We start off our writing with research week, using Google Scholar we’re able to search refined studies and information about anything we’re seeking for our stories. Through a lot of refining and searching we then find what we consider to be a reputable source - reputable sources can be defined as anything with concrete provable data. This in turn solidifies or modifies our angle and we are able to tackle sources.
We start off our writing with research week, using Google Scholar we’re able to search refined studies and information about anything we’re seeking for our stories. Through a lot of refining and searching we then find what we consider to be a reputable source - reputable sources can be defined as anything with concrete provable data. This in turn solidifies or modifies our angle and we are able to tackle sources.
We start off our writing with research week, using Google Scholar we’re able to search refined studies and information about anything we’re seeking for our stories. Through a lot of refining and searching we then find what we consider to be a reputable source - reputable sources can be defined as anything with concrete provable data. This in turn solidifies or modifies our angle and we are able to tackle sources.
the covers
Details can be viewed by clicking on any piece of the covers shown.
Covers are another aspect of our publication I took on when I was graced with the role of Design Editor. Making the covers is the second most-important piece of work I do, aside from writing my story. And sometimes, that may lead me to rack up a collective draw time of 40+ hours, the amount of time I spent hand drawing our Doomsday cover.
Doomsday, The Clarion, 2017 - October issue.
Unmasking Southeast was the first cover I had ever done for the Clarion, and it was drawn before I officially enrolled in the Newspaper class. It was a lot of time spent in the newsroom after school, planning and deciding which words and values best defined Southeast and our student body. This cover was intended to capture that, taking off the mask that our Southeast Knights wore.
Unmasking Southeast, The Clarion, 2016 - December issue
At the Clarion, we like to tackle big ideas. Epidemic was an issue heavily surrounding that. I spent a lot of time on ISSUU, looking at magazines that were trendy and loved heavily, and drew inspiration from that. I wanted to create something that the students would love and care about as much as I cared about our staff and hard work. Around this time was the come-up of the vaping trend, and we knew we wanted that to be our eye-catcher, so thus, Epidemic was born.
Epidemic, The Clarion, 2018 - March issue
More recently our staff decided to take on the task of photo-illustration for our covers, and I would get to set up the shoots, take the pictures, and doodle or photoshop them into something one may consider surreal, slapped with our name on top. To me this grew the audience of the Clarion immeasurably, and we began to appeal to all demographics within the school. I took my own principles and applied them, and it worked. I got major props for that which was immensely fulfilling.
Ambience The Clarion, 2018 - May issue
Our balance issue was targeting the diversity we all carry into the school, which we then turn into drive for our school work. The issue was focused on the lives of the people within this school and their strategies for getting through the day, and then, how they get their work done at home. Whether it be balancing theater life with home life, or sports with grades, this issue had it covered. We took a student featured in the issue, Harrison Hebb (11), and placed him front and center, representing your normal day-to-day student.
Balance The Clarion, 2018 - October issue
Identities, we all have them, and often times we have a lot of things in common like classes, friends, grades, heritage, and religion, but for this issue we didn't want to focus on that. We took students with unique identities featured inside and tried to best represent who they are and what identifies them on our cover. As a school of 2,100 students, we knew that there was someone who catered to all walks of life, and would be able to give us insight into how they identify and the stigma that came along with that. This issue was clean and hard-hitting, and our most recent one to date.
Identity The Clarion, 2019 - February issue
All layouts were created in InDesign, all graphics created in Photoshop
the layouts
A lot of the time when a story idea barges into my head, which is way too often, the next thing I think of is what I could do with the layout. I can think of modules, columns, graphics, photos, all within the same thought train. I’ve been told that this isn’t a ‘common thing’, but I often realize it makes for a more cohesive, well constructed piece. I know what I’m writing and how I need to present it in order to appeal to the demographic my article is aiming for. I stress this point when I’m making my design presentation - your story and your layout need to be a perfect balance when it goes to print. There is no story without an interesting layout, and there is no layout without an interesting story. A reader needs their eye caught, captured, and encapsulated before they may read the story, and all that happens in milliseconds.
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It’s not that hard to guess that design week and layout week are my absolute favorites, and consequently that lands me nights in school where I may be there till 8 p.m. perfecting a layout with a staffer, but I love it.
Making their mark, The Clarion - September issue 2017
Social Activism is not a trend, The Clarion - May issue 2018
Fix the World in 5 minutes or less, The Clarion - March issue 2018
The coming out generation, The Clarion - May issue 2017
Furries of LSE, The Clarion - February issue 2019
The Nicotine Resurgence, The Clarion - December issue 2018
The Nicotine Resurgence was my first four page spread. I had worked on many 2 pagers in the years prior but it was a learning curve trying to connect the layout on the next page with the previous. However - I love how it turned out.
The Quitter's Club, The Clarion
February issue 2018
Usually I come up with too many ideas by the point budget prep comes, and I want to write all of them. Compared to the usual staffer with one story, I usually write 2-3 stories per issue. This is a personal choice, and all staffers are welcome to write more stories if they feel passionate about it. When this happens, I usually end up writing for a one page spread, which I can attest to the fact that these designs are usually minimal and content heavy. For The Quitter's Club I wanted a way to still peak reader interest through the design even though the page had to accommodate to an 800 word story.
the graphics
When I’m making my graphics it starts out with a sketch, alongside a moral boost to my staffers that stick figures are better at showing me what you want drawn than nothing. All it takes is an idea and their trust in me to begin creating something we agree is worthy to aid in the portrayal of their story. Graphics can take me anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the amount of detail, shading and linework I have to do. In my sophomore year of high school I made a major $1,200 investment in a graphics tablet, my Wacom Cintiq, which in all capacities, is basically my first-born - I’ve only grown from there. I typically create anywhere from 6-12 graphics per issue in a 2 week period quarterly.
My Cintiq and I hard at work coloring Rebecca Terry's Censorship graphic.
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Time elapsed: 4 hours
The Completed Graphic | © Syann Engelhard, 2018
This is one of my favorite graphics I have ever had the pleasure of making. I took the colors of every pride flag, cut them into one inch strips, and created geometric triangles over a portrait shot I had taken of a featured student source, Taylor Blok-soflin.
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Time Elapsed: 5 hours
The Completed Graphic | © Syann Engelhard, 2017
Click on the graphics below to view them at their full resolution and size
The Clarion | © Syann Engelhard