Event Coverage: iliad Creative Celebration 2025
Above: COMING TOGETHER: Clarke Central High School student-composed band lucky girl, performs at the iliad Literary-Art Magazine Creative Celebration at Nuçi’s Space on Sept. 10. CCHS junior Eudora Dawson performed their poem “The Falcon to the Falconer,” as the first writing piece of the event. “(The event is) a fun reminder of how exciting sharing your work can be,” Dawson said. “I definitely enjoyed it, it was really cool to see everyone perform. I feel like it's a good reminder to keep (pushing yourself).” Photo by Iliana Tejada.
The iliad Literary-Art Magazine held their annual Creative Celebration in honor of their 49th volume, “Sound & Color,” on Sept. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Nuçi’s Space.
To honor the 49th volume of the iliad Literary-Art Magazine, “Sound & Color,” the iliad Editorial Board held its annual Creative Celebration on Sept. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Nuçi’s Space.
Students, family members and community members gathered to commemorate Clarke Central High School students and faculty who were published in the 49th edition. iliad Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel began the night with an opening speech to the audience.
“Each year, we work to put together an annual magazine to be released at the end of the year that showcases the art and creative writing of CCHS students, faculty and rising ninth graders from Clarke Middle School and Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School,” McDaniel said. “‘Sound & Color’ (explores) the dynamic relationship between music and visual arts. Each of the subsections, ‘Surge,’ ‘Discord’ and ‘Echo,’ featured a music piece composed by (a) CCHS student.”
Following McDaniel’s introduction, the CCHS Honor Chamber Strings Quintet began their musical performance with “Bésame Mucho” written by Consuelo Velaquez, followed by “Morning Mood,” by Edvard Grieg and, finally, “Colors of the Wind” from Walt Disney’s “Pocahontas.” The classical ensemble consisted of bass, cello, viola and two violins.
Above: SHOWCASING MUSIC: CCHS Honor Chamber Strings Quintet violinist Kameron Davis, a senior, performs alongside violinist Julissa Zuniga, a senior, at the iliad Creative Celebration. Dustin McDaniel, father of iliad Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel, has attended the event for the past three years to support his daughter. “I'm aware that there's been more audio (and) visual (submissions) in the magazine,” Dustin said. “I think it opens the magazine up to a lot of students who don't do visual art (or) don't do written literary art. I like bringing in other visual arts, (like) music (and) dancing.” Photo by Iliana Tejada.
Junior Eudora Dawson was the first of seven students to present their submission, “The Falcon to the Falconer.” Following Dawson, three other students presented a variety of poems and a long prose piece for the event’s first section of readings. After an intermission, the readings continued with two free-verse poems and a live performance of “Next!,” which is a script written by sophomore Izzy Hammock, and performed by Hammock and CCHS sophomore Edie Ash.
Next, McDaniel and iliad Managing Editor Finley Sleppy hosted a Q&A panel featuring CCHS seniors EJ Smith and Cameron Mojock and English department teacher Meg Vanderbilt. McDaniel and Sleppy questioned the group about their contributions to the magazine’s recent issue and its importance to CCHS’ creative community.
“Art has always been such a huge part of my life, and I think that the iliad is so unique. I love that the student voice is heard at our school in such a creative way,” Vanderbilt said. “One of the things as a teacher that I take very seriously is modeling for my students. I know that so many of (my students) are creative, so (I) talk through (the submission process) in class.”
Above: CREATIVE PROCESSES: CCHS seniors EJ Smith (left) and Cameron Mojock (middle) and English department teacher Meg Vanderbilt (right) participated in a Q&A panel at the iliad Creative Celebration. Mojock created the cover and subsection artwork for “Sound & Color.” “When you aren't sharing your art with people, you don’t get feedback (and) you don't get the emotion that it evokes in other people,” Mojock said. “And that's such a big part of art that I think so many people deserve to have (but) don't, and it's either out of fear or (not having an) outlet to (submit).” Photo by Iliana Tejada.
To conclude the showcase, Sleppy delivered the closing remarks, which recognized contributors to the event and officially opened submissions for the upcoming 50th volume. The evening ended on a musical note with lucky girl, a CCHS student-composed band, performing for the audience.
“The iliad is a really great community, and that's one thing that brought me to actually submit. One thing that I really like about musicians and artists is the community that they have,” Smith said. “(There are) people from all different walks of life. I felt that in submitting, I could (be a part of) that as well.”
Story by Jay Braswell
Jay Braswell is a sophomore at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, and is the Outreach Director for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. Braswell hopes that her contribution to the iliad will help inspire young artists around the Athens community. When they aren’t hanging out with friends, Braswell enjoys listening to music and painting.