What Happened to “Hairspray”?

On Friday, February 19th, district superintendent Dr. Damaris Rau cancelled the production of Hairspray, the scheduled McCaskey spring musical. But while this ostensibly came out of the blue, it was the culmination of a whirlwind student campaign to raise concerns about the racial dynamics of the work.  Auditions for the musical took place on Tuesday, February 16th. The following day, the callbacks list was posted, … Continue reading What Happened to “Hairspray”?

It’s Normal to be Unproductive During Quarantine

American is in crisis, and so are its teenagers.  We are used to having our entire lives planned out. Our public education system’s cult of productivity instills in us a sense of urgency about whatever is coming next. High school is all about getting to college. College is all about becoming a successful member of the workforce. We choose our extracurriculars not for pleasure, but … Continue reading It’s Normal to be Unproductive During Quarantine