MIHS Creative Arts Magazine Pegasus Receives Gold Medal Rating From Columbia Scholastic Press Association

MIHS Pegasus Creative Arts Magazine Students pose with Gold Medal Rating Magazine.

Mercer Island, WA, September 26, 2025 - The 2024-2025 edition of Pegasus Creative Arts Magazine, Mercer Island High School’s publication for student work in the written and visual arts, was recently awarded top honors by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Pegasus earned a Gold Medal rating, with a score of 970 out of 1000 possible points, and earned All Columbia Honors for all three possible categories: 

• Essentials (design concept, theme, layout, and other print elements)
• Verbal (written content such as poetry, prose, playwriting, and spoken word)
• Visual (photography, drawing, jewelry, etc.)

The critique from the Columbia judges was overwhelmingly positive with several comments about the quality of every aspect of the magazine! 

• Regarding Essentials: “Wonderful cover and inside cover art; composite poem perfect opening; graphic repeat with pieces of cover art unite concept for table of contents and throughout magazine.”
• Regarding Verbal Content: “Pegasus writers describe the world they know. Sights, sounds, colors and textures are all vividly painted in words as an artist paints images on canvas. The characters they create are the backbone of the prose. The prose was memorable. The poetic descriptions evoke all five senses and create visual imagery for the reader.”
• Regarding Visual Content: “Visual content can create a response from the viewer by demonstrating beauty, memorable portrait, interesting juxtaposition of elements, environmental/nature scene, mesmerizing eyes, interesting angles, haunting image, shows excellence in craft, intrigues, repels, appeals to the imagination. The magazine’s art is outstanding.”
   

Overall, the critique judges concluded that “with rich, diverse content that is both creative and entertaining, Pegasus showcases the singular talent of Mercer students.”

We congratulate the 2024-2025 Pegasus Staff on their stunning achievement! Their hard work and dedication to a quality publication is reflected in their score, but most importantly, reflected in the magazine itself!

Pegasus is a product of a collaboration between the CCR Creative Writing and Publishing class and its associated Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO).

The print edition is available online at the MIHS Pegasus website. We encourage you to take a look at the visual and creative art being produced by MIHS students!