To the editors:

Andrew Hunt ends his account of his long walk to SLUH from Kirkwood (Issue of May 9, 2025) by wondering if any other Jr. Bills have made such treks. I can attest to at least two who completed an even longer journey: on Tuesday, April 24, 2007, Charlie Landis and Ryan Kotaska, '07, walked to SLUH from Des Peres. I know, because Charlie invited me along. He and I were co-news editors of the Prep News that year, and we often carpooled together. Deterred by the prospect of a predawn departure (I valued my sleep), I declined. 

Charlie and Ryan weren't the only ones to walk double-digit miles to SLUH that day; the Prep News of April 27, 2007 reports that three other seniors left their homes on foot at 3:45 a.m.Elsewhere, the issue tells of the Bradley brothers (Jason, '07, and Josh, '08) cycling to the U. High from Wildwood—a Tour de St. Louis totaling 22 miles—and of a city bus declining to stop for your current principal. 

You might be wondering: didn't we have cars back in 2007? We did, but the day in question was Car-Free Day, a voluntary initiative organized by Ms. Bugnitz. A glance at the Prep News archives suggests that the day’s stated purpose was to encourage students to consider alternative transportation in preparation for Highway 40's reconstruction. But in my memory, Car-Free Day was at least in part a response to a vigorous debate in the community that year over SLUH's responsibility to address the threat of climate change. 

Much of that debate unfolded in the opinion pages of the Prep News, a once-vibrant town square which, I have been sorry to note, has fallen silent in recent years. So consider this letter not only a friendly bid to add some historical color to Mr. Hunt's fine reflection, but also a suggestion that in these divided and divisive times, this newspaper can once again serve as a forum for the spirited but respectful exchange of ideas.

Jim Santel '08

Prep News Editor-in-Chief 2007–08