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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FROM THE DIRECTOR
ASMSA Arts and Humanities Symposium
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Student Awards
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Senior Studio
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Ceramics
10
Modern Design
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Digital Art
12
Drawing
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2D Design
14
3D Design
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Painting
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Graphic Design
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Photography
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Creative Writing
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Index and Credits
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The addition of a new mural in downtown Hot Springs recently sparked a variety of discussions within the community. Some individuals loved the mix of realism and the abstract while others questioned its appropriateness to the location and the context of the historic downtown. But like any good work of art, it got people talking. Art, by its very nature, is subjective. Different audiences or individuals will respond favorably, negatively, or even apathetically to a given work. A piece may inspire one viewer while the next may only quip, “I don’t get it.” But once the work flows from the artist, it becomes a shared experience. Letting go of one’s art and offering it up to others is, perhaps, the greatest challenge in developing the talents of our emerging artists. This year’s edition of The Muse releases new art into the world for your enjoyment and consideration. It is a celebration of the creativity and passion of our students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts as well as their growth over the past several months. Whether an image stemmed from the first time a student held a camera or a painting became an award-winning component of a senior’s portfolio, we applaud their risks, explorations, and perspective.
Corey Alderdice ASMSA Director
ARTS AND HUMANITIES SYMPOSIUM Nearing the end of the semester, art and humanties students’ hard work converges for one event: ASMSA’s Arts and Humanities Symposium. Fine artists show their work in a gallery-like setting while humanities students read excerpts from their writings and present their research. All of this commences in the awards session that follows. There, the best projects are awarded with certificates; however, the most prestigious award goes to the overall winners. The category is split into two: arts and literature as well as visual and performing arts. The two winners are presented not only with a certificate but also their very own laurel wreath.
OVERALL WINNER IN ARTS AND LITERATURE “Withered Away”
Kacie Koen
OVERALL WINNER IN VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS “The Evolution of Emo: How the Genre has Developed since 1985” Layla Lammers
ARTS AND LITERATURE
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Nonfiction 1st Place: Haley Tripp “E.D.: A Journey Through Recovery”
Fine Arts - Juniors 3rd Place: Makayla Hampton “Figures and Nature” 2nd Place: Evyn Phillips “Eclectic Pieces” 1st Place: Natalie McCollum “2D Art”
Dramatic Narrative 1st Place: Kacie Koen “Withered Away” Poetry and Fiction 2nd Place: Madison Ballard “It Runs in the Family: An Excerpt from Chapter 3” 1st Place: Brenda Lieutard “The Spider’s Web” Humanities 3rd Place: Madison Dengel “Surrealist Jazz: Haruki Murakami’s Reshaping of a Literary Movement” 2nd Place: Ai’Yanna Tombs “Behind the Scenes of Marvel: Heroes Forged of Society’s Expectations” 1st Place: Pallas Bennett “Modesty and Misery: Nineteenth Century Feminism and Suicide in The Awakening”
Fine Arts - Seniors 3rd Place: Ella Suffren “The Art of Living” 2nd Place: Danielle Luyet “Studio Portfolio” 1st Place: Lane Marquez “Senior Studio Art Showcase” Best in Show Danielle Luyet, “Summer Wear” Music Honorable Mention: Kenlee Motley “Composition Portfolio” 3rd Place: Beatrice Nkunga “Music as a Storytelling Device” 2nd Place: Zephyr Smith “Portfolio of Works” 1st Place: Layla Lammers “The Evolution of Emo: How the Genre has Developed since 1985”
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An excerpt from...
THE EVOLUTION OF EMO: HOW THE GENRE HAS DEVELOPED SINCE 1985
Layla Lammers (‘23)
Branching off the parent tree of punk, emo music emerged in the mid-1980s and has changed dramatically from its root sound. With each proceeding decade of the genre, emo has been reshaped to appeal to the youth, resulting in a plethora of disparate bands each labeled the same. Different characteristics have been elevated and disregarded as the genre has evolved, leaving listeners to debate over which parameters define emo. In truth, the development of emo music does not introduce the controversy of “real” and “fake” emo as some might imply, but rather it simply models the different evolutions the genre has faced. The birth of emo traces back to punk music, which flaunted “below average musicianship” and political lyrics, hitting its peak in the 1970s. Discredited for its beginner-friendly skill level, typical characteristics of punk music included whiny, angry vocals, accompanied by a simple three-chord guitar progression. Both punk instrumentation and vocals focused more on timbre rather than harmony, emphasizing the texture of the musical rhythm rather than its melody. Punk was never intended to be a harmonious genre but rather an aggressive and messy one, used to convey disputable messages. Foundationally, punk music fought against cultural norms; the genre served as an outlet for the misfits. Exemplifying
Danielle Luyet, Summer Wear, 2022, Graphite on Paper, 18 x 24”
the rebellion seen in punk, Jack Grisham, vocalist of California punk band T.S.O.L., often dressed as a woman for shows—not
repel the popularity of hardcore, straight-edge bands refused
because he identified with women, but simply because he wanted
major record labels and produced their albums themselves:
to annoy his family. Similarly, English punk band Sex Pistols
a do-it-yourself (DIY) ethic. Punk rebelled against society, yet
occasionally cross-dressed during live performances to make a
straight-edge rebelled against punk; if punk fashion displayed a
statement against societal standards. Opposingly, Patti Smith,
message of “anti-fashion,” then straight-edge fashion consisted
frontwoman of the Patti Smith Group, was famed for her mascu-
of “anti-anti-fashion.”
line “guttural grunts.” Punk artists countered traditional expectations by conveying political lyrics and battling gender roles. Punk was heavily associated with drug-abuse and
began their own music label, Dischord Records, and recorded,
alcohol consumption, and a selection of 1980s bands wanted
produced, and advertised Minor Threat’s music themselves. They
to capture the genre’s essence without the surrounding lore of
then used Dischord Records to do the same for similar bands,
substances. Such deviation resulted in a new subgenre: hardcore.
causing the straight-edge scene in D.C. to grow. Rites of Spring
Hardcore music—like punk—represented music for the outcasts,
was one of many signed to Dischord Records, and they became
yet unlike punk, advocated sobriety. Musically, hardcore songs
the fathers of emo.
were shorter in length than punk, and the instruments were
Neo-Nazis in D.C. felt drawn to straight-edge music
played at faster tempos. However, hardcore quickly gained pop-
because it lyrically expressed cleanliness or “purity,” yet musi-
ularity, becoming too “commercialized” for the standards of the
cally was fast-paced and aggressive. Rites of Spring, like many
genre. As a result, the straight-edge movement ensued, pushing
other straight-edge bands, did not want neo-Nazis in the crowds,
hardcore back underground.
so they adjusted their style. Rites of Spring began writing songs
Led in Washington D.C. by the group Minor Threat,
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Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, both members of Minor Threat, began the DIY movement seen in straight-edge. They
more melodic than typical straight-edge music and began
straight-edge bands celebrated sobriety and level-headedness
showcasing weakness in their lyrics. This new style disinterested
while maintaining fast tempos—just like hardcore. However, to
neo-Nazis and ignited a new genre: emo.
STUDENT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS Ella Suffren (‘22) Won a silver key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition for her piece Reflection, her piece Oaklawn was chosen for the Governor’s Young Artist Competition, and her painting Cafe Bleu was shown at the Historic Cane Hill Exhibition.
Reflection, 2022, Oil and Gold Leaf on Canvas, 18x20”
Cafe Bleu, 2021, Oil on Canvas, 24x30”
Oaklawn, 2022, Oil on Canvas, 18x12”
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Skylar Boone (‘22) Recieved two honorable mentions in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition for her pieces Futile Connection and Through the Looking Glass. Her work Migrant Mothers Lament and Tank Boy were shown at the Historic Cane Hill exhibition.
Migrant Mothers Lament, 2020, Mixed Media, 24x36” Futile Connection, 2021, Acrylic on Paper, 10x10”
Through the Looking Glass, 2021, Acrylic on Canvas, 16x16” Tank Boy, 2021, Mixed Media, 18x24”
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STUDENT AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Little Missouri Falls, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 12x12”
Winnie Smith (‘22) Won the Governor’s Young Artist Compeition for her piece Little Missouri Falls and her piece Spectrum was shown in the Historic Cane Hill exhibit. Spectrum, 2021, Ink on Paper, 5x7”
Lillian Slaton (‘22) Pawees Prize was shown in the Governors Young Artist Compeition.
Pawees Prize, 2022, Oil on Canvas, 14x11”
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Danielle Luyet (‘22) Won the Historic Cane Hill Student Art Scholarship for $1,000 for her piece
Curren French (‘22)
Nightlife in Petroleum
The Woman in Grey and Conoces a
Green.
Robert? were shown in the Historic Cane Hill exhibit.
Nightlife in Petroleum Green, 2021, Acrylic on Paper, 22x30”
The Woman in Grey, 2021, Digital Art
Kacie Koen (‘23) is attending the Sewanee Young Writers Conference and the Iowa Young Writers Studio this summer. Read her work on page 26.
Ben Romero (‘22) won the school wide Poetry Out Loud competition and won a Golden Key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. 8
Conoces a Robert?, 2021, Graphic Design
Skylar Boone, Room 237, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 24x24”
Ella Suffren, As Above as Below, 2022, Mixed Media, 3x4’
SENIOR STUDIO
Senior studio artist Ella Suffren (‘22) strays away from realism with her oil medium paintings. Her unique style is best exemplified with her most recent piece, As Above as Below By stitching red yarn through the canvas, she demonstrates how people can feel tied in their own lives. “People may look like people, but they may not feel that way,” she says. However, she also admits that most of her artworks do not have a significant meaning as she believes that people should take the time to judge what art means for themselves.
Winnie Smith, Masking, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 16x20”
“[As Above as Below] represents how people can be stitched in their own lives.” - Ella Suffren (‘22)
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KENZIE CRAIN (‘22) finds ceramics to be extremely empowering.
CERAMICS
“I like looking at a piece … and knowing that I made it entirely.” Although the uncertainty of ceramics can be daunting, Kenzie admits that “there’s only so much you can do … You don’t know what will happen to your work in the kiln, and you don’t know how certain glazes will interact with the clay body or with each other.” She remarks that although the class can be very time consuming and challenging, it is extremely rewarding to see your pieces out of the kiln, “It’s my favorite class because ... [I have] the
Skylar Shelley, Stump, 2022, Glazed Porcelain
time to sit down and be slow with my work.”
Kenzie Crain, Bubble Glaze Bowls, 2022, Glazed Porcelain
Ella Suffren, France at a Glance, 2022, Glazed Porcelain
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Chenyang Vang, Crane and Cherry Blossom Cups, 2022, Glazed Porcelain
MODERN DESIGN “The inspiration for this piece [Growing] is the ... end of our high school journey. Although the hike to the top was long and tiring, the beauty of the sunset at the top was all worth it.”
Ghaida Fadah, Growing, 2022
- Ghaida Fadah (‘22)
Adam Kaderly, Flower Fields, 2022, Cherry Wood
Tami Weng, Spoons, 2022, Various Hardwood Breegan Rose, Libra, 2022, Cherry Wood
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DIGITAL ART Digital art student WONDA SENGKOMYONG (‘22) creates her pieces
with the intent of experimentation. Her works vary from a semi-realistic
Wonda Sengkomyong, Night Bear, 2021, Digital Art
style to a cartoonish one. She finds that by doing so, she discovers what she truly enjoys about art. “Allowing yourself to grow is all part of being an artist.” Wonda also pulls inspiration from her dai-
Teddy Graves, Broken Mirror, 2022, Digital Art
ly life; her favorite piece, Alyssia Davis, Silco, 2022, Digital Art
Exhibit A, pays homage to her feelings of frustration during quarantine. Reflecting on this black and white work, she expresses gratitude for the moral support from her classmates and the kindness of the ASMSA community. Wonda admits that art will not turn into a career for her, but she hopes that this self-reflective hobby will always be a part of her life.
Wonda Sengkomyong, Exhibit A. 2021, Digital Art
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DRAWING
Makayla Hampton, Dancing in the Wind, 2022, Mixed Media, 30x45”
Evelyn Phillips, Untitled, 2021, Colored Pencil on Paper, 8.5x11”
Makayla Hampton, Untitled, 2022, Mixed Media, 18x24”
Kenzie Crain, Untitled, 2021, Ink on Board, 6x6”
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2D DESIGN
Ben Romero, Boyish Barbitures, 2022, Paper Collage, 18x9”
Sydney Hammond, Untitled, 2022, Paper Collage, 18x9”
“I wanted to balance between organic ... [and] geometric.” - Sydney Hammond (‘23) on Untitled
Lane Marquez, Fournone, 2022, Paper Collage, 9x9”
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Luna Solleder, Bird Skeleton, 2021, Mixed Media
Alejandra Tapia, Heart Plaque vol. 9, 2021, Mixed Media
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D E S I G N
3D Design student ALEJANDRA TAPIA (‘22) cites Heart Plaque vol. 9 as being an extremely important piece of art for her, “[m]y favorite aspect was being presented with many different mediums and new techniques such as cutting and sanding the wood.” However, the new mediums didn’t
come without difficulty: “It was a challenging piece since the mold had to be done backwards for the image to mirror correctly ... clay often got stuck under my nails.” Alejandra took many inspirations for her unique piece, including “the circus, Ye’s 808s and Heartbreaks album, [and] Agua de Jamaica.” 15
PAINTING
Lane Marquez, Skull Eyes, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 11x14”
Danielle Luyet, Marty and Nathan, 2021, Acrylic on Canvas, 8x11”
Soumya Chauhan, The Universe...And Me, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 12x9”
Skylar Boone, Lucky, 2022, Acrylic on Canvas, 18x18”
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Curren French, Untitled, 2020, Watercolor and Ink on Paper, 11x8”
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Kenzie Crain, Untitled, 2022, Graphic Design
Wonda Sengkomyong, Varnished, 2022, Graphic Design
Collin McCord, Untitled, 2022, Graphic Design
Skylar Boone, Darwin Zoo, 2022, Graphic Design
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Nasya Choy, Lighting Experiment #8, 2021
Chenyang Vang, Untitled, 2022
Mary Mashburn, Into The Night, 2021
Lucas Robb, Bridge, 2022
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Tristan Smith, Jasmine Conn, 2022
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Excerpt from: “DON’T YOU DARE”
Lilia Adams (‘23)
I’ve been outgoing lately. I’ve talked to the people at the docks, over by the woods, around the neighborhood. I’ve seen a variety of people, everyone that catches my eye. They asked me if I wanted to see them later, and I said of course, but certainty is so difficult to attain. It’s fun to see what everyone has to offer me, what they have to say. Everyone has a different flavor to them, a different aroma, a different look. They are cotton candy clouds, rough scaly monsters, silken angels, and colorful yarn. They smell of resale stores, rich cologne, geranium flowers, and the caustic acid used for copper etching. Their flavors are of sunny paris seasoning, freshly picked figs on a hot summer’s day, and the sour taste of blood. I hold their hands, give them a hug. They are something new to enjoy, a distraction from what I already have, something to sate the boredom of my ordinary love. They help me drift away from those who are so terribly close to me, my emotional suffocation. I didn’t mean to hurt him. Over the next week I visited him when I could. We always met each other at the metal shelter beside the docks. Under it was sharp, crunchy gravel and two rows of benches, containing six each. We always chose the bottom right bench to sit at. The weather each day ranged from vivid and colorful, to blindingly bright, to dim and drenched by the atmosphere’s grief. We killed time by talking and teasing each other. Sometimes we just sat in silence and drank up the comfort of each other’s presence, looking into each other’s eyes. His eyes shone with rings of green and blue, his smile was so wide that it parted his lips subtly at their corners. His orange cheeks were smooth and so wonderful to kiss. His hair was soft, and it curled up at its ends. He was made of... something. Like we all are. Like the alligator man, the doll girl, and the woman who glistens due to her pearlescent skin. He seemed so happy to see me, until yesterday. He was so quiet toward the end. He didn’t squeeze me when we hugged each other goodbye. I head back to the picnic tables again, looking for him. My eyes pass by the benches for a moment, stuck on the lake’s horizon. It’s hot and bright out now, 19
fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fiction fictio but there’s a slight breeze that brings the smell of rain. The soft grass that surrounds the dock is turning away from its usual green color. I look back under the metal shelter to find him. It isn’t hard to find him, because there’s no one else around today. I walk up to him. He looks at me with a forcefully blank expression and sits down. I sit beside him at the green expanded-metal table and talk with him for a while, but he is distant and gives short responses. He is turned away from me, his fluffy hair obscuring his face. My mind is drawn away from the harsh, sunny atmosphere, and I try to scoot closer to him. He won’t let me be near him. In each passing moment the clouds seem to close in, sunlight leaves my periphery. I ask him what’s wrong, finally, and he is in tears in a short moment. I didn’t know I was just a passing moment to you. I’m short on words, staring at his twisted up face. His eyes are vicious and pained as he looks at me. His posture droops, and he turns to put his head into his hands. I reach my arm over and grab his shoulder, and pull him close to myself. I hush him and ask; What do you mean? He does not answer. He withers in my embrace. He cries and cries, his body shakes with each breath that he takes. He begins to sob, and globs of his body melt off him like wax running down a hot candle. I jump back, horrified at the sight before me. His skin saturates my sweater’s sleeve. Below him, a pool of his liquified body is forming. Bits of him sift through the weaved metal of the bench and join the mountain of grief below him. No, no! Stop, stop, please! He’s almost gone now, and I’m trying so hard to gather him back up. The sounds of his crying fades as his body slips through my fingers. I’m trying to put him back together, but failing. He’s like hot, melted orange taffy now. I struggle, trying to piece him back together, to sculpt his delicate, beautiful frame, but he oozes down to the Earth and falls apart again and again.
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Excerpt from: “PERISHABLE”
Chilong Vang (‘23)
The sky is completely gray, each edge of Earth filled with thunderous clouds. Likewise, there is no sun in view. Although the rain became pleasant at times, storms of cats and dogs represented most situations more accurately. It was not comforting for the kitchen to be in a different building. All the chilly water kept sticking to my shirt and hair after grabbing breakfast. Maybe, not getting food today would be better than going outside at all; might as well just sit at my computer all day. Again, the sky is gray, so, in the boundaries of my Earth, I only see thunderous clouds. Rain was nicer today, mainly because it let up around 1:30 p.m. While I did go outside on worse days, let’s let the ground dry up and go outside tomorrow. It seems to be another day on my computer. The sky is a light blue. Also, some thinly stretched clouds float high in that sky, so the sun is not too bright. Combined with the pleasant wind, not too fierce, not too gentle, today is certainly an agreeable day to go outside. However, the ground is probably still wet, and I’m tired so when tomorrow comes, surely. Life on the computer is a pleasing one. Once more, the sky is light blue, though a darker shade than yesterday’s. There are no clouds, so the sun is bright but not hot thanks to the strong winds. Usually, I would hear the rustle of the many trees next to my house. Now, I see the pile of trees laying at the bottom of the hill. Bitterness, like dark chocolate, is what burdens my tongue. I’ll brush my teeth again and return to my computer. The sky is blue. Waking up at 4:00 p.m. makes it difficult to judge if it’s blue or light blue though. I probably shouldn’t have stayed up until 5:00 a.m. Regardless, moving right now is a chore and typing right now is exhausting. I don’t want to do it. But, I had to remember the papers given to me over this break. In the next two days, I will do my work and be ready to go back to the office. Right now, sleep is what my body yearns for.
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Excerpt from: WITHERED AWAY
Kacie Koen (‘23)
WILLOW (Beat) Do I know you?
RUTH Not that I’m aware of. (RUTH switches to the bench that WILLOW is atop of. RUTH is dressed for the cold occasion, so she takes off one of her layers and hands it to WILLOW. WILLOW readily accepts the offering.) WILLOW Thanks. RUTH I saw a woman stuck in the Boston winter. It’s a part of my nature. I’d like to believe I’m a good-natured woman. WILLOW (Uncomfortable) Well, you didn’t have to. I think he meant to cancel. He tends to forget these things. (Beat) What time do the ensembles let out? RUTH Sweetheart, I don’t work here. WILLOW You said you were quite the familiar. RUTH It shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes or so. It’s already past, but they just keep going. The mu sicians aren’t as good as they used to be. Not near- ly. WILLOW I’ll wait it out, then. RUTH I’ll wait with you, then. It can get quite lonely out here, all by yourself. (Beat) A girl with a lesson. What are you here for again? WILLOW The lesson? RUTH Don’t be obtuse. What kind of lesson?
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WILLOW (Chuckles) It’s absurd. I play for BU. Piano- I play classical piano. I’m a performance major there. Or, somewhat.
INDEX Adams, Lilia: 19 Ballard, Madison: 3
Slaton, Lillian: 7
Bennett, Pallas: 3
Smith, Winnie: 7, 9
Boone, Skylar: 6, 9, 16, 17
Smith, Zephyr: 3
Chauhan, Soumya: 16
Solleder, Luna: 15
Choy, Nasya: 18
Suffren, Ella: 3, 5, 9, 10
Crain, Kenzie: 10, 13, 17
Tapia, Alejandra: 15
Davis, Alyssia: 12
Tombs, Ai’Yanna: 3
Dengel, Madison: 3
Tripp, Haley: 3
Fadah, Ghaida: 11
Vang, Chenyang: 10, 18
French, Curren: 8, 16
Vang, Chilong: 21
Graves, Teddy: 12 Hammond, Sydney: 14
Weng, Tami: 11
Hampton, Makayla: 3, 13
Smith, Tristan: 18
CREDITS
Kaderley, Adam: 11
Design Editors:
Koen, Kacie: 3, 8, 22
Skylar Boone
Lammers, Layla: 3, 4
Breegan Rose
Lieutard, Brenda: 3 Luyet, Danielle: 3, 4, 8, 16
Writers:
Marquez, Lane: 3, 14, 16
Skylar Boone
Mashburn, Mary: 18
Diya Mehta
McCollum, Natalie: 3
Olivia Norman
McCord, Collin: 17
Alejandra Tapia
Motley, Kenlee: 3
Stacia Toney
Nkunga, Beatrice: 3 Phillips, Evelyn: 3, 13 Robb, Lucas: 18
Photo Editor: John Bray
Romero, Ben: 8, 14 Rose, Breegan: 11
Sengkomyong, Wonda: 12, 17
Cover Design: Skylar Boone Faculty Sponsor: Fred Zipkes
Shelley, Skylar: 10 23
