Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts launches spring edition of its student-produced literary magazine, RUCKUS

BETHLEHEM, PA ( April 30, 2021)— Today, the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts) Literary Arts Department launches the Spring 2021 Edition of its literary magazine, RUCKUS. The magazine is produced by 12th-grade students as part of the Literary Arts publications course. The students publish three editions each school year under the guidance of faculty member, Heath Mensher.

“This issue of Ruckus – our Spring Edition – is very special,” says Mensher. “Like everything we’ve produced this year, there was an extraordinary amount to overcome for our twenty-three Seniors. Our sense of community in Literary Arts, so vital to our process, has been tested. But our students developed this Spring collection, comprised of Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Literary Artists. It’s a testament to how hard our students work, and how wonderfully talented they are. I continue to be so impressed with our students, and I hope you are, too!”

Through the process of producing the magazine, the students learn the fundamentals of good writing and publishing, and the magazine provides them with a place to see their writing in print, giving Literary Arts majors both a sense of audience, and an opportunity to receive feedback from a variety of sources. Along with analysing current trends in publishing, the teacher-advisor and students are responsible for selecting manuscripts, editing work for publication, event planning, marketing, layout, and design.

The students also edit and publish a website for the magazine, www.ruckusstudents.com, where the Spring Edition and past editions are available to view. Included in the website introduction, the students share, “We strive to showcase the students’ individual voices within the Literary Arts department through various original literature forms. We hope that each edition of Ruckus inspires our readers to keep fighting through difficult times.”

Literary Arts majors at Charter Arts explore the relationship between literature, reading, writing, and performance of the spoken word while honing their craft and producing works in various mediums. The Literary Arts program is a perfect fit for students who would like to strive for future careers as poets, novelists, and playwrights. Students will analyze and write critically and creatively, experimenting with their own creative voices in the construction, production, and performance of original works. This intensive program provides students with a rigorous curriculum rooted in the creative process while reinforcing that reading, writing, and the spoken word are integral parts of the history and development of society.

ABOUT THE LEHIGH VALLEY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS (Charter Arts):

Charter Arts is an audition-based public charter school that provides a comprehensive curriculum for high school students, grades 9-12, who have a passion for the arts. Students major in one of seven artistic areas: dance, instrumental music, literary arts, production arts, theatre, visual arts, or vocal music.

Charter Arts’ rigorous curriculum fosters both academic and artistic excellence for its students. The school’s impressive Future Ready PA Index ranking, Advanced Placement (AP) exam statistics, Keystone Exam statistics, SAT scores, prestigious artistic accolades, and graduation rate, are testaments to the outstanding education that Charter Arts provides.

Charter Arts is proud to celebrate its eighteenth year as one of the most respected high schools for the arts in the nation. Charter Arts was one of only 349 schools in the nation to be named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2020, the school earned the Title I Distinguished School designation for the fourth year in a row, placing it in the top 5 % of all Title I high schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Recently, Charter Arts was ranked as #1 Best Public High School Teachers in PA (out of 666) and #1 Best Charter High School in Pennsylvania on Niche’s 2021 Best Schools in America Rankings.

Charter Arts is located at 321 East 3rd Street, Bethlehem PA 18015.

For more information, visit www.CharterArts.org.

Information & Image Provided By:
Ann Gillette
Manager of Public Relations and Media
Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts
321 East 3rd Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
www.CharterArts.org