Dear readers of the Fieldston News,
I remember my first ever Fieldston News meeting. In the first week of my sophomore year, I walked into the storied room 112, which I had heard so much about without ever having been inside, to a packed room of enthusiastic students, ranging from underclassmen like myself to the then-Editors-in-Chief themselves.
The atmosphere was at once intimidating yet very welcoming. I took my seat in the corner of the room by the door and patiently awaited the start of the meeting, not quite knowing what to expect. Out of nowhere, our beloved faculty advisor, Bob Montera, burst into the room, stood behind the light brown podium beside his desk at the front of the room, and gave an introductory speech that was quickly etched into my memory. “WE ARE NOT A CLUB,” he proclaimed. “We are a newspaper!” And just like that, I fell in love with this community, and knew it was meant to be my home. Over the next few years with the News, I would serve two years as Editor-in-Chief, and write nearly 50 articles, including 43 individual ones and several letters-from-the-editors with my colleagues.
But let’s back up a bit.
Whereas most frequent writers and EIC’s start writing as early as their first week of high school, I wrote my first article, “When Will it End?”, at the very end of freshman year, an urgent and emotional piece in response to a school shooting in Buffalo. I followed it up with a more lighthearted sports piece, “How the Golden State Warriors Won the NBA Championship.”
I guess you could say my breakthrough with the News was my third article, “How Young People Can Get Interested in Opera,” which used my experience with classical music and opera as a guide for other young people to follow. It was the first time I had written about something truly personal to me; after all, sharing my love for the arts had been my mission on my website, AppreciateOpera.org, since 6th grade. This article kickstarted a run of arts articles, and over time, arts became my specialty. By the end of the summer, I had written nine articles, but was only just getting started.
A few months into sophomore year, I realized that I wanted to show more variety. I knew I could write about other subjects and I was eager to do so. I believed, and still do, that all journalists should gain experience across disciplines, from arts to science to sports to politics. So, in the second half of the school year, I decided to explore other areas of journalism. In that span, I published two of the articles I’m proudest of: first, an expansive recap of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with commentary and analysis (“The Greatest Tournament Ever? – Recapping the 2022 FIFA World Cup”), and then a critique of the American Supreme Court and how I believe it should be amended (“It’s Time to Reform the Supreme Court”). I also published science-related articles, like an editorial on the dangers of artificial intelligence (“Editorial: The Dangers of ChatGPT and How to Combat Them”), several community-centered articles, including a spotlight on Fieldston’s robotics team (“AIM Robotics and Their Journey to the NYC Finals”) and a Founder’s day recap (“Founder’s Day 2023: A Return to Normalcy”).
It was around this time that I started working together with my soon-to-be co-editor, Lily Saal. Together, we wrote two articles, including a spotlight on Lloyd’s Carrot Cake, a beloved dessert shop near Fieldston, and a recap of Super Bowl 57. Lily and I have always had rather different writing voices and working styles, which often led to difficulties in working together. Over time, however, it became clear that it was because of those differences, not in spite of them, that our partnership worked best. We pushed each other, and I came to trust her more than anyone else in the newsroom. At the end of our sophomore year, we were selected as the next Editors-in-Chief.
In our first few months as co-editors, Lily and I produced the last issue of the 2022-23 school year, as well as a special summer narrative edition in the fall, and laid out the groundwork for an ambitious vision for the next two years, starting with what we called the “Three C’s”: consistency, commitment and communication. Writers and editors alike had to be consistent with publication, committed to deadlines and high-quality work and always communicative so we could all stay on the same page. This was the period during which we did some of our best work, creating official guides for writers and staff editors, as well as a guide to the summer narrative.
As my junior year went on, I gained experience in fast-paced journalism, writing quick-turnaround stories like “Fieldston Volleyball Defeats Avenues in NYSAIS Championship” and “Eagles Fall, 8-3, to Riverdale in the Birds of Prey Game.” These remain some of my favorite articles, and I still remember the thrill of taking notes at sports games and firing out articles within an hour of their completion. I also established the Fieldston News Crossword, creating six editions, one per issue, in the latter half of my junior year.
Throughout the year, Lily, our other co-editors Addy Gorton and Skye Wu and I wrote several collaborative pieces on real-world events, from the Supreme Court’s outlawing of affirmative action to Fieldston’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. These articles were initially very challenging to me as they brought out my biggest weaknesses as a coworker, namely a tendency to be overly controlling and uncompromising. However, they proved to be very transformative. I learned how to be a better teammate, to be less controlling, and to listen before speaking. These changes did not come easily—it took much stress and many drawn-out arguments over the smallest of edits. But it was worth it.
Indeed, perhaps my biggest takeaway from the News—and one of the many reasons I believe that everyone should write for the News at some point in high school—is the value of listening to other perspectives, and the skills required to be a good colleague and leader. By the time my senior year came around, and I co-authored a piece on the 2024 presidential election results alongside Lily and our new co-editor, Saskia Sommer, my work habits were greatly improved.
I ended off my senior year with a throwback to my beginning with the News: a series of arts pieces, including reviews of “Cabaret” on Broadway, opening night at the Metropolitan Opera and, finally, my third and final Super Bowl recap.
As I reflect on my time with the News, I am, above all, overwhelmed with gratitude for the people I had around me along the way. To Mr. Montera, who has been the heart of this paper for decades—you have been my teacher, mentor and friend, and I look forward to many more years of collaboration and friendship. You’ve seen me grow from an awkward underclassman to the person I am today, and I am very grateful for the role you have played in my high school journey.
To Lily—in two years as editors, we revitalized the Fieldston News social media, established the Community and Global News editor positions and put together an incredible staff. Every disagreement and fight we had made me a better writer, editor and person. Thank you for being with me along the way.
Finally, thank you to Skye and Addy for tolerating me when I was hardest to work with and to Saskia Sommer and Sarah Gallen for holding down the fort in the latter half of my senior year as Lily and I gradually stepped away. And thank you to Ellie Usdin for being the quiet engine of the News. As Managing Editor, you did so much for us over the last year, from editing articles to single-handedly designing and printing our issues. You leave behind some big shoes to fill.
I want to end off with a note to future editors and writers reading this.
Journalism is a powerful force not just when it’s big and breaking, but in the quiet way it forces us to pay attention, to ask questions and to care about things bigger than ourselves. There is a place in journalism, and by extension the News, for everybody. Whether you are a writer, artist, game designer, graphic designer or photographer, your voice is welcome in this community. For that reason, I strongly believe that all Fieldston students should write for the News at least once throughout high school.
This paper is approaching its centennial in 2028. That is no small thing. For nearly a hundred years, students have written, edited, argued, laughed and grown in this community. To be a part of that long tradition is not only meaningful—it’s an important responsibility. To the Editors-in-Chief reading this, I call upon you to honor this legacy and make it your own. As you sit in room 112, surrounded by the past issues and posters on the wall, I hope you feel what I felt: a rush of excitement, to learn, to speak and to build something that endures.
Furthermore, I hope that you’ll pursue the following ideas that I always dreamt of but never got the chance. First, add a mission statement to the website so that readers know our history, what we stand for, and the way we function as a paper. Second, I’d love to see a throwback edition of the News (if you stop by the admissions or alumni office, you’ll find vintage black-and-white papers that are truly awesome).
Most importantly, treasure every moment, and don’t take it for granted. Because this isn’t just another club—it’s a newspaper, community and home. And it has shaped my life in more ways than I can count.
With love and gratitude,
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
Alkis Karmpaliotis
