The Rebirth of the Eversley Register
It is with great fervour and thrill that I write that The Eversley Register, the former staple of student civic engagement and journalism at The Country Day School, has been brought back into existence through the extensive efforts of dedicated students and staff supervisors.
This rebirth was spearheaded by the Register’s new Co-Editors in Chief, Maria Ivoditova ’22 and Jack Benjamin ’20, with the support of English department faculty advisor, Ms. Hudson, who was the staff supervisor of the paper between 2010 and 2012, and Mr. Fanni, a new member of the Senior School English faculty.
The initial idea for rebooting the paper came from Maria who, after attending a public speaking competition at a Boston high school last October and seeing the school’s student publication, felt a sense of inspiration to start up something similar at CDS. “I know that we have a lot of intelligent, driven students who have a great deal of interest in these big issues, such as current affairs, arts, and entertainment,” Maria said. “I know many talented writers here.” She believed that the paper would round out the scope of extra-curriculars offered at the School.
The previous incarnation of the paper, which first started in 2003, thrived under the supervision of Ms. Hudson. According to Ms. Hudson, the paper acted as a unifying, inclusive force that allowed students to explore their interests and passions while developing vital skills in writing, communication, and technology. “There was always such a great buzz around the School when the latest edition of the newspaper was published,” she said.
Mr. Fanni, an English teacher and co-advisor of the Debate and Public Speaking Club, felt the paper could not have been relaunched at a better time (his thinking back in February).
“The terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ have become unfortunate hallmarks of our current political era, yet these tensions are nothing new,” he says. “In the 5th century BCE, Plato abhorred the influence of poetry and described Athenian democracy as a ‘wretched theatrokratia,’ a society ruled by the theatre. Here at CDS, students will have an opportunity to participate in a democratic theatre of their own. The Eversley Register will cover everything from current affairs to the arts in an effort to nurture a critical discourse that will allow students to collectively, and consciously, build their worldviews. Or, to use Plato's language, the Register provides a way for students to actively refuse to let the theatrics of the internet age do their thinking for them.”
In January, Eversley Register alumna Margo Vartanian ’13 sat in on her first of what would become many club meetings, to share memories of how this paper impacted her worldview and nurtured her love of writing. New to CDS as a Grade 9 student, Margo enjoyed writing and was encouraged to get involved by her English teacher, Ms. Hudson. “I never had a platform, but with the newspaper, my inner journalist came out. It became my thing.”
Currently a freelance writer and copywriter, Margo attributed her experiences on The Eversley Register as the reason she went on to pursue English, journalism, and media in her post-secondary ventures. While writing for the paper, she enjoyed having a collective and supportive space where she could grow into the person she is today and explore various creative pursuits.
The renewed Eversley Register aims to provide analogous opportunities for students to engage with their community and the world in a meaningful and tangible way. Ms. Hudson is beyond excited to work with students to bring back such a necessary and exciting outlet for student opinion and investigation.
The relaunch of The Eversley Register is a reflection on the past decade and a look into the new one that examines past and emerging trends in politics and entertainment, sums up the ’10s, and provides a glance into the future of our world (pre COVID-19) both locally and internationally.
While the original plan was to release a hard copy newspaper after March Break, the editorial team had to switch gears in a hurry, and with the help of Isabella Paquali ’22, who worked tirelessly to design all new templates, re-edit and package this online edition together so that we could still deliver it to you. Happy reading!
