The start of school marks more than just the onset of early mornings and late nights: it brings with it a sense of renewed responsibility and resolve and an unwavering commitment to oneself to do and be better. And while it is crucial that each of us grows intellectually and socially this year, it is our mission to ensure that we also grow together.

Over the past few years it has become evident to us that our greatest asset as a school and as a community has gone largely uncultivated and unexplored. That asset is the might of the student body. As individuals, we have excelled; as a community, we have often fallen short of our potential.

While we have made it our task to rediscover the spirit of the Harvard-Westlake community, we know that this is not an endeavor the Prefect Council can pursue alone. The weight of this challenge lies on each of our shoulders: students, faculty, and administration alike. Whether it’s by attending a play, cheering at a game, reading a school publication, or fighting for a proposal, we must each do what we can to perpetuate camaraderie.

We have developed a proposal to add one additional break each week; we will present this proposal to the first FAC meeting next week. However, this proposal will not pass without the overwhelming and active support of the students. We must find our voice as a student body. We must talk to our teachers, administrators, and peers.

Our hope is that we are all able to stay true to ourselves while not neglecting the equally important obligation that each and every one of us has to each other and this community.