Almost winners

The first three weeks of my NYU publishing course was dedicated strictly to magazines. For three weeks, we students learned about all aspects of magazine publishing from professionals who work at magazines ranging from Esquire and Men's Health to Seventeen and Vogue.

During the course, we were split up into 10 groups of 10 people charged with conceptualizing a magazine. During our magazine's infancy stage, it got ripped to shreds several times. (Apparently a green magazine for rebellious hipsters who care about recycling and neighborhood revitalization efforts doesn't work so well. Not my idea - trust me!) Our magazine instructor - who always seemed to give us the opposite advice as all the other industry professionals - actually told us that she lost sleep over worrying about us and our concept. Nice way to give us that extra vote of confidence!

All this combined gave our group a sort of black sheep reputation. However, because we were bashed so many times, we were forced to revamp - and thus improve - our concept. FiX magazine became a magazine for young hipsters who keep up with the latest trends in the indie scene - including music, art, and fashion. They're the influential cool champions of change who march through the world and turn everything upside-down - for the better. Need a FiX? Get yours.

Nevertheless, because of how much negativity surrounded our concept from its conception, when the magazine awards ceremony rolled around, all our group wanted to do was get it over with so we could make a beeline for the room in the back of the classroom - the one that held appetizers and a bunch of crates of wine from Trader Joe's.

We weren't surprised when they announced the winner - that group was awesome. They created a magazine dedicated to military families, which was really cool. But then the instructor said that she had another announcement. There wasn't a runner-up because she didn't think that term was fitting. Instead, she said that there was a group who she wanted to call the "almost winners."

"And I know everyone will appreciate this," she said. "FiX magazine."

M jaw hit the floor. At that moment, no one was more surprised than our group - proven by the fact that none of us actually went up to get our award because we all were in this weird sort of shock that we were chosen to win an award.

Well, we almost won.

Even though what she said seemed ridiculously condescending (Really? Everyone should really appreciate the fact that our group could actually come up with something great?) she meant it as a compliment.

Besides, it gave us an excuse to take our prize - a bottle of Trader Joe's wine taken from one of the crates in the back room and wrapped in a bow - and begin a many-hours-long celebration of toasting to "almost winning."

That celebration took us to the basement of a seedy bar in the financial district, the beer garden in Battery Park, a dog-friendly bar/birthday party at a bar in the East Village, a rooftop/house-warming party in the East Village, and - because at that point several of us had been drinking for six hours and could hardly walk - a bar across the street from the rooftop party where I met an out-of-town friend and became the last woman standing from our celebratory group.

Need a FiX? Get yours from us - we're almost winners.