Seattle Pacific University’s Board of Student Media consists of four student-run groups: The Falcon, KSPU, Lingua and Cascade. Cascade is SPU’s official yearbook, and this year I have the pleasure of being the editor-in-chief.  

Cascade Yearbook has a long history at SPU, dating back to the early 1910s before SPU was even called Seattle Pacific University. Cascade has such a profound legacy and history within this institution.

Heading a group at SPU that holds such a legacy was a challenge I decided to take on earlier this year. Throughout two and a half years of navigating the pandemic, Cascade faced a multitude of challenges. Originating as a physical publication that students would order and receive at the end of the year left the 2019-20 Cascade team contemplating how they would produce the yearbook. Since then, this once-beloved group on campus has been slowly forgotten. 

When I first joined Cascade during the 2021-22 academic year as the marketing manager, I quickly realized how few students on campus knew we even had a yearbook. The last edition of Cascade that was printed for students was during the 2018-19 academic year. Thus, none of the year-four undergraduates on campus have experienced Cascade as a tangible book. 

With the hindrance that the pandemic placed on Cascade, I knew something needed to change. My goal as last year’s marketing manager was to begin to bring Cascade “back to life,” as it felt like it was dying. We titled the 2021-22 edition “rebirth” to reinforce this concept. Though I campaigned all year long, I soon realized that it would take more than a year to revive Cascade. 

As the editor-in-chief of Cascade this year, my mission to revive Cascade remains, and I hope you will join me along on this mission. Cascade is a group that I hold near and dear to my heart. My wish is for the entire SPU community to be able to experience even just a piece of it. 

Throughout the two years, I have been a part of the yearbook staff and have been able to utilize my skills as a visual communications design major, resulting in building my portfolio, making connections with our amazing SPU staff and faculty (shoutout to our faculty advisor Rachell Sumpter!) and making some of the sweetest friendships of my college career. As a senior this year, Cascade is how I intend to leave my mark, if you will, on this institution. 

This year’s theme is infinite memories because we want to focus on showcasing what coming together looks like after about two and a half years of navigating the pandemic. Our goal is to create a design that’s upbeat and has an ‘80s, retro feel. The space concept ties to the infinite portion of the title, connecting space and infinity. My team is excited to share this year’s yearbook and many infinite memories with our beloved SPU community.

I encourage you to stay tuned with everything that we have planned for this coming year. We will be hosting our first event during the beginning of the winter quarter, and we would love to see as much of our SPU community there as possible! To stay updated, make sure to follow us on Instagram @spucascde. 

For those who are passionate about creativity, writing and design, I highly suggest that you apply to the yearbook staff for the 2023-24 school year when applications open during the late spring quarter. I can guarantee you that you will make “infinite memories.”