Meet the Senior Editors: Cara Pisani and Isabel Rogers

Welcome back to clay for our 2023-2024 season! 

 

Hey! I’m Cara Pisani from New York (state, not the city). This is my third year at clay, having previously held the positions of Humor Editor and Open Mic Editor. I’m passionate about communications and design, a path I get to follow here at clay as well as in my current role as Marketing Intern at a non-profit. When I’m not writing emails, I enjoy warming the bench for the varsity basketball team and teaching dance classes for some little ballerinas. I love long road trips and iced vanilla lattes!

 

Hi everyone! I’m Isabel, originally from South Carolina, but I’ve grown up moving all over the world. This will be my eighth year with TPS and my fourth year with clay. I’m super excited to be one of the Senior Editors this year after writing the baking column for two and then editing the A&C section last year. Some of my favorite things to do include reading & writing, photography, baking, theater, watching movies, hanging out with friends, and sleeping in. 

 

In keeping with the traditions of our Senior Editor forefathers, we opened the floor to our staff to ask us any questions they’d like.

 

Zoe Leung (A&C Editor): If your personality was a food, what food would it be? 

Cara: Isabel is a clementine.

Isabel: Cara is a strawberry.

 

What are you most looking forward to about being clay’s Senior Editors?

Cara: I’ve also heard through the grapevine that we do get a salary increase with the position (10% more gummy bears). Also, now we are dictators with an unspeakable amount of power to abuse.

Isabel: I’m honestly excited about every aspect of the job, but if I had to pick one, I’d go with getting to host the various competitions throughout the year that give TPS students a chance to interact with clay. Plus, I have plenty of unsuspecting columnists and (mostly) unsuspecting editors at my command, which will be a great asset with so many entirely amiable plans to be executed.

 

Jericho Church (Cooking/Baking Columnist): What classes are you taking this year?

Cara: At TPS, I’m just taking U.S Government (Civics) and Economics. Outside of that, I’m taking AP Lit as well as Calc and Psychology this semester at my local community college.

Isabel: I’m taking AP Calc AB, AP Lit, AP Psychology, College Contemporary World History, and American History in Fashion with TPS. I’m also taking AP US Government through another online school.

 

Cora Roberts (Story Spotlight Columnist): What’s your favorite pasta shape?

Cara: Bowtie is the only correct answer.

Isabel: I’ll trust Cara with this one.

 

Isaac Jo (T&W Editor): What question are you most afraid of being asked?

Cara: “What question are you most afraid of being asked?”

Isabel: Gotta love this question! I honestly can’t think of anything I’m particularly afraid of being asked… maybe something that would lead to an embarrassing story, so I’ll leave it at that!

 

Mercy Wideman (Girl’s Spotlight Columnist): If you could have any animal in the world (can be imaginary) for a pet what would it be?

Cara: I’ve been begging my parents for a dog since I could make a PowerPoint! I’d get a golden retriever and name him Bean.

Isabel: Pegasus – riding him would be the closest thing to flying!

 

Declan Miles (Guys’ Spotlight Columnist): If you could live in a book or movie which one would you pick?

Cara: Book.

Isabel: Middle Earth from Lord of the Rings!

 

Hadley Green (History of Math Columnist): If you could give any historical figure twenty more years of life, who would it be? Assume artists and writers are as productive as they generally were. Also, please don’t pick Jeanne Calment just to extend the record.

Cara: Kane Tanaka, the second longest living person (to overthrow Jeanne Calment’s record).

Isabel: Jane Austen. She’s one of my favorite authors, and having passed away at forty-one, I would love to see the novels that another twenty years would have given us.

 

Josiah Long (Video Games Columnist): What is your favorite type of cheese?

Cara: Mozzarella. I’m a product of my Italian grandmother.

Isabel: String cheese, which Google tells me is made with Mozzarella. Mozzarella cheese sticks are great.

 

Lily Tang (PR Photographer): What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve heard your teacher say during class? 

Cara: “Buncha pooheads”

Isabel: I’ve certainly heard my fair share of bizarre quotes (usually ending with “don’t quote me on that!”), but, unfortunately, I never wrote them down! I’ll have to make a habit of it this year. 

 

Anise Kim (Books Columnist): If your life was a TV show, what song would be the theme song?

Cara: “Into the Mystery” by NEEDTOBREATHE.

Isabel: At the moment, I can relate to “Heigh Ho” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

 

Elivia (Spotlight Editor): What are your plans after high school?

Cara: I’m in the process of applying to college right now! Lord willing, I will attend either Gordon or Wheaton College for Communications, with a focus on Media Studies.

Isabel: The current plan is to attend college next year somewhere on the east coast. I’m not totally sure about what I want to major in yet, but I’m planning on English for now.

 

Eliana Cetola (Teacher Spotlight Columnist): What’s one small thing that will instantly make your day better?

Cara: I love a good walk! My friends say that I walk very quickly, like a mom.

Isabel: One of my favorite foods. When I know I’ll have one of my favorites, I look forward to it all day!

 

What are some of your pet peeves?

Cara: Spelling the word “anyhoo” as “anywho”!

Isabel: Missing Oxford commas and the fact that they’re technically optional when, in my humble opinion, they should be required.

 

Isabel Goshi (Open Mic Editor): How would you describe yourself using a quote (it can be a movie quote, a book quote, a “real life” quote, really any kind of quote)?

Cara: “Soar, eat ether, see what has never been seen; depart, be lost, but climb.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay

Isabel: I’m not entirely sure it describes me, but I came across this quote the other day, which I liked: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein

 

Mia Holmgren (Music Columnist): What is your favorite animal and why?

Cara: I love albatrosses. They look funny and have a funny name, what more could I ask for?

Isabel: I don’t really have a favorite, but dolphins are pretty cool, and I’d love to go swimming with them one day.

 

Hope Hoskins (Poetry Columnist): What was your favorite childhood pastime?

Cara: My siblings and the neighborhood kids would always put on these elaborate plays in our basements, complete with scripts, lights, costumes, choreography, and music. I remember we did Frozen, Peter Pan, and talks of Mulan were always in the works. When our cousins were in town, the productions would get even grander- at one point we told the entire Thanksgiving story in incredible detail, including the drowning of William Bradford’s wife (played by yours truly).

Isabel: As a kid, I spent lots of time playing with my sisters (primarily American Girl Dolls, Barbies, Dress-Up, and making lots of iMovies), usually when we were supposed to be doing school. I also loved writing everything from stories to poems to songs to scripts, including a script for a news show in fourth grade. My older sister and I filmed the half-hour news show, complete with commercials, about a fictitious election (inspired by the 2016 presidential election going on at the time).

 

Where is one place you want to go? 

Cara: I’ve always wanted to see the Pacific Northwest and go hiking in Olympic National Park.

Isabel: I would love to visit Spain and Portugal.

 

Abbie Daigle (A&C Editor): Which really came first, the chicken or the egg? What is your reasoning behind your answer? 

Cara: I’ll let Isabel take this one.

Isabel: Definitely the chicken – I’m convinced God created chickens along with all the other land animals on the sixth day. Besides, the egg couldn’t survive without its mother.

 

Pineapple on pizza—yes or no?

Cara: No. Again, my Italian grandmother would write me out of her will if I said differently.

Isabel: I don’t know that I’ve ever tried pineapple on pizza, but it just seems wrong. 

 

Yuri Neumann (Art Columnist): What’s your favorite column to read on clay?

Cara: The Humor section will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first column I ever edited at clay!

Isabel: My favorite column of all time was Ian Lee’s Anthill Comics. As for this year, I’m not sure which column I’m most looking forward to, but I’m excited to try some of the recipes in the Cooking/Baking column since I wrote it for two years. 

 

Nicole Sua (Bible Spotlight Columnist): What is a moment you tangibly felt God’s presence with you and His love for you all at once?

Cara: Last summer, I worked as a counselor at a Christian summer camp. I was able to spend a week getting to know and leading a group of younger girls to grow in their relationships with Jesus. On their last night at camp, my whole cabin felt very touched by the Lord and they shared many of the struggles that they were going through late into the night. Watching and praying with one of the girls as she accepted Jesus into her heart, I could feel God in the room and in this new daughter of God. An incredible moment that reminded me of God’s love anew.

Isabel: Just the other day I was on a boat ride during sunset. The sky was a deep blue with orange on the horizon and there was a gorgeous crescent moon. It was so peaceful and I was overtaken by the beauty of God’s creation and His power at simply speaking it all into existence. As it got darker, I looked up at the star-filled sky. The incomprehensible vastness of our world was just breathtaking, and as I marveled at God’s power, I felt a wave of peace wash over me. So many unknowns had been floating around in my head, and I was reminded that God’s got it all – just like he holds our galaxy in his hand, he holds my future. He has it all planned out to draw me closer to him and ultimately bring him glory.