By Courtney Cooperman ’16 and Ben Goodman ’16, Editors-in-Chief

May at Newark Academy is not only the season of exams, but also the season of countdowns. The Class of 2015 has torn down their final digit from the senior corridor, while the rest of the student body’s countdowns to June term and summer are well underway. Despite the excitement of countdowns, in general, transitions at Newark Academy are more gradual processes. Although we attach dates to them, they cannot be so simply defined with a single endpoint. Seniors are still present on campus even after senior checkout, placing them in a strange intermediate state between high school and the world beyond.

This structure of transitions at Newark Academy mirrors the way that changes truly occur. Each commemoration and celebration of the senior class marks a step to life beyond Newark Academy, rather than a sudden leap. Such a setup makes sense, since the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a process, not a defined moment that coincides with a certain date on the calendar.

The path to graduation is not the only series of transitions at Newark Academy that occurs over time. As initiatives in the past few years have shown us, Newark Academy has a dynamic culture that permits change constantly. Accepting new ideas and bringing creative visions to reality does not happen at a singular point in time.

While changes do not begin and end at precise turning points, the season of countdowns is also a season of crossroads. The Minuteman Editorial Board, along with many other clubs and school organizations, experiences an annual turnover, giving new leadership the opportunity to spearhead change and growth. Selection for the editorial board does not initiate these individuals’ contributions to The Minuteman, since they have all stood out as staff writers in the past, but rather, it enables them to become increasingly involved in producing and shaping the character of our paper.

Like Newark Academy’s overall culture of progress, our improvements will be ongoing, both inherited from previous efforts and reinvigorated by our new leaders. Half of our editorial board consists of new editors, who have confidently taken on the responsibility that comes with the title. Our first edition of the 2015-2016 school year exclusively showcases our editors’ talents, which will manifest themselves not only in a year of high-quality journalism, but also a year of progress and development for The Minuteman and its role in the school community. We are excited about both our first set of articles and the groundbreaking initiatives that we plan for the year to come. Stay tuned and happy reading!