Page 12 - CH Winter17 Flipbook

STUDENT LIFE
12
FS i n d i n g a V o i c e
chools often attempt to give a voice to school newsletter. It gives its students, and Cascia Hall certainly students a voice and
goes above and beyond the typical platform to express expectations by providing its students themselves creatively, and with, not only a voice, but the authority I know the students
and resources to command it with authenticity and appreciate that,” says insight through their student-led publications, most Lafortune. Unlike most notably Literary Magazine and the Cascian. school publications
The Cascian is consistently one of the most popular publications at Cascia Hall, and the students always anticipate its release every six weeks. In fact, what makes the Cascian so popular is that it is a publication written for the students, made by the students, and aims to involve both the students and teachers, which helps to promote a sense of community among the faculty and student body.This year’s senior editors are Riley Kaltenbacher ’17 and Katy Engelbrecht ’17, both of whom have extensive background knowledge in art, design, and writing.When planning each issue, the editors explain that they often draw inspiration from nearby holidays, major student events, current events and outside sources, other students' suggestions,“and our own crazy ideas,” the ladies chime in with smiles on their faces.The editors note that the Cascian is particularly unusual when it comes to a student- generated publications simply because,“it’s not like your regular school newspaper with school news,” says Kaltenbacher and Engelbrecht.“Of course we include topical and current events, but it’s more about spreading a sense of joy and camaraderie, learning about other students and teachers, and building a foundation for social communication. It also has a lot to do with school spirit and how much we love and appreciate Cascia Hall for all it does for its students.” Ultimately, the editors explain that their motivation for the material included comes from the students: “The Cascian is less about bulletins and more about creating an environment where students participate and engage with the community and the school itself.”
The former faculty sponsor and director of the publication, John LaFortune ’77, agrees on many of the points and believes the Cascian to be an integral part to the school’s formation.“It is de nitely not your normal
which have signi cant
in uence from school
administrators and
faculty, Lafortune
believes in
maintaining student-autonomy and
authenticity within reason.“I am there to lend guidance when asked and reign them back in when maybe they have gone a little far with their humor!” LaFortune says with a laugh,“But that is exactly what you want to have in a class like Visual Arts Publications - you want students to be able to stretch the boundaries and think beyond the four walls of the classroom.
“The Cascian editors this year have exhibited time after time their passion and creativity in wanting a particular style for the publication and determining how to make it happen and putting all of that effort into making this the best year for the Cascian in the past four years.” And such an accomplishment and distinguished compliment says a lot for a publication that has been produced for 90 years.What many students and faculty members have commented on is how the publication has evolved to re ect the students’ personalities and voices while maintaining a sense of propriety and decorum. Most notably, the wide-array of students interviewed and featured in the publication has expanded. Recently, the editors have consciously taken an initiative to broaden the content and include as many students from as many different cliques and classes as possible. By doing this, the Cascian has started to transform to make itself inclusive and accessible to all. In fact, Cascia Hall’s publication, Literary Magazine has followed suit.
Literary Magazine traditionally has released two publications a year - one in the fall and one in the
CASCIA HALL chRONICLE
Cover photograph by Linda Li