After an online vote by the Junior Class, the Holy Cross theme for next year has been chosen to be Family, and that theme will affect the books that English teachers choose for the summer reading assignment.

English department co-chairman Mrs. Liz Browning contributes to choosing the summer reading list, but she has to wait until the Holy Cross theme for the next year is decided. She wrote in an email, “The juniors get to choose it, so we have to wait until the process is completed by campus ministry.”

While choosing the list, Browning and her English department colleagues have to consider how each book fits the theme, so some titles may not make the list. She said, “There are so many fabulous books out there that we would expose to students. We don’t have room for everything and don’t want to have too many on the list. (English teacher) Mrs. (Kathy) Keyes and I keep a running list of books proposed and recycle it each year.”

English teachers also read a variety of books over the course of the school year and make recommendations for the summer reading list.    

Browning said that she is excited for how the summer reading list and the journals students write will reflect the Holy Cross theme.

She said, “The theme of Family is just perfect for Cathedral High School. So much literature is available that is structured around this concept, and we are excited to share the texts with the students. Family isn’t always about the perfect family; sometimes, the dysfunction of (the) family shows you what to value.

“Having a great theme and good choices will lead to some really interesting journals for us to read next August.”