We are pleased to announce the relaunch of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity’s primary publication for the collegiate membership with the Fall 2019 issue of The Red & Black. The Fraternity has been engaged in a thorough redesign of our communications program since July 2014. 

Today’s options for communication are increasingly digital, and consumers primarily use smart phones or tablets to keep up with news and information. We spent the early part of our communications redesign focusing on web-based digital communications and social media, and our Communications staff has steadily improved the quality of those communications, and increased the frequency of our messaging. Our electronic communications reach an audience that is regularly 4-5 times larger than our combined audience for print and digital communications was in 2014, and our Black History Month presentation in February, 2019, reached over 280,000 people.

The Red & Black was created in October, 1984, as an expanded vehicle for delivering news and educational content to collegiate chapters. It replaced a typewritten monthly memo called The Chapter Mini-Letter that was distributed from September to May.

The new design expands on the magazine-style format introduced in 2013, and will be issued twice each year. With extended features and an advance view of upcoming events, the new iteration of The Red & Black packs a variety of useful content for our collegiate chapters in its 48-page format.

The Red & Black will be distributed electronically, with a small number of print copies also provided by mail. We are very excited by the opportunity this redesigned vehicle will offer to increase and improve the Fraternity’s communications with our collegiate members.

1984

The first issue of The Red & Black was introduced to the Fraternity as “The Official Collegiate Newsletter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia,” by then National Executive Director Edward Klint and was an offset print four-page two color newsletter. The newsletter would gradually expand to include popular Fraternity crossword puzzles and word searches, and photographs to accompany the news and regular features.

The Red & Black included an essay initially published as “The Libretto,” and later as “Brother to Brother,” which included motivational content. The newsletter was expanded in 1985 by editor Terry Blair, who would later go on to serve on the National Executive Committee and then be elected as National President, serving from 1997 – 2000.

A new masthead was created in 1988 which was the first to emphasize the signature ampersand. The publication would continue to receive slight modifications in layout and in the masthead logo as new editors arrived, with a major change in layout introduced in 1993, and a slight modification to the logo in 1997.

2001

A new masthead was introduced in 2001 that featured a red and black flag with the diagonal boundary in the center bisected by a very large script ampersand. Issues were edited by then Assistant Director of the Fraternity Ryan Ripperton, and designed by then Assistant Director of Finance and Marketing Jeremy Korba.

The new design was published monthly, September through April, and featured a greater use of the red accent color on the front and back covers.

2006

The September/October issue of 2006 introduced a new layout and a left-justified block Red & Black logo that would persist through 2014. Edited by then Director of Collegiate Affairs Jeremy Evans, the 12 page newsletter featured two color accents throughout each issue, and a new look and layout.

The first issue of 2006 also would introduce the Fraternity to the new visual identity, which was adopted by the National Assembly in Cleveland earlier that summer.

2013

The Red & Black was produced for the first time in four-color,  magazine format in 2013, created by Director of Communications Mark Wilson, with graphic content provided by Shelle Design. This allowed for enhanced treatment of feature articles, and the format introduced more “white space” to adapt to the preferences expressed by collegiate readers.

The 12-page magazine was published four times each year, with combined issues in September/October, November/December, January/February and March/April.