From the moment I became editor-in-chief, I had a very specific vision for cover art: I wanted illustrative designs. In the process of pursuing this approach to covers, we were able to highlight new talents from our staff members.
Cover Design
This was the first time I worked closely with the designer to plan the cover.​
​
The theme of this issue was inspired by several smoke-related events, including bathroom closures due to vaping, a fire in the culinary classroom and the impact of smoke from Canadian wildfires.
​
For this cover, our team of editors struggled with how to combine such a seemingly diverse range of topics.
​
However the phrase "cooking up a storm" kept dancing across my brain. And it clicked: A frying pan.
​
The smoke rising from the pan encompassed the theme as a whole, but we worked with the designer to add a few extra details.
​
The contents of the pan included a variety of vape pens and with close observation, the Canadian maple leaf. The culinary element was emphasized in the pan itself with the visual of a strange stir-fry
​​​
I was proud to help sneakily incorporate all of the elements I wanted in such a subtle manner.
​
​
​
​
​
Volume 131, Issue 2, Fall 2023
Cover by Lily Norton
Volume 131, Issue 4, Fall 2023
Cover by Lily Norton
For the cover of our "Festivus Issue" we wanted to have a little fun.​
​
Festivus is a journalism Christmas tradition inspired by Seinfeld, part of which involves the "airing of grievances" (See Editing, Leadership and Team Building).
This issue was full of opinion pieces for our staff to express their grievances, so we wanted to give the designer more creative liberty.
However, I worked with them to include a few key details.
​
I encouraged the designer to keep the cover festive. This designer featured Christmas cookies to add the element of holiday cheer I was looking for. ​
I also worked with the designer to add connections referring to the accomplishments of our student body.
This included a graduating cookie for seniors and a Disney cookie for the band, which represented our school at the theme park that semester.
​
We also had the idea to use these cookies to recall previous issues. The Uncle Sam cookie and the chef cookie referenced a First Amendment edition of the newspaper and the culinary story in our smoke issue.
​
Who knew such a seemingly simple design had so much thought behind it?
With a new set of co-editors-in-chief, staff and cover artist, I wanted to start this year off with a bang.
​
This volume of the newspaper faced new hurdles. Although we found an amazing cover artist, her work was painting based. However, we quickly found the solution of using a quality picture of the painting instead of our usual digitized graphic.
​
The theme of our first year's issue was summer of change, with a new superintendent, presidential candidate changes.
​​
After hours of brainstorming, the designers and I came up with some concrete details.
The cover is from the perspective of a pair of glasses, the idea of looking at everything from a "new lens" or "a glimpse into the future." Through this lens, the reader can see a sketch of USD497's superintendent, as well as Kamala Harris starting her campaign.
I also worked with the designers on the elements behind the subjects. We came up with the concept of construction to represent the uncertainty of what the future held for these new leaders.
​
An interim superintendent. A presidential candidate. Both blueprints of the future, not the building.
Volume 132, Issue 1, Fall 2024
Cover by Wren Jay