The 132nd Edition Comes to a Bittersweet Close
Eman and Esther reflect on a year of growth and community.
June 24, 2023
As the final days of the 2022-2023 school year dawn upon us, many questions may arise in the spring haze. It is likely that a majority of these questions pertain to the fate of the Register Forum. Before we delve into our hopes and dreams for what is to come, we hope to recognize all the amazing work that went into making the 132nd edition possible. The Register Forum is a collaborative effort between all members of the CRLS community. Students and staff accomplish things that are simply worth writing about, and the talents of the writers, illustrators, photographers, and editors allow for these stories to be showcased on a printed page and memorialized online.
Our editorial team was the MVP in getting the show on the road. At times it seemed like there was one hurdle after another, but the editors continued to be open-minded, flexible, and excited about new endeavors. Through “Edi-vents” like Editors-giving, Secret Sled, Edi-skate, and Edi-bowling (seeing the theme yet?), we grew closer as a team and even made the laborious layout process a little more enjoyable. We hope the layout room continues to be a place of both productivity and faultless playlists. This year also brought the first release of 100+ year-old archive-inspired Register Forum merchandise, designed by our own illustrator Bodie, and it was a joy to see peers sporting the look in the halls. It remained important to us to foster a supportive and collaborative environment between both our editors and the larger Register Forum community. Although NewsStorms should be deemed as a school-wide holiday, they are the only chance for contributors, readers, and editors to share a space. We hope the coming years are filled with more events like the glamorous and first-ever Reggie Awards, where the greater Register Forum community can bond over a shared love of extra writing outside of class.
You’ve been there: you’re a freshman, it’s club week, and a bunch of scary upperclassmen are screaming at you to sign up for their club. Maybe you’ll get a sweet treat or a sticker, but you just want to find your friends for lunch. Joining any club can be daunting––we’ve been there as well––and the Register Forum is no exception. Therefore, we strived to create a change through this edition especially due to the RF’s lack of diverse representation and historically aloof reputation. Specifically, we advertised the fun and creativity embedded in the paper to CRLS and the CPS middle school classrooms and welcomed motivated students to amplify their voices through the Register Forum.
Through our successes and lessons learned, we ultimately saw an influx of new contributors, new stories, and new perspectives. We truly commend students for continuing to hold the RF accountable throughout the year, and while the Register Forum has a long journey ahead, we are optimistic that greater change is possible. We hope that this paper will continue to be a space for students and staff to learn about school events, spark friendly debate on controversial opinions, and incite giggles as they read the Games & Humor articles.
The Register Forum has been an integral part of our high school experiences. We learned about our peers, collaboration, the art of media, and the power of voice. Each space in the newspaper is an opportunity, and we hope the RF works towards ensuring equitable access to this opportunity. As we part ways with early mornings and InDesign, we leave you with this: Don’t take yourselves too seriously, do take the RF seriously, and don’t be afraid to take risks. We know that Stephen Gwon and Jeremiah Barron, our successors, and all future contributors will continue to make each edition better than the last. We can’t wait to watch!
