MAG INC 2009

What are participants required to do?
Teams may focus on an issue/topic listed in the following (or a teenage angst issue of their choice):
1. Dealing with a jealous friend
2. Bullying
3. My parents, my friends?
4. Cliques in school
5. Favouritism at home and at school
6. Handling examination pressure
7. Internet addiction
8. Substance abuse
9. Teen dating versus studying
10. Smoking
11. Self-harming behaviours
12. Teens and body image
13. Teen suicide
14. Runaway teens

Projection of the chosen issue/topic in the mini magazine must be in the form of a feature article. Include three other elements which can be found in a magazine (eg.interviews, short stories, poems, advice columns/agony aunt pages, comic strips, anecdotes, advertisements, polls, surveys).

Format/content of magazine
Each team must use the original blank magazine template published in the Star-NiE pullouts on Apr 1 and Apr 22 to create their self-titled mini magazine for the contest.

The 3-page magazine must be based on the theme of teenage angst.

The content of the magazine must be written to include (but is not limited to):
• A feature article (which is compulsory)
• AND at least three elements of the following:
Interviews, short stories, poems, advice columns/agony aunt pages, comic strips, anecdotes, advertisements, pictures, photographs, polls, surveys, dialogue boxes, etc.

The front page of the magazine (tabloid size A3) has space for a self-titled masthead for the mini magazine, followed by pages two and three on a broadsheet/centrespread.

Feature article
It is compulsory for each team to write a feature article on the topic selected. With all other elements being equal, the strength of the feature article will carry the most weight in the awarding of prizes.

The feature article must include at least one illustration, picture or photograph.

Length of the feature article:
• Primary – 500 words

Marks will be allocated for layout, creativity, content and use of language.

Qualification for prizes
Each student can only be the member of one team.

Participants must be in teams of four or five.

Each participating team must submit a self-titled mini magazine that is designed on three A3 pages of Star-NiE’s original template.

Teams that submit a 3-minute video clip may stand a chance to win exciting prizes in the video clip category.

The video clip should be formatted on MPEG files that are supported by Windows Media Player, and must be downloaded into a Compact Disc only. The disc must be clearly labelled with the team’s name and school.

Each team may submit more than one entry, but only one entry per team shall be eligible to compete in the Grand Prize level, i.e. the Merit Awards and Grand Prizes.

Students may conduct research from books, articles and the Internet but materials must not be plagiarised. Plagiarism will result in the disqualification of an entry.