Following last year’s beautiful issue, Chrysalis has regrouped again for the annual publication for the 2025-2026 school year. Led by Mrs Sorrels and Mr Aquilina, a small but expanding group of students gets together to plan, edit, and then publish a magazine in a professional format. Chrysalis has had a long legacy at our school, doing publications for upwards of three decades, according to Mrs. Sorrels. Although the founder is unknown, many teachers, such as Mrs. Andriaccio, made the club possible. The goal of Chrysalis, as told by Mrs Sorrels in an interview, is simply “finding like-minded people”. It gives writers and illustrators a community to inspire each other. “We read to know we are not alone”, as C.S. Lewis wrote. It also gives writers a chance to display their work and get valuable feedback before eventually being published. “You have a voice, and you have a creative means of expressing it,” Sorrels stated. It also helps develop the courage of many aspiring authors required to develop their work. Having a community to encourage you to submit your writing for contests or even scholarships is not only rewarding personally, but financially as well in the long run. Each year, a contest is held for the cover art on the front and back of the magazine, so for any interested artist or intrigued author, keep your eyes and ears peeled for the posting of Chrysalis dates or contest prizes. Currently, the search for the magazine theme is ongoing. 

The year thus far has been busy, kicking off planning and thematic inspiration with a trip to the Honey House. Mrs. Sue Merlino led a tour through the historic home, just across the road from the Clarence Historic Society. After being served fall treats and punch at the House’s well-kept dining area, the group was lent inspiration from the history of the home as well as their observations of it from the scenic fall visit. The Merlinos bought the house after the lot had been quite mismanaged for some time, putting many weekends and evenings into refurbishing the home into the condition it can be toured in today. Each room has historic pieces, whether from the home when it was built around the War of 1812, when people fled Buffalo after it was set aflame and ventured out to Clarence, or from when it had been remodeled numerous times since then, with charming pieces otherwise extinct, like the 1949 kitchen and its intricate countertops, a style otherwise out of fashion. 

Still upcoming is the trip to the Clarence Nature Preserve, inspired by famous transcendentalist authors such as Emerson, Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Walt Whitman, Amos Bronson Alcott, and later Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. It was an American movement, both philosophical and intellectual, that was in reaction to the further industrial society and inequalities of the time, such as women’s rights, abolition, and education. “Any important era in time, where people are grappling with big questions…we look back to the artists, to the musicians, to the artists to feel a sense of human connection,” Mrs Sorrels explained. With a changing and unsteady world, the next movement could be starting with us, or already on the way - what’s important is for us to put it into words. The club will be accompanying Mrs. Sorrel’s seniors on November 24 to do a variety of activities, all eagerly awaited.

“Any time you spend on reading and writing is an investment in your future,” She closed with. It sets you up for a future of writing, or even if you wish to keep it as a hobby - it proves itself useful time and time again through college or job applications, awards that look lovely on a resume, or turning your hobby into a passion that you can do for the rest of your life. So, to aspiring writers, starting with a group like Chrysalis is a great way to surround yourself with similar people, to make friends, and to find community; we hope to see you there.