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Letter from the editor:
Influx Magazine Readers,
The first few months of 2026 were unlike anything ever seen near the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota.
We started putting together this magazine while members of our community were being taken out of their homes by ICE and violence was happening all around us. In the midst of the chaos, we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to report and represent our community as it was going through a tumultuous time. For the first time, we weren’t reading about the impact of the immigration crackdown, we were living it. Our theme, pivotal moments, grew from the idea that one moment, like the death of Renee Good, can change the trajectory of many lives.
Throughout the winter, writers found novel ways to show how ICE affected our community. In a multitude of different ways, we’ve captured the climate of Minneapolis during and in the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge. While nationwide and international media flocked to our city, we were already here and at work.
While ICE continued to be a presence in our community, artists and musicians found ways to protest with their chosen medium. This produced a flurry of concerts and art pieces symbolizing protest across the state and the country. Businesses began stepping up to help their community through creating mutual aid networks and handing out supplies to safely protest. Community members also found themselves taking action through community-based initiatives to provide food, resources and support to families.
On campus, many Somali and students of color felt the weight of ICE presence every day. Students were afraid to come to class, and although online classes were an option, everything felt uncertain. Through the chaos thrust upon us, Minnesotans found ways to support and uplift our community. Protests, community action and art fueled the fire that became hope for many Minnesotans.
But as big as the story was, no one wants to read only about immigration raids. Influx reporters covered sports, new businesses, AI in the classroom and more. Each showcases a pivotal moment changing the lives of people involved for better or worse. It’s been amazing to see the creativity from the design, social media and web team to showcase the great reporting and photos. I am incredibly proud of how we’ve come together as a class to create a magazine.
On behalf of everyone at Influx, we hope these stories resonate with you. Our goal was to document the pivotal moments in people’s lives and how they have been impacted by government decisions, new technology, relationships and the realities of living in our current world. We hope you enjoy the creativity and uniqueness of every page in this year’s issue.
Sending love,
Avery Vrieze
Meet the Team
Leslie Bleess
Leslie Bleess is a passionate photojournalist at the University of Minnesota and The Minnesota Daily. During her free time, she likes to discover state and national parks, heading home to see her family and practicing her yoga skills.
Elsie Dempsey-Rice
Elsie Dempsey-Rice is a fourth-year journalism student and aspiring art director. She is a lead photographer for Golden Magazine and loves taking pictures. When she’s not taking pictures, she likes to run, read or play pool at Como Tap with her friends.
Ava Grace
Ava Grace is an Oglala Lakota from south Minneapolis studying journalism and Dakota language at the University of Minnesota. She has written and cooked all across the country, especially Portland, Ore., where she plans to move after graduating next fall.
Gracie Hanson
Gracie Hanson is an aspiring creative director from Madison, Wis., with a passion for production and project management. She loves storytelling and uses that love in production all of her creative pursuits.
Yvette Higgins
Yvette Higgins is a reporter with stories published in Star Tribune, the Sahan Journal and Greater Minnesota newspapers. She is also a potter, and she loves to cook and share meals with loved ones.
Sophie Houdek
Sophie Houdek is a fourth-year university student studying dance and strategic communications, with interests in choreography, media design, and creative writing. Her work explores storytelling across movement, visual media, and written expression.
Sara Hussein
Sara Hussein is a University of Minnesota journalism student from Minneapolis, and a campus staff reporter for the Minnesota Daily. Sara loves taking pictures of her friends with her disposable camera and listening to the same music daily while driving.
Lulu Jaeckel
Lulu Jaeckel is a fourth-year journalism student with a minor in sociology of law, criminology and justice. She previously interned at the St. Paul Pioneer Press covering crime and public safety. In her free time she likes spending time outdoors, crocheting and reading.
Ash Jones
Ash Jones is a writer who grew up in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. They enjoy sewing, reading and watching movies with friends.
CJ Julstrom
CJ Julstrom is a multimedia journalist with experience in print, digital text, photojournalism, audio and video. Their passion is covering the arts, local businesses and everything wonderful and weird about everyday life.
Annika Kramer
Annika Kramer is a photographer and artist who can’t resist starting a new hobby. She enjoys fashion and beauty, and is curious about how language and experiences shape everyday life.
Ana Kyle
Ana Kyle is a fourth-year strategic communication student at the University of Minnesota. She hates winter and can’t wait for summer. In her free time she loves going on long walks and cooking fun meals.
Abby Larson
Abby Larson is a detail-oriented creative driven by innovation and exploration. Her perfect day involves hot yoga, buying vintage jewelry and vinyls, going on an afternoon hike and baking cakes for birthday parties.
Emily Lemmenes
Emily Lemmenes is a fourth-year journalism student at the University of Minnesota from Madison, Wis., with a minor in global studies. Her love for history and travel led her to reporting. She hopes to pursue a career in print and photo journalism to explore the outside world and its people.
Jingyuan Liu
Jingyuan Liu, or J.L., is a fourth-year journalism student at the University of Minnesota. When he’s not reporting, he volunteers with his church, experimenting with his camera or revisiting nostalgic favorites like Regular Show.
Chloe Loberg
Chloe Loberg is a fourth-year student at the University of Minnesota. She is passionate about communications, music, journalism and design. In her free time, you can find her at a concert, dancing, thrifting or exploring Minneapolis.
Max Loeck
Max Loeck is a University of Minnesota journalist from Madison, Wis., who enjoys golf, baseball and cooking. In his free time, he goes to church, plays poker and keeps up with Major League Baseball.
Nasir Mahamud
Nasir Mahamud is a strategic communications student with interests in travel, sports, music and digital culture. He enjoys storytelling and strategy, and occasionally convinces himself he’s good at cooking, baking and arts and crafts.
Megan McHugh
Megan McHugh is a University of Minnesota journalism student, artist and adventurer. She spends her time hiking trails, cooking, thrifting and trying new foods. She loves making videos and going on adventures wherever she can find them.
Isabella Morden Wheeldon
Isabella Morden Wheeldon is a journalist working in unprecedented times. She likes Guinness and a night out with friends, and is learning how to use a camera.
Antara Murdeshwar
Antara Murdeshwar is passionate about digital media and visual communication. When she isn’t occupied in creative work, she is often in the kitchen experimenting with gluten-free recipes or getting lost in the pages of a good thriller with her cat Perry.
Anna Park
Anna Park is a storyteller, designer and strategic communications student. Her longest Wordle streak was two years on the dot. In her free time, she loves baking, crafting and anything outdoors.
Natalie Shepherd
Natalie Shepherd is a passionate photographer and content creator who grew up in Utah, but considers herself a Minnesotan. In her spare time, she loves watching cartoons, crocheting or finding a new craft to make.
Rowena Snow
Rowena Snow is a Minnesota-born photographer and designer with experience in exhibition curation and planning. Her creative work reflects a deep appreciation for the beauty and complexity of life.
Sydney Stonehouse
Sydney Stonehouse is a fourth-year strategic communications student with a minor in design. She loves finding new creative crafting outlets. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, thrifting and live music.
Jordan Venell
Jordan Venell is a history buff, writer and avid Minnesota sports fan. He loves to be outdoors, relaxing with his dogs and playing pickup basketball. Jordan once broke his wrist by falling out of his lofted dorm bed.
Avery Vrieze
Avery Vrieze is a third-year journalism student at the University of Minnesota. She is the proud Influx Magazine editor-in-chief, and works for the College of Liberal Arts. Outside of her professional life, Avery enjoys reading, listening to music, hiking and being with friends.
Josie Wise
Josie Wise is a writer, storyteller and avid traveller who wishes she were still living in London. In her free time, she lifts heavy things at the gym and gets beaten up (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu).
