Dear Lakeside,

When we stepped into our roles as co-Editors-in-Chief of Tatler, Lakeside and the nation were in the midst of a crippling pandemic. To be perfectly honest, we were intimidated by the prospect of collaborating on and publishing Tatler in an entirely remote setting. Now, looking back on this historic whirlwind of a year, we are proud to have effectively served as our school’s recordkeeper. 

As we stated in our September editorial, along with informing the community, every issue of the 2020-21 Tatler contributed to a record of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the challenges of online and hybrid learning, you, the Lakeside community,  combatted discrimination with the @BlackAtLakeside Instagram account, promoted a student boxing match, and whined about cold portables. We relished the opportunity to recount and amplify your fascinating stories. For our part, we broke out of Tatler’s monthly cycle and published editorials that fostered discourse and enacted change. We strove to become the voice of every Lakesider, raising awareness about issues that students believe in.  

We wrote our September editorial without any idea of what was in store — hybrid learning, Mr. Noe’s retirement announcement, our bittersweet last days of senior year and final Tatler issue. Yet the time has already come for us to pass the baton to next year’s leadership team. This month’s excellent paper is a testament to their editorial skill and dedication. We are certain that they will continue the paper’s strong trajectory into the 2021-22 school year and far beyond (but no pressure!). 

To future generations of Lakeside students: we hope you look back on these issues, which recount the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school pandemic life. See how this school continued onwards, undaunted.

Sincerely, 

Anya and Vincent