The Depot #1

By OLAYENI OLADIPO '19

Hey, Team! Welcome to ‘The Depot’, a storage facility for the topics of our time: the victories and defeats, the reliefs and worries, and the mindsets of Milton Academy. I, Olayeni Oladipo, offer my services. Throughout the coming school year, I will apply my personal experience to the events in which we share as students. I’ll comment on the characteristics of our community. And, most importantly, I’ll read and respond to the questions that you raise.

A depot is a warehouse, a place for the storage of commodities. In order for a depot to have value, it must contain deposits. While I make deposits of my own, I ask of you, reader, to fill this depot. Submit a letter, inquiring into a concern of yours that impacts your existence within the academy. Send me a thought or question that you wish to see sorted, stored, valued, and remembered. ‘The Depot’ only carries truths. This figurative warehouse located on a page of The Milton Paper embodies the idea that all stories and identities are valid. In an effort to shine a spotlight on moments and viewpoints, I introduce to you ‘The Depot,’ the newest storage facility on campus.

Now, in this graduation issue, we say a bittersweet goodbye to our beloved senior class. As I reflect on this time of year, I lament at the fact that some of my favorite people will no longer roam the halls with me. But then, I remember that we’ve made it through another year at Milton. And to that, I urge you to give yourself a pat on the back. I’m going to assume that all of our sights focus on the last seconds of the 2017-2018 school year. Summer nears us, and personally, I look forward to a lack of structure. However, before you check out, I ask you to commit to a goal I’ve recently set for myself. At the beginning of the calendar year, my sisters and I set the goal to be our best selves and live our best lives. It’s a hard, and seemingly impossible, aspiration, but I believe it's within everyone’s reach.

We often forget how much we’re in control of. Random events occur; misfortunes sometimes happen. Still, through every circumstance, we hold control of ourselves: our wills, our emotions, and our reactions. We can choose to be petty or lazy, or we can choose to reject those traits. This year, I’ve wrestled with my goal. I’ve caught myself when I’ve fallen below my line of standards, and I’ve persistently tried to stay above, to stay my best. This required me to reevaluate some friendships and surround myself with people who lift me up. I’ve been trying to reach my goal for months; for all of  2018, in fact. It’s a tiresome and constant task, but I’m better because of it.

As you enter summer vacation and eventually a new school year, I dare you to take on this goal. Evaluate your current life and consider where you have room to grow and what’s going to improve your net happiness. You will inevitably fall below your line, but when you do, think about how Milton could be next year if every student, teacher, and staff member practiced being their best self. Let’s try this out, yeah?

And with that, I wish the best of your summer and life these next months until we meet again later on at ‘The Depot’.