After months of writing, designing, and editing, the Lion’s Roar magazine is finally in the hands of Lincoln High School’s teachers and students. But while people will notice the glossy cover and polished articles, a lot of work was put in behind the scenes to make it happen. The road to publication was filled with teamwork and some hiccups.
The production of the magazine started in January with choosing a theme, which ended up being “Lincoln through the years.” It aimed to celebrate the evolution in Lincoln High School by looking back at many things such as the building, variety show, and more. Every Lion’s Roar staff writer came up with an assignment that dealt with LHS’s history in some way. The magazine looks back on the school’s dances, Variety show, its greatest sports teams and athletes, and much more.
“We wanted to choose a theme that would be timeless, with articles that would resonate with a large audience,” said journalism advisor Matt Pavao. “The kids did a great job accomplishing that.”
Once they had their topics, the staff writers worked hard to make their articles as comprehensive as possible, interviewing people inside and outside of the school. The interviews of people outside of the school were important because all of the articles were about the school in the past and many people from that time no longer work at the school, but their input was still needed.
“I really liked how creative the magazine was,” said sophomore Olivia Norman. “There was something for everyone in the magazine, and I think more people should read it.”
The staff was even able to track down people who graduated as far back as the 60s. Getting photos that spanned many decades was made easier by the yearbook archives in the high school, but it still meant many hours flipping through the old LHS yearbooks looking for just the right photo.
“Working on the magazine was long and tedious, but worth it because Mrs. Picozzi really appreciated the work and time I put into her article,” said sophomore Eliza Gobin who worked on “The Evolution of a Journalism Advisor” story, a journey through the career of retired journalism advisor Doreen Picozzi.
Students were also responsible for designing their own pages, so they also had to learn how to use the Josten’s software to do so.
“Designing the page was my favorite part because I got to be as creative as I wanted to be on my page,” said sophomore Marinara Betancur.
The only major issue that came up, actually happened after the magazine was finished. When the magazine was first published, there was a printing error on the first page that left random words unbolded. This delayed the release of the magazine, because the magazine had to be completely reprinted. Once it was finally finished and error free, the magazine was handed out to every teacher and staff member in the school, and is available in stands in the front foyer and in the cafeteria.
“I am so impressed with the spring issue,” said Mrs. Picozzi “and am honored to be included in it. I am also immensely thankful for Mr. Pavao, who has taken on the program with enthusiasm and creative passion.”
Making the magazine came with its challenges, but the struggles were worth it because the final product is something to be proud of.
