Adorned with vibrant posters, banners, and creative displays, the second floor of the 9000 building transformed into a hub of journalistic pride during Journalism Week. From Feb. 24 to 28, all of the publications at Coral Gables Senior high ranging from CavsConnect, Gables Live, Catharsis, Highlights and Cavaleon commemorated their dedication to their craft during J-week. Demonstrating their hard work, the week served as testament to each publication of the critical role that journalism plays in informing and connecting communities.
Throughout J-Week, the publications at Gables came together to celebrate their shared passion for media and storytelling. Creating colorful displays that highlighted their own voices and labors, publications banded together by decorating the second-floor hallways of the 9000 building.
Featuring walls displaying yearbook layouts to literary magazines, posters made by the students in the publications, balloons and banners, the entrance of the 9000 buildings’ second floor greeted interested Cavaliers. In anticipation towards the annual Communications, Arts, Film and Digital Media Field Day which closes off the week, the energy only grew with a buzz of students appreciating the lively atmosphere.
“I am not in any of the publications however, I greatly admire everything they do. The decorations in the 9000 were all so cute, and I think they really set everything up so nicely. They are all so creative and always doing awesome activities. I loved the CavsConnect wall as well as the Gables Live one’ they were adorable,” freshman Abigail Alvarez said.
From eye-catching posters to informative displays, the hallway was transformed into a visual representation of the creativity and dedication behind each publication. Showcasing the spirit of J-Week, the decorations embodied media’s power to unite people and form meaningful bonds.
“For J-Week, I wasn’t really actively decorating the wall until the last few days. Cavaleon has always had the biggest wall so it’s definitely a challenge to decorate but we were all so happy with the result. Honestly highlights does such an amazing job at decorating the hallway; I loved doing their polls and seeing the results on Instagram. Field day was the day that I had been waiting for all week,” junior Valeria Cifuentes said.
On top of the several exciting events throughout the week, highlights set up a Newseum. Composed of an interstice display, which exhibited new themes every day, students were able to expand their journalistic horizons on the First Amendment, Press Rights in Action, Student Press Freedom Day, Trends and Ideas and technology through interactive activities.
Ending off J-week strong, Field day was a fun-filled day of friendly competition, where members from each publication, as well as Film Club and Speech and Debate, showcased their school spirit. As publications confidently marched to the field, students chanted enthusiastically, flaunting their banners and signs as they promoted their literary outlets. Teams participated in a variety of games, including a relay races, a water balloon toss, musical chairs and three- legged race, all in the spirit of fun and camaraderie.
“I loved seeing all the hard work come all together and seeing the publications have a great time. We incorporated two new games but stayed with games that we know they love, such as the relay races. Overall, I think it was very successful and brought everyone closer,” junior Sophia Sol said.
After the games wrapped up, everyone gathered around, anxiously waiting as points were finalized and decisions were made to determine the winners. In the end, Cavaleon emerged victorious, claiming the title of field day champions and CavsConnect was recognized as the most spirited publication.
As students let loose and deepened their connections with fellow writers, photographers, and designers from other publications the profound effect of J-week on everyone who took part is reflected. Acting as a reminder of the press’s influence and the value of maintaining and elevating journalistic voices within the school community. The success of this year’s event has already sparked anticipation for next year’s J-week, with students eager to build on the traditions and create even more memorable experiences.
“It’s my first year in a publication, and I can definitely say I absolutely love everything we do. J-week was super fun and I really enjoyed the field day. Even though Gables Live did not win, it was so fun spending time with everyone from all the publications. I definitely look forward to the next J-week,” freshman Alec Angelo said.
