lumière, the literary magazine of MassBay Community College, has been awarded the prestigious rank of First Class from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in their 2024 Recognizing Excellence in Arts and Literary Magazines (REALM) contest. This year, schools in 46 states and five countries nominated 422 student magazines from middle school, high school, and higher education institutions. There are 125 magazines that were awarded the contest’s highest distinction, REALM First Class. Guided by the expertise of MassBay English professor Matt Walsh, lumière has been illuminating exceptional creative writing, illustrations, photos, and artwork from its students, faculty, and staff since the magazine’s inception in 2016.
The REALM program publicly recognizes excellent literary magazines produced by students with the support of their teachers and professors. REALM is designed to encourage all schools to develop literary magazines that celebrate the art and craft of writing. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Canada, and American schools abroad are eligible to submit their magazines for entry.
“At a time when our public square is being quieted, when voices of difference have been disappeared from the friend list or the algorithm – this is when we need art most, when we need the artists within ourselves most,” said MassBay English Department Chair and faculty advisor of lumière Matt Walsh, who emphasized the organic, community-based nature of the magazine. “Students design their own marketing materials and submissions campaigns. They establish a respectful and consistent editorial process for reviewing work, and they build their design skills developing the website and print edition. Former staff members have gone on to enter MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) programs, to publish original work and win various awards, to serve as editors of literary magazines, and to do many other worthwhile things that require paying close attention.”
Launched in 2016 by Professor Walsh and students Diego Rocha and Joshua Klein, lumière has earned multiple awards to date. In 2019, lumière secured third place and in 2018 placed second in the Community College Humanities Association 2019 National Literary Magazine Competition for small colleges in the Eastern Division. In 2023, MassBay students earned first place in the categories of short fiction and song lyrics. Last year, lumière, was honored with the 2024 REALM Superior ranking.
Lena Sebugwawo, a student in the English (EN202) Advanced Writing course who worked on issue #9, says, “By the end of the course, I had not only gained the skills to create a magazine but also the motivation to finally start one for Suubi. Our magazine focuses on encouraging students and young women in their faith. I invited older students at our school to contribute, and now, a group of children in rural Mubende, Uganda has a magazine filled with their own pictures and their own words. I hope this will not only strengthen their faith but also inspire them to develop their reading and writing skills, empowering them to share their stories with confidence.”
Students are busy working on lumière issue #10 and encourage – students, staff, and members of the community at large – to submit your creative work through the website www.lumierelitmag.com or email litmag@massbay.edu by the extended deadline, April 10, 2025.
Henrich Communications 
Ashland is United