Submissions for the 2016 edition of McNick’s literary journal Reflections are due to English/Creative Writing teacher and Reflections moderator Ms. Emma Colella by Thursday, March 24.
Reflections accepts any short stories, poetry, essays, reviews, song lyrics, and writing across the curriculum for publication, as well as photographs and drawings to accompany the writing or for the cover page. All submissions must be the original works of the students.
“I like seeing what the students here produce creatively. As an English teacher, I usually just get to see academic writing, but I like to see the more creative side, and I like to see that students are writing in their free time,” Colella said.
Reflections 2015 was the first edition to use LucidPress to organize the literary journal. Before 2015, Reflections had to be printed in smaller booklets and in one color, along with other limitations. Now, photos and drawings can be printed in color, and the cover can be more than basic black and white.
After it is published, Colella submits the journal to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to be evaluated among other high schools’ in the U.S., and Reflections 2015 earned a rating of “above average.” Over forty students contributed to the 2015 edition, and the goal for 2016 is to at least meet that same number, and earn a rating higher than “above average.”
Reflections 2016 is aimed to be published and printed by mid-May and before senior graduation, with the link to the publication available to share digitally. In 2015, hard copies were printed for all those involved in its making and any who had one special requested, as well as some extras, but fewer will likely be printed this year to avoid having too many left after the school year.
Submissions are to be emailed to Colella at ecolella@mcnhs.org as an attachment with the subject line “Reflections.” They are to be typed in a clear 12 font style with the author’s name on the document. Drawings should be delivered to Colella in room 1 and made on white paper so they may be scanned into the computer.
The McNicholas Milestone 