Dear Reader,

The Forge has been my lifeline over the past 4 years. This paper was not just “something I put on my college application” (though that did help), it has been the medium in which I connected to this school and my community. In a world where physical newspapers are going incredibly out of style and digital connection is the way most of our generation communicates, The Forge has somehow continued to be a cherished tradition at SBHS. People enjoy holding a tangible piece of paper; they like doing the crossword, laughing at Things Overheard in the Hallway and reading about their friends.

Behind that monthly printed piece of paper is the amazing community of “Forgers” that I have come to know as my second family at SBHS. I want to express my gratitude to these hardworking staffers and their ability to be curious, ask questions and spark conversation around what is sometimes preferred to be swept under the table. I want to specifically thank the editor team for this year, as they have put in hours of work into this program, from nearly getting body slammed while photographing football games, FaceTiming at 1AM to confirm layout the night of every publishing day, texting quotes to add to Things Overheard, facing the aggravating realm of InDesign, fending off Pepperdine students on the red carpet at SBIFF, a six hour road trip packed in Mrs. Cloutier’s car to San Francisco, and most importantly, fighting everyday to keep the voice of Santa Barbara High School heard. 

With 109 years of history, “The Voice” of Santa Barbara High has made me feel as if I am a part of something bigger than myself. Flipping through The Forge archives from the first 1914 edition with the words, “The Forge, the paper that stands for Democracy, Student Control, and the right to School Spirit,” to my dad’s years in the ‘80s, and even just a few years ago when my sister went here, I found myself getting emotional realizing the breadth of history that these halls hold. The Forge has always been there, making sure those stories are not forgotten, from saluting students who were off fighting in World War I and II, student spotlights on some of SBHS’s biggest changemakers, and just the goofy everyday life of being a high school student in Santa Barbara.

Yes, life has felt heavy as a high school student recently. With depression and anxiety rates increasing, the lasting effects of being in quarantine for two years of our youth, the constant firehose of information available to us through the media, and the precipice of a new age in technology with artificial intelligence; it’s a lot. But it’s comforting to know that there are more than a hundred years worth of Santa Barbara High School students who have been through this feeling of uncertainty and that their stories, their experiences, and their voices never cease to be important to the development of this world and this school. 

Thank you for everything Santa Barbara High School,

Editor in Chief

Anya McCue