As The Anvil approaches its 120th birthday, it not only celebrates the deep-rooted tradition that embodies decades of student excellence and curiosity, but also declares the beginning of a new era. Editors-in-Chief Catherine Bain ‘25 and Jack Elworth ‘25, and faculty advisor Ms. Kennedy, discuss plans for this new year.
Looking ahead, Ms. Kennedy imagines a promising future for The Anvil, one that is built upon thorough understanding and appreciation for past traditions, while still embracing the excitement of change and uncertainty. She says that upcoming issues will explore the history of The Anvil and its influence on Middlesex for over a century, the compelling aspect of it being that everything will be investigated and voiced by student writers. Likewise, Catherine has bold aspirations for The Anvil, declaring that “One of our main goals this year is to truly expand the circle.”
Jack and Catherine work hard to make The Anvil an organization that welcomes writers of different interests, and opinions. They plan to host brief “critique sessions” during assembly where they showcase a snippet of writing to demonstrate just how easy it is to start thinking and writing critically. “We believe that everyone has the potential to be great writers, they just need to discover that part of themselves,” says Jack. Current chief writers looking to improve their writing can also look forward to writing workshops presented by chief and section editors.
Not only is this year a special one for The Anvil, it is also a politically significant year in the United States. Catherine and Jack are hoping to seize this opportunity to open up conversation about global events happening beyond our school community. Both editors acknowledge the lack of social and political awareness common to teenagers nowadays and seek to change that phenomenon, starting with The Anvil. Catherine remarks, “I think we are all living in this small, well-protected bubble.” At the same time, The Anvil will continue to feature fun sections that investigate student life at Middlesex, such as the “student style column” and “student athlete of the issue.”
The paper has made it their objective to increase student readership and are thrilled to announce opportunities for different forms of news presentation coming up on the horizon, including the much-anticipated student podcast. Website editor, Paetyn Naidoo ’25 and social media manager, Lauren Chan ’26, are key contributors in building media exposure for the Anvil.
Overall, Anvil readers can certainly expect an exceptional year of high-quality journalism on both life within and beyond the Middlesex campus. Readers should also be on the lookout for exclusive content on the Anvil’s 120 years of history and engage in other exciting new projects coming along the way.
Celine Ding
Indresh Chandel