Letter from the Editors 2020-2021

In any other year, we would spend the first paragraph of this letter describing back-to-school excitement: the sight of fall leaves as you walk across Red Square, the smell of brand-new school supplies and books, the joy of seeing old friends again. But, as you all know, this year will look quite different. Instead of running across campus to the WCC for a midday snack, you’ll be walking from your bedroom to your kitchen; rather than high-fiving a classmate, you’ll settle for typing “way to go!” in a Zoom chat. These times are turbulent and unpredictable, but amidst all the chaos, take comfort in one constant: a monthly issue of the Tatler, delivered to your doorstep. As long as Lakeside is remote, we’ll be mailing issues of the paper to Upper School students’ home addresses.

While there’s a lot to be disappointed about right now, we, the Editors in Chief, have reason to be optimistic about the coming year of work on the Tatler. As Lakeside goes online, we are eager to strengthen the paper’s online presence both through our website (tatler.lakesideschool.org) and social media. We also plan to collaborate with the Downtown School’s newspaper, The Downtown Post, and to expand the Tatler’s visual elements with cartoons and graphic design. As for the difficulties of collaborating on a newspaper remotely, this September issue is evidence enough of our staff’s adaptability and dedication.

The Tatler has a unique responsibility this year. Editions of the paper, which will be filed in Lakeside’s archives, will exist as an account of the school’s journey through the pandemic; the Tatler staff is honored to contribute to a historical record of this unprecedented time. This is a significant responsibility, but the entire staff — every writer, photographer, and designer — is wholeheartedly committed to informing, serving, and accurately reflecting the 2020-2021 student body and the events of this upcoming year. For nearly nine decades, the Tatler has been this school’s voice, and that won’t change simply because campus is closed.

Sincerely,

Anya and Vincent