By definition, a “colophon” is described as a publisher’s emblem or a statement that includes a book’s publication information. However, the word colophon has an entirely different meaning to students at Towson High School.

Colophon represents an unparalleled literary art magazine that has stood the test of time. For 49 years, the Colophon has published exceptional art work from Towson Students, and this year, the 50^th anniversary of Colophon was no different.

The very first edition of Colophon was published in 1966. It was a small pamphlet that included a limited amount of poems and hand drawings. Since then, the Colophon has expanded immensely and has even received recognition on a national level, receiving a Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

The 2016 edition of Colophon is unlike its previous years. This year’s Golden edition includes a variety of art from earlier editions. “We included work from the 49 previous years. We tried to give appropriate attention to work from this year and previous years,” says Colophon co-advisor Nicholas Busselman.

The production of the 50^th edition of the Colophon was a collaborative effort. This “expanded effort” as Busselman called it, required both time and dedication. “I was honored to to be working on it (Colophon), and with great honor comes great responsibility. The entire experience was stressful, overwhelming and laborious. We worked until 11pm, stayed on Saturdays but I wouldn’t give it up for the world,” says managing editor Morgan Hilton.

Colophon is beloved by those who work on it and by those given the opportunity to have their work chosen for it. Joianna Wallace, author of the short story The Evolution of a Crush, was ecstatic to hear that her work would be featured in Towson High School’s prestigious art magazine. “It was pretty awesome to know that my writing was chosen. It was written for a creative writing midterm and I was not expecting it to go very far. However, when I submitted and I got accepted I was so surprised.”

Nicole Race, author of a piece featured in Colophon titled Ominnous, described being accepted into Colophon as an “honor.” “It was an honor because I wasn’t expecting to actually making it. My family was so excited they purchased three copies.”

Colophon has a rich history at Towson High School, that will continue as long as the love for art at Towson continues to emanate from our students. For 50 years Towson students have produced exceptional work worthy of attention. Colophon has served as a means of showcasing the art from students, and has continued to do so in a remarkable way.

Towson’ s esteemed Literary arts magazine has grown tremendously since its first release in 1966. Colophon has become such a remarkable publication because it is prized not only by its staff, but enjoyed and respected by those who get the chance to read it.