Literary Magazine embodies culture of student life

The literary magazine expresses the culture, artistic capabilities and individuality of students through their magazine and events like coffeehouse and poem delivery on Valentine’s day. 

During meetings held every Thursday after school, members organize fundraisers, collect art, and curate the art displayed in the magazine. They take all mediums of art into consideration, such as painting, charcoal, digital, poetry, critiquing and discussing each submission.When discussing what makes the magazine so special and unique to this school, culture was a main component.  “Culture is definitely a huge factor that we try our best to showcase in the magazine. We always look for when we critique that the pieces have a sense of individualism and send a message. We also try to pair pieces that fit well together, which helps embrace the message they both express,” Editor-in-Chief Joyce Zhou said.

The arts also capture the cultural diversity in this environment and shapes how open we are to other experiences and different outlooks. “Art is so cool because it’s important in a lot of cultures. The culture around us influences so much of our emotion and frames our perspective so that even within cultures there are many different styles of art,” sophomore Eli Kertesz said. 

Currently, the magazine is working on capturing the essence of that culture here, by opening up their submissions to all kinds of art, encouraging all to submit their works. “I would definitely encourage everyone to submit pieces, whether photos, drawings, and writing, to show their individual style in the Wootton community,” Zhou said. 

Literary magazine also helps students express themselves through the soon-to-be-announced 

coffeehouse event. “Students and staff are welcome to a night of talent, friends, and of course, a refreshing cup of coffee,” sophomore Lindsey Zuniga said. “I love coffeehouse, it’s so fun and exciting to put together. I had a blast planning it last year, and watching it come to life was amazing. We got to see so many talented performers and meet so many cool people. It’s a great opportunity to socialize and show off what you can do. I’m looking forward to it again this year, as this is one of literary magazine’s main events. Seeing all my friends come together to celebrate something we had worked so hard on and seeing all the talent was so surreal.”

The literary magazine offers opportunities for students to express themselves without boundaries. While balancing the effort it takes to organize events, they also take the time to capture the soul of the school by showcasing the talents of the people who some might pass by in the hallway or smile at in the lunch line. The magazine captures the spirit of the people you don’t know well and showcases what students have in common, bringing the school together and celebrating similarities and humanity. The freedom of having a creative outlet makes for a liberating experience and magazine at this school.