Eagle Era

An in-depth look at how the AHS Magazine Club created its newest edition

By Jonathan Wang

The academically slanted nature of the Bay Area lends itself to producing plenty of overachieving students who excel in STEM subjects—leaving little room for creativity and artistic expression. AHS’s Magazine Club aims to address this issue through their digital magazine, Buggin’ Art Magazine, which is dedicated to uplifting and platforming artistry around the Bay Area. The magazine showcases various visual arts—photography, music, writing, and fashion.

As a nonprofit organization, the club also offers service hours to volunteers and has connections to other high schools in the area. Rachel Wu (11), Vice President and Visual Arts Leader, said, “We even have officers from different schools like Mission San Jose and Washington, so we can reach out to students from other high schools and people all over the Bay Area.”

The club has thus created an inclusive environment where students across the community can submit different forms of artwork. The rules for submissions are simple: be a Bay Area high schooler and have something creative you want to share. 

Kunal Peela (11), Kiara Cadelina-Moral (11), Natalie Aye (11), Rachel Wu (11), Saanvi Deshini (11), and Abigail Ye (11) sat, posing for their “Introducing the Team” edition (Photo Credit: Siddharth Roy (11)).

Ivan Kuznetsov (11), a member of the club, said, “I joined because I always wanted to be part of a magazine that really brought everyone together, especially when we work together on projects like photo shoots.”

Their newest issue is centered around the theme of found footage and horror, which was finalized after lengthy discussions and meetings. “So far, the styles of our art submissions vary with each artist, as everyone has their own art style,” said Wu. “But since the theme for this edition is horror-related, when I’m selecting pieces, I try to find works that have an eerie and creepy feeling.”

The club has seen many different people invest considerable time and energy into their issue—the collective dedication required to construct the magazine has revealed students’ passion for art. Kuznetsov said, “Our club is mostly composed of artists, but some people are also just interested in filmmaking and photography. We have some photographers who assimilated themselves and started showing up to meetings after volunteering as a photographer.”

Their efforts include hosting several events, like photo shoots, to provide opportunities for students to congregate and create their art as a team. Wu said, “We’ve had 2 photo shoots so far. We all come together to make a reference board on Pinterest of the vibe we want to showcase, then we plan out a location, find photographers, and we go and take the pictures.”

Planning these photo shoots takes careful consideration and creativity. Kuznetsov, who was tasked with organizing a photo shoot, said, “I chose an abandoned steel factory because the inside was dark and eerie, making it a great spot to take found footage photos.”

Caption: Mumin Yousif (11) and Ayaan Arif (11) posed in an abandoned steel factory for their Found Footage Photo Shoot (Photo Credit: Philip Liao (11)).

The club has also held crafting events where they put together a collage magazine—a style of art created from combining various materials into a cohesive work. “We brought in a bunch of magazines, cut them out into pieces, and put them on a sheet. And by the end of the meeting, we had many different pieces of art that were made into a collage,” said Wu.

Buggin’ Art Magazine’s newest issue, “Edition 1: Found Footage,” was published at the end of February and posted to its Instagram @bugginartmagazine. Wu said, “For the near future, Buggin’ plans on publishing 4 complete editions by June of this year and also applying to NSPA Pacemaker and CSPA Crown Awards.”

Kuznetsov takes pride in being part of Buggin’ Art Magazine and its collective purpose. He said, “It exposes more art in AHS and the world, and it shows how others can express themselves through their art and photography.”