As sunlight pours in through the open windows, members of C Mag’s staff gather around the blacktop kitchen island littered with flour and pizza toppings. In the past, we have attempted tie dye, game night and more. After stumbling upon pictures of irresistibly cute frog-shaped pizzas online, it was clear what the next ‘C Mag Tries’ should be: making froggy pizzas.
After arranging a time to meet up, finding a recipe and buying ingredients, we realized the task at hand would be time consuming and difficult. Not only was it challenging to plan the actual event and get the right supplies, we had to learn how to make pizzas in the first place.
However, the activity was quickly embraced after we recognized the creative opportunities it provided. Senior Kaitlyn Gonzalez-Arceo found that the artistic effort put into pizza making revealed the values held by C Mag as a publication.
“Seeing everyone try really hard, cutting their pepperoni into hearts and working on the eye shape, reminded me of what we do as a magazine — being creative,” Gonzalez-Arceo said.
Gonzalez-Arceo shared that it was her first time doing an activity like this one — making uniquely shaped pizzas — as well as a step out of her comfort zone with her baking skills. However, rather than making the task seem daunting, this made the process even more fun and engaging.
“I thought it was really cool, because I wouldn’t say I have that much experience with baking,” Gonzalez-Arceo said. “So doing an activity so rare and niche was super interesting, and I love the challenge that came with it.”
For junior Dylan Berger, the final result not only satisfied expectations, but also highlighted C Mag’s creativity and ability to persevere through initial doubts of whether we could actually make the pizzas look like frogs.
“They turned out really cute,” Berger said. “I wasn’t sure if the green [dough] would come out [looking] brown, but [the pizzas] came out super well.”
While the event provided room for imagination as each person customized their own frog pizza, its main purpose was to bring our staff closer together. Gonzalez-Arceo found herself connecting with people on C Mag she did not know as well before, through this unique experience of working to create something beyond a magazine.
“Being at that event definitely opened up conversation, and I feel that later on in production, and as we close up the year, I can talk to [everyone on] the staff,” Gonzalez-Arceo said.
For sophomore Luna Lim, who joined C Mag recently, it is a matter of feeling more comfortable in her transition onto staff after attending pizza making.
“[This activity] made the [C Mag] community seem more approachable and I felt more welcomed [into it],” Lim said.
Lim also believes team-bonding activities like this are important to creating a more coordinated environment.
“[Our staff has] a lot of people, and we might resort to working individually at first,” Lim said. “But we’re a magazine, and we publish as a whole. So it is really important to be on the same wavelength with [one another].”
The froggy pizza making event allowed bonds to form that would improve the overall classroom environment. It was also an opportunity to engage with peers more casually outside of school as well.
“[Pizza-making] was fun because we also got to play games like Uno and Spoons with each other, instead of working in the professional environment we typically have in class,” Lim said.
In the future, Gonzalez-Arceo hopes that C Mag’s staff will create more opportunities to bond and connect with each other through activities like these.
“We should definitely do more C Mag tries,” Gonzalez-Arceo said. “Maybe: C Mag goes to a museum’ or ‘C Mag goes to the beach’ or more baking or cooking.”
Overall, doing “C Mag Tries”, whatever the activity may be, both improves the work environment while bringing the class together. In addition, trying something new is an exercise in creativity, which improves the magazine as a whole.
“It’s good that we are bonding, because that leads to more creativity,” Gonzalez-Arceo said. “And that comes back to what we take pride in as a creative publication.”
