Four years ago, at almost exactly this point in the school year, I eagerly completed my first application to write for “The Parker Weekly.” There was very little that I knew about what was to come during my four years of Upper School at Parker – a global pandemic, three different heads of Upper School, and outside forces attacking the school for standing up with a beloved member of the community – but at that point in time, there was one thing I did know. I knew that I wanted to write for “The Weekly.” 

I wasn’t exactly sure at that time in the Spring of 2019 why participating in the school newspaper was such a draw. With hindsight, and maybe just a little bit of maturity, I understand now why I was drawn to “The Weekly.” Accountability. Even as a 5’4” eighth grader, I understood that a school newspaper was one of the only ways that students can hold an institution accountable for its actions.

What I’ve experienced during my four years writing for “The Weekly” however, is that our school newspaper takes a different role. We are allowed to report on events, although only those events that are generally positive in nature. We are allowed to report on sports, although only the successes and not the outside challenges experienced by student athletes as a result of gaps in Parker’s athletic program. We are allowed to write editorials, although only if anything that challenges the positive narrative is watered down to near translucent. What I’ve experienced is that “The Weekly” fulfills the appearance of a student newspaper, and the students participating in “The Weekly” learn the nuts and bolts of newspaper production, but this is not a publication that creates a structure of institutional accountability. 

Maybe you’ve noticed that I haven’t written much this year. This wasn’t just because senior year: a full slate of classes, college essays, test prep, and sleep deprivation. This was a challenge equally experienced by every single member of the Class of 2023, including members of “The Weekly” staff. I chose not to write much this year because the inability of “The Weekly” to stand as a student watchdog for the entire community made me question whether writing for it was worth my time. At Parker, we are taught to critically examine and question, to solve problems facing our world – except if such critical examination and questioning occurs through reporting for “The Weekly.” 

There is so much about Parker I will miss next year. This is the only school I have ever known, and it is a special place. 

For 14 years, I have felt supported by my teachers. When I asked for help, help was given. When it was time for a teacher to push me, they did so, with kindness and empathy. I am a better learner because of my Parker education and I will carry those skills for the rest of my life. 

For 14 years, I have relished in Parker’s traditions. Eating cotton candy at 9 a.m. at County Fair is uniquely Parker. A chaotic Halloween parade (although that’s another topic for another writer) in which the youngest members of the community are the absolute focus of the oldest members of the community can only happen at a K-12 school all under one roof. Building relationships between seniors and full classes of younger students as a result of the Big Siblings program creates connections that last a lifetime. Bagpipers set the rhythm of my life. I’m not entirely sure my internal body clock will acknowledge that a new school year has begun without the monotonous tone delivered by a bagpiper in a proper kilt. 

For 14 years, I’ve been a member of a community that includes administration, teachers, staff, parents and students, each of whom are driving toward the same goal: the cultivation of “creative citizens capable of thinking for themselves and listening to others.” I am proud to say that this is the type of institution I’ve been lucky enough to attend for the past 14 years. I am proud to say that this is an institution to which I expect I will always feel connected.  

Within the context of this pride and gratitude for the education I’ve received, “The Weekly” should stand out as something that celebrates all that makes Parker unique. “The Weekly” should not be an endeavor that fails to live up to both its utility and its potential. “The Weekly” should not be a club, activity or co-curricular in which students question if the time dedicated is worth it. “The Weekly” should not be a carefully curated marketing piece in which only those perspectives or narratives that the administration or faculty deem proper can be published. “The Weekly” should be a student-run newspaper that provides information and perspectives that matter to the student body for whom it was created. 

Parker has taught me to be hopeful. As I take my first steps outside the Parker bubble, I will remain hopeful that “The Weekly” can move away from what it has become – a publication of overly edited, watered down perspectives – and take its place in fulfilling the mission of both a student newspaper and the Francis W. Parker School.