Memories like birds, fleeting--one must grasp and hold in heart's hand.
“The Gavel”—news keeper, memory jogger, keep sake, attic
stuffer; name it what you will, it may be all of the above for alums. It’s been around since the 1920s, so it’s
close to its 100th birthday.
That’s pretty impressive for a student publication. “The Gavel” even replaced the yearbook for 20
years, 1954-1974. In the years leading to this development, the publication was
the work of a club. Clubs come and clubs
go, so this one went when the interest in the required work waned.
“The Gavel” has undergone mutations, sometimes being a
newspaper and sometimes a magazine, and masthead styles, as the photos
demonstrate.
Times change and call for changes in style as well as content. The articles in the early issues were very informative with less “fluff” than what was found in later years as student tastes changed. Publication today is done in class with class, bringing back some gravitas along with lighter hearted news. Mr. Rory Glynn is in his second year of managing the publication, bringing his expertise from years in newspaper work.
As with so many forms of media, our school publications are found online. You can access the issues of “The Gavel” by going to the school web site ndapandas.org and typing the word publications in the find box. By checking on The Gavel you will get access to issues from the past five years. Enjoy!
