, India, and moved to the U.S. for university. She loves creative writing and re-watching Brooklyn Nine Nine, and has a soft spot for pink skies. She loves the summer, but New England is slowly helping her fall in love with the cold.
Secretary
Lili Epstein (she/they) is a sophomore and Design major at Wheaton from Vermont. She is a visual artist and plays piano. They are a big fan of sandwiches, scrapbooking, beabadoobee, and watching movies in bed.
Section Editor
Nico Adams León (she/they) is a Visual Arts and Biology double major. Her hometown is Guadalajara, Mexico but she lives in Florida. They have 2 cats that they talk about often and they spend most of their time at the beach when back home.
Illustrator
Charli McLemore (she/her) is a Marketing and Design major from Ridgefield, CT. She enjoys creating art, traveling, and contributing to her community. Her art and design expertise includes digital art, graphic design, website design, and photography. During high school, Charli became an award-winning designer by competing in Future Business Leaders of America and started her own business Charli Creative, bit.ly/charlicreative
Videographer
Joe Sato Murphy (he/him) is a senior from Portland, Maine who also spent some time growing up in Tokyo. He is a New Media Studies major and loves cooking in his free time.
Our staff and exec applications are open!
Fill out this form by Nov 30, 2025 and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!