Conflict of interest disclaimer: the writers of this article were members of the Plaid magazine and desperate for views.

ROOM 210 — The editors of Plaid, Winchester Thurston’s student-produced literary and artistic journal, announced at its Monday meeting that the theme for the 2019-20 school year is Noir. 

While the word immediately suggests a somber mood fit for an old mystery, it was another aspect that attracted the Plaid editors: its heavy emphasis on black and white. In a statement released Tuesday morning, editor Rivers Leche ‘20 hailed the move as an economical way to preserve the artsy feel of the magazine while also reducing the cost of printing. 

“The theme Noir really captures the goth mood that’s sweeping WT right now,” she said. “But more importantly, if the whole magazine is in black and white, we can just use the library copier instead of the Digilab copier to print it, which is easier. We can also save thousands of dollars by not using color toner, which is really expensive.”

Enormous color printing costs have long vexed the journal, which is known for its flashy layouts and bright colors. Records show that in 2018, the English Department paid $1,257.50 to print 400 copies, all in color. 

The sheer amount of copies printed is also a pressing problem for Plaid, which has recently been criticized for its aggressive distribution techniques. Plaid staff are known to thrust two or three copies into the hands of unsuspecting students and covertly insert them into people’s backpacks. It is not uncommon to find issues of Plaid from last year around the school in unexpected places.

There have also been unconfirmed rumors floating around the school that faculty advisor Sharon McDermott constructed a toolshed in her backyard using unopened cardboard boxes of the magazine.

Past issues of Plaid can be found in the Dorrance Library. Club leaders will be holding a bake sale next Wednesday to pay for even more pizza.