Every Friday in advisery, advisers pass out fresh copies of The New Trier News. The majority of students don’t even glance at it, some throw it away, wondering why they would waste their time reading student-written material. However, a closer look at the four page handout reveals articles that excite and relate to students.

Founded in 1919, The New Trier News publishes weekly issues focusing on everything from sporting events to student scandals. The work of the two teacher sponsors and the ten senior editors is built on more than just the staff itself. It is built on the North Shore culture that envelops the school and, consequently, all aspects of the paper itself.
What exactly is this North Shore culture? This way of life has been described by sophomore Hannah Roth as being “stuck up,” while senior Josh Derrick said it reminded him of “memes.”

But the majority of students believe that this culture–our culture–revolves around the “luxury and wealth” that senior Matt Lee said makes up our North Shore bubble. It is the shiny monogrammed necklaces hung around every other neck and the boat shoes heard shuffling through every hallway of the school.

This is the North Shore life The New Trier News reflects in every issue. When there is no breaking news to report, writers resort to drafting articles that appeal to the general student population. Some articles discuss topics like school supply shopping, while others cover pop-culture phenomenons like “American Horror Story.”

Unfortunately for the staff, the paper is often not well received. Besides the fact students have to put down their gadgets in Friday advisery in order to take a look at the weekly issues, article after article about life on campus is old news to students. One student who preferred to remain anonymous said, “I couldn’t really care less about The New Trier News.”

Staff-written pieces have the impressive range of going from opinion articles on Snapchat to feature pieces on Instagram (and everything in between). This example of the narrow scope of material eerily represents the North Shore culture that a student, teacher, or visitor can experience just by walking through the halls.

Senior News Editor Anna Ferguson commented, “We have to write about that because it’s what the students are interested in.”

Senior sports editor Adam Sheffield also remarked on the role of this North Shore way of life.
“People enjoy reading about things that are relevant to them and things that they can relate to,” Sheffield said. “While The New Trier News isn’t Buzzfeed or the Tribune, it definitely gives students good info about what’s going on in school and around the community.”

As Sheffield said, pieces about topics like whether seniors should be allowed to smoke cigars on the last day of school might interest a portion of the school, but including them creates an echo chamber, where information, ideas, or beliefs are exaggerated or reinforced in an “enclosed” system, and different or competing views are underrepresented and often rejected.

Seemingly every superficial fad or weeklong craze that hits the campus is immediately put into words and printed in the next issue of The New Trier News. However, there are rarely any substantive articles relating to more pertinent concerns, such as national or global issues and how they might affect the student population.

Nevertheless, perhaps the student culture reflected by the paper isn’t all that bad. AP Biology teacher Jim Burnside commented on the humility of The New Trier News.
“I think it’s a way of poking fun at ourselves,” Burnside said. “It’s written in a way in that if you’re here and you know the basics, it’s impactful. It’s a good way to realize that we have a North Shore way of life.”

The North Shore Life that many have grown accustomed to can be overlooked or forgotten during busy daily lives. It could be due to the fact that Trevians are caught up in the culture that defines us.

However, whether you miss the hottest trend or the student drama occurring throughout our community, a peek at the New Trier News will keep you informed on Trevian culture, basic or not.