At the end of almost every school year since 2002, BSM has released the Apotheosis magazine, a collection of artwork created and submitted by students. However, this year, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Extended Online School (EOS) coming into effect, the magazine will not be produced. Instead, the editorial board will only put the accepted artwork on the BSM Apotheosis website.

This isn’t the first year Apotheosis has had to abandon the print publication. In 2014, due to increasing printing costs, Apotheosis cancelled the magazine and created a website to publish submissions. It wasn’t until 2018 when English Teacher Ms. Kaia Preus and then art teacher Ms. Nan Onkka took the lead of Apotheosis that the print edition was picked back up. “Only in the past three or so years have we made it a magazine as well as a website… it was only online for a number of years before Ms. Onkka and I came on the scene,” Preus said.

The editorial board of Apotheosis consists of student volunteers, and EOS has made it difficult for editors to meet and discuss the future of Apotheosis. With the adjustment to EOS, production of this year’s edition has been slightly delayed. “What has been impacted is our ability to dedicate focus to this project when there are so many other things going on,” Preus said.

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, a physical print was clearly not an option this year. The editorial board had to decide to either design and publish a digital magazine or only upload artwork to the website. “Creating a digital spread was too much with online school and the stressors of COVID-19, so we will focus on making a website as we have in past years,” Preus said.

At this time, all submissions have been judged and the accepted artwork has been edited. The Apotheosis website is still being developed and is currently in production. “I think it is possible for us to get the website out before the end of the school year, but I’m also trying to have a lot of patience and grace…sometimes, when there is a major pandemic going on…things don’t get done or don’t get done in the same way, and that is okay,” Preus said.