THE FINAL POTLUCK

Every month, The Anchor staff puts in a lot of work to ensure that that month’s newspaper is released on time. Sometimes, we even have a celebration, and what better way to celebrate the release of our newspaper that month than with food? 

Whenever we have a potluck, members of The Anchor bring anything from conchas to Oreos, while still keeping in mind everyone’s different dietary restrictions. These potlucks allow us to celebrate our accomplishments while also bonding over food. 

However, May’s potluck will be the last where we will be celebrating alongside our senior members. It will be a send-off for our senior members, and like every other potluck, we’ll be celebrating the release of our newspaper. However, we will also be celebrating all of the work, leadership, and memories of our senior members and congratulating them for making it all the way through high school.

While our potlucks are all about food, they are also all about forming connections and getting closer as a newspaper team. Julieta Ortiz, The Anchor’s writing lead and one of our senior members, says, “I think our potlucks help our culture as a news team to remember to step away from the hustle and stress and take time to celebrate all that we have accomplished so far and keep it fun.” According to Ortiz, the potlucks also provide us with a break from the usual school  lunches where we get to enjoy unique, often homemade foods that our fellow members took the time to bring in. The potlucks re also a form of encouragement for our team. According to Olivia Fuller, The Anchor’s graphic design lead and yet another one of our senior members,  “[The  potlucks] also encourage people to continue doing Newspaper and to join Newspaper, and they are of course rewarding.” Our potlucks give us all something to work towards and are one of many things that make Newspaper such a fun and welcoming class. Ella Stineman, The Anchor’s editing lead, and Lili Nandell, our editor-in-chief, both agree that our potlucks make our team stronger and closer.

THE ANCHOR STAFF CHATTING AND ENJOYING SNACK DURING THEIR SEASONAL POTLUCK; PHOTO BY KAILEE CARVER

The senior members of The Anchor also have some tips for current or future members that will allow them to fully enjoy the potlucks while still keeping them safe for everyone. Nandell and Fuller both emphasize the importance of always considering everyone’s different allergies so that the food can be safely enjoyed by every member of the team. Fuller also says, “There should always be an equal or close to equal split between savory and sweet foods.” Nandell agrees that “Variety is also important - you can't just have sweets or you'll feel sick quickly, but just savory is a bit boring.” Although we end our potlucks with memories and full stomachs, we also often end them with a lot of leftover food. Ortiz acknowledges this when she says, “Mrs. Moore has Ziploc bags in her room so you can take leftovers home!” One last potluck tip from the seniors is from Stineman, who says, “I want future members to not feel pressured to bring an item to the potluck if they are not able to.” This is one of the most important tips that can allow every member of The Anchor to have fun during the potlucks. If someone is not able to bring something to one of the potlucks, it doesn’t make them any less of a member of The Anchor. While many people bring items to each of our potlucks, there are still plenty of members who

 don’t. Nobody should feel pressured to bring food to any of our potlucks, and, as Stineman says, “the potlucks are meant to be a fun way for the team to interact, it is not fun if you feel pressured.”

Moving on from potluck tips, there have been a few potluck items that have stood out to the senior members over the years. Ortiz and Fuller both think that the Oreo cake pops that have been brought to a few of the potlucks were the best potluck items. Ortiz’s reason for this is “[the] cake pops always have the perfect crunch with the outer candy melt layer and the pieces of crushed oreo inside…” When it comes to the best savory potluck dish, Nandell and Stineman (and myself, honestly) agree that Stineman’s cheesy garlic bread is the best. According to Nandell, “Ella's cheesy garlic bread is the bomb. Literally my favorite savory newspaper dish.” I’m sure everyone who has tried it can agree that the cheesy garlic bread is very tasty. 

As with every good thing, our newspaper potlucks with our current seniors must eventually come to an end. About this fact, Ortiz comments, “It'll be very bittersweet when we have our final potluck before we graduate.” Similarly, Fuller feels very sentimental about this potluck being the last of this school year and the last in this class for the senior members, while Stineman expresses how this being her last potluck is “a tough pill to swallow.” 

The Anchor is not just a newspaper team; it is a community where everyone is welcome and respected no matter what. Our potlucks are kind of like family dinners where everyone can get closer as a team and get to know each other as more than just classmates. As we send off our senior members, we are sending them off with many great memories. On this topic, Nandell says, “From the last potluck to my last article on The Anchor, I'm going to miss it all - especially this team.” Nandell continues with, “I'm gonna miss everything (including the potluck food).”