The West Wind, Bellevue West High School’s newspaper, has provided its audience with the latest news since 1977.

Now more than ever, Bellevue West is integrating itself with the Cloud: through iPad carts and online textbooks, teacher created websites and Powerschool, Twitter pages and online databases. Our digital architecture sprawls the expanse of the web, each group, each person, staking their claim in the great Digital Expansion. It’s beautiful, it’s exciting, and it heralds a novel age for education.

But as each sect within the walls of the Thunderbird institution etches their own mark in this new frontier, we must stress the distinction between the Thunderbeat, its eponymous Twitter page, and Bellevue West’s most recent online development, @TbirdEmpire.

Launched on May 9th to usher in a new age of T-bird spirit, Tbird Empire represents the best of West. In it you will find, in 140 characters or less, highlights of the school’s athletic, academic and extracurricular achievements, as well as all the other nuances that make our school shine.

Tbird Empire is not, however, run by The West Wind, the Thunderbeat, or any of our publications staffs. It is a showcase of the best of West, managed by Bellevue West administrators. The Thunderbeat and its affiliates are journalistic publications. Our purpose is to tell the stories at West in an unbiased, professional manner–not promote school spirit or act as a public relations arm of the school.

With that distinction made, we thoroughly hope that you will follow both accounts. In a way, the two pages function cooperatively. Where the Thunderbeat might strive for clear and consistent coverage of, say, this year’s East/West basketball game, Tbird Empire would be responsible for cheering on athletes and celebrating solid efforts. We’re two sides of the same Thunderbird coin, each account unique and complementary.

We sincerely hope the seniors have had a memorable last day with friends and faculty. And for all Thunderbirds, students and staff alike, we hope that the coming summer will be enjoyable.

Stay classy, T-birds.