New Trier is a well known school with an air of elitism. Its name is recognized all over the country.
Due to its fame, New Trier is called out by other schools for its white gown graduation, Ivy League acceptance letters, Grammy-winning music program, and “nauseating sense of pride.”
Urban Dictionary, a satirical crowdsourced online dictionary of slang words and phrases, has over three pages of definitions of ‘New Trier’ and even more of related words, such as “North Shore,” “Winnetka,” and “Trevians.”
The first definition to be posted about New Trier was in 2007. It claimed, “New Trier is a place where everyone thinks they are the best when in reality they suck. No one is jealous of them but themselves (which is really sad by the way) and they are completely self absorbed with things that are not fixable, (like their ugly faces). They cheat at their sports, and know it, anything to win (which is beyond lame and just pathetic)….No one cares about them. No one wishes they were them. They over rate themselves which is so unbelievably lame it’s not even funny. So bottom line, new trier [sic] is basically the scum that infects the germs that infects a cut…just to break it down for you.”
This definition is one of the most hostile and aggressive, but others convey similar ideas of the school.
An overwhelming majority of the definitions of “New Trier” and “North Shore” have to do with money and attitude. From entries stating, “Senior parking lot is full of BMW’s and Jeeps that willingly pay $300 for a spot,” to “way too much money and way too little attention from their parents,” the wealth of New Trier students is often attacked by these definitions.
“New Trier is a place unlike anywhere else. Not only do all the girls have Kate Spade or Herve Chapelier bags, they have Louis Vuitton day planners that rest inside them. If we were to add up the outfit of a typical Trevian girl on a ‘dress down’ day, it would cost as much as some people’s monthly salaries, probably because they needed to spice it up with a few pieces from their Tiffany’s jewelry collection,” said user “fracker.”
Many claims are also made about the school’s rumored drug problem. “Where the grades are high and the kids are higher,” one user said. Another review referenced the 1996 Time article, “High Times at New Trier High,” which explored the drug-use issue plaguing the school.
The “top definition” for New Trier on Urban Dictionary reads, “A place where you won’t find too many black people.”
Whether Trevians feel that these assumptions are accurate assessments of New Trier or not, they clearly reflect the negative opinion that is shared by the students who attend our rival schools.
Other social media platforms seem to be in agreement with the reviews on Urban Dictionary. In a simple Twitter search of “New Trier kids,” tweets from students of nearby schools show that many share the same opinion as those who posted on Urban Dictionary.
“I seriously can’t believe how immature the kids at New Trier are. It astounds me every single day,” said one Twitter user. Another added, “New Trier kids have no chill.”
New Trier students don’t seem to particularly mind the harsh criticism from the Internet and are able to see some merit behind their statements.
Senior Robbie Angarone, WNTH’s station manager, said on behalf of the radio board, “We are in agreement with the Internet’s opinion.”
“We are good at everything, we work really hard, the school does a really a good job at maintaining our prestige, and we meet the teachers halfway by putting in the effort,” said senior Audrey Gordon.
“The other schools are just told they need to hate us.”