Are you interested in reading, writing, or art? Serendipity is Ramapo High School’s fine arts and literary magazine, which, according to art teacher Mrs. Gibson, “is a great marriage between the two mediums, highlighting Ramapo’s amazing artists and authors.” Each edition comes out in late May to early June and includes a variety of student works that have been edited by the club’s fine art and literary editors.
Mrs. Gibson advises the fine arts segment of Serendipity and is always on the lookout for creative works to publish. If you’re taking an art class or just enjoy creating art, now is the perfect time to submit any pieces you have! In fact, they “are open to all appropriate work styles,” she explains. In previous years, the arts included various works such as photography, portraits, colored pencil drawings, black-and-white sketches, mandalas, colorful surrealism, and more.
Mr. Manzo, the Literary Advisor since 2000, says, “Serendipity is a great way for our students to share their original writing and artwork, and also to be published.” He encourages students who love writing to submit their work to be published in this year’s edition. Writing pieces from previous years included short stories, poems, and personal narratives.
Serendipity dates back to 1960, just four years after the school was founded! In fact, in the 2020 edition of the magazine, there is a section that reflects on the 1968 edition, containing poems and pieces of art created by those students who graduated between 1968 and 1969.
Addi Palmer, a current senior at Ramapo High School, shares her experience within the club: “I started writing for them in my sophomore year when I wrote a short horror story in my English class and was encouraged by my teacher to send it into Serendipity. Since then, I’ve been writing shorts for them.” She also loves “getting to work on something new and having it shared with others in Ramapo!” Although there is a page limit, Palmer emphasizes that Serendipity is all about being able to share your creativity, and in that, “There really is no limit.”
Overall, Serendipity is a wonderful opportunity to show off your creativity and to be a published artist or writer. We encourage you to consider sending in your work to Mrs. Gibson or Mr. Manzo and become a part of something great in the Ramapo community!
