Dear Maggie,
It’s hard to believe that it is already June and I’m one step closer to having to say goodbye. This is incredibly sad for me because I know I will miss you next year. When I first met you on the editorial board this past school year, I did not realize it was your first year as well. You seemed so passionate for The Tattler and I really admire your talent for finding the most interesting and intriguing articles from the archives. It was through your works that I really started recognizing how rich the history of our newspaper is. It just feels so cool to get an insight on what IHS students from up to 100+ years ago were going through.
Your works in the literary section of The Tattler are incredible as well. Every poem you write has evoked my emotions in the best ways. I hope you continue writing in college, and please make sure to send them to me!
During the course of this year, you were a role model for me and many others inspiring us to be great writers, editors, board members, and teammates. If only you weren’t graduating, because I would have loved to work with you again. I wish you the best of luck at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst next year, doing what you love!
Hope your experience on The Tattler Editorial Board was a lot of fun and as valuable as mine.
~ Claire ’25
Dear Addie,
I’m surprised to see that the school year is just about over, and your time on The Tattler Editorial Board is soon coming to an end. I’d like to say with a heavy heart that I’ve enjoyed your presence with us and it’s sad to see you go. When I first met you, I knew you were a bright and outgoing person, and you’ve maintained that wonderful energy throughout. You never excluded anyone, and your presence at our meetings on Fridays always made me feel included.
Along with your energetic personality, I also want to acknowledge your incredible work as Copy Editor this year. I didn’t fully understand the responsibilities of the Copy Editor position until our Writers’ Workshop about the roles on The Tattler Editorial Board. It was only then did I realize the amount of effort you put into The Tattler. I truly appreciate your dedication, as without you, our monthly issues wouldn’t have been possible!
You’ve been such a great friend and senior, and your commitment to the editorial board will forever be an inspiration to past and future members. I wish you the best of luck at Bard!
~ Shaine ’25
Dear Alice,
I’m not really sure how to start this, nor have I fully processed the reality of your departure from The Tattler. The energy you bring to our meetings is unmatched and truly irreplaceable. With a single comment, you can transform the atmosphere entirely—you can lighten the mood when a discussion becomes too heated, or bring us back to center with a grounded, thought-provoking suggestion. Your outgoing sense of humor has contributed to countless iconic Coolness Spectrums and your attention to detail has significantly improved the quality of our paper.
Yet, it is your raw, deeply intimate and vulnerable literary works that stand out to me most amongst your diverse set of Tattler contributions. Your ability to express emotion through writing is incredible. As someone whose personality and level of expression is completely inverted from your own, I can only admire your powerful personal writing from afar. Even your prose feels poetic. Growing up, you were a role model to me in so many different contexts—music, sports, and our own similar experiences—and although we have both changed since then, I still look up to your
writing with awe. And beyond that, I will never forget how you have impacted me personally—you found me when I was lost and for that I am forever grateful.
The Tattler won’t be the same without you, but your contributions will be remembered by everyone on the board and I sincerely wish you the best of luck in Peru next year.
~ Aliza ’24
Dear Ruby,
I can’t believe I’m writing this right now. Or, more accurately, I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye to you. You’ve become such an integral part of our community over the past three years—I can’t believe it’s been that long—and it’s going to take some time to get used to a Tattler without you in it. I honestly cannot imagine The Tattler without your eloquent, uniquely contrarian insights, your witty humor, and your calming, stable presence in our meetings. You’ve made so many lasting contributions to this paper, in visible as well as subtle ways, and The Tattler will certainly never be the same because of what you’ve accomplished here.
But beyond all that, you’re also an amazing friend and unlike anyone I’ve ever met. Your earnest, unwavering confidence, devotion to your passions, and strong certainty in your beliefs set you apart and will serve you well, I’m sure, in the future. You’re the most mature teenager I know, yet you’re also a lot of fun to be around. I learn something new every time I spend time with you. Our conversations encourage me to keep learning, thinking, and discovering because I’m so impressed by your ability to pursue your passions.
We’ve had a good run, buddy! I would wish you the best of luck, but I don’t believe you need it because you’re one of the most impressive and ambitious people I know.
~ Tania ’24
Dear Frances,
You have been a guiding light and a role model for me and for many others. You’ve led The Tattler this past year with a strength and calmness that held together this paper. From the board meetings you lead to the races you run, you always demonstrate a high level of commitment and tenacity. You have always been there for me to lend a helping hand, for which I am incredibly grateful.
Your erudition is apparent in the engaging conversations we’ve shared after meetings and during runs, but the depth of your wisdom is never clearer than it is in your writing. Your piece about your college application process was incredibly methodical and helpful, and the retelling of your journey to Morocco was effortlessly funny and is still one of my favorite articles to date.
Next year, I’ll miss your calming presence at board meetings, your witty conversations during cross country practice, and of course your impeccable style. I admittedly often resort to the thought “what would Frances do” in situations that I just can’t seem to solve. I sincerely hope you know how much you’ve done for The Tattler during your time on the board. I know that I am not alone in saying that The Tattler will continue to look up to your leadership and your methods as the gold standard, and you will be sorely missed as a board leader, and as a friend. Good luck next year, and I hope you have an amazing time in London.
~ Natalie ’25
Dear Ting,
Working with you on the center spread each month has been one of the highlights of my year. You always manage to make my most outlandish and fantastic ideas a reality, and I am so so grateful for your hard work! I always look forward to seeing the final design, usually running around excitedly showing it to the people around me (as my family can attest!). Your responsibility, collectedness, and creativity have been such an anchor for me through the hectic school year: whatever the idea, you always make it unique and beautiful. I can hardly believe it’s only your first year on the Board!
I am very sad to see you go—your professionalism and organization is so impressive, and will be sorely missed. Best of luck next year!
~ Valentina ’25
Dear Hannah,
My past two years on the board have been a whirlwind of fascinating ideas, intriguing articles, and contrasting opinions. But out of all of the varied and diverse articles that have been written for The Tattler, I can confidently say that some of the most interesting articles have been yours. Your contributions to the Arts and Opinion sections have been fascinating, thought-provoking takes that have, many times, spurred me to contemplate a completely different side of a topic. From passionate movie reviews to intense opinion articles, every one of your articles is bursting with a certain sense of personality that is hard to put into words. On the board, you bring a fresh perspective to each idea we discuss, whether it’s related to the school or broader issues. You have been an amazing guiding voice for this newspaper and an inspiration to our meetings, and The Tattler will sorely miss your contributions. I wish you the best of luck for the future, whatever it holds!
~ Mukund ’24