STUDENTS in SMK Tun Hussein Onn in Seberang Jaya, Penang are in it to win it, and they proudly showed off their masterpiece creations for The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) contest Mag Inc 2011.

Among them was a group called “Challengers” who came up with an original idea of using three-dimensional (3D) images with lights to illustrate their messages in four magazines.

The group’s leader, Form One student T. Koshalaa Devi, said she made the rocket – which lights up when a button is pressed – using some of her younger brother’s old toys and Deepavali twinkling lights.

“We wanted to tell the readers more about the functions of a rocket and its purposes.

(From left) Gursheween Kaur, Joyce Shalini and Koshalaa Devi holding up their entries for the competition. — ASRI ABD GHANI/The Star

“So, we chose a 3D concept to make the magazine more realistic and attractive,” she said.

Her fellow group member Gursheween Kaur said their magazine showcased a group of doctors performing surgery under blue and yellow lights, adding that the patient’s heart was a 3D pop-up image.

The school, which submitted more than 700 entries for the contest, was among the early schools to send in their magazines.

Form Four students Jasdeep Kaur and Insyirah Ariana, from another group called “Never Say Never”, said they submitted five mini-magazines for the contest.

“One of the magazines that we designed was for teenagers, titled Sixteen.

“The magazine, which has singer Rihanna on the cover, talks about relationships among family and friends,” said Insyirah.

The school’s English Department head Marilyn Anugraham said the school had been taking part in the contest since its inception.

“Our students are motivated to at least win the Pizza Hut vouchers, which some of them had won in the previous contests.

“Some of them had been pestering me since January to form their teams to work on the magazines, even though the contest only started in March,” she said.

Principal Zolkepley Shahidan said the contest helped promote English proficiency among students, adding that the school had won a merit certificate award for participating in the Mag Inc contest in 2009.

The contest, co-sponsored by Pizza Hut in corporation with the Education Ministry, came to a close on July 1 after its launch in March this year by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

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