2024 Staff

Maia Caleca
Editorial Office Manager
Maia Caleca is a North Carolinian who has been coming to Chautauqua her entire life. This is her second year working at the Institution, previously working at the CLSC Octagon. Maia graduated from New York University last year with a major in creative writing and a minor in philosophy. While there, she wrote for the Greene Street Review, the English department’s journal for cultural criticism and commentary. In her free time, she likes reading by the lake, watching movies, and biking to the Amish donut stand.

Evan Riedesel
Circulation Manager
Evan Riedesel is a rising junior at Chautauqua Lake Central School where he is a member of the soccer, wrestling and track teams. He also is a member of the academic quiz bowl team and the Envirothon team. A native of Mayville, he has been part of the Daily for three years. When he’s not working at the Daily, he loves to bike, run and travel. 

Sara Toth
Editor
Sara Toth is in her seventh summer as editor of The Chautauquan Daily and works year-round in Chautauqua Institution’s Department of Education. Previously, she served four years as the Daily’s assistant and then managing editor. An alum of the Daily internship program, she is a native of Pittsburgh(ish), attended Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, and worked for nearly four years as a reporter in the Baltimore Sun Media Group. She lives in Jamestown with her husband (a photographer) and her Lilac (a cat).

Dave Munch
Photo Editor
Dave Munch serves as multimedia producer for Chautauqua Institution and works during the summer assembly season as photo editor of The Chautauquan Daily. A Cincinnati native, Dave graduated from Ohio University with a degree in photojournalism and has worked as a staff photographer for the Baltimore Sun Media Group and the Erie Times-News. His work has received local and national recognition and has been featured in publications across the country. Dave lives in Jamestown with his partner and enjoys tending to an increasingly large vegetable garden when the temperature is above freezing.

Madeline Deabler
Assistant Editor
Madeline Deabler is returning for her fourth summer at The Chautauquan Daily. Previously, she served two years as a design editor in 2017 and 2018 and one year as digital editor in 2020. After graduating from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, she worked as a designer at a handful of studios and agencies across the country. Most recently she worked as an associate art director at Signal Theory before pursuing freelance design full-time. Back home, she lives with her partner Matt, two cats and two tortoises. Madeline is thrilled to return to Chautauqua to serve as assistant editor of The Chautauquan Daily.

Ruchi Ghare
Design Editor
Ruchi Ghare is a recent graduate from Pratt Institute, where she studied graphic design and film. Originally from Mumbai, India, Ruchi has had a lifelong passion of storytelling through art, as well as a keen interest in learning more through hands-on experience. In her second summer as a designer for the Daily, she is excited to engage herself in the vibrant art and culture, meet new people, maybe finally get some reading done, and generally be immersed in nature.

Laura Quisenberry
Design Editor
Laura Quisenberry is from nearby Westfield, New York, but this is her first year working at the Institution. She will be entering her junior year at Houghton University, where she’s double majoring in applied design and visual communication (a fancy way of saying digital art) and also mathematics (she obviously doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life). When she has free time, you can usually find her listening to music while reading fictional books or doing some form of art.

Emilee Arnold
Staff Photographer
Emilee Arnold is a photography intern at The Chautauquan Daily and a senior studying photojournalism at Western Kentucky University in her hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky. She has previously held internships with Appalachian Newspapers, Inc., a five-county network of papers in the Appalachian mountains, and the Center for Gifted Studies in Bowling Green, an institution that provides programming for gifted and talented children. In her free time, she enjoys exploring local events, finding great restaurants, and exchanging stories with new people.

Sean Smith
Staff Photographer
Sean Smith earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi this past spring. This is his second time to be on the staff at The Chautauquan Daily. Since last joining the staff two years ago, he has aided with the successful $3 million grant proposal to help combat the local news shortage in southern Mississippi; covered a trip by President Joe Biden to a natural disaster area; and photographed multiple NCAA post-season events. Sean’s photos have appeared in Mississippi Today, USA Today network papers, and local news outlets across Mississippi. 

Aden Graves
Staff Writer
Aden Graves is spending his first summer in Chautauqua as the theater beat reporter for the Daily. He is from Uniontown, Ohio, and will enter his senior year at Kent State University in the fall. A journalism and communication studies major, he has worked for KentWired/The Kent Stater, the university’s independent student news, for two years and has served as opinion editor, opinion writer, LGBTQ+ beat reporter, general assignment reporter, social media assistant and digital tech. Aden has a passion for theater, singing and the arts and is thrilled to be covering the Chautauqua Theater Company this season.

Jeremy Kohler
Staff Writer
Jeremy Kohler is excited to spend his first summer covering environmental issues for The Chautauquan Daily! Originally from San Antonio, he is entering his last semester at The George Washington University where he studies journalism and mass communication. At GW, he has written for the Hatchet, GW’s independent student newspaper, and Planet Forward, a climate-focused outlet headquartered at the university. You can usually find Jeremy napping, listening to sad music, or complaining about something!

Sabine Obermoller
Staff Writer
Sabine Obermoller is spending her first year as an intern at The Chautauquan Daily as the literary arts reporter. She is a rising senior at Ohio University majoring in journalism and minoring in retail fashion merchandising. She is from Santiago, Chile, where her family and beloved dog Oliver still live. Sabine serves as the director of public relations for Ohio University’s student-run fashion magazine, Thread Magazine. In her free time she enjoys reading, crocheting, concerts, watching movies, and fangirling over various celebrities. Sabine will never say no to a Chai latte with almond milk.

Mary Lee Talbot
Staff Writer
Mary Lee Talbot writes the preview and recap for morning worship and the preview for the Sacred Song service. She is a Presbyterian minister and a life-long Chautauquan. She is the author of Chautauqua’s Heart and 100 Years of Beauty. A year-round resident of Chautauqua, she lives with her dog Sammi, a Stabyhoun.

Deborah Trefts
Staff Writer
Deb Trefts is a policy scientist with extensive United States, Canadian and additional international experience in conservation. She focuses on the resolution of ocean and freshwater-related challenges and the art and science of deciphering and developing public policy at all levels from global to local.

Gabriel Weber
Staff Writer
Gabriel Weber is a graduating senior who is majoring in journalism and minoring in philosophy along with political science at Ball State University. This is her first year as an intern at The Chautauquan Daily. She is thrilled to be covering the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and the Chautauqua Chamber Music; her experience as a mediocre cello and trumpet player provides a massive level of appreciation and respect for these talented artists. A staff writer for Ball Bearings at her university and previous writer for the Pathfinder, she is a native of Denver, raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Gabriel is currently based in Muncie, Indiana, with her (darling) cat Shasta; she enjoys collaging, reading and rugby. 

Julia Weber
Staff Writer
Julia Weber is a rising senior in Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College where she is majoring in journalism and minoring in art history. Originally from Athens, Ohio, this is her second summer in Chautauqua and she is excited to cover the visual arts and dance communities at the Institution. She serves as the features editor for Ohio University’s All-Campus Radio Network, a student-run radio station and media hub, and she is a former intern for Pittsburgh Magazine. Outside of her professional life, Julia enjoys attending concerts, making ceramics and spending time with her cat, Griffin.