Thumbs-up for workshop

A TOTAL of 150 students and teachers from 30 schools went back home with more informative ideas and useful tips after participating in a two-hour Star-NiE and Pizza Hut Mag Inc workshop held in George Town last week.

Apart from being told about the do’s and don’ts of the competition, students and teachers were also offered tips on the topics they could choose to work on and shown examples of magazine templates.

Named Mag Inc (Magazine Incorporated), this year’s contest is on “teenage angst”. Participants are required to produce a three-page magazine on issues like Internet addiction, teenage dating, bullying and others.

Commenting on the work produced, workshop facilitator Adeline Cruz stressed that the final product should not only be pleasing to the eye but more importantly, deliver a strong message.

“Sometimes the graphics and designs tell the message, but it’s too general. Go more into details and grab the attention of the audience,” she said.

SK Convent Green Lane teacher Tan Siew Lean found the workshop an eye-opener for the primary students.

“Although the theme is more suitable for secondary students, this is a golden opportunity for the children to learn about the work involved in putting a magazine together,” she said, adding that her students might want to tackle bullying as a topic. SK Convent Light Street Year Six student Teh Ee Win planned to work on the issue of parents as friends.

“Producing a mini magazine is entirely different from coming up with posters and will be a challenge for me. I get to make my point on problems affecting teenagers through words and graphics,” she said.

Form Five student Nor Azwanis Adam from SMT Kulim, said the project simply calls for more reading and magazine referencing.

“The facilitator pointed out some of the common mistakes made by others, and by doing so, we hope not to repeat them,’’ she said.

J. Kobinathrao said he now has a better excuse for watching movies and television.

“We are planning to come out with a three-minute video clip and I will tell my parents that I have to watch movies and television for referencing purposes,” said the fourth former from SMK Haji Zainul Abidin.

The workshop venue and refreshments were sponsored by Disted-Stamford College.

The grand prize of Taylor’s University College pre-university scholarships worth RM100,000 is up for grabs in the upper secondary school category while other winners will among others, enjoy trips to Genting Resort, Sibu Island Resort (Johor) and receive Canon cameras.