Jejak Utama: Breaking Conventions

JEJAK UTAMA: Breaking Conventions is the ninth edition of the JEJAK UTAMA magazine that is published yearly by SMK Bandar Utama, a school in Malaysia.
Production
Breaking Conventions began production in early 2009. The magazine production was presided over by Chester Chin; the year's editor-in-chief with Pn. Lily Juliani serving as the Head Advisor. The recruitment and selection process of new editorial members was held in early February. Potential applicants had to undergo an interview process and were given mock assignments during this period.
Throughout the year, writers and photographers were assigned out to field to do coverage on events such as the Sports Day, Teacher's Day and Prefect's Installation ceremony among others. The articles were then edited at the Editorial Room.
The magazine was revamped and given a fresh, contemporary perspective with a minimalist edge. The designs and layout of the magazine were given a new look under the tutorage of its Head Graphics Designer, Nigel Lim. The Finance department was also created to exclusively handle matters of advertising and sponsors.
All the reports on school events under the 'Highlights' section were written in a compact form while giving focus to photos as opposed to previous years where some events pages lack report and only features photos.
A new section called 'Features' was also introduced with various articles on the school social scene, pop culture, psychology and social events among others. Along with that, the students' works section was renamed to 'Inspiration & Expression' and for the first time includes illustrations and art works by students.
The Editorial Board submitted the magazine in early October to be printed and is slated for distribution in early 2010.
Style and influence
In accordance with its theme, the editorial board wanted to create an unconventional school magazine which features more vibrant designs and interesting articles. To achieve this, Breaking Conventions was influenced by the style and writings of renowned American publications such as GQ, Details and Vogue while retaining the legacy of previous editions of JEJAK UTAMA.
Cover design
The cover; designed by Nigel Lim, is a collage of the school's various panorama and features a dominantly white and green layout. Within the magazine, the images that forms the collage also serves as page dividers to the various sections.
Merchandise
Under the 'JU Vuitton' initiative, a limited edition T-shirt was designed and produced by the editorial board in collaboration with RCDC Clothing Line. The front of the T-shirt bears the words "Breaking Conventions" and "Jejak Utama". On the back of the shirt is a printed image of the rough draft of the magazine's front cover with the names of all the editorial members in it.
Trivia
*This edition marks the first time where the top editorial position is given to a Form 6 student.
*A previous cover design featuring students and teachers of the school was rejected by the administration.
*All the classes, uniformed bodies, clubs and societies' photos were taken independently by the Photography Department led by Wong Kim Yoong as opposed to previous years where a professional photographer was hired.

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