The 2010 edition of DeKalb High School’s art and literature magazine, New Pennies, was recently awarded a “Pacemaker,” the top award given by the National Scholastic Press Association.
It was one of only seven high school magazines nationally to receive the award.
According to faculty adviser Christopher Lapeyre, New Pennies has received the Pacemaker award five other times in its history, the last time in 1988.
The theme of last year’s magazine was “Chimeric,” a reference to the dual qualities of reality and imagination that constitute artistic and literary creativity.
According to the judges’ comments, “DeKalb High’s students took the classical theme of the chimeric and made it their own in New Pennies, finding common ground over a broad range of genres, including drama and musical score.”
Earlier in the year, the “Chimeric” issue was one of 29 student literary magazines nationally, and the only student magazine from Illinois, to be given the “Highest Award” by the National Council of Teacher’s of English Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines.
New Pennies has won the Highest Award six times, most recently in 2008. Magazines are judged on the quality and variety of the literary content, the artistic quality of the layout and design.
Last year’s student staff included:
• Editor-in-chief: Victoria Martinez, now a freshman at DePaul University
• Design editor and assistant production editor: senior Siti Asma
• Assistant production editor: Dylan Jones, now a freshman at University of Iowa
• Literary editor: senior Vanessa Borjon
• Assistant literary editor for poetry: senior Anna Henderson
• Assistant literary editor for prose: senior Emily Lucek
• Art editor: Amilee Mayer, now at Kishwaukee College
• Music editor: Kayla Kennedy, now a freshman at Knox College
• Layout staff: Shelbie Rouse, now at Kishwaukee College, and senior Brandi Underwood
• Lapeyre, who teaches creative writing at DHS and has been faculty adviser to the magazine since 2005, praised the entire staff’s commitment to upholding the magazine’s tradition of excellence.
“They were a very small staff, but they had exceptional creativity, talent and focus. I’m very proud of them,” Lapeyre said in a news release.
In particular he noted the dedication of editor-in-chief Victoria Martinez, who spent three years on the magazine’s staff, and led the magazine twice.
“Tori is one of the most talented, responsible and dedicated students I have ever worked with. She provided professional, confident leadership. Plus she’s an excellent writer,” he said in the release.
He also singled out design editor Siti Asma for putting forth an exceptional amount of time and talent.
“Siti left her mark on literally every page of the magazine. She deserves a great deal of credit for this award,” he said.
Lapeyre also emphasized the importance of the DHS Art Department in making the magazine a success.
“Without the phenomenal art education that teachers like Chad Gregory, Amy Brown and Tricia Schumacher provide, we simply would not have the same high-quality magazine,” he said in the release. “Because it includes both visual art and creative writing, New Pennies is really a joint venture between our departments. Chad Gregory, especially, helped us by providing us with high quality digital photos of all the art works.”
New Pennies began in 1937 and is one of the oldest continuously published high school literary magazines in the country. It is funded through student pre-orders, the principal’s discretionary funds and sponsorship from local businesses.