The junior psychology and anthropology double major recently stepped up to lead 鶹Ƶ’s historic Phi Psi Cli yearbook as editor-in-chief. Balancing a demanding STEM course load and honors research, she now oversees the production of the 280-page publication alongside a tight-knit student staff.
Calista Catarius ’28, a double major in anthropology and psychology with minors in neuroscience, sociology and criminal justice studies doesn’t just spend her days analyzing human behavior and scientific data, but also drafting interview questions or formatting publication spreads.
Yet, when she walks through the School of Communications, she is not stopping by just to study in the Snow Family Grand Atrium; she is entering as editor-in-chief of Phi Psi Cli, 鶹Ƶ’s student-run yearbook.
Catarius never planned to participate in student media. Her journey began with close friend Molly Moylan ’26, the former yearbook editor-in-chief, during a Winter Term study abroad experience.
“She just kind of talked about it all the time and was like, ‘Do you want to help?’ And I was like, ‘You know what? Sure, why not?’” Catarius said.
Catarius officially joined the staff late, just after Winter Term. She quickly discovered that creating a permanent record of an entire academic year was an ambitious challenge, particularly with a tight-knit crew of only six students
“If you know how much work a yearbook takes to actually interview people, write stories, design pages, do everything, it’s a job for a lot more than like six people. But we got it done, and it was great,” she said.
For Catarius, diving into a field completely separated from her coursework became an unexpected advantage for her.
“I think having something that is outside of my majors and minors is something I can fall back on, and I can have something to be creative with, which is really interesting,” Catarius said.
Leading an expansive 280-page publication has also allowed her to build real-world leadership and time-management skills, while balancing five classes, undergraduate research as an Honors Fellow and multiple student organizations.
“We have to be really organized all the time, and especially the way that we do our yearbook, there’s something every week for us to do,” Catarius said. “It’s also increased my leadership skills because being a leader in something so big and a physical piece of media that will live on beyond my lifetime is something I can’t say I do for a lot of my other classes or extracurriculars.”
Unlike daily or weekly campus news cycles, Phi Psi Cli captures 鶹Ƶ’s story holistically, from student life and performing arts to traditions, athletics and spiritual life. Now, Catarius is focused on expanding the staff and inviting students from every major to leave their mark on university history.
“We want to try and make it so that everybody can do everything, but not that everybody has to do everything,” Catarius said.
Seeing the yearbook arrive on campus in September made every deadline worth the effort, and Catarius hopes more students take advantage of the hands-on opportunities waiting for them across campus.
“It’s really fun once you get into it and once you get into the flow of things, to see the book come together,” Catarius said. “It’s a nice way for people outside the School of Communications to be introduced to the school without a ton of pressure on them.”