Each May, The Looking Glass Magazine has a launch party to celebrate student creativity. This year, the venue was packed and the national award winning literary magazine sold over 100 books, selling out.
Every year a team of student critics, designers, and editors collaborate to create an over 100-page collection of poetry, artwork, and short fictional stories. The magazine has regularly won national recognitions and awards, most recently a First Class Award with Special Distinctions in Content, Writing, and Editing from the National Scholastic Press Association, and a REALM First Class Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. The Looking Glass has become a tradition to celebrate and appreciate Rocky’s student voices and talents.
“The party was a blast, and we sold out, which hasn’t happened in a few years. The energy was amazing and it was incredible to be surrounded by such talented people,” Sueda Uçtuk, a student editor and designer of the magazine said.
The launch party was hosted in Old Town, at Visit Fort Collins with an assortment of cookies from Mary’s Mountain Cookies, drinks sponsored by Edge Optics, and a collection of writers and artists who shared their pieces live while over a hundred people attended.
“It was an awesome time in an awesome space. I’m so grateful for the talented and dedicated members of our staff and how everything came together with this year’s magazine,” Mr. Glenn, one of the two teacher sponsors said.
A core mission of The Looking Glass is to promote the creativity of students, which Sueda believes deserves recognition. She sees it as “an opportunity for the arts and for creative students to be celebrated. In our culture, we really like to focus on sports, and creative students often look overlooked.” Mr. Glenn agrees the perspective is refreshing.
“The magazine gives a voice to or magnifies the creativity that is present in our school. And I think creativity is becoming more and more precious in our digital and technological world.”
Now that this year is over for The Looking Glass, the staff prepares to say goodbye to many senior contributors who have been working on the magazine for a few years.
“We’re losing a lot of talented and meaningful seniors, several who have been with us for three or four years. And yet I am hopeful that the next wave of creative and talented young people will maintain our tradition of creative excellence,” Mr. Glenn said.
Both Glenn and Sueda emphasized that The Looking Glass is more than just a publication, it is a long standing celebration of expression and creativity.
Sueda encourages people to “keep being creative. People stop themselves because they compare their work to others. The Looking Glass is a beautiful representation of the diversity of creativity, and how everyone should take part in it.”
