Our past and present editors, writers and photographers muse on the magazine’s impact

“We launched 225 in November of 2005 to a sea of bewildered, information-hungry guests. Our streets teemed with tens of thousands of New Orleans-area residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina. That meant the first need we ever met was as a visitor’s guide. I remember a man from New Orleans thumbing through his copy, fresh off the rack. ‘This is free?’ he asked. For Baton Rougeans, 225 provided a fresh way to experience our changing city. Young entrepreneurs, musicians, aspiring students, community activists, artists—they all brought our pages to life. Most importantly, they made living here more interesting and fun. And fortunately for us, they still are.”

—Tom Guarisco (Editor, 2005-2011)

“Can a publication be more than a bystander? Can it be a genuine neighbor? When 225 began, one goal was to reflect the city, but we wanted to encourage its people, too. Building pride in a place is important, but so is inspiring the promise of a place—by sharing compelling stories of every good endeavor made by anyone in the area code who wanted to reach that promise and was bold enough to try. So 225 acknowledged all currents and corners of this city and embraced our role in making it better. Twenty years later, I see a community that is more expressive, more empathetic and often, far more fun.”

—Jeffrey Roedel (Staff writer and assistant editor, 2005-2010; Editor, 2011- 2014; Contributing writer, 2015-present)

“Twenty years after filing my first story with 225 (as a small child, of course), I think about what a difference our magazine has made in revealing just how interesting and dynamic Greater Baton Rouge is. You wouldn’t believe the pile of stories we don’t get to. And selfishly, I can’t describe what a massive impact 225 has had on me personally. There’s a special synergy that happens when a subject trusts you with their story and when you find the right words to tell it. Thanks for sharing, Red Stick. Here’s to 20 more.”

—Maggie Heyn Richardson (Contributing writer, 2005-2021; Features writer, 2021-present)

“In a city often overlooked for its culture, I always appreciated the scrappy artists who saw potential here. Not every idea had staying power, but one success story was The Walls Project. When it unveiled the Baton Rouge Blues mural downtown in the early 2010s, I interviewed founder Casey Phillips. The goal was always more than murals, he told me. It was about uplifting unsung creatives. Through the years, 225 charted The Walls Project’s growth: beautifying overlooked neighborhoods, providing mentorship for young people and now spreading that same vision to other cities. Phillips still credits 225 for helping it gain support. It’s a reminder of the magazine’s symbiotic relationship with the sources we discover as they make Baton Rouge a more colorful place to live.”

—Benjamin Leger (Managing editor, 2012-2021; Restaurant reviewer, 2022-2024; Contributing writer, 2022-present)

“If you compare my first frame for 225 to my most recent, the differences in execution are eye opening. To shoot for the same publication for over a decade drives you to work on your craft every day so you don’t get stale and always improve. I have always thought of 225 as my lab. I can try new things and have fun watching my community change and develop. 225 is a rarity in journalism—it has truly documented the people, places and transitions of Baton Rouge with incredible longevity and at a high quality. It has covered every trend, every niche interest and just about every available bite of food in the city. It has been an honor to be trusted to create the visual side of the magazine—and beyond fascinating for me to ask questions of my subjects and learn from them.”

—Collin Richie (Staff photographer, 2012-present)

“This summer, I started subscribing to Your First Byline, a newsletter where journalists share their current jobs and how they broke into the industry. Over my years at 225, I was perhaps proudest of the work of our writing and photography interns. Our team has always known talent when we see it, entrusting students to pen cover stories, photograph fashion spreads, capture LSU football games and write First Looks about new restaurants. We challenge them to build portfolios that will take them places when they graduate—and they deliver. Their impact cannot be understated, and it’s been wonderful to watch them continue to crush it in their careers after they’ve walked out our doors.”

—Jennifer Tormo Alvarez (Editor, 2015-2025)

“Being a (small) part of the 225 family has been incredibly special to me. I’ve loved showcasing all the different people, places and events Baton Rouge has to offer, but in particular, it’s been the individuals that make up this amazing city that have touched me the most. While I’ve mostly written about LSU athletes—all of whom have their own unique stories to tell—our piece on the Cajun Navy in 2016 will stick with me forever. We reunited these local heroes with the evacuees they rescued during the flooding, and covering it is something I’ll never forget. It truly highlighted the heart of Baton Rouge.”

—Mark Clements (Digital content editor, 2016-2021; Contributing writer, 2021-present)

“My 225 journey started as a freelance model for a style shoot. When I walked through the doors of the magazine’s office, it immediately became my dream to work there one day. Under the unforgettable leadership of Benjamin Leger and Jennifer Tormo Alvarez, I worked my way up from an editorial intern and eventually became the magazine’s first Black staff writer. Interviewing small business owners was a highlight of my career. I wrote the earliest stories on restaurants like Golden Vegan, Blue Store Chicken and Empire Wingz before they exploded with multiple locations across the region. After reading my first story on Golden Vegan, LSU reached out to the restaurant to open its second location on campus. Those are the moments that reminded me of the magazine’s major impact.”

—Cynthea Corfah (Staff writer, 2018-2021; Contributing writer, 2021-present)

“Working with 225 Magazine has been such a meaningful experience. I’ve seen firsthand how much the magazine supports local businesses, and it’s been an honor to contribute through my photography. Hearing the gratitude from business owners and knowing my work has helped them shine is such a great feeling. Being a part of something that uplifts the community I love has made this work incredibly special.”

—Ariana Allison (Contributing photographer, 2020-present)

“For 20 years, 225 has proved that there is so much to eat, see and do in Baton Rouge outside of Tiger Stadium and fried seafood spots. And while you can still find me at those places on the regular, I’ll always remember the first time I discovered this myself—thanks to a 225 article. It was the summer of 2008, and I read about an arts market happening that night downtown. I had recently gotten my driver’s license, so my bestie and I set out to explore. I still recall the feeling of excitement and possibility while strolling outside The Shaw Center for the Arts as the sun set over the Mississippi River—and the sense of pride I felt for my hometown. They’re feelings readers say they have shared when reading our magazine, and that I hope they continue to feel for 20 years to come.”

—Laura Furr Mericas (Managing editor, 2022-2025; Contributing editor, 2025-present)

“As a college student who knew almost nothing about Baton Rouge beyond LSU, 225 introduced me to the vibrancy of the region. As an intern, I learned how amazing our community is by writing about food, arts, openings and Garth Brooks’ concert in Tiger Stadium. When I started full-time (and landed my dream job), I was excited to keep discovering the city. I went from a student who dreaded class pitch day to a journalist who fills notebooks with ideas. I still get giddy when I see empty newsstands, Instagram shares or feedback in my inbox. Happy 20th to my favorite magazine. And here’s to many more years of 225!”

—Olivia Deffes (Contributing writer, 2021-2022; Digital staff writer, 2022-2025; Digital editor, 2025-2025; Managing editor, 2025-present)

This article was originally published in the November 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.