Each year, Cape Coral High School’s (CCHS) Creative Writing program produces an esteemed literary magazine titled Expressions. This publication highlights a diverse array of student creativity, primarily focusing on poetry, while also featuring short stories, artwork, and photos submitted by students from CCHS’s art program. To qualify for publication, students must be enrolled in the Creative Writing program for at least a year; however, anyone can submit their work through Google Classroom.
Expressions has a rich history at CCHS. Senior and editor-in-chief Lion Canter noted that it “apparently started somewhere in the early 80s and stopped somewhere in the late 2000s.”
According to Aaron Smoly, the instructor of the Creative Writing class, the influx of IB students “forced the English teacher who was teaching it at the time to stop.” After discovering that the program had been discontinued five years ago, Smoly felt compelled to revive it.
Students such as junior Section Manager Philip Cartwright value the chance to publish their work. Cartwright expressed that what he enjoys most about Expressions is “to be able to call [himself] a published writer.”
Canter added, “it’s just really fun to see [his] work in there with everyone else.” The Creative Writing and Expressions program offers students a vital platform to express their creativity freely.
For instance, Cartwright’s passion for writing faded during middle school. However, he noted that enrolling in Creative Writing “kind of brought out [his] love for writing.” He also expressed his appreciation for the fact that “something I wrote, something I made is available for people to see and enjoy.” Now, as a member of Expressions, he has rediscovered his enthusiasm for writing horror, focusing on the mental aspects in his poetry and stories, drawing inspiration from H. P. Lovecraft.
Ashlynn Robinson, an 11th grader and incoming editor-in-chief, shared that her motivation for joining Expressions stems from her desire to share her love of crafting stories and poems.
Overall, Canter has enjoyed his experience with Expressions. As editor-in-chief, his responsibilities involve reviewing submissions, “curating it, and including the best into an award-winning publication group,” noted Smoly.
Canter reflected on the enjoyment he finds in “putting all that work together” and “seeing what the other people in the class can do.”
As a senior, Canter’s tenure as editor-in-chief is nearing its conclusion, and he has selected Robinson to succeed him for the 2025-26 school year, citing familiarity and dedication as key reasons for his choice.
Expressions has received numerous accolades, including recognition from the American Scholastic Press Association for three consecutive years, with two of those years resulting in a first-place finish. During the 2024-25 school year, Canter and Senior Juliana Verzi earned All-Florida awards from the Florida Scholastic Press Association for poetry, while Cartwright received an Honorary Mention for his short story.
