Coffeehouse may be canceled, but Earthwinds still on the way
As everything in our school has shifted to remote learning, student publications at the school had to follow suit. Earthwinds, the senior high’s literary magazine, has still been working to get their issue ready to distribute through the midst of this pandemic.
Dr. Paul Smith, the sponsor for the magazine and for the creative writing class that generates it, said, “it’s been a challenge for us to adapt to the new and strange situation we find ourselves in, but we’ve managed. Creating a publication is a collaborative and creative process, and being in the same room at the same time is vital. Working in virtual silos has its limitations, but the staff has risen to the challenge, taken their duties seriously, and we’re in the final stages of producing a full-length magazine as usual that highlights the remarkable creative talents of Prep’s students.”
Dr. Smith said that the staff will not be able to distribute their magazine this year like previous years through the Earthwinds Coffeehouse, which is an event during the school day that includes “coffee, live music, instant poetry, and readings from the magazine.” The publication normally goes out in early April, but the release date was pushed back a month due to the pandemic.
Senior JC Polk, an Earthwinds staff member, said that it “has been a bit more difficult” because they “had to take everything that we had saved to the publications room computers and download it to our personal computers so we could continue to work.” They meet virtually just like the other classes at Prep, and the editor-in-chief, Ainsley Sinclair, has been giving out assignments to the staff members. However, the staff has risen to the challenge and JC assures that the staff is “doing well and have made it work.”
Ainsley Sinclair said that they “have been having meetings every day and putting stuff together” in their goal of going to press by mid-May, which would allow the magazines to be ready by the end of May. While distribution is uncertain at this time, it is likely that an online PDF version will be available for those who want to read it. Seniors will be given copies on graduation day, most likely at the senior brunch if it occurs as it is currently planned.
