It’s February, which, of course, means a special Valentine’s Day edition for Spyglass. So, while your love life may not have any enthralling developments, we can promise our website certainly does. Not only have we swapped our logo’s foresty Westridge green for a pinker hue, but we also have the Valentine’s Day Suite—a newly minted Spyglass tradition. With eight wonderful pieces ranging from “Westridge Teachers’ Craziest Date Stories” to “Rom-Com Titles: Westridge Edition” to “Westridge Love Languages,” we hope you find a piece that makes you laugh.

An equally exciting February event for Spyglass is Student Press Freedom Day, a time when we celebrate the contributions of student journalists in their communities. As the day rapidly approaches, we as a staff have been tirelessly painting our infamous “Journalism Matters” tote bags and reflecting on journalism’s importance within our community and as a part of our identities. This edition presents an impressive collection of stories that dive into Westridge practices and policies. These include examinations of the sex-ed curriculum, flipped learning, and the social implications of single-sex education, all of which demonstrate firsthand the awareness student journalists can raise and the impact they can create. 

We hope to see you at our Student Press Freedom table on February 22 whether you’re purchasing a sticker and tote bag or inquiring about the importance of student press freedom!

Finally, I’m overjoyed to share that Westridge Spyglass, for the first time, has been named a finalist in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Crown Awards and will receive either a Gold or Silver Crown this March. We could not be more proud of our team and feel so lucky to receive recognition for all of the hard work we put into making Spyglass what it is. 

As always, keep reading and engaging, and we’ll see you in April!