Ranging from visual art, short stories, college essays, poems, sketches, paintings, photographs, graphic design, songs, and short films, the Contact Literary magazine is art. It is a platform for the Woodland students to express their creativity in a thousand and one ways.

Since sophomore year, Emily Laput has been Head of the Layout Department, playing a major role in the creation of the magazine.

“It’s all about highlighting the creatives at Woodland and giving our Woodland community a space to share their creations and express themselves,” said Laput. “In the past, our Contact issues have earned recognition from Columbia University, which allows Woodland’s artists’ names to get out there.”

From prestigious recognition to self-expression, the Contact Literary magazine provides endless opportunities for the Woodland community. Grace Sizer, the Head of the Marketing Department, feels that the magazine is a safe space for teens to collaborate with each other to share their stories.

“We host Creativity Nights monthly after school, which allows creators to become inspired and bounce ideas off of each other. Contact is a great resource for bringing creative people together, and is an amazing opportunity for young creators to step out of their comfort zone,” said Sizer.

The most innovative thinking can go unnoticed when someone is too shy to share their thoughts. By creating an environment for everyone to feel welcome, Contact promotes an inviting experience for young creators to share their work. For kids who are considering submitting their work to the magazine.

Sizer says, “Just do it! It is a great opportunity and there’s no downside to sending your work in because you can get great exposure and feedback from editors, or you can choose to submit under a pseudonym and stay totally anonymous.”

Whether students are looking for ways to improve, or they simply want to share their work with the world, Contact provides all of the above.

“It is important to give young creators a voice because, oftentimes, we may feel ashamed of our identities or experiences,” said Laput.

Self-expression is one of the most valuable aspects of creation and is used to express an abundance of emotions, and as an outlet.

“It’s important to not keep your emotions and thoughts bottled in. Pour them out into a creative medium and you will have an outlet that could help you find your inner peace and, if you choose to share your work with others, you can make an impact on others’ lives,” said Laput.

The Contact Literary Magazine has successfully designed a judgment free portfolio for Woodland’s brightest and most creative minds. Open to all forms of self expression, Laput understands that it provides the students with an opportunity to share themselves with others.

“A pen, camera, charcoal, etc. is powerful and can be a tool used for bringing about change.”