Beacon Newsmagazine

Oh, how i miss my college life :D One of the highlights of my stay in ADZU is being part of the official school publication, Beacon Newsmagazine, for three years. I started as an assistant layout artist. I haven't done so much during my first year coz the creative director does all the job.hehe. There are only 3 activities that i attended during my first year in Beacon: the first staff meeting (orientation/getting to know); the team building overnight; and the christmas party. It was the last year of our creative director and I was the only one next in line to be the layout artist. During the end of the school year, I had my first real task in Beacon, which is to design the posters for the upcoming Marejada, the literary folio of Beacon.

Ate MR was the EIC of Marejada and she was the one who suggest and approves my poster designs. I was still a noob in Photoshop and i have to rely on tutorials to create some effect i want to make. The theme of the literary folio for that year was "7 Deadly Sins". Before the presswork, I met kuya Flix, the former layout artist/creative director of Beacon. We became close friends and he helped me in making the layout. With much revisions and editing we finally finished the folio and we came up with this:

And that's how i spent my first year in Beacon. During the second year, i made it to the editorial board and became the Creative director with Ate MR as our EIC. It won't be hard for me anymore since i already experienced working with her before. At first, we really find it hard to layout because of our slow computer. I used to do press works alone at the animation lab. Here's the first magazine that i finished all by myself.

I still used the old look of Beacon which kuya Flix designed. You can read the whole magazine by clicking on the images. We also had special issues every year in a form of newspaper or 4-6 page magazine. It's usually about the Sanggu Elections, or the achievements of ADU. Here are the two special issues:

For my second big issue, we decided to change the size of the magazine from it's "k-zone" size to a full "time magazine" size, and the publisher who tricked us. The previous contact person who we thought was the owner of the publication was just a middle man. We also got a new and better computer so the office became useful again. We do the press works at the office late at night which are really fun. The EIC, some editor and I stay late to do the layout. My most favorite part is the food! I can have whatever dinner i want. Usually, its the Chowking Laureat. :D hehe. Anyways, going back to the next issue, here is bigger and better newsmag.

And for the last issue, we did more changes. We used an illustration for the cover and we added more colors and fun into it. Here's my last issue for that year.

My last job was to layout Marejada with ate Jilly as EIC and ate Raisa as Assoc Editor. The theme was "Memories" and we had a photo shoot at an old house in the city. 'Twas a nice literary folio full of vintage images and nostalgic poetry and stories. You can see a clock animate if you flip the edge of the book. :D

For my third year, i was still the creative director/layout artist and Ate Jilly as EIC and Ate Raisa as Assoc Editor. We had more graphic artists, photographers and cartoonists. For that year, i decided to change the entire feel and look of the newsmag to make it edgier, graphic and trendy. My favorite issue was the October issue. I made a digital art for the cover about culture, music and arts. That issue was dedicated for the Fiesta Pilar and the arts. Here are the issues for that year.

Unfortunately, i had to leave beacon coz i ran for a position in the student government. It's in the rules that a beacon member should not also be a member of Salt, Sacsi or the student government, SMADZU (now El Consejo Atenista). I ran for Governor of our college academic organization (CSITAO). Good thing, i was allowed to do my last job for beacon which is again to be the creative director / layout artist of Marejada.

This is my third consecutive year in Marejada as the creative director with Ate Raisa as EIC. The theme was "?". I designed the cover inspired by surrealism. It was the best folio published hard-bound. It was our masterpiece and final work since Ate Jilly and Ate Raisa are also leaving beacon. Here's the cover:

It was the final golden days of Beacon. The next year the office just plummeted. Weak leadership, weak foundations, disorganized, and a lot of issues are coming out against the office. If my count was right, they only published 2 issues for the whole year. Accordingly, the budget was reduced by the president himself that's why they cannot publish as much issues unlike before. But for me money should not hinder them to produce an output. They can always go to less expensive publications and invest more on what they write and the substance of the articles.

Anyways, good luck to the next batches of the Beacon Newsmagazine. For me it was a nice experience to be a part of Beacon. It is here that i developed my skills in layout and design. Beacon published my works and many noticed it. Thanks to all the people whom i had the pleasure of collaborating and working with. I will never forget the memories and experiences. :D