We promise this will be our last Centennial-focused article—that is until the next 100 years rolls around. But by then, it will be the Bicentennial.

Now that Hockaday has thoroughly basked, soaked and burned in the light that is the Centennial, we’re left wondering what comes next. Are there no more school-wide celebrations? Will we now discontinue appreciating Hockaday’s legend and history? Does the Fourcast have nothing left to write about? (The answer to all of these—especially the last one—is no).

We’re definitely not stuck in post-Centennial depression. While alumnae and outsiders viewed the event with admiration and enthusiasm, students inside the school grew tired of the event as the year progressed. With the amount of celebration, preparation for and reporting on the event that we did, we were ready for the Centennial to be over by the end of the year. Arguably, the year-long event might’ve been overrated. With the adjunct fundraising campaign, centennial-themed apparel and the onset of glamorous events complete with Hocka-celebrities, students started to feel slightly averse towards the event, almost as if their year was being overshadowed by the school-wide celebration, and lost sight of why the past 100 years were so memorable and praise-worthy.

Now that the beginning of this school year has signaled the final end to Hockaday’s first Centennial, is this year less special than last year? No. Although this school year will be just as special as the years preceding it, some aspects of it may prove to be different than last year’s Centennial celebration. Instead of focusing on the past, this new school year is focused on looking forward: we’re determined to make the next 100 years just as memorable as the first 100 years. Although we didn’t enjoy the Centennial based events as the year wore on, the Centennial made us appreciate Hockaday and how it’s progressed so far from its humble beginnings with Miss Ela Hockaday. We know there’s so much more to come.

This next school year, we’re not salvaging last year’s leftovers; we’re starting fresh.

– Elie MacAdams