This year, Sachem looks forward to running the Oct. 28 Haunted Coffeehouse, creating a magazine to celebrate students’ art and writing and recruiting new members. 

Sachem is Algonquin’s student-designed art and literary magazine that contains selections from student submissions. This year’s theme is “Reflections,” and the Sachem staff will be accepting artwork, poetry, short stories, photographs and any other creative expressions connected to that theme or which students would like considered for publication.

“The magazine is really an outlet for all students to display their art and their writing, and that’s something [senior Bobby Kebartas, Sachem’s head editor] has really brought to Sachem,” Sachem adviser and English teacher Matt Querino said. “He wants to get more students involved.” 

As the head editor of Sachem, Kebartas oversees all the work, makes sure everyone is doing their job and fosters a safe environment for everyone. A major goal that Kebartas has is getting to know everyone on Sachem. 

“My main goal is to, obviously, produce the best magazine, but [also] to really get to know everyone individually,” Kebartas said. “I haven’t had any classes with [a lot of these students], so I don’t really know them well. I really just want to get to know everyone and find common interests, or, if we are very opposite, then just come together as a group.”

According to Kebartas, Sachem should build a safe and comfortable environment for everyone so people feel comfortable sharing their creative work in the magazine. 

“Sachem’s goal is to produce a magazine, but it is really a safe place for a lot of people, including myself,” Kebartas said.

This year’s theme, “Reflections,” was selected because it has many possible interpretations, and the Sachem team hopes it will inspire lots of creative ideas.

“The way I interpreted [the theme] was that COVID happened for a really long time,” Kebartas said. “Reflection kind of means reflecting; we are reflecting on a time that is so troubling.” 

To produce their yearly magazine, which is published in the spring, Sachem must raise sufficient funds. Therefore, this year Sachem is hosting their Haunted Coffeehouse on Oct. 28 from 7-10 p.m. in the Black Box Theater. So far, 10 performers have signed up, and the staff is hoping for even more. The cost of entry is five dollars with a costume on and six dollars without a costume. 

Anyone interested in joining Sachem or performing in the Coffeehouse should  email [email protected] or [email protected]. Sachem meets every Wednesday after school in room D118, and new members are welcome. Sachem is accepting art and writing submissions until Jan. 1.