Nostalgia can be tricky. We are often encouraged to look back and embrace the past, especially during celebrations of reunion, birthdays, or perhaps the school’s fiftieth anniversary. When we ruminate on how things used to be, we lose out on time to plan for our goals and future aspirations. Reflection is healthy but needs to be balanced with thoughts for the future. Even while some might suggest that living in the present– the here and now– is more important, the choices you make now depend on the outcomes you want for the future.

I’ve always been adamant about staying inside my own shell, but something changed this year. I rarely  try new things, but my mindset has shifted:  instead of  questioning why I should take the risk,  I now ponder why I shouldn’t try. And really,  there’s nothing to lose since this is my last year of high school. As I near the end of this huge milestone in life, I  also want to prepare  for what comes after. Sure, it’s only been one quarter of the school year, but it’s gone by in a flash. I’ll be walking across the stage to receive my diploma in no time. It’s such an exhilarating thought. The start of participating in new activities, college, and independence is absolutely thrilling. I can’t wait!

Along the same lines, I’m excited to start  another unforgettable year within The Oracle. Despite a budget cut that chopped the content of our first issue in half, we’re looking forward to spreading local news in a number of ways. We’re shifting our online news content from the LPS WordPress platform to School News Online, an amazing resource we can’t wait to get our hands on.We’re in the midst of producing video content to post on that new platform. We’re working on using our Twitter account, @eastoracle, to bring you news as it gets posted. Several of our reporters have volunteered to start broadcasting at various games and we’re aiming toward  more candid photos that can’t be found anywhere else. We have an artist in our staff who is producing an original comic entitled “lil’ BONES”. We even have a new poster for the Oracle newsstand!

For this issue, we’re embracing the enthusiasm that comes with the new school year. Some students can’t wait to graduate after four full years of high school, so we’ve asked them why they are graduating early. The school has grown in diversity with many new and unusual clubs that offer a place for everyone. We decided to spotlight various fall athletes to review where they have been and share where they’ll be going. The theatre program decided not to put on a fall play, so the music department has reserved the stage for the fall musical. We have a preview on the production itself, as well as insight to the lead role, Cinderella. And be sure to check out the creativity we have within the student body in our student submissions section!

First quarter is about over but there’s so much more to come. Get fired up!