I’m Booked: A Love Letter to District
Written by Ally Abruscato. Graphic by Anna Porter.
It is hard to admit that this is my last edition of “I’m Booked.” After four unforgettable years at District, I am officially signing off as I graduate next week. For my last column, I wanted to write a love letter to reading, District and my time here at SCAD.
I started at SCAD in the fall of 2021, when masks were still mandatory and classes were still hybrid. At the time, District meetings were fully virtual. I remember nervously picking up my first pitch to take photographs at the Women’s March. I got a press pass and everything, feeling very official as I marched and photographed protesters around Savannah. From then on, I was hooked. Even online, District had a welcoming environment to try new things in the city that I still didn’t feel quite familiar with. When the Film Festival rolled around, I could not believe my luck at being able to review movies and photograph stars like Maggie Gyllenhaal. If it weren’t for District, I probably wouldn’t have tried half of the things I did freshman year.
With my fingers and toes crossed, I excitedly applied for Photo Editor in the spring of my first year. When the new staff started, we were finally in-person at the Student Media Center, surrounded by plastic green apples and that mysterious Jesus painting. I sat anxiously around the center wooden table, unaware that these strangers would become my sisters. I remember doing my office hours coincidentally at the same time as our Social Media Strategist, Abby Chadwick, and thinking “hey, this girl is pretty funny.” I wish I could tell those freshmen that in a few years, they’d be vacationing with each other’s families, throwing a joint pop-culture-themed birthday party and watching silly movies on their shared, trashy living room couch. I will forever be indebted to District for bringing me my platonic soulmate.
Once I became an editor and learned what the word “column” meant, I started “I’m Booked.” I will not lie and pretend that I was a cool, popular freshman with frequent happenings. I spent most of my free time reading at the one and only SCAD Beach. I read like it was my job, because, in a way, it was. Reading has always been an important part of my life, but with “I’m Booked,” it became a key part of my personality.
I’m sure everyone has experienced at least one book that has changed their life. No matter the book, reading helps us put ourselves in other people’s shoes, use our imagination and learn new things. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading to me on the wooden rocking chair in my bedroom. During the pandemic, I spent full days in that same room, reading with my window open as the sunlight flooded the space and the breeze ruffled the curtains. It allowed for a sense of human connection when hope felt lost. Reading is a truly beautiful thing and anyone who is lucky enough to read should do so with a hunger and passion. Books grant us an escape while also sharing a reflection of ourselves. It is a practice in meditation and imagination that cannot be replaced by screentime and AI summaries.
I wrote my first book review in April of 2022 and have been happily writing them ever since. Around this time last year, I was lucky enough to become Editor-in-Chief of District. A dream that I admitted to my mom freshman year came true and made me the proud leader of an insanely talented group of creatives. I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many amazing writers, photographers and designers over the past year. Each and every person that comes through the Student Media Center makes it a better place. It was hard to imagine what our staff would look like after losing so many invaluable members last year, but the team that stepped up proved more than ready for the challenge. The pitches that came from our editors every Wednesday were consistently well-crafted, intentional and usually pretty darn silly. Our contributors always went above and beyond in picking up pitches (thankfully, we avoided any fistfights over popular picks), bringing in their own ideas and turning in incredible content. Needless to say, I am overjoyed at the success of District and cannot wait to see how it continues to thrive.
If I haven’t made it clear enough already, I love District with every bone in my body. It was the first place to make SCAD feel like home and it brought me my SCAD family. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye and end my installment of “I’m Booked.” Happy 30th anniversary, District! I won’t be back soon, unfortunately, I’m Booked.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
