Well, here it is: the 2013 Destinations Issue, by far the most read and most discussed issue of the New Trier News we’ll produce this year. If you turn the page, you’ll find next year’s destinations for all the seniors who responded to our survey. This spread was definitely one of our favorites that we created this school year and we hope you enjoy discovering all the incredible institutions or gap year locations your classmates will call home next year.
We see the Destination Issue as a time to celebrate the bright future each member of the Class of 2013 has in front of them. Curiously, some disagree with us. Each year, a collection of teachers and students seem to make it their mission to paint the issue in a negative light. It’s been frequently referred to as an example of “everything that’s wrong with New Trier.” The point of the detractors is essentially that the Destinations Issue is a space for students to brag about the school they’re attending and look down on others attending less selective or prestigious institutions. Either that, or that it’s just pretentious that we as a school have this type of thing in our school newspaper.
Looking first at the former point, the spread is not merely a bragging ground for the select few fortunate enough to be admitted to Harvard or Princeton; it’s a place for every single New Trier senior to proudly announce their plans. The list contains everything: Ivy League schools, large state universities, small liberal arts colleges, and community colleges are all represented.
Additionally, the News is distributed only to those within the halls of New Trier and select homes in the township. The spread is not at all a smug glance in the general direction of Evanston or Glenbrook South; it’s an internal celebration.
We simply can’t understand how anyone could say this is a poor reflection of the News or New Trier as a whole. The school administration clearly doesn’t see it as an abomination either because they allow us to produce it year after year.
New Trier certainly isn’t the only school where students and their families are proud of the school they attend. Anywhere you go, you’ll see parents’ cars adorned with bumper decals of their son’s or daughter’s university. Highland Park High School has a day at school where seniors wear apparel of the school they will be attending and take pictures together. It’s only natural to feel the pride that we do about our future alma mater.
So this year, let’s hold our Destinations Issues high and proud. No matter what anyone will try to tell you, you should be proud of the school you’re attending or program you’ll be participating in next year.
As a final unrelated note, this will be our final issue of the year. We’d like to thank the student body, faculty, and staff for their readership and support throughout this entire school year. It’s been an incredibly fun and rewarding experience for us as a staff and we’re proud of the changes we were able to create, which made the paper higher quality and more reader friendly. We look forward to seeing what next year’s editors can do to improve what we’ve done.