By: Anne Fisher, Suzanne Pogolorec, and Sophie Lichterfeld

Fifty years ago was the age of rotary phones, metal lunch boxes, tube socks, and perhaps most notably for the Winsor community, the beginning of The Banner. Much has happened since then, both in the world and within the walls of Winsor, and our writers have been there to document it all. To celebrate this milestone, our team is traveling back in time to 1973, the year that The Panel, Belmont Hill’s student newspaper, first began featuring Winsor writers.

Winsor’s archivist, Ms. Warren ’84, said of the Banner’s evolution, “We are very lucky to have 50 years of editions, which help tell the story of Winsor with the student voices.” With the help of Ms. Warren’s and retired archivist Ms. Otte ‘57, we had the opportunity to look through some old issues. Here’s what we found in an issue of The Panel from October, 1973. 

• An announcement about the expansion of The Panel to include Winsor writers: “You are now reading a different and improved Panel. First, the Panel now serves the students of both Belmont Hill and Winsor, and it is produced as a joint effort of students from the two schools.”
• Writers would directly address members of the administration, urging them to “reconsider!” various issues: “Belmont Hill’s decision to bar interested students from participating in Winsor’s Urban Studies program is a grave mistake.”
• Articles offered unfiltered commentary about the school’s social dynamics and hierarchies. The anonymous author of one particular piece titled “Winsor Cliques” explained, “As in most small schools, Winsor students are divided into two basic groups: those in cliques–including the most dominant and influential people in academic, social, and athletic activities–and those who are not accepted into these groups for various reasons.” 
• A telephone directory for members of the Belmont Hill and Winsor communities
• Advertisements for local businesses like Edgar’s Flowers and Ohlin’s Bakery
• Letters to the Editors: “To the Editors, Upon reading the first issue of the Panel I was greatly disappointed by many of the new changes and modifications from the old Panel. First of all, I was unimpressed with the new type of paper, and the new logo did not stand out as clearly as the previous one did.” This particular disgruntled student (Steve Weeks, Belmont Hill ’74) even boldly asserted, “I am not against Winsor coverage, but perhaps such articles should be placed on a separate page of their own.” 
• The paper also received comments from indignant Winsor students, two of whom (Juliet Richardson, Winsor ’74 and Gay Awad, Winsor ’74) wrote a letter entitled “Women Play Net, Too,” in which they conveyed their frustration with an article that they felt had suggested that women lacked what it took to be competitive tennis players: “The belief that only men can play an aggressive game is unjust.”
• Shout-outs to members of the community: In a brief message titled “Get Well, Peg,” students sent well-wishes to Belmont Hill’s receptionist, who was recovering in the hospital at the time. Writers even encouraged students to send letters.
• Quizzes: “The Panel invites alumni, students and faculty to test their minds and memories on fifties rock trivia. Do you remember?” In line with the Senior theme for this year, the quiz featured questions like “What was Elvis Presley’s first big hit record?” The paper offered prizes, ranging from “the album Grease” to “one six foot tall autographed picture of the fabulous Fabian,” to the lucky students who answered the most number of questions correctly.
• Subscriptions to the paper, which cost money, with prices as high as $6.00 per issue. 

50 years later, a lot has changed. We now grant free access to all of our readers, both on paper and digitally, and you won’t find a telephone directory anywhere in our pages. Perhaps one of the most significant changes happened just recently in 2019, when Winsor writers established The Banner: “We wanted to change the name of the newspaper in order to reflect the traditions and characteristics of our own community,” said Teresa Lawlor ’29, who was Editor-in-Chief at the time. Despite these differences, our team remains true to the everlasting mission of projecting Winsor voices throughout the community and beyond. We are excited to see what the next 50 years hold!