In the last blocks of the day,  SCA members are strewn about the SCA room, making themselves comfortable on couches, or sitting at the large conference table in the middle of the space as they tackle the task at hand:  brainstorming  ideas for SCA’s newest poster. Although posters are created to inform the school community about an upcoming SCA event, the members also want it to be unique and a showcase of their artistic talents. 

SCA aims to bring the school community together with events to increase school spirit, but these events wouldn’t be possible if they weren’t properly advertised. Word about upcoming events can spread in a variety of ways, including social media and the morning announcements, but a key communication tool involves even less technology:  old-fashioned physical posters 

Senior and spirit director Maggie Cantwell sees posters as a medium to raise awareness for SCA events, for students who don’t follow SCA on their various social media platforms. “If you happen to not follow our Instagram, then posters are a great way for you to know what SCA is putting on,” Cantwell said. 

No matter what season it is, there is always an opportunity to make posters in SCA. “At the beginning of every SCA block, we talk about what needs to be done, and more often than not, there is a poster that has to be done,” Cantwell said. Because there are always posters to make, good teamwork is a must for the SCA. “We come together to decide what it will look like, what colors, and what the main goals of the poster are,” Cantwell said. “It’s a lot of teamwork and it’s a fun process.”

Senior Matthew Farley is a SCA member who specializes in poster making and he underscores how important poster making is to SCA. “I’ve been told that I’m the most productive member of SCA,” Farley said. 

Cantwell created one of the posters for homecoming last fall and said it was a rewarding experience. “I had a vision for [the poster] and I was excited with how it turned out.  It looked super clean,” Cantwell said. 

The time it takes to make a poster depends on the supplies used. “Sometimes we use paint and sometimes we only use marker, which is faster,” junior and SCA junior class vice president Bella Nguyen said. However, making posters with markers can also be time consuming. “You have to color [the poster] all in [when using marker],” Nguyen said. “It is easier to fill in all of the big spaces with paint.”

Even when the posters don’t turn out as good as the SCA hopes, SCA members enjoy working together and showcasing their skills. “Sometimes [the poster] is not the best, but everyone in SCA contributes and we all feel recognized,” Nguyen said. For most, there is one person who outlines the basic design of posters, which helps keep the direction of each poster consistent, while still incorporating various artistic styles. This is the case with the spirit week posters, which display the activity for each day of the week during a spirit week. “For the spirit week poster at the front of the school, we have one person who does each [day of the week] so the style is kind of consistent but also unique at the same time,” Nguyen said. 

These posters don’t just serve to inform the school community, they also help build comradery within the SCA. “[Poster making] is the time when all of the SCA members are together and we’re all laughing and having a good time,” Farley said. 

SCA’s posters provide its members a chance to showcase their artistic talents. Farley describes himself as naturally artistic and that natural inclination impacts the way he approaches poster making. “I think out of the box [when making posters] and try to incorporate more than just words on a piece of paper,” Farley said. “I feel proud that everyone gets to see [my posters]; helping everyone stay informed feels good.”

Cantwell considers SCA’s posters to be an important part of overall school spirit. “Everyone has to participate for school spirit to feel rewarding and posters are a way for [the SCA] to get the word out,” Cantwell said. “If you don’t know, how can you participate?”

Students can be on the lookout for upcoming posters with a “Met Gala” theme coming soon, as SCA plans to host and begins to advertise for prom on May 21.