Welcome to “The Academy Road”

Welcome to The Academy Road

Lizzy Robinson

It took no more than an e-mail from Mr.Bischoff last summer to persuade me to be a part of the school’s new online newspaper – what is now called The Academy Road.

I was immediately and inexplicably enthralled – to be a part of something that isn’t real quite yet but could be very soon, to have a say in its design, and construction, and to be able to shape and tweak its future form – was a captivating notion. I’ll admit that the process since then has been regrettably slow, but we are now finally ready to present The Academy Road to the school, and leap into the chaos that is journalism.

We want this newspaper to be a provocative, relevant publication, covering a broad range of subjects, that appeals not just to one type of student, but to the school as a whole. Our goal is to make this newspaper a shared effort between both schools and all upper-school grades.

Students from both AA and AAG are involved with The Academy Road, and the staffs are headed by editors Alex Zacharczenko (’10) and Elizabeth Robinson (’11), respectively. The fact that this newspaper will only appear online offers numerous new dynamics and possibilities. Instead of having weekly or monthly editions, for example, stories will be published constantly, and will appear in various sections including ‘Academy News’, ‘News Beyond the Road’, ‘Arts and Entertainment’, and, of course, ‘Sports’. As often as possible, articles will be supplemented by photos or video clips, and a general slideshow will appear on the homepage. Other features include a comment section following each article, polls, and e-mail subscriptions.

Of course, it is certainly not our intent to replace or intrude upon Classic Columns, the long-running newspaper at AAG. There is no reason why the introduction of The Academy Road precludes the continued existence of Classic Columns, which is cherished as an Academy legacy. We also owe a great deal of thanks to the editors of Classic Columns, who have graciously agreed to allow some of their articles to also appear in The Academy Road.

Several months ago, when I eagerly replied to Mr.Bischoff’s e-mail, the paper that was then no more than an idea is now a riveting actuality. Throughout the coming weeks and months, we will always be open to comments and suggestions on how to improve the newspaper in order to better serve the school and its students. We hope that you all appreciate our efforts as much as we value your continued support.