At the start of my junior year I set a goal for myself — to eat lunch with every department at this school.

Why? You may ask.

Perhaps it was an attempt to wrap my head around the intricacies of this well-oiled machine of a school. Heck, maybe it was a chance to tap into some good gossip. However, looking back I believe that the true reason was a desire to connect with the champions of our education.

At the time of this writing I have dined with the mathematics, science, English and social studies departments along with administration. There are some departments I have missed, for example scheduling to eat lunch with the cafeteria staff is slightly problematic. While I did not succeed in my mission, these meals offered a unique opportunity to broaden my social horizons. No matter how fleeting these encounters were, I savored the brief chances to connect.

As we flip to the next chapter of the messy manuscript that is our lives, some of our relationships will inevitably become a part of our past. While we should never forget about them, we must also accept the reality that new mentors, classmates and friends lie ahead. This is both exhilarating and terrifying.

I am hardly in a place to give advice; I haven’t graduated before. But I will say, when it is time to eat lunch with someone new in the coming months, don’t dread it. Instead, relish the opportunity.

The memories you have made are real. They are a fundamental part of your identity and can be rekindled and revisited. But that does not mean that new ones don’t lie ahead.

David Gillingham

President, Class 2021