On February 7, 2025 Pierian Spring, Xavier’s online literary magazine won first class for Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM). The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers.
There were a total of 421 entries this year and 125 REALM First Class national recipients. This is Xavier’s second time receiving this award.
This year, the theme was oranges. Oranges symbolize friendship, invite people to find deeper relationships with others and consider the intimacy of everyday interactions.
Inspiration came from the poem “Oranges” by Jean Little. Jean Little, a Canadian writer, was best known for her children’s books and poems. Interactions can be messy, explosive, or perfectly composed, as written in Little’s poem.
“To peel an orange is a simple act, their peels bloom in fingers, mini fires spared from one set of hands to the next passed with care and love” is written in the opening pages of the Pierian Spring 2024 magazine, “Oranges.”
Dr. Clayton Zuba, Pierian Spring moderator said, “I let the girls create their own ideas. Within the meeting, we teach about different poetic forms the members can experiment and benefit from them with their own work.”
Zuba explains how the officers and club members combine to create the magazine and decide on themes. The officers also decide how poems, stories and artwork will be chosen.
Brishen Ehmann ‘25, said, “We were learning about Romanticism; I got inspired by the ‘Scarlet Letter,’ and breaking free from conformity.”
Ehmann’s poem, “Made to Fade” is based on how the main character, Hester Prynne, feels ridiculed in her society.
“It’s crucial for young people to develop their creative faculties, especially because now, our lives seem to be consumed with repetitions of ideas that are seen on social media. It’s important to develop your own faculties because your brain’s abilities are still taking shape,” said Zuba.
