Every late August, we hold our ever-exclusive, super secret, hella hype, always alliterative Tatler retreat, a chance to welcome staffers to the new year. This year, we stressed that LAKESIDE comes first — LAKESIDE, of course, standing for “Let’s All Klosely Examine School Interests. Danke, Everyone.” That goal — to center our reporting on what matters most to our peers, and to have fun doing it — we hope will continue to guide the paper as Lakeside enters an era of experimentation and reinvention. 

For us, that has meant embracing Tatler as a space for play. As the humble story mongers we are, we’ve sought to expand our coverage to our generation’s last bastion of journalistic integrity: Instagram. The Tatstagram, spearheaded by Minoo J. ’24, soon became the leading source of East Haller Lake-related content, specializing in Bynum Bitmojis and SparkNotes for assemblies. Through our heavily-endowed cartoon contest, crossword puzzles by a diverse array of contributors named Luke P. ’23, and the polls in which you’ve been both angry and grateful, we’ve tried to highlight what Tatler is: a student paper. 

We’ve relished the responsibility of covering and reflecting on the events that cause our school to pause. Reporters Reagan R. ’25, Lael G. ’25, and Lorelei S. ’25 followed the tragic Ingraham shooting with immediacy and clarity. Later, Evan R. ’24 highlighted the security changes instituted in the wake of the lockdown and campus thefts. We’ve watched as the maintenance team ripped the tombstone from the lawn, we’ve listened to the PGA announce the end of Rummage sale, and we’ve envisioned new buildings and roads on and around campus. All this has reaffirmed our belief that Tatler, at its best, can help the school process and learn from the triumphs, the tragedies, the changes of the year. 

We have the utmost confidence that Lucy K. ’24, Zane R. ’24, and the rest of the editorial board will lead Tatler with maturity and creativity, continuing to refine and rethink what the paper can be. It’s been a joy to write for you. 

Sincerely,

Stellan and Aaron