The Depot #10
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 in the space of Milton Academy. I regret to inform you, Reader, that ‘The Depot’ has recently received an eviction notice. After being a capsule for the Milton community, open for your thoughts and concerns, The Depot’s lease has come to a termination. And with its termination, your humble depositor, Olayeni Oladipo, must also resign. However, this all comes in a timely manner, for ‘The Depot’ has reached its full capacity. Let’s take a trip down memory lane before I return the keys to the landlord, The Milton Paper.
Our first vessel, deposited on May 25th of 2018, held a farewell for the class of 2018 and a goal for the rest of the community: that we live our best lives, pursue our best selves, and in turn, push Milton Academy to reach its greatest potential.
Our second deposit on September 21st of 2018 dared the community to become more introspective, deepening our self understanding through the understanding of others. We envisioned Milton Academy as a place where every student, staff, and faculty member possessed such self-consciousness and self-control, qualities that came only through a united, intimate community.
Just a week later on September 28th, ‘The Depot’ received a deposit that reflected on Milton’s recent senior classes and concluded that the class of 2019 is not scary but willing to aid in the dismantling of Milton’s social norms.
Our fourth deposit on October 5th, 2018, compiled student voices that commented on the alleged inequitable treatment towards different sports teams on campus, urged Sage to return untainted peanut butter to Forbes, and complained about the absence of senior walk-in.
Our fifth vessel, deposited on Parents Day, captured the thoughts that we wished to share with our parents but feared to do in a face-to-face manner. This deposit hopefully empowered us to share our concerns and express our appreciations.
On October 26th, we deposited a question: “Do you feel that, each year, you change your literary voice in order to please your English teacher?” The answer was an overwhelming yes, but the significance of that deposit was its takeaway: don’t sacrifice yourself and your individuality for the sake of others.
In the seventh deposit of ‘The Depot,’ I requested from the community an open grade book, for I believe that, regarding our education, all we wish to know is the truth about how we’re doing and where we can improve, and, to that truth, we wish to have unlimited access.
Our eighth deposit ushered in the new 2019 year and elaborated on our set goals: to share and view ourselves with others, see our stories beside the stories of our peers, and begin to appreciate the coexistence of each other and our cultures at Milton.
Our ninth vessel, deposited on April 12th, 2019, held advice for the class of 2020 as they embark on their college process, urging them to respect the inherent worth of their passions and avoid the practice of living for college.
And here we are! Today, on Friday, April 26, 2019, I make my last deposit, and I thank you, Reader, for stopping by each week. While this facility now closes with our victories and defeats and our worries and reliefs held within, these deposits will last forever on the pages of The Milton Paper and in my mind.
Thank you for stopping by, and so long, Reader.