As you drive to school one morning, the first nine houses you pass look quiet and peaceful. Then, you come to the tenth house. It’s on fire, and there are police cars and fire trucks parked outside. Which house would you be curious about, one of the normal, peaceful homes, or the house that is on fire?

 

For many people, that’s all news is—a place to learn about the exceptions to normal life, the house that’s on fire. And while that is an essential function of a newspaper, our dream is for The Whirlie Post to be so much more than news. 

 

The Whirlie Post can be a place to build community with fellow students, to learn about the different types of people who make up the rich, diverse  tapestry of Grimsley High School. The Post can be a place where your opinions are voiced, creating a spark of change in our community. The student paper is also a place where we can celebrate our strengths as a community and work together to overcome our weaknesses. 

 

For nearly 100 years, Grimsley High School’s previous student newspaper, the High Life, fulfilled this noble purpose by chronicling the highs and lows of our historic school. 

 

From triumphant sports victories to issues important for students, the High Life was the voice of Grimsley Students. However in 2013, the High Life ceased to exist, present only in dusty editions stuffed away in the corner of the media center. A hundred years of history, forgotten, but not lost. 

 

The High Life was published from 1920-2013, and included important school events, sports, local news stories, and important issues for students. The paper featured articles about dress code for girls in the 1950s, Vietnam War protests in the 1960s and drug use in the 1970s. 

 

Looking back through those musty pages, one sees snapshots of history, watches wars come and go, clothes change from buttoned-up blouses to bell-bottoms to Bermuda shorts, and witnesses as Grimsley itself grows and changes throughout the years. Yet one thing remained constant; the newspaper continued  to embody the spirit and voice of the students of Grimsley. 

 

The Whirlie Post aspires to become the spirit and voice of the next generation of Grimsley students, and to document the highs and lows of a high school community in conversation with itself. 

 

We are grateful for the legacy of the High Life and look forward to building on it to create a better community at Grimsley—and bring you news, too!