Our Alma Mater

As New York University's class of 2007 celebrates our graduation this week, I am reminded of this same time four years ago, when we were graduating from high school and first heading off to college. In memoriam, here is what I wrote as my final "Editor's Note" for my high school newspaper, the Trojan Times:

Letter from the Editor

Well, here it is. You hold in your hands the final issue of the Wissahickon High School Trojan Times for the 2002-2003 school year. Some of you may be weeping with the knowledge that you will have to wait an entire summer before you can read the next exciting issue. Others may be thinking, “We have a school newspaper? Since when?”

No matter which of these categories best describes you, we hope you have enjoyed this year of Trojan Times. We have tried to fill each issue with interesting and timely articles, suited for the discerning high school reader. All killer, no filler. You know the drill.

Our most popular features, such as the horoscopes and “Book Nook,” continue to impress and entertain. Our writers, both on staff and contributing, go beyond the classroom to find topics of interest to all students. And all of our editors have done an amazing job this year. The paper could not have possibly come to you in homeroom every month without their continued efforts. We know that they will continue to work hard to make the Trojan Times even better next year.

The rest of the school year has been filled with even more exciting things, sure to remain in our memories for years to come. From the Winter Semi Formal to Prom; from the ever-improving football team to the Spring musical, an ambitious adaptation of Les Miserables; from fundraisers to field trips; from September to June, this year was surely unforgettable.

As we welcome a new principle to the high school, we also say farewell to the class of 2003. Graduation is upon us, and soon the nearly 330 members of the senior class will move on to a new stage in their lives. Some are going across the country to study at elite universities; others are choosing to enter the workforce; still more have decided to join the military to defend our country in troubled times, while many are unsure of what the future holds for them.

This year is quickly coming to a close, and we wish good luck to future classes. Most of all, though, we wish the best of luck to the class of 2003. As Dr. Seuss says, “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're soon to be on your own, and you know what you know. You are the person who'll decide where to go.”