At New Trier, we are told from the moment we walk through the doors of the school that we have the capabilities to be the best; we have to be the best. We see our predecessors’ trophies and banners as we walk down every hallway. We apply to the best universities, win state championships, star in TV shows, volunteer in third-world countries, raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, and devote our time to musicals, publications, cereal, rollerblading, and everything in between, all while maintaining good grades in AP and honors classes. We excel in calculus, physics, political science, economics, history, English, the arts…the list goes on. This balancing act is something that Trevians have to master. They must utilize the resources provided by the school in order to come out ahead. But are we really as great as we think we are? Is New Trier truly synonymous with being superior? Can we ever live up to the impressive standards that we set for ourselves and to which others hold us? New Trier has a reputation of success and high achievement, and often this inflates egos, causing students to assume an arrogant disposition. In this first Examiner, we explore the ways in which we, as students, feel about our school’s association with superiority- is it deserved or deluded?