South High’s Literary Arts Magazine wins first place

Valley Stream South High School’s literary arts magazine, “Trails of Society,” took first place in the high school division for the 2020-2021 Scholastic Yearbook and Magazine Award sponsored by the American Press Association (APA). The magazine was published amid a year marked by Covid-19-related upheaval and disruption whose toll on the lives of young people was a common theme found in last year’s student submissions.

“Many of the works focused on the artists finding their identities, looking for a community, or dealing with isolation,” said Tahreem Shah, co-president of South High’s literary arts magazine. “They also touched on mental health issues, anxiety, and depression, which a lot of people were struggling with during 2020-2021. These wonderful writers and artists reflected a lot about where the whole world was at that year.”

Assembling the magazine during that portion of last year where the school was under remote and hybrid learning instruction was an added challenge, with teams working together remotely and in person. Despite the hurdles, Shah said the team bonded over a common goal and showed impeccable teamwork in light of last year’s unprecedented circumstances. “With all of the issues that were going on, I really felt a connection to the people contributing to the magazine,” she said. “It made us feel like we were one...”

“The recognition really goes to the students because they put so much time and effort into this,” said club advisor Michael Florio. “At the end of the day, it’s their artwork and creativity that goes into it.” The APA judged roughly 1,300 school magazines nationwide, evaluating each magazine’s layout and creative variety. For the 2020-2021 edition, South High student contributors submitted short and long-form poetry, physical and digital artwork, photography, and prose.