With the new school year starting, a new era dawns on the pages of Catharsis. Serving as a canvas for the creative minds that wander within the halls, students gather not merely to engage in activity, but to breathe life into the forthcoming volumes produced. However, change is in the air with the departure of Mr. Rodriguez, the previous advisor, who had nurtured the publication for the past two years. Now welcoming with open arms the new advisor, Ms. Silveira.
Having taught English 2 for the past two years, Ms. Silveira has additionally brought a wealth of experience to the Cavaliers. Her journey in education began with a decade-long term at Florida International University where she served as an administrative assistant before discovering her true passion for teaching as an English teacher at Robert Morgan Educational Center. Now, as a part of the Cavalier family, she has embraced the role of guiding students not only in English but also in the realm of creative writing, leading her to help the student body create all forms of art.
“I always enjoyed writing and such things. There came a point when I wanted to become a writer. So, I was really excited. I’d always wanted to teach creative writing, and I got the chance to do that. Working with Catharsis, I’m examining past errors, viewing each word’s significance and even reviewing edits made by previous editors. I have also started looking at our past progress to minimize the need for corrections. I’m truly thrilled, thinking about where this can lead us. I’m confident that it will guide the staff toward various career paths. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve this year,” Ms. Silveria said.
Appearing at the annual Communication Arts, Film and Digital Media Banquet, Mrs. Silveira was invited as an honored guest to meet her future staff and get a feel of all the publication’s success over the year. She also had the opportunity to meet Mr. Rodriguez and see the dynamic he had with his staff. Getting filled with inspiration, Mrs. Silveira took a moment to give a speech and later have conversations with her future writers.
“I’m thrilled about our new sponsor, Ms. Silveira, for the Catharsis/Creative writing part of CAF&DM. She’s open to learning our ways, and I’m excited to guide her. Change is inevitable, and I welcome it for our growth. Past advisor switches made us more self-sufficient, trusting my returning team, I’ll let them work their way. New writers will learn from editors, and layout artists will be taught by new layout editors. Though I don’t know Ms. Silveira well yet, she’s eager to join us and learn,” senior Sarmiento-Mena said.
Upon stepping down from Catharsis, Mr. Rodriguez has continued to contribute to a thriving environment at Coral Gables Senior High and dedicates himself to filmmaking endeavors for the International Baccalaureate Film Program. His decision to prioritize the film program was marked by mixed emotions, acknowledging the loss of his role as an advisor, yet driven by a commitment to its growth, knowing that the literary magazine’s future is in good hands.
“Leaving Catharsis was a little bit of a mixed bag of emotions for me. I understood that it was leaving behind something that I enjoyed doing and also letting go of my incredible staff to move forward with their next volume. I also knew that I wanted to put as much effort and time into building the film program. It was one of those difficult decisions that I had to make. However, I know that Catharsis has been left in excellent hands. I’m excited to see where Ms. Silveria takes Catharsis,” Mr. Rodriguez said
While this marks her inaugural year with Catharsis, Ms. Silveira is fully committed to steering the ship in the right direction with her dedication. The upcoming volume 15 of Catharsis is scheduled for release around the end of the school year. With that, Gables extends a heartfelt welcome to the new advisor, anticipating an exciting journey ahead.
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From left to right: Layout Editor Juliette Farinas-Correa, Layout Editor Maya Carmenate. (Courtesy of Steffi Sarmiento-Mena)“My role within Catharsis is being one of two layout editors. My responsibility is to teach other layout members anything they need to create good work for the magazine, such as how to use indesign and the principles of art. I also make layouts myself, edit and polish layouts made by the staff, and ensure the whole process goes by smoothly and quickly,” senior Maya Caramenate said.
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From left to right: Editor-in-chief Steffi Sarmiento-Mena, Managing Editor Moon Anderson. (Courtesy of Steffi Sarmiento-Mena)“I can tell this year will definitely be very fun. Ms. Silveria has very great qualities to her and it is clear that she is passionate about what she does. As a managing editor, I essentially will help the publication run smoothly. I will keep track of deadlines and keep all the staff on top of them. As well as submitting our magazine and individual pieces to competitions,” senior Moon Anderson said.
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From left to right: Poetry Editor Caitlin Savage, Drama Editor Daphne Renoux, and Prose Editor Juan Subero. (Courtesy of Steffi Sarmiento-Mena)“Joined by Ms. Silveria and our Editor In Chief, I am looking forward to making the best volume of Catharsis so far. As the prose editor, I will be giving lessons and assignments while providing feedback and personalized editing,” senior Juan Subero said.
”Ms. Silveria seems super kind and someone who has a lot of passion for teaching, which is why I believe she makes a great fit as our new advisor. As poetry editor, I am responsible for teaching lessons regarding poetic styles and giving assignments corresponding with those lessons,” junior Caitlin Savage said.
“I am very excited to work with Ms. Silveria. From what I’ve seen so far, she is very professional about her work. This year, I am the drama editor which means I am in charge of administering lessons, creating assignments and providing feedback to our staff on their drama pieces,” senior Daphne Renoux said.
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From left to right: Business Luna Santiago, Outreach Daniela Pajon. (Courtesy of Steffi Sarmiento-Mena)“I am the business manager of Catharsis. I deal with the financial side of the publication. I manage the money for fundraising, club shirts, enlisting our publication for the Florida Scholastic Press Association convention, ordering the magazines toward the end of the year and overall managing all the expenses through the school year," junior Luna Santiago said.
“Ms. Silveria is learning just as much as we are, and I am looking forward to getting to know her better. My responsibilities as an outreach coordinator are to make posts for the Catharsis Instagram. I keep up with all the events related to our publication so that I can plan posts accordingly,” senior Daniela Pajón said.
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From left to right, top row: Juan Subero, Daniela Pajon, Moon Anderson, Juliette Farinas-Correa, Maya Carmenate. Bottom row: Caitlin Savage, Steffi Sarmiento-Mena, Daphné Renoux, Luna Santiago. (Courtesy of Steffi Sarmiento-Mena)“I hope that Catharsis is able to encourage a creative flourishing environment that our school needs. Our publication is all about kindness and acceptance, and I want to be able to bring that energy to everyone associated with us, as well as anyone who reads this year’s magazine,”senior Steffi Sarmiento-Mena said.
