Dear Readers of The Green and Gray,

 Welcome to the first issue of the 2025-2026 academic year! We are so excited to kick this year off with an amazing fall issue with a diverse range of topics, from the Labubu fad to the legacy of Jane Goodall. As we celebrate the new school year, we want to share some of our goals for The Green and Gray and touch on the core values that will keep us grounded in this fast-evolving media landscape shaped by artificial intelligence and misinformation. 

 Like always, our priority is honoring unique perspectives, viewpoints, and stories. Every writer, editor, and contributor approaches their work with honesty, respect, and open-mindedness. And just as our academic courses prohibit the use of unauthorized aid, the paper is an AI-free space. AI not only inhibits our creativity and critical thinking, but too often conveys false facts. So, before every issue, our crew will gather to outline clear rules on proper, ethical, and reasonable AI use. At the end of the day, we’re here as passionate writers, reporters, learners, and thinkers—who are robots to tell us how to think and write?

 We have some more exciting updates. We have started publishing weekly articles every Sunday to update our community on events happening in Berkshire and around the world. You’ll find these on our Instagram, @berkshiregreenandgray, and our website, berkshiregreenandgray.org, under the “Weekly News” section in the “News” column. We’ll also continue to publish the Berkshire crossword puzzle, playlist, and Wordle in every issue, busy-ing your day with fun problem-solving opportunities and trendy song hits! Last year, we established the “Foreign Language” column, and this issue features French, Spanish, and Chinese articles! We are thrilled to keep discovering creative ways to connect with you and our broader community, so stay tuned! 

 Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @berkshiregreenandgray, for updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and special content! We’re expecting another successful year of growth, engagement, and fun with our incredible team of writers—and, of course, all of you!

 You are the reason we write, document, and preserve the stories that make Berkshire, well, Berkshire. Until next time, “Stay curious, stay informed, and stay hopeful.” – Trevor Sullivan Weinstein, Class of 2025

Sincerely,

Claire Kim’ 26 and Blythe Bradshaw’ 26, Editors-in-Chief