A graphic for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine’s 50th Volume Celebration promotional artwork is shown. iliad Managing Editor Finley Sleppy and the iliad Editorial Board have been planning the event with ODYSSEY Media Group Booster Club Alumni Liaison Dr. Claire Stephens to commemorate 50 volumes of the magazine, along with its Editorial Boards and patrons. “For the production of the magazine, and the (50th Volume Celebration), we’ve done a lot of reflecting and a lot of looking back on what has made our magazine interesting. There are a lot of elements that we’ve kind of expanded and kind of grown upon,” Sleppy said. “I think it’s very cool, getting to see how the Editorial Boards during those different time periods have worked and how they were able to create something.” Graphic by Scarlett Alston
The iliad Literary-Art Magazine’s 50th Volume Celebration will be held on March 22 in the CCHS Gladiator Gallery from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The iliad Literary-Art Magazine has invited Clarke Central High School community members, iliad alumni and patrons to celebrate 25 years of continuous publication at the iliad 50th Volume Celebration on March 22 in the CCHS Gladiator Gallery from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m..
Guest speakers will share their stories of the iliad and its impact. Additionally, writers with pieces in previously published magazines will perform, allowing attendees to reflect on various literary and art pieces from the program’s duration in a tea party-themed event.
“We’re (inviting) different alumni and other patrons that have supported (the) iliad over the years. (The event) is a great opportunity for us to engage past and current iliad staff members, and it helps our outreach,” iliad Managing Editor Finley Sleppy, a CCHS junior, and co-coordinator of the 50th Volume Celebration, said. “It allows us to look back on the legacy that we have had and (see) how we can help grow that in future years.”
A photo of the 2001-02 Iliad Literary Magazine Editorial Board is shown. During the spring semester of the 2025-26 school year, iliad Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel began delegating responsibilities to the rest of the iliad Editorial Board to cultivate future leadership in the program. “I’ve been focused on magazine production recently, so I’ve kind of put this project in the hands of the rest of the Editorial Board. It’s been really good to kind of see them look challenges in the face and see them figure out all the stuff that goes into planning an event,” McDaniel said. “I’m really proud of how far they’ve come and all the things that they’ve shown that they’re capable of.” Photo from 2002 Iliad Literary Magazine
Since its refounding in 2001 by publication adviser David Ragsdale and a staff of CCHS students, the iliad has consistently published volumes of its magazine, the most recent being “Sound & Color,” published in 2025. Along the way, social media platforms and a website have been added to supplement the iliad’s reach.
“We’re an old publication, and if you look at the progress we’ve made in the past 25 years, it’s so impressive what the past editorial boards have been able to accomplish,” iliad Editor-in-Chief Margo McDaniel, a CCHS senior, said. “The precedence of the high expectations and award-winning goals that (past Editorial Boards) were able to set, (doing) such hard work to make magazines that they were proud of (and that) have been recognized, (have) set a very high expectation for everyone else that takes it over.”
“Beyond any awards, recognition or future iliad teams, I hope that there is a place for kids in this building to be published in academic spaces or in literary magazine evaluation settings.”
— David Ragsdale,
iliad adviser
With its growth, the iliad has remained rooted in ideals of personal expression, continuing to function as a creative outlet for the student body at CCHS.
“Beyond any awards, recognition or future iliad teams, I hope that there is a place for kids in this building to be published in academic spaces or in literary magazine evaluation settings,” Ragsdale said. “Sometimes we publish things that are maybe a little more raw or unrefined, but I think (it) captures student voice at a particular time and place. That’s something I’ve loved about the iliad:giving kids the opportunity to have their voice in a way that is authentic to the student experience as opposed to a journalistic standard.”
