With a single sheet of paper, a bathroom stall door, and a week’s worth of satire, Stallstreet Journal has officially made its return to Westridge. After a year of inconsistency and near disappearance, Stallstreet Journal, Westridge’s anonymous, one-page satirical publication, has made a steady return to campus since January. Once part of the student-run Thursday Detention, the publication now operates on its own, each edition appearing weekly in bathroom stalls, and more recently, on Instagram.

Founded in 2021 by three Westridge alums, Thursday Detention is a humorous student publication that was passed down among Upper School students and remained active in the years that followed. Most recently led by editor-in-chief Micah M. ’25, the publication continued last year, but without a regular schedule. After her graduation, however, no underclassmen stepped in to take over, and both Thursday Detention and Stallstreet Journal faded away during the first semester.

However, that changed at the start of the second semester, when the anonymous author—encouraged by Upper School History Teacher Ms. Jennifer Cutler, a long-time supporter of Stallstreet Journal—decided to revive it. “I was once in Spyglass, and they used to really appreciate my talents. I liked writing, and I liked having an audience,” the author said. “I realized this is an opportunity for people to let me be funny, and people are kind of forced to read it when they’re in the bathroom.”

Since then, the publication has appeared in restrooms around Westridge almost every week. Each edition follows a simple format: a main satirical article paired with a smaller column, often ranging from horoscopes to jokes targeting specific faculty members or grade levels. “For Stallstreet, I write it, I edit it, I come up with it, I copy edit it, I publish it—I do it all,” the author said. “I wear many hats.”

The process itself varies week to week, sometimes starting days in advance, and other times coming together late at night just before publishing on Monday mornings. Still, for the author, writing isn’t the hardest part—it’s getting each issue out across campus, from printing copies, walking to every bathroom, and taping them up, sometimes when people are coming in and out. That routine is part of what led to the creation of the Stallstreet Journal Instagram account, where each edition is posted digitally. Still, the author will continue to post physical copies on bathroom stall doors to preserve the journal’s authenticity, even as it expands online. “It’s kind of a comedic relief from all the pressures at Westridge,” said Carolina A. ’28. “I think it’s a really cool concept, and I really enjoy reading it all the time.”

While the tone is lighthearted and humorous, the content often carries deeper meaning. Many editions touch on social and political commentary, using humor to reflect on topics ranging from misogyny to media censorship. Still, the publication’s goal is to offer students a moment to pause and find fun, even in stressful environments. “The purpose is just to bring some joy…[with] everything that’s going on in the world, sometimes you need to laugh,” she said.

For some students, reading the Stallstreet Journal has become part of their weekly routine. “I think it is quite entertaining, and I learn a lot about my horoscope,” said Lyra G. ’28. “It’s always the highlight of my week to spend 10 minutes in the bathroom and look at all the jokes that were conjured for the Stallstreet Journal.”

As the publication continues to run smoothly, the anonymous author is considering reinstating Thursday Detention as a club next year, so students can contribute comedic content and experiment with different forms of writing. “While I love running… Stallstreet, it is kind of hard to do it all [by] myself,” she said. “Sometimes, it can take a while, making a whole little newspaper, so it’d be nice to have some help.”

Fia A. ’27 has enjoyed reading the Stallstreet Journal since her freshman year, and is glad that it’s back. “I think it’s just something really cool to bond our community,” she said. “I think it’s truly interesting, and it’s very Westridge-coded.”