For many in our community, Hockaday’s Centennial has meant exploring more of our school’s past 100 years. For me, it has meant delving into Hockaday’s history—literally. This fall semester I am taking English Department Chair Dr. Deborah Moreland’s senior semester course The Centennial Project, and I have been rummaging through Hockaday’s Archives.
I’ll admit: I did not simply wander into this little-known, two-story room in the ARC building all on my own. The exploration is part of my assignment to organize a corner of the Archives lined with file cabinets crammed with, yes, every single edition of The Fourcast, dating back from 1923 to this very September 2013 issue. I’ll bet that, as you read my note, a copy of this newspaper is already sitting in the “2013” folder in the cabinet, ready to collect dust for another century and more.
Riffling through previous issues of The Fourcast is undoubtedly an intriguing activity. I’ve seen Neiman Marcus ads for panties, love notes from boyfriends to their Hockadaisy lovers, cartoons dreading upcoming exams and memoirs of late teachers.
But on a recent Monday in the Archives, I stumbled upon a severely yellowed 1956 issue. One article at the top of the page caught my eye, titled “Staff Wants Student Opinion.” It read:
“We of the FOUR-CAST staff put out a newspaper. In accomplishing this we work our heads off for nine months of the year. The venture sometimes brings us a measure of satisfaction, helps us maintain good grades, and, because we are active and interested, our good health. Besides these things, we feel newspaper work is its own best reward.
“You students and teachers discuss us and our work among yourselves—how about putting those discussions into a letter and sending it our way? Talking about us is one thing, but discussion with us is quite another. We have your interests at heart. Do you have ours? If so, write us that letter today!
“The FOUR-CAST staff needs to know your criticisms, praise or suggestions, and will do its best to better the paper by those standards. Then we could print a newspaper really worthy of Hockaday.
“We are eager to know whether you like or dislike our publication and why. Our objective is to please the Student Body. Let us hear from you soon!”
We as a staff certainly still “work our heads off” during the school year (please note the hyperbole), are rewarded by what we do and constantly seek ways to improve your newspaper. Respond to our articles, voice a concern about a community issue or praise someone you know.
With that, I encourage anyone from the Hockaday community—alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and students—to submit Letters to the Editor. Selected letters will be published each issue in regards to the previous issue. We regret we cannot acknowledge all submitted letters, but we sincerely appreciate them. Letters to the Editor must be signed. Please email letters to [email protected] or mail to The Hockaday School, attention: The Fourcast, 11600 Welch Road, Dallas, Texas 75229. All of the letters must be typed, double-spaced and must not exceed 200 words in length. The Fourcast will not alter the meaning or intention of any letter to the editor, but may edit for grammar, spelling and space.
We as a staff are proud to join our school in celebrating its centennial, and that is why we have created the Centennial Section on page 5 as part of this year’s redesign. It’s also why The Fourcast has increased its press run from 1,000 to 1,750 copies, now mailed directly to the doorsteps of the past six years of alumnae. For anyone wishing to subscribe to The Fourcast who has not yet, visit hockadayfourcast.org.
Meanwhile, commemorate the past, embrace the present and anticipate the future. I look forward to reading your Letters.
Best,
Tiffany Le, Editor-In-Chief
