I’ll really miss the people and the unique community that makes New Trier truly special; I will always look back on the camaraderie I experienced with the few other survivors of my sophomore year English class with great fondness; I know the years I have spent here are—and will always be—amongst the most memorable of my life.  — Lucas Simmons,  Student Council President

Whenever I step into New Trier I’m reminded of leg soreness, extreme dizziness, and my CamelBak backpack. It’s finally clear to me why New Trier is so highly ranked: There’s stairways going up four floors . . . Like, you should see some of the calves on my classmates! Averaging 360,000 steps a day is something I won’t be doing once I graduate with my degree in desk jockeying and I recommend to all seniors to soak up every last passing period. One day when I’m 55 and hooked up to an oxygen tank in a home, the last thing I’ll remember is that euphoric high I’d get at the top of the W400’s after completing a hike to my Spanish class. Getting baked on New Trier’s dehydration and exhaustion is truly a life-changing experience — I met God on a New Trier staircase and you can’t tell me otherwise. — Ca *gasp* Caleb, JV Track and Field Co-Captain

As the schoolwork was really starting to set in, and the weather was getting colder, I always had one thing that would keep me going—The Spooky Scrounge. During the Halloween season, I would always have some tough days, but I always had the most inviting place on earth, welcoming me to happiness. As I would walk in there, I would take a good whiff of old Halloween decorations and of course, a good scare! They always kept my Mickey Mouse costume nice and warm in the bookstore, awaiting my visit. WOW, I really am going to miss the empowerment and joy that radiates in the air of the magical Spooky Scrounge.—Jeremiah, Spooky Scrounge President

I’m beginning to fear that my college in Cambridge, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will not be nearly as difficult as my time at New Trier proved to be. I understand that I’m quintuple majoring in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Applied Mathematics, but I still fear that I will be unduly dulled without an inexorable force of self-development grounded in existential dread and inescapable stress. As I leave high school, I will be leaving my closest competition and opponent, Kieth Chuu, behind; I fear that without New Trier’s uniquely challenging environment, I will begin to grow soft on the fruits of my success, leading to my eventual downfall by the hands of some upstart competitor. — Catherine Westing, Valedictorian

Yeah I’m gonna miss my english teacher, Mr. Jay. Actually, nah, I’m not going to miss him. You know what I am going to miss though—munching on sweet, succulent gum under desks. MMM MMM MMMMMM, man I love the taste of already chewed gum. That delicious firm and chewy texture makes my mouth salivate immediately! Man oh man! Every Friday I would crawl on my stomach into each and every classroom searching for that delectable chew. On special occasions I would grab 20 pieces of gum and make a huge wad. I would chew that wad for hours. Outside of school I look everywhere for chewed gum under tables, but I just can’t seem to find it. Oh jeez man, maybe one day I’ll reunite with my juicy, yummy, sweet, perfect treat. — Keith Chuu, Salutatorian