VOX ATL’s 2017 back-to-school issue is another amazing piece of work. This year, the teens adopted the “Future Of Atlanta” as the theme.
The cover was designed by our Atlanta Teen Voices editor and long-time VOXer Alexandria Wilson. Here’s what she had to say about the process:
When I walked into VOX on a Tuesday afternoon I wasn’t expecting to start working on the cover of this edition. While I was interested in working on this cover, I haven’t done anything with the Adobe Create Suite in such a long time, so I was a bit nervous taking on this responsibility. Although, once I got started, my previous experience started to kick in, and I even got to learn some new skills along the way. In the end, I am super proud of myself and I really love how the cover turned out!
Using photos from our VOX Media Cafe, Alex put together a cover that represents all of the topics our teens tackled this summer. Among them are teen involvement in the rising Atlanta film industry, the ongoing mayor’s race and the new generation of Atlanta rap stars. The VOXers also gave us some handy guides on where to visit if you are a queer teen or new to town. Elsewhere in the issue our teens also talked about the nervousness of entering their freshman year of college, while others reflected on their first year away from home.
We also got to meet this year’s team of teen editors who will be leading the staff this year.
Jhoanna Anderson, Web Editor
Hey, I’m Jhoanna. I’m 17 and a I’m senior in high school. I’m this semester’s VOX teen print editor. You can come to me if you need help with forming and or editing your stories! I love to watch old movies and listen to all types of music in my free time.
Kenneth Franklin, Video Editor
Kenneth is a senior at Druid Hills High School, and an avid fan of Run the Jewels, comic books, comedy and video games. And he’s a lover of music and geek culture alike.
Kaylynn Parks, VOX Investigates & Associate Video Editor
Kaylynn, 16, goes to Atlanta International School and is one of the video editors this semester. She is in theater, German and English — and invites you to ask for help with anything or even just to have a really interesting conversation. She’s super excited to be working with you all.
Mack Walker, Audio Editor
Mack Walker is a sophomore at North Atlanta High School. Mack was a summer intern for 2017 and has been working at VOX for more than a year. He’s an all-A scholar and a fan of all music genres. Mack has covered topics like music and reviews, and the Atlanta March for Women & Social Justice. During the year that he’s been at VOX, he’s interviewed Killer Mike, Kap G, Domani Harris, the Osceola Brothers and Kodie Shane.
Alexandria Wilson, Atlanta Teen Voices Editor
19. Flower child of the nineties and tree hugger of the two thousands. My goal in life is to make the world a better place by empowering women and improving the environment.
If you are wondering where you can find this issue, we have you covered. Click here for a list of Atlanta schools, businesses and community centers where the print edition of VOX is available.
VOX’s Atlanta Word Works program offers free bi-monthly workshops for spoken word and written poetry with a focus on healing and social justice led by our AWW Alumni. Workshops will kick off this fall and be held on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Please visit the Atlanta Word Works page or contact Josie@VOXAtl.org for details.
Save the date! Share your voice – Dec. 9.
This semester we invite you to join VOX teens in a community dialogue about immigration. Create art. Slam poetry. Meet each other. Follow along this semester’s investigation voxatl.org/category/vox-investigates/.
Keep a lookout for open mics in October and December and submit any poetry for publication to editor@voxatl.org.
