story by Madi Winfield

The Windmoor literary magazine will expand from 60 to 90 pages this year in celebration of Academy 150. This idea came from advisor Kelly Scott and, receiving approval from the staff and administration, has been put into place with some changes to the book-making process.

“We’re trying our best to get a really wide range of artists and writers into the book, and we want to have a lot of the disciplines represented this year,” Scott said. “We’re spending a lot of time pairing the art and writing and trying to figure out what should go on the page.”

Editor-in-chief Bailey Briscoe agreed, saying, “In the past, we have had to limit the amount of submissions that we’ve had; this year, it’s.. given us a bigger platform to display more types of student art. We figured since it’s going to be a big year anyway, we should probably make the book a little more representative of our school.”

Windmoor is published annually at no cost to students through sponsorship from Andrews McMeel Universal Press Syndicates. The magazines are distributed to each student on Class Day every May.

Scott says a staff of 23 students, an increase from last year, has helped work flow smoothly. Even so, it’s still a big project to take on, according to Briscoe.

“It was big last year, but this year, [as editors]… It’s a lot,” Briscoe said.

photos by Violet Cowdin

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According to Scott, the process of making an issue of Windmoor involves choosing fonts and a theme with the editors-in-chief, Briscoe and junior Mackenzie O’Guin, and art director junior Helen Wheatley; finding writing and artwork for each page; having staffers design pages; and running through three different checklists to ensure all elements are present: one for the designer, one for the editors and one for Scott.

“Staying organized is very important,” Scott said, “and my editors, Mackenzie and Bailey, are just so awesome at that.”

This year’s theme is Constellations, and the fonts were chosen to reflect that, according to Wheatley.

“It’s very important to me that what people have submitted is showcased in its original form,” Wheatley said. “We found some cleaner-looking fonts that still had the space theme… but allowed the art to be represented in its truest form.”

Briscoe believes this upgrade to 90 pages is for the better, but is unsure if continuing the larger size is feasible.

“I think people would want to continue the [90] pages because there’s so much more you can do, but it’s definitely a bigger project,” Briscoe said. “I think we’ll just have to see how this year goes and see if it’s a realistic desire to do in the coming years.”

This is Briscoe’s second year on staff and she will be returning for a third next year. She credits Windmoor with teaching her how to communicate and lead larger groups.

“[Being on Windmoor] has been kind of a huge eye-opener because you see a spread in a magazine and think, ‘Oh, this person just stuck pictures in there,’ but there’s so much more that happens,” Briscoe said. “It’s nice to realize the work that goes into something that you don’t even think about.”

Scott is also in her second year advising the magazine and considers the experience invaluable, feeling that both she and her staff grow throughout the process of making the book.

“I don’t have an advisory, so I think spending more time with them on weekends and just being a part of something special all together is one of my favorite parts about [advising Windmoor],” Scott said. “[With] everybody that I get to know better, it feels like STA is more like home.”