Fostering Creativity: Members of the Freelancer meet weekly to put together an award-winning publication

In Room 507, a small group of students huddle around a projector screen and shout out ratings.

“Four!”

“Seems more like a five, to me.”

They’re members of the Freelancer, a literary arts magazine that publishes original student artwork and writing annually. The staffers’ task: to sort through over 200 student submissions and pick the best ones to include in the publication.

The staffers, led by senior co-editors Riley Gaikowski and Keira Schneider, are fueled by pepperoni pizza, donuts and cookies. They’re clustered in club sponsor and English teacher Amy Andersen’s room to pull a “marathon” meeting — a four hour stint of combing through art. 

“[People] are so happy to be there, and someone’s always bringing food,” Schneider said. “Everyone’s just happy to share the community.”

Members of the Freelancer meet on Thursdays after school in Andersen’s room to rank submissions after the March 2 deadline for entries. Student artwork ranges from 2D pencil sketches to QR codes leading to videos of aerial arts.

However, before the Freelancer can be handed out at the bottom of the main staircase in early May, editors and staff members must attend meetings and review submissions to craft a coherent magazine. Additionally, each year the Freelancer decides on a theme with this year’s being fire related.

“We just establish this massive document of every [theme] that’s discussed, and we go through and vote on the real one,” Gaikowski said.

Andersen advises the Freelancer staff by sitting in on each meeting as members decide the theme and put together the magazine on Adobe InDesign.

“My favorite part of being the Freelancer sponsor is that I believe wholeheartedly in what the Freelancer does, which is to showcase a diversity of voices for students,” Andersen said. “It’s also just a ton of fun to get to hang out with our talented, quirky, creative students.”

Although the Freelancer sells copies to mainly students and parents, they also submit their work to annual competitions, such as the National Council of Teachers of English REALM program. The Freelancer was one of 125 schools that received the highest possible rating last year, “First Class,” out of 421 entries nationwide.

“I really enjoy getting to watch my staff get to know each other,” Gaikowski said. “It’s fun to see new members come in sort of hesitant and unsure of what they’re getting into but realize this is going to be a place where they fit.”

The Freelancer will be released on Saturday, May 10 at their annual launch party in the Commons for artists and Freelancer staff members. Artists will bring their original work or perform their art live at the party to celebrate the magazine.

Gaikowski and Schneider urge students to join the Freelancer, even if it’s just for half of a meeting.

“I feel like there’s this perception that you can only be involved in the Freelancer if you’re super artsy, if you already know the people,” Schneider said. “But the whole point is it’s the whole school. It’s every student. So anyone who likes to indulge in art, write poems at 3 a.m. when they can’t fall asleep, or whatever, is welcome.”