We finally made it! The end of school remains only a few days out of reach, and with that, the end of another season of Spyglass full of late nights spent editing, time trying to keep up with an ever-changing pitch document, and Starbucks-filled meetings. This year, we’ve carried out triumph after triumph, whether it be kicking off the Spyglass Live program, attending a JEA/NSPA Student Journalism Conference in St. Louis, or covering extensive stories ranging from a guide to Westridge’s budget to how Westridge’s culture of competition and achievement impacts eating disorders to a Taylor Swift album review. I’m proud to say that we’re finishing the year off equally as strong with articles following up on Advanced Courses and the Westridge community’s use of public transportation.

We’ve not only dedicated ourselves to producing well-researched and detail-oriented articles, but to growing our community, both in and outside of Spyglass. This year, we extended our staff into the Lower School and saw tremendous growth in Middle School involvement. To reach the larger Westridge community, we passed out Best of Spyglass pamphlets, created a Student Press Freedom Day booth to sell Spyglass merch and discuss the importance of student journalism, and began our new advice column, iSpy. And these efforts have paid off. Whether it’s affirming support, additional ideas, or sometimes, constructive criticism, we’ve seen our viewer engagement skyrocket over the last year. 

But as the year concludes, so begins an exciting transition period for me into the role of Editor in Chief and Sophene A. ’25, into the role of Managing Editor. We have already begun planning what is in store for Spyglass in the 2023–24 school year and could not be more thrilled to get started. We hope to build off the foundation laid by Ilena, this year’s Editor in Chief, to further increase community and compassion within our staff, create new Spyglass events, and start some new but long-lasting staff traditions. 

On that note, I would like to extend enormous amounts of gratitude to Ilena for her work and leadership on Spyglass this year. While many may have found it difficult to balance dedication and humor while occupying a leadership position, Ilena did so with grace. I could not be more glad to have gotten to work alongside her. 

Enjoy our May edition and have a fantastic summer!