It’s over. The white tuxedos and dresses have been donned, the beach balls have been bounced, and “Pomp and Circumstance” has echoed throughout the gymnasium (repeatedly). The Class of 2014 entered its June 1 graduation ceremony as a senior class. Now that the traditional send-off is over, so too is the seniors’ yearlong farewell tour. They are now New Trier alumni.

This editorial is the first of many for the 2014-2015 staff. But this is also our last graduation issue; by this time next year, we too will be New Trier grads. So before it’s our turn to walk the stage in Welsh-Ryan Arena, we’d like (with a little help from the lessons of the Class of 2014) to lay out what we hope to accomplish in our last year at New Trier.

For starters, we hope to carry on the admirable standard of community service set by the current graduating class. Not every high school produces a massive Winter Carnival, let alone one that is almost completely prepared and facilitated by the seniors themselves. Add to this the fact that all proceeds are donated to Habitat for Humanity, and that the 2014 senior adviseries spent a day building the actual house towards which the proceeds are used. As such, the seniors established a truly special precedent of charitable giving, and it is our priority to continue this tradition of service.

Perhaps another way to follow in the footsteps of the grade above us is to (once again) dominate the state of Illinois’s athletic competition. This year, state champions were won in girls swimming and diving, boys and girls club hockey, and boys lacrosse; not to mention that at the time of this writing, girls soccer, softball, boys volleyball, and girls lacrosse are revving up for potential state championship runs. We anticipate that there will be many more state champions filing into Welsh-Ryan Arena next year.

Of course, there are many other ways to emulate the Class of 2014. Significant student attendance at Trevian sporting events? Feasible. Barely any displays of obnoxious “senior status” superiority? Doable. No real entitled-seeming senior pranks? We can win over the administration with that one.

The Class of 2014 set an example for us from the time we stepped foot on the Winnetka Campus until their last day as seniors. We sincerely hope we can follow this example during our own final year at New Trier. And perhaps most importantly, our thanks to this year’s News staff for showing us the ropes: Joey, Adrian, Tanya, Bella, Kelsey, Max, Lizzie, Marissa, Hannah, Sam, and Logan. Keep reading- we owe our growth to you. When we’re the ones tossing the beach balls around a year from now, it will hopefully be done with a sense of pride, as we expect to build on the incredible foundation they provided for us. We’ll do our best to carry the torch.