Announcing our May Lineup...

Over the past few days, our editors have had the pleasure of reviewing a wide array of submissions from all ages of EmP youth. We've seen intricate clay art designs, a multitude of heartfelt cards, and even a couple of poems -- all centered around the theme "Mother's Day". We're thrilled to announce the four winners of our May competition:

Our very first video submission, "Mother's Day 2020", is from Wayne Shi, a 6th grader at Ridgecrest Elementary. It's an ambitious compilation of Wayne's gifts to his mother over many years and many Mother's Days. Each gift is linked to the next through use of a common color with personal meaning -- purple -- and Wayne conveys his appreciation and love for his mother through a series of animal metaphors.

In her poem "What is a Mother?", Hannah Ren, a 4th grader from Spiritridge Elementary, delivers a powerful message of celebration throughout. She answers the question posed in her title with various personal insights, packaged in a skillful rhyme scheme.

"给妈妈的母亲节礼物", or "My Gift to Mom" is a collection of pieces prepared by second-grader Alex Cao, from Mead Elementary; it includes a pair of cards and a tea set. The covers of the two cards show an impressive range of style: one as a vivid, Play-Doh fresco and the other as a carefully drawn, multi-medium depiction of a vase of flowers. Presentation makes the collection stand out: photographed among a smattering of real flowers, in the sunshine, the pieces work as gifts as well as they do artistically. 

In "We are Together", Grace Li, a 4th grader from Creekside Elementary, deftly conjures up a picturesque scene of herself and her mother using just colorful clay. With a life-like, three dimensional quality to it, the piece offers a comforting simplicity.

Thank you to everybody that submitted this month, and a big thank you, as always, to our readers. Enjoy the pieces!

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​The contributing editors this month were Kailani Ye, Cindy Cao, and Victor Xia. We'd like to thank our adult advisors, Shirley Tong and Han Yan, for providing support.