RubyScanlan

It’s the passing period after lunch, and the hallways are full of eager journalism students hollering like newsies. Fresh stacks of the Marian Network are passed out and students begin to flip through the pages, looking for photos, friends and features.

   By the end of the five minutes, trash cans are piled high with discarded newspapers. 

   Two problems emerge from this scene: 

   1. Paper should be thrown into the blue recycling cans in the cafeteria or the green bins in classrooms. 

   2. The hard work of the Journalism II students is being discarded. 

   Both the Earth and Journalism students weep, but a new, creative solution has come knocking. 

   Instead of throwing out the paper after you are done reading, find a way to repurpose it. From artistic to practical, the door of possibilities is wide open.  

   Photos and articles can be saved to capture snapshots in time. Junior Violet Astorga has collected pieces of her newspapers to keep as Marian memorabilia. 

   “I used to cut out little pieces of the newspaper and keep [them]…[or] anything cute,” Astorga said. These clippings can be used in colorful collages to capture special moments that can be looked back on. This scrapbook can be used to hold the whole paper, acting like a time capsule, storing memories safely that you relive when your parents make you clean out your closet.

With the help of some glue, the latest publication can be transformed into papier-mâché.

Mix two parts of glue and one part of water to create your adhesive. Tear your chosen paper into strips, thick or thin, it’s your choice. Dip them into the sticky mixture and apply them to a mold or sturdy base form, like a balloon. 

   If you are feeling another rush of creativity, throw some paint on it. Allow each coat of paint to dry between layers so you don’t smudge your artwork. To preserve your papier-mâché, coat it with some sealer like Mod Podge. 

   Finished articles can become gift wrapping for the upcoming holidays. Senior Katherine Dietz takes advantage of any extra paper, especially in December. 

   “I usually save a few issues before Christmas to use for [wrapping] gifts for my family,” Dietz said. Newspapers can provide an elegant final look to unforgettable presents.    Don’t forget a bow; use Pinterest to look up how to make a bow out of newsprint, too!

   You are not limited to using JUST the newspaper. Cutting out eye-catching art, poems, pictures, and more from the BURN Literary Arts Magazine and the Marian Magazine will add more color and variety to your creations. 

   Marian art classes explore many different media, and one of those includes recycled fashion for your big day. Wedding dresses are a staple project of Sculpture class. Students work with 3-4 others to create showstopping dresses out of recycled newspapers. 

Senior Alex Lyons and a team of four others in Sculpture collaborated to sketch and then fabricate an original and fashionable dress.

   Art students expanded not only their creativity, but also their collaborative skills. 

   “While I wasn’t the one making the dress, my team still made sure I was being included,” Lyons reflected. 

   They were given one class to sketch and design their dress and then a short time period to put the designs on paper, literally.     

“We had about 55 minutes with a limited amount of materials to make the dress.” 

   With a colorful assortment of issues to choose from, Lyons and team made the dress of their dreams. 

   While you are whipping up your latest masterpiece, reuse any extra pages as table covers. This will help to avoid any unwanted paint splatters or accidents, including spilled glue (It’s no fun to clean glue out of carpet!)

   Next time you think about throwing out your newspaper, pause and look at it instead as a vessel for creativity. Creations ranging from collages to origami to

papier-mâché are just within reach. 

   Also, pause before you discard your publication. As a Sustainability club member, Astorga reminds students that “They go in the blue recycling bin [in the cafeteria], pretty please.” 

   Reduce, reuse, and remake your next big project and submit it to an art competition or BURN magazine.