While Lakeside is known for academic rigor and challenging expectations from students, one thing we can always fall back on is our community. @lakesidecompliments, an Instagram account dedicated to posting compliments submitted by the Lakeside community, has been a catalyst in uplifting the community and spreading positivity through sweet notes and fun shoutouts to Lakesiders. These compliments range from praising a student’s style to noting someone’s expertise in finding pretty leaves. The mystique of @lakesidecompliments comes from its secret manager, who is anonymous to most Lakesiders, including 19 out of 23 respondents from the Tatler poll. However, Tatler was able to conduct an exclusive interview with Lakeside Compliments over Instagram DMs. Read more as they discuss the impact of the account and life as its anonymous manager.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Emma S. ’28 (ES): What is the mission of Lakeside Compliments, and how did the account get started?
Lakeside Compliments (LC): Started in 2022, this account was inspired by @lhs_compliments, a similar account at Lincoln High School. We wanted to bring similar positivity and joy to Lakeside. We hope that this account is a way for people to send admiration and appreciation without any worries. If we’ve brought a smile to anyone’s face, I think that we’ve achieved our goals .
Meera W. ’28 (MW): When and how did you become the manager of this account? How does the account management get passed on?
LC: Account management gets passed on to trusted friends, but it has only been passed down one time! Since my time left at Lakeside is coming to a close, I will need to pass on this account soon. DM if interested!
ES: Do you know who the previous owner of the account was? Did the previous owner give you any rules or advice about the account?
LC: When passing on this account, the previous owner gave me a lot of freedom. Most things I’ve chosen to continue myself, like the rainbow feed and story posts. I’ve started adding occasional cute or funny images to bring even more joy to a post. The biggest piece of advice I was given was to only do things and post compliments that achieve our goal of bringing positivity. We aren’t overly worried about engagement or views, as long as we are contributing positively to the Lakeside community.
MW: Does anyone know that you are the owner of this account?
LC: The previous owner and a few of my close friends know.
ES: What’s the funniest rumor you’ve heard about who’s behind the account, if any?
LC: Honestly, I’m hearing a lot of rumors right now, which are funny because I don’t know where they come from, and none of them are true! No one has figured it out yet, and I hope to stay anonymous for the rest of my time at Lakeside. I don’t think the identity behind the owner adds anything to the purpose and important part of the account, which is you guys.
MW: How do you choose which compliments to publish?
LC: I publish every compliment submitted .
ES: Do you ever get submissions that you are not able to publish?
LC: Yes, unfortunately. Lakeside Compliments is not a place for hate, gossip, and rumors. I try my best to filter out anything disguised as a compliment, and sometimes I ask the subject for permission to post. If you are uncomfortable with any compliment posted about you, please DM the account, and it will be taken down.
MW: How do you think the account impacts the school and community?
LC: I hope the posts bring at least a small amount of joy. Through all of the Lakeside competition and stress, this can be a place to spread positivity without any barriers.
ES: Why do you think this account is important?
LC: Maybe the nonimportance of the account is what makes it important. I would be content with the account dying down at any time, but that just hasn’t happened yet! The submissions and the Lakeside community bring meaning to it all.
MW: What are the best and worst aspects of running the account?
LC: The best part is reading all of the compliments, and the worst part is figuring out which account to tag.
ES: Do you have a favorite or most memorable compliment that you’ve posted or seen?
LC: I really love the specific compliments about someone’s style or personality. That might not be something they think about often, and seeing those compliments can help in feeling seen.
MW: What advice will you give to the next owner of the account?
LC: Don’t take it too seriously! If there are times when the submissions are low, don’t worry about it. This account will always be a place to spread love.
ES: Finally, can you give us a hint of who you are?
Lakeside Compliments chose not to comment.
