The Communicator, Senior Edition, v. 50

THE COMMUNICATOR MAGAZINE

About the Cover

By Ella Rosewarne

Following tradition, our last edition for the 2022-2023 school year is our Senior Edition. The cover and back cover include 98 seniors, a bin of props (thanks to CET) and their creativity. We aimed to encapsulate the serious, the silly, the friendships and the spirit of this class on these two 8.5” x 11.5” papers. The edition includes individual quote stories featuring the majority of the CHS Class of 2023, along with their plans for next year, mock awards, their essays and some throwback pictures.

Dear Readers,

We think we may be in denial. After hundreds of pages, dozens of stories and too many photographs to count, we are putting the finishing touches on our senior edition for the 2022-23 school year. After building up this community in the aftermath of a pandemic, we have to say goodbye. We have reached the end of our journey together.

To say that this has been a roller coaster of a year is an understatement. With a changing political climate and a warming planet, the world can feel as though it’s imploding, especially for high school students, who have virtually no say in how our society functions or what it prioritizes. Every day, another disaster graces the front page of the newspaper or blares on the living room TV, jerking us out of our life as students and thrusting into a world that relies on us to fix the mistakes of the generations before us.

On a smaller scale, as well, our world is changing in too many ways to count. College applications reached a record high this year — an increase of 21% since 2020 — resulting in more competitive admissions than ever before. The average number of college applications per student in the U.S. is 6.22, according to the Common App. However, some CHS students applied to a much larger number of schools. The highest known amount of college applications at CHS is 22 for the 2022-23 application cycle. This has significantly raised the stress of what colleges we get into and where we will end up.

As we decide what we are going to do next year, many of us are hit with the realization that adulthood is just around the corner, or has even already arrived. We begin to picture our lives in dorm rooms or apartments, working or taking classes, relying on ourselves. These images are often not what we thought they would be when we entered high school as freshmen. We are different people than we were four years ago. We have survived a pandemic, we have found friends and lost them, we have written papers and taken exams and now we are ready to walk across the stage of Hill Auditorium.

For Communicator seniors, the Senior Edition marks the end of an era. We are forced to say goodbye to chocolate chip cookies, late nights in Room 300 and hours working on a single magazine spread. However, the effect that “The Communicator” has had on us will last a lifetime. We will always remember our time creating meaningful coverage of our time in high school and ensuring that “The Communicator” adds to the community around us.

We hope this edition will serve as a way to celebrate the class of 2023 and show our love for both “The Communicator” and CHS. Some say that life begins when you graduate, that high school is simply a practice, but that is simply not applicable to CHS. We will never say goodbye for good — this publication and this school will always have a place in our hearts.

Your Senior Editors,

PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ELLIOT BRAMSON

ISABELLA JACOB

RIA LOWENSCHUSS

SERENA O’BRIEN

ELLA ROSEWARNE

WEB EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ADDI HINESMAN

RITA IONIDES

ANJALI KAKARLA

SCARLETT LONDON

SOCIAL MEDIA

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

SAM CAO

ARISTA LUONG

MORGAN MCCLEASE

ART DIRECTORS

ROSIE MELLOR

IVY PROCHASKA

RYAN THOMAS-PALMER

BEE WHALEN

SECTION EDITORS

RAFFI AVEDISSIAN

ABBI BACHMAN

LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY

HENRY CONNOR

KEVIN DUTTON

SAM GIBB-RANDALL

KURT HAUSMAN

AILISH KILBRIDE

EVAN OCHOA

LEWIS PERRY

SANA SCHADEN

RUTH SHIKANOV

CLAIRE STEIGELMAN

STAFF

MARISA ANDONI-SAVAS

MATTHEW CASTILHO

LYDIA COCCIOLONE

LYDIA DEBORD

LEILA DURRIE

NAVI FIELDS

ELLIE FIFE

CLARA FREETH

ELLA GLASS

AIDAN HSIA

VEDHA KAKARLA

BRIDGETTE KELLY

FINA KUTCHER

MAX LAWTON

CLAIRE LEWIS

LAUREN MACNEIL

ISABELLA MALDONADO

SOFI MARANDA

REAGAN MASEK

EDDIE MOBILIO BRECK

LUCIA PAGE SANDER

KAELA REDDING

HANNAH RUBENSTEIN

MAHIR SOOFI

BELLA STEVENS

NINA TINNEY

ANTHONY WANG

ADVISER

TRACY ANDERSON

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Crown Finalist and Winner 2022-2023

Gold Crown Finalist and Winner 2021-2022, 2020-2021 and 2019-2020

National Scholastic Press Association

Online Pacemaker Finalist and Winner 2022-2023

Magazine Pacemaker Finalist and Winner 2022

Online Pacemaker 2021-2022

Magazine Pacemaker Finalist and Winner 2020

Magazine Pacemaker Finalist and Winner 2019

Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

Spartan Award Winner 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2007

The Communicator Policy

The Communicator is a open forum for student expression created by Community High School students. The Communicator does not represent the views of Ann Arbor Public Schools. The Communicator staff seeks to recognize the individuals, events and ideas relevant to readers. The Communicator is committed to fair reporting, providing a platform for student voices and equitable coverage.

For our complete Guidelines & Policy, please go to www.chscommunicator.com

Elliot Bramson

Ella Rosewarne

Table of Contents

VOLUME 50, SENIOR EDITION | MAY 2023

News

7

Goodbye to the Class of 2023

As graduation approaches, the graduating seniors prepare for their next steps. To celebrate their accomplishments, the PTO has organized to give personalized gifts to seniors.

BY NAVI FIELDS

9

The Curtain Closes on CET’s “Cabaret”

CET celebrates the end of its spring musical and reflects on how “Cabaret” influenced their perspectives.

BY MARISA ANDONI-SAVAS

12

Slow and Steady

Runner Leah White reflects on her journey through high school cross country and how she fell in love with running.

BY SERENA O’BRIEN

Photography by Margie Morris Art by Rosie Mellor

Features

24

College Essays

Seniors were given the opportunity to submit college essays that they were proud of, from Common App to school-specific.

BY STAFF

100

Stories From CRs

CHS has many unique characteristics, including its Community Resource department. How do seniors take advantage of this program?

BY RIA LOWENSCHUSS

102

Senior

Siblings

Two pairs of siblings at CHS reflect on their connection and how the school has changed their relationship.

BY ISABELLA JACOB AND MORGAN MCCLEASE

104

The Seniors of Community Ensemble Theatre

CHS’s theater program says goodbye to its seniors with quotes from them reflecting on favorite memories.

BY HANNAH RUBENSTEIN

Opinion

110

Taking the Next Step

Two senior journalists reflect on how it feels to turn eighteen, as well as their mental preparation for graduation.

BY LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY AND ARISTA LUONG

112

Readers Write

Senior members of our staff write short narratives on getting older and becoming adults.

BY LYDIA COCCIOLONE, KURT HAUSMAN, RIA LOWENSCHUSS _AND ROSIE MELLOR

114

Senior Map

A map with information on the next steps for all of the CHS seniors.

BY ARISTA LUONG

128

New York Fashion Week

On “The Communicator’s” trip to New York, the seniors had a photo shoot inspired by New York Fashion Week.

BY ADDI HINESMAN AND MORGAN MCCLEASE

An Educational Trip Up North

Ecology Club took its yearly field trip to the Biological Station in Northern Michigan.

BY EDDIE MOBILIO BRECK

The joy of the heated cabin was the first thing that the students on the Ecology Club trip noticed when they arrived. But the cabin wasn’t the reason for their arrival. The amazing opportunity to explore nature and connect with each other is what made the trip possible.

Led and organized by CHS science teacher Courtney Kiley, an opportunity was given to those participating in Ecology Club to stay at the University of Michigan (U-M) Biological Station in Pellston, Michigan for the weekend. The trip was held from Thursday, March 2 to Sunday, March 5.

The students and chaperones stayed in a lodge, allowing them to bond as a group. Every day, a few students would wake up early to begin cooking breakfast for the rest of the individuals. After breakfast, the group went on hikes to explore the natural beauties around them. The trails ranged anywhere from two to five miles

good picture of the Biological Station.

The club took walks through the forest and over the frozen lakes, something that Sam Austin really enjoyed. Austin is a current club member who took part in the trip and had some great memories.

“I enjoyed the first time we went snowshoeing in the gorge at the bio station,” Austin said. “I really liked hanging out and playing cards with people and just kind of getting to know my fellow ecology club members. The ecology trip really gave me a greater appreciation for nature and the environment”

During the trip, there was a healthy amount of downtime for after the long walks. Popular events that occurred during the quiet parts of the day include card games such as Euchre, Egyptian Ratscrew and “trash.” Other activities that happened were ping-pong and a few puzzles being put

together in the back corner of the room.

On the first night of the trip, during a game of Cards Against Humanity, the kids sat in a circle enjoying the multitude of laughs that came from the game while the chaperones sat out. Liz Stern, a science teacher at CHS who accompanied the group on their trip, had some opinions on the first night shenanigans.

“Wow, this is usually a third night thing,” Stern said, which gave the group a good laugh that carried on throughout the night.

Because of this trip, peoples’ experiences of “up north” have been greatly influenced. Some people had their first time snowshoeing or staying in a lodge overnight. Overall, the Ecology Club trip to the U-M Biological Station was a great way for people to connect with one another and learn just a little bit more about the environment within the state.

Photography by Charlotte Rotenberg Ecology Club poses together at the Biological Station, throwing snow and smiling. The group traveled to Northern Michigan to learn more about its environment. “I enjoyed the first time we went snowshoeing in the gorge at the bio station,” Sam Austin said.

Goodbye to the Class of 2023

CHS prepares to say goodbye to the class of 2023 with heartfelt gifts as a tradition started by the PTO.

BY NAVI FIELDS

As the second semester of the 2022-23 school year nears its end, CHS has begun preparing to say goodbye to the class of 2023. While seniors are preparing to finish their final year of high school strong before graduating, the families of CHS are showing their appreciation with the “Celebrate a Senior” gift giving program created by the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO).

The program originally started between 2020-21 during quarantine and online schooling, a time in which many students, seniors especially, felt robbed of what would be their last year at CHS.

PTO President Erika Levin came up with the idea after seeing friends of hers do a small gift exchange of their own. Levin then pitched a similar but bigger idea to Dean Marci and it only grew from there.

“It’s a nice little token of appreciation to say, ‘seniors, we love you, we see you, and we’re thinking of you,’ and the families loved doing it,” Levin said.

While the program originally had all high schools involved, it eventually centered around CHS, who had full participation from families.

At the beginning of the second semester, seniors fill out a form providing their likes and interests. Parents are then voluntarily matched with a senior and given a set budget for how much to spend on a gift. The parents are then given a time frame in which they drop off the gift at the senior’s home without being seen, referred to as a secret zebra. In the meantime, all seniors have to do is sit back and wait. During the wait, class of 2023 speculates on what they’d desire for their gifts and imagine what they could possibly be.

“I’m hoping for some books and some dice for Dungeons and Dragons,” Nadya Matish said.

Matish specifically hopes for books involving ancient architecture or literature, as it’s something she has a great interest in. Gabriel Semrau, however, has the opposite desire.

“I want it to be nothing that I’m picturing,” Semrau said.

The PTO will then put a slide in the form bulletin after each time period checking in with seniors to make sure they got their gift. In the case that a senior has not received a gift in the expected time frames they can reach out to the PTO. The goal is for no senior to be left out.

“I’m hoping for right now to have it be a permanent CHS event,” Levin said. “I just want them [seniors] to know that the parents and the community are thinking of them — all of their work for the past four years has not gone unseen.”

The most recent update for the program is adding a section for pronouns and preferred names to ensure that seniors are able to truly enjoy their gifts without worrying about being misrepresented.

Pictured above are photos of gifts that the PTO left for seniors at their

Counselor’s Corner

As the end of the school year approaches, CHS counselors discuss how best to end the year strong and what seniors should be preparing for.

BY VEDHA KAKARLA

As we near the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break, CHS counselors Kelly Maveal and Brian Williams are encouraging students to finish off the school year strong. Maveal is hoping that students will prioritize their academics now so that they aren’t stressed out at the end of the school year.

“It’s important to get your assignments and missing work turned into your classes right now because the end of the school year is going to be a really fun and event-filled time and we want our students to be able to celebrate and enjoy the present without having a looming cloud of stress regarding school work over them,” Maveal said.

While academics are important, Williams is also encouraging students to look forward to the summer. He stresses the importance of finding balance during the time off from school.

“Go for a hike, visit a lake, sleep in, hang out and connect with your friends and family,” Williams said. “Make sure you do things to keep a good balance. You can do academic programs and college prep programs but use the break as a time to refuel and not focus so heavily on school.”

Maveal and Williams hope that seniors take full advantage of the last couple of months of their high school careers. Though it can be a challenge,

their biggest piece of advice for seniors is to live in the present and soak in every moment. Whether it’s going to college, taking a gap year or getting a job, don’t worry so much about the future because high school will be over before you know it.

Looking ahead to the end of the school year, seniors should expect to receive more details surrounding the big night of graduation.

“There will be several more senior meetings where we’ll be rolling out information to seniors about the big finale which is graduation,” Maveal said. “Hopefully each senior will earn their high school diploma on the stage during that special night.”

In Forum Council, we understand the importance of culture and tradition within CHS. Throughout the year, Fo-Co has been working on several initiatives to rebuild and improve these aspects of CHS. However, there’s been one underlying problem — a broken foundation.

Although Fo-Co has put forth several initiatives to improve CHS, the foundations on which they have been built are not strong enough to support them. As the council kept working, we had to go deeper to find what was damaged. COVID-19 fundamentally changed the culture within CHS and how we interact with the world and, in turn, this institution.

Forum Council leadership has been discussing how to navigate this changed environment and best implement change. The council decided that the best course of action is to craft a new five-year plan to maintain consistent goals that don’t depend on a single person. One of the problems we are facing is that progress made by the previous presidents is lost because the following council doesn’t understand and can’t maintain any of the initiatives made by the prior administrations. This five-year plan aims to create a consistent agenda that will maintain meaningful change within CHS.

Another major agenda item for Fo-Co in this final semester is Commstock. Preparations are already on the way and it’s set to be a lovely afternoon of music, food and fun. There are plans for live music, an art exhibition and maybe even a food truck. It’s a time to unwind and meet new people.

Photography by Vedha W Counselor Kelly Maveal laughs while talking to a student on the front lawn. As Maveal approaches the end of her first year at CHS, she looks forward to celebrating with students and staff. “The end of the school year is going to be a really fun and eventfilled time and we want our students to be able to celebrate and enjoy the present,” Maveal said.

The Curtain Closes on CET’s “Cabaret”

As CET reflects on their performance of “Cabaret,” the cast and crew discuss their own interpretations and thoughts on the musical.

BY MARISA ANDONI-SAVAS

As the audience walked into the Craft Theater they were taken to a different world, in a different time. From March 9 to 12, Community Ensemble Theater [CET] performed “Cabaret,” directed by Emily Wilson-Tobin and tech directed by Laura Bird. CET presented a relevant story based on what is happening in the world around us.

The story takes place in Berlin, Germany before the Holocaust featuring American novelist Cliff Bradshaw and cabaret singer Sally Bowles. When Sally finds herself dismissed from the Kit Kat Klub, the cabaret where she works, she finds a home with Cliff. As the Nazis begin to take over Germany, the two fall in love and the atmosphere of the Kit Kat Klub and the lives of Sally and Cliff begin to change dramatically.

“I chose “Cabaret” for a number of reasons,” Wilson-Tobin said. “I’ve always loved it and I’ve always wanted to do it, but I wasn’t sure if I had the right group. Then as I thought more about it, I realized that there were a lot of things happening in the

world that made “Cabaret” feel like a show that would tell a story we need to hear right now, to remind us about antisemitism and fascism. I felt like CET was a group that would handle that gracefully and thoughtfully.”

The cast included freshmen Malcolm London playing Cliff Bradshaw, sophomore Jacqueline Boynton playing the Kit Kat Klub’s star, Sally Bowls, and senior Tate Zeleznik playing the Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub. Considering the size of the Craft Theater, the set consisted of two main locations, the Kit Kat Klub and the boarding house. A sign in lights hung above the thrust reading “Kit Kat Klub” that student Tech Directors, Ria Lowenschuss, Evers Baskey and Paige Plavnick created.

“I love the [Kit Kat Klub] light sign,” Plavnick said. “It was really hard, but it was really fun to collaborate with Ria and Evers on the sign. It was a process but it turned out really good. When I saw it lit up it was a really big moment, it was special.”

As the sign was going up, the theater was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone’s jaws dropped when it eventually hung up, according to Plavnick.

The musical ran for two and a half hours which required the cast to stay energetic and lively throughout the show. Nobody was more spirited than the Emcee, portrayed by Zeleznik. Filled with conflict, humor and seriousness, Zeleznik was able to make the main character seem alive yet at the same time, otherworldly.

“It’s not often that you get to work on something as meaningful as ‘Cabaret,’ a show that delivers really hard and extremely important and sadly very relevant messages to the audience, and I’m so grateful to have been able to do that especially as a high schooler,” Zeleznik said.

Photography by Margie Morris Tate Zeleznik introduces Victor and Bobby during a run of CET’s spring musical “Cabaret.” “When I was about twelve I went to get a haircut, and the person cutting my hair told me that I would be a great Emcee in Cabaret,” Zeleznik said.

A World on Thin Ice

A report released by the UN emphasizes the urgency of climate action before 2030.

BY RIA LOWENSCHUSS

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC) has released a new warning: if the world doesn’t cut carbon emissions in half by 2030, we will reach catastrophic levels of warming that will effectively end our fight against climate change.

On March 20, 2023, after a week-long session, the ICPP released the study “Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report,” which showed the long-term effects of a century of burning fossil fuels, as well as unsustainable land use like improper plowing and the use of agricultural chemicals. This includes the extreme weather that the world has experienced in the near past, such as the ice storms that have plagued the Midwest, as well as global food and water insecurity. The planet has warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the time of the Industrial Revolution. The goal is to keep the warming to

A Derailment Disaster

How the aftermath of the Ohio derailment impacts the local ecosystem and its aquatic life.

BY RUTH SHIKANOV

In East Palestine, Ohio, civilians are suffering the aftermath of a train wreck, which occurred on Feb. 3, 2023 and emitted toxic chemicals. The wreck released several hazardous chemicals into the air such as vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, isobutylene and ethylhexyl acrylate. These toxic compounds leaked into the ground, nearby streams and storm drains. Due to the air contamination, residents of the town were displaced and aquatic life was impacted. Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Mary Mertz, stated in a news conference that four tributaries over a space of 7.5 miles are contaminated. According to Mertz, 3,500 fish died because of the contaminated waterways and by Feb. 23, 2023 the number of fish that died with-

1.5 degrees Celsius, but in order to do this, immediate institutional change needs to occur. The impacts of climate change continually fall disproportionately on poor countries and marginalized communities. “The greatest gains in wellbeing could come from prioritizing climate risk reduction for low-income and marginalized communities, including people living in informal settlements,” said Christopher Trisos, an author of the IPCC report. “Accelerated climate action will only come about if there is a many-fold increase in finance. Insufficient and misaligned finance is holding back progress.”Described as a “how-to guide to defuse the climate timebomb,” the IPCC report proposes “climate resilient development,” which means decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in ways that provide social benefits. This looks like widespread clean energy usage, like solar panels, and the promotion of low carbon

transportation: things that improve health and wellbeing while cutting emissions. The IPCC hopes that governments around the world will take down barriers to pursuing clean energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, such as public funding, as well as make changes to the sectors that influence climate change the most, like agriculture and infrastructure.

As the world prepares for the UN climate conference, taking place in Dubai from November to December of 2023, the IPCC has called for all developed countries to end their usage of coal and reach net-zero electricity generation by 2035 and the rest of the world by 2040. The report calls the next seven years critical for fighting the climate crisis.

“Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is melting fast,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

in and near East Palestine jumped to more than 43,000. Michael Booth, professor at University of Cincinnati, noted the signif icance, as Ohio uses fish populations as an overall indicator of water quality.

So, how will the ecosystem recover? Al len Burton, a professor at University of Michigan told ABC news that it will take multiple life cycles and several years for the streams to recover.

“The reality is [that] we’re not going to get rid of all of this contamination,” Bur ton said. “This has soaked into the ground and into the streams.”

But there is a silver lining: aquatic life is re-entering streams along the Ohio River and the progression of cleanup will allow the population to increase. Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio, reported that the Environmental Protection Agency of Ohio hauled out 3.2 millions of wastewater and will oversee the cleanup process as they mitigate the derailment’s impacts. James Lee, the Ohio EPA’s media relations manager, told ABC news that the agency goes to multiple locations to test surface water on a daily basis, conducting visual assessments.

“We have seen fish and aquatic bugs in Leslie Run and Bull Creek, and expect fish and aquatic life numbers to continue to in-

crease as the cleanup progresses,” Lee said Testing will need to continue to determine the long lasting effects of the derailment. Steve Sempier, deputy director of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, believes that the obvious impacts of environmental disasters are easily observable, but the chronic issues are more difficult to discern. Similar to other environmental disasters, researchers will need to see how the aftermath of the disaster will impact the environment.

“It’s going to take a while before we know the full impact,” Sempier said.

A Norfolk Southern train is en route on Feb. 14, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. Another train operated by the company derailed on Feb. 3, releasing toxic fumes and forcing evacuation of residents. (Angelo Merendino/Getty Images/TNS)

A New Beginning for Forum Council

The new Fo-Co Presidents de scribe their plans for the council and their relationship with each other.

BY LYDIA DEBORD

Izzie Jacob and Morgan McClease walked into the room nervous. After a nail-bit ingly close election, an emergency Forum Council meeting had been called. The pair emerged from the room as the 2023/2024 Forum Council presidents.

Jacob first got involved with Forum Council in her freshman year, when she volunteered to be a substitute for an upper classmen in her forum. Though she didn’t have many chances to attend, Jacob found herself really enjoying forum council. That year, she and McClease, a friend and forummate, began planning a campaign for their senior year.

McClease officially joined the council in her sophomore year. She found herself really enjoying the impact the position gave her. “I like being able to have a say and getting to know other people and what they have to say,” McClease said.

McClease and Jacob have been classmates since middle school. They both went to Clague and were in the same advisory class. However, they didn’t become friends until they both went to CHS.

“We really didn’t talk that much,” Jacob said.

In the summer before their freshman year, McClease texted Jacob about when they were getting their schedules. Shortly after, they discovered that they were both in the same forum and from there on out, they began talking and

they eventually became close friends. “Forum really brought us together,” Jacob said.

One of the predominant goals of Jacob and McClease’s campaign is to improve middle school outreach. During their time at Clague, neither McClease nor Jacob received outreach from CHS.

“My outreach was really through Scarlett London,” McClease said. “She’s a senior here and I knew her from dance. She told me all about how CHS is such a great place.”

The pair hopes to increase CHS’s presence in schools like Clague by sending volunteers to present at the school.

“The most diverse schools in our district, like Scarlett and Clague, have the least amount of CHS lottery applicants,” Jacob said, “So I think one of our biggest

goals is going to these middle schools and implementing some sort of program there, so that [all students] have an equal opportunity to come here.”

For the past few years, at least one council president has been white. But with the Jacob and McClease party, this is not the case.

“I think part of the reason Izzie and I became so close was because we’re both minorities and we have some of those same experiences.” McClease said. Featuring diversity and a new chapter for CHS, McClease and Jacob hope their legacy and impact will be lasting and positive.

Photography by Aidan Hsia Future Fo-Co Presidents Isabella Jacob and Morgan McClease point to the camera. They will be the first pair of presidents who are both people of color. “I think part of the reason Izzie and I became so close was because we’re both minorities and we have some of those same experiences,” McClease said.

Slow and Steady

Leah White, senior, recounts her journey through running as she slowly, steadily improved to become one of the fastest runners in school history.

BY SERENA O’BRIEN

Her mom had always encouraged her to join cross country, but Leah White, now a senior, was, quite frankly, disinterested. A track and field athlete since the fifth grade, White was far more concerned with racing shorter distances.

“I don’t think I even really knew what cross country was,” White said. “So I didn’t even know what I was being disinterested in.”

She would soon become one of the fastest runners in Skyline High School history.

During the summer of her junior year, White allowed herself to be convinced to join the team. She was one week into

summer training, and one week into distance running, when she and her brand new teammates packed into SUVs and drove north for cross country camp. There, she was met with a whole different kind of training than she was used to.

“It was a big adjustment,” White said. “But it wasn’t a bad adjustment.”

A few days into camp, she found herself at a complete loss during a goal setting activity. White had no idea what to expect out of distance running, or out of herself. Eventually, she settled on her reach goal: break 24 minutes in the 5k (slightly over three miles).

A few weeks later, she was on the start line of her first meet, about to get her first taste of distance racing. The farthest she’d raced up to that point had been a quarter of a mile — she was about to run three.

She crossed the finish line in 26:30.0, towards the end of the pack.

“It felt super duper hard,” White said. “There were a couple spots in the woods where I’d maybe walk a series of steps that I’m not proud of.”

From there, her times steadily improved. She was surrounded

by teammates who all pushed each other to improve.

“I had a crew that I could run with who were running similar times,” White said. “Some a little higher, some a little lower.” In her second race, White shaved off three minutes from her personal best, for a time of 23:01.3.

“It definitely helped push me,” White said. “It was super exciting and encouraging because again, I didn’t really know what I could accomplish.” She did know that she had to set a new goal for herself: breaking 21 minutes.

“I thought that there was probably no way that I was going to do that,” White said.

Over the next several meets she whittled down her time, until she was sitting with a PR (personal record) of 21:55.2.

It was in the final race of her junior season, that she cut an entire minute off her best time, passing teammates she’d been behind the entire season, to run 20:53.4.

“It was definitely a very good note to end on,” White said.

Training for longer distances helped White build endurance, which has benefited her even in her shorter track events, which,

until recently, had been her primary focus.

“Since I’ve been doing long and mid distance training, approaching the sprint races is a lot less intimidating, and a lot less tiring for sure,” White said.

That season gave her the momentum she needed to cut down on her times in all of her events. During the indoor track season White started competing for a club team based at Lincoln High School’s track facility, where her former outdoor track coach helped her build the speed to match her newfound endurance.

“I definitely felt results from the new coaching,” White said. She spent the winter focusing on sprint training, and had fewer opportunities to compete. When she did race, she ran slightly above average times in the 60 and 200 meter events.

“I was running pretty average times,” White said. “But faster than I ever had before.”

Going into outdoor season, she was ready to put down some fast times — some in events she’d never run before, like the 800. Her first time racing the half mile she was intimidated, but excited to see what she could do with the new

Photography by Serena O’Brien Leah White pictured with roses and chocolate milk after her last official race of the season. She finished her last season with a PR of 18:42.9. “Seeing other people get excited about it was really wonderful,” White said.

distance.

“I doubled the distance that had previously been the longest distance that I raced,” White said. “And it felt pretty good.”

Throughout the season, she gradually cut down her times in each of her events, ending the season with PRs of 2:33.01 in the 800 and 1:03.01 in the 400. As the season came to a close though, she kept hoping for just one more race opportunity.

“There were definitely some meets that I wasn’t feeling 100%,” White said. “I kept thinking like, ‘Oh, what if I had ran just one more meet, maybe I could have run a bit faster.’”

The summer passed in a blur of activity, and she soon found herself back at the Leelanau Outdoor Center for her second year of cross country training camp. Not only did White have stronger relationships with her teammates, she also had a much stronger distance running foundation, and was able to run much further and faster than in the past.

“On one of the runs I kind of got tricked, and I ended up running with the boys team,” White said. “They were absolutely zipping it.” White clung to the end of the pack for the entire seven miles, the pace often dipping below seven minute per mile pace.

“I definitely could not have done that the previous year,” White said. Although White could tell how much she had improved, she still had no idea what to expect for the season.

“I’m not very good at setting goals for myself,” White said. “I think sometimes I set them too low.”

Her goal of breaking 20 minutes in the 5k, despite seeming like a lofty accomplishment,

could definitely keep that type of pace up.”

Over the next several weeks, White continued to push herself, gradually coming closer to the 19 minute barrier: her next big milestone.

As the end of the season drew closer, White was right on the edge of breaking it, running times of 19:03.1 and 19:01.2 in back-to-back races.

The regional meet didn’t bring a new PR, but White and her team successfully qualified for the state meet. The previous year, White hadn’t been fast enough to qualify for the regional team. Now, she had become one of the top runners on her team, helping pave the way to the state meet.

“The improvement definitely made me feel good,” White said. “Having my coach talk to me about it and seeing other people get excited about it was really wonderful.”

wear sponsors.

After submitting a form including your name and time, there was a draft, allowing different sponsors to select athletes for their teams.

White, watching the draft online, realized that her form hadn’t gone through correctly and that she would have to compete in a slower race. When the day of the race came, White got lucky.

“At the very last minute, someone from one of the teams couldn’t show up,” White said. “So they gave me a spot on Team Moneyball.”

proved to be far too low.

Just over two weeks into the official season, after several meets of gradually whittling her PR down by increments of five to ten seconds, White set a 40 second PR, running a time of 19:54.4 and breaking her season goal.

“That race got me super excited,” White said. “I wasn’t sure how much faster I was going to go, but the race felt good and I started thinking that I

White was excited for a fast time going into the state meet, which was held at the Michigan International Speedway, but was disappointed by windy conditions and slower times. Despite the less than ideal racing conditions, White thought it was an incredibly fun race.

“It was fun, but also super, super windy,” White said. “It was kind of just gritting it out and seeing who could do it for the longest.”

White was still hopeful for one last racing opportunity, and at her coach’s suggestion she and several teammates entered an individual meet, where they would race for other teams made up of athletes from other schools. Different teams were sponsored by shoe and athletic

At every mile point along the course timers were set up so that athletes could track their splits. At her first mile, White could tell she was running faster than usual. She decided to stick to the shoulder of her teammate, who typically ran faster than her. When the two hit the two mile mark, White decided to make a gamble.

“That race, it felt really, really good,” White said. “So I passed her.” As White closed in on the finish line, she could see the clock ahead of her. She’d never seen a time this low.

“You can see in the video that as I run across the finish line I see the time and get super excited,” White said.

It was at this race, a year and a half since her very first 5k, that White shattered the 19 minute barrier, running a time of 18:42.9, securing the second fastest women’s time in Skyline history, and improving on her very first time by seven minutes and 48 seconds.

“I didn’t know that it was any kind of record until people were congratulating me on it,” White said. “I was kind of in denial in the beginning, I was saying, ‘Oh, I’m not really sure if I broke the record.’”

kind of just gritting it out and seeing who could do it for the longest.”

Soon though, it was indisputable that her time was faster than the previous second fastest time. So, after joining cross country on a whim, White, slowly, steadily, became the second fastest runner in Skyline history.

“I think everybody takes for granted that whatever they do isn’t necessarily trackable.”

Photography by Serena O’Brien Leah White sprints for the finish line at the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state cross country final. White raced in the state meet for the first time, after missing qualification the previous season. “It was fun, but also super, super windy,” White said. “It was

CHS Runners Take on New Balance Nationals

In March, Teammates Christopher Van Lent and Mason Jett traveled to Boston to compete in the New Balance Nationals Indoor 2023, a track and field meet with the best high schoolers in the country

BY KURT HAUSMAN

The responsibility fell on the shoulders of CHS junior Mason Jett. Unwilling to let his senior teammates down, Jett pumped out a personal record (PR) split of 4:30 for his leg of the four by mile relay, propelling his squad to the 15th best time in the event for the entire country.

In early March, Jett and fellow teammate and CHS senior Christopher Van Lent traveled to Boston to compete for Skyline High School in the 2023 New Balance Nationals Indoor, an event that hosts the top high school track and field talent in the world. It was the first time competing in a

national event for both Jett and Van Lent.

“The atmosphere was insane,” Van Lent said. “They had lights all along the track, they had sparklers that shot out flames, they dimmed the lights and had music. The atmosphere was just unparalleled to anything I’ve ever been a part of before.”

Jett and Van Lent competed together in both the four by mile relay and the four by 800 relay along with their two fellow teammates from Skyline High School.

“I was confident going into the event,” Jett said. “I was thinking ‘If I’m going to run a PR, it’s going to be here.’ Everyone at

home is watching, all the practice I’ve been doing for the last six months, it’s led up to this point.”

The pair of distance runners qualified earlier this year and had been putting in grueling practice hours for the past few months; they knew this was their best shot at making a top finish at the national meet.

“We had our eyes on it this year, because we have by far the strongest team Skyline has ever had,” Van Lent said. “We knew if we had one shot to go to the national meet, it would be this year.”

With looming uncertainty surrounding

Photography Courtesy of Mason Jett

CHS senior Christopher Van Lent runs with the baton during his leg of the four by mile relay. Van Lent’s relay finished with the 15th best time in the nation. “The atmosphere was just unparalleled to anything I’ve ever been a part of before,” Van Lent said.

the following season, Jett felt pressure to deliver on this trip to nationals.

“It’s not about the PRs either,” Jett said. “It was more about my team here. Three of them are leaving this year and I want to send them off with a nice ending to the indoor season. This year I told myself if this is the last time I go, I want it to be memorable.”

As Van Lent and the rest of his senior teammates prepare to depart, Jett has begun to take on more responsibility as a leader for the upcoming year.

“We’re really going to have to push our younger guys next year to see if we can hit the times we did this past year,” Jett said. “With all our old guys who have been here for a while, gone, it’s gonna be tough, and we’re going to have to rely on younger individuals.”

Jett has faith in his coaching staff to prepare these young runners for the challenge ahead.

“You’re not going to hit the times you want to hit while you’re a freshman or sophomore,” Jett said.“ Trust your coaches, because your coaches will know your limits better than you do for your first two years on the team. Once you have the practice, and the races under your belt, then you begin to push for the times.”

Jett sees many of the same issues he

faced as a new runner with the younger members on the team. He attributes their lack of confidence in the team to a lack of experience.

“A lot of issues are mental,” Jett said. “I’ve been working with the freshmen, critiquing their form, technique and working to improve their mentality. They’re scared to push themselves for fast times, even though they do it in practice. You train for this, so we’re just trying to get into their head ‘you belong.’ You surround yourself with fast people, you belong running fast.”

Van Lent and Jett know this dedication to valuable coaching and consistent effort is what gave them the opportunity to compete at such a high level.

“I’ve been running with the people on my team six days a week, through thick or thin, for three or four years at this point,” Van Lent said. “We’ve always been a young team, but finally seeing all the stars align, all the great coaching, all the effort. Being able to have a fun trip like this to compete on the highest level of high school track and do well was honestly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Van Lent and Jett begin their Skyline track and field season this spring, where they hope to make times that will allow them to qualify for the Nike Outdoor National competition in Eugene, Oregon.

“We had our eyes on it this year, because we have by far the strongest team Skyline has ever had,” Van Lent said. “We knew if we had one shot to go [to the national meet], it would be this year.”

Photography Courtesy of Mason Jett CHS junior Mason Jett turns the corner in the four by 800 relay. This was Jett’s first time at a national meet. “Everyone at home is watching, all the practice I’ve been doing for the last six months, it’s led up to this point,” Jett said.

Photo Courtesy of Jill Boynton Jill Boynton drives to the basket in a her first game back from her ACL tear on Dec. 2, 2022. The Eagles beat the Ypsilanti Grizzlies 47-39. “I hope to gain a lot more skill [next year],” Boynton said.

The Path to Play

BY ANJALI KAKARLA

Playing college basketball wasn’t Jill Boynton’s dream growing up. In fact, basketball didn’t even become her main sport until middle school; she had identified as a soccer player up until that point. But once Boynton started playing with her Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team Common Bond, her love for the game became undeniable.

“Ever since sixth grade I’ve been playing basketball every year, nonstop, and it’s been really, really good for me,” Boynton said. “I found so much love for basketball and, in that process, it made me realize that I don’t actually love soccer that much.”

In her freshman year, Henry Ford College (HFC) in Dearborn, Mich. began showing interest in Boynton. She is now committed to play for HFC, but Boynton’s journey to get there has been far from a straight shot. Boynton’s first setback came during her freshman year when the pandemic cut her season short. It didn’t stop there. In her sophomore year, the season was delayed until February and shortened with required no-contact practices for much of the season.

“The COVID-19 year definitely made my progress a little bit more stagnant because I wasn’t getting as much playing time and we weren’t practicing as much,” Boynton said. “A lot of things just came to a standstill.”

The following year — Boynton’s junior year — started off well. However, only three games in, a season-ending ACL tear dashed Boynton’s hopes of having a full junior season for recruiting. Her main priority became recuperating through hours and hours of physical therapy to recover from her

multiple surgeries. Throughout all of this, HFC stuck with her.

“After I tore my ACL, they told me that they were still interested,” Boynton said. “It just gave me a lot of hope because they said that they do see a future for me in the sport. They had a lot of confidence in me and I think it made me have confidence in myself.”

That hope brought Boynton to her senior season. With her hard work paying off, Boynton was selected as team captain in a unanimous vote by her teammates and was cleared to play two games into the season. It was 11 games later, while she was sitting in the Pioneer High School gym, that Boynton got a text from the HFC coach expressing just how much they wanted her.

“We were about to play against Pioneer and the coach texted me,” Boynton said. “He was like, ‘Jillian, we really want to get closer to moving towards a commitment. We want you.’ And he was talking about all these plans they have for their season and stuff like that. I talked about it with my [high school] coach for a while and then a couple of weeks later, I did end up committing.”

Boynton’s official signing day was in April. However, she feels as though she has already become part of the HFC family.

“They had everyone who was getting recruited come to this game,” Boynton said. “The environment was really good. The coach seemed like he really wanted to make a difference in that program. It’s all literally what I would describe, for the boys team especially, it’s like all D1 talent. But, none of them have the grades to be able to do that for themselves. So, they’re just taking that opportunity

and like seeing what comes of it and that’s like something that I really admired about them.”

On that same trip, Boynton met a fellow signee who tore her ACL. The signee had just had her injury and was still on crutches at the time. Boynton was able to offer her experience to the signee and the two bonded over the shared injury.

Over the next four years, Boynton is not only looking to grow as a basketball player. She also hopes to become a true student athlete.

“One thing that led me to committing was the fact that as a student athlete the school gives you all these tools and access to tutors that can help you stay on top of your work and make sure that you are staying academically eligible to play,” Boynton said. “That was one of the main things that made me commit because if I am playing with them, they want to make sure that I’m doing [well] in school as well.”

Boynton’s goals for the next four years are to be aggressive and to not shy away from the spotlight. She hopes to get better at shooting off the dribble and being more consistent with her ball handling. Her goals aren’t solely basketball-related, though.

“I hope to gain a lot more skill,” Boynton said. “But I also hope that I grow as an individual, not even close to basketball, just as a human being. Basketball has taught me a lot of things that don’t even have to do with [the sport] like teamwork, leadership and all those things and I feel like taking that to the next level is going to help me develop that even further.”

Jill Boynton reflects on the obstacles she has overcome on her path to play college basketball next year.

Photo courtesy of Jill Boynton Jill Boynton talks to her team during a game on Dec. 2 at Ypsilanti High School. It was Boynton’s first game back from an ACL tear the previous season. “I think a lot of the game I was focusing on how I spent a year trying to get back and this was my result,” Boynton said.

Taking the Mind out of the Matter

BY KURT HAUSMAN

Natalie Kessler was always a climber. She was introduced to the sport by her family members and fell in love immediately. She began climbing competitively when she was seven years old.

“My dad got me into climbing,” Kessler said. “It was always his thing and it felt good to share it with him.”

Kessler continued to progress in her climbing career as she grew older, traveling to competitions across the country. She didn’t begin running until her freshman year, at the push of her parents, who were also the coaches of Skyline’s high school team.

“My parents forced me to run a little bit,” Kessler said. “My brother did it and my whole family were runners. They said I had to try it for at least a week. I kind of pushed back a little bit, I didn’t really want to run that much but it got better.”

Kessler began running for recreation. She never thought about seriously competing and knew there was a large gap between her and the team’s top runners.

“Freshman year I was pretty bad,” Kessler said. “My first two mile time trial I ever ran, I walked half of it and I ran it in over 20 minutes. It took a while to improve. I

didn’t really get good until my junior year track and senior year cross country seasons.”

Kessler continued to climb competitively throughout high school; she saw it as her main sport, with running being a second priority. But during her junior year, Kessler took time off from climbing to focus on her running career. As she began to focus more on running, she progressed rapidly. By the end of her junior year, Kessler was beginning to realize that she was running for competition, rather than just enjoyment.

“It felt good to have some success,” Kessler said. “It did make running a little more serious and a little more stressful. I started to dislike it a little more when I became more competitive because I had more pressure put on me by my parents because they’re also my coaches.”

Kessler’s success brought opportunities she had never before thought of as possibilities. This past March she he had the opportunity to compete with her club team in the 2023 Nike Nationals Indoor, a national high school track meet in New York City.

“This was the first national meet I’ve gone to,” Kessler said. “Since I got better later on

in high school, I never really had those opportunities before. It was a great experience and it was super cool to compete there.”

Kessler’s success also attracted the attention of Division 1 college programs such as Michigan and Michigan State. In early March, Kessler committed to Michigan State for track and field and cross country.

“Originally, I was very set on not going to school in Michigan,” Kessler said. “It wasn’t until I was being recruited that that started to change. Being recruited made me feel valued by these big schools and gave me a sense of assurance in my ability. I thought the team culture at MSU was super nice and welcoming and I knew I at least wanted to get out of Ann Arbor for college.”

Since committing, Kessler has recently worked to get back to her roots of running: having fun with friends and enjoying the sport for recreation, not just competition.

“I’ve been learning to enjoy [running] more,” Kessler said. “I’m just getting into shape and I have more fitness, and that helps. It changed from like a fun side activity to like a big part of my life so quickly, so I’m learning to still enjoy it the same way I did when I started.”

As Natalie Kessler prepares for her future as a Division 1 athlete, she strives to find the balance between fun and competition.

Photography courtesy of Natalie Kessler Natalie Kessler rounds the corner during the Nike Indoor Nationals. Kessler has since committed to running for Michigan State next year. “Their whole team culture was super nice and welcoming,” Kessler said.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Although Bella Stevens faced many challenges, she is grateful to be able to continue pursing her soccer career.

BY AILISH KILBRIDE

A four month concussion — an athlete’s worst nightmare. For CHS senior, Bella Stevens, this became her reality, taking her out of soccer for nearly a quarter of her season.

“I was two years old when I first started playing with a soccer ball,” Stevens said. “I was so young I don’t even remember my first couple of teams.”

Stevens started her club soccer journey at the Michigan Tigers Soccer club She spent her 3 middle school years at the Tigers and then switched to the Hawks Soccer Club during her freshman year of high school.

“I liked that [the Hawks] was an all girls club,” Stevens said. “Their entire focus was the girls and it wasn’t divided between men and women. [The club] is very passionate about developing women’s soccer. So they paid more attention to us and they had a lot more resources and a lot more opportunities.”

Switching to the Hawks allowed Stevens to begin her college search. Following her freshman year, Stevens would be forced to take a 4 month break after enduring a serious concussion.

“Vestibular and autonomic dysfunction and all of the other symptoms combined, [the stress] was just like a lot and it built up,” Stevens said. “[Everything got] to the

point that I didn’t really like anything. I didn’t like coming to school. I didn’t like life in general. I was just not happy with anything. But soccer was really hard because every time something else has gone wrong soccer has been there my entire life. So when it wasn’t something I could fall back on when school wasn’t good, it became really hard.”

During her recovery, Stevens began to fall out of love with soccer. Her coach wanted her to come back sooner than she was ready to. Stevens felt that she owed it to her team to play in the regional game, to make sure they would advance to Nationals. With her symptoms still looming, she wasn’t ready to get back onto the field.

“I think soccer really took the brute end of [the rough patch],” Stevens said. “But I didn’t put myself first which was really upsetting in the end that I had done all that to myself for like for what?”

While Stevens was in recovery she started dating her girlfriend, who pushed Stevens to get herself back on track.

“She manifested and did all these affirmations,” Stevens said. “She always did her homework and everything else on time. And seeing that pushed me to do that too. I wanted to be better for me and for her.”

After falling back in love with soccer, Stevens was presented with an opportunity at Vassar College, which is where she will be playing soccer in the fall of 2023.

LETTERS HOME Grace Wang

The University of Vermont was never my dream school. Almost everything in me told me not to go here, but on May 1, I clicked decline on every registration page except theirs. I had visited the school about a week prior to decision day and found it to be incredibly mediocre; it was gloomy, windy, and gray. To add to that, I already felt as comfortable and safe as possible in Ann Arbor. A small part of me though wanted to be far away from familiar. Words from a friend: “This is the best time in your life to make a change,” echoed through my brain. So, in August, I crammed myself into the back seat of my dad’s car next to a mini fridge I could hardly call “mini” and said goodbye to the only place I had ever called home. 700 miles later, home has a new meaning.

Growing up, the patch of grass out my back door was the greatest interaction I had with the outdoors. These past couple of months I have summited mountains, slept under the stars, learned to ski, and simultaneously met the most wonderful people. For classes I got on my hands and knees and imagined being a coyote making its way through the woods, then I stood as tall as I could and followed moose tracks across the ridge of a cliff. I spend at least an hour every other week sitting in an abandoned quarry listening to birds and examining twigs. I don’t think there is anything sweeter in life than finding peace in your surroundings like this.

I have learned more than how to trace the steps of Vermont’s wildlife though. My first year away from home has taught me that no matter how far you think you can go, you always have another step in you. Not to say you should overwork yourself, take a break if you need to. But every time I have said no to an opportunity here because I thought I couldn’t manage it, I always found myself regretting that choice. So, I’ve started just making the time. I take long walks before my chemistry exams, I watch my friends sing on coffee table stages in co-op houses, I take photos for the paper, I run down to the beach and jump in the ice-cold lake, etc. And all the stress and busyness I think I have balances itself out when I just enjoy what is going on around me.

In high school, I prioritized my life in different ways and was convinced I was too busy for everything. At college, I can see that there is no reason for me not to make the most of my days. Vermont pushed me to come out of my shell in ways I never would have at home. I have been telling myself for years simple rules about “the way that I am.” These adjectives consume my self-image: nervous,

unadventurous, and uncreative. I have realized that none of those things are true. I spend my days slack-lining, writing poems, and talking to everyone I see. It is a lot easier to be myself in this place.

Obviously though, nowhere is perfect. I filled out a few transfer applications, I cursed the -30 degree windchill, and I flew myself back to Ann Arbor to get away. Vermont is also the least diverse place I have ever been and coincidentally the least diverse place in America. Needless to say, the culture shock has been intense. My racial identity seems to matter more here, and I am much more defined by the way I look than I was back at home. I am slowly realizing that things like that are out of my control, and I just have to keep going. I am challenging my preconceived notions about myself and others and attempting to see be more forgiving.

Coming into this school I had low expectations, or maybe very little expectations. I thought I would either absolutely hate it or it would be “good enough.” To my surprise, UVM has been anything but ordinary or mediocre. As I have grown into myself this year, I have seen all the ways that Community taught me to appreciate the world around me. High school is a difficult time, but when you are in an environment like Community the world feels a lot more manageable. I am so glad that I was able to spend so much time with such great influences and gain the confidence to send myself to such a far away unfamiliar place.

University of Vermont

Oliver Lete-Straka

I had already had thoughts of taking a gap year after high school, but not getting into UofM was definitely a jab that swung me towards finalizing that choice and I’m so glad that I have.

In the past six months, I’ve hopped on a plane at most every six weeks, usually less, and traveled somewhere new most of the time. I’ve had some of the happiest, most lonely, scariest, and most mind-blowing moments of my entire life and I can’t even explain how grateful I am.

I began my gap year traveling through South America, specifically Peru and Chilean Patagonia, for 10 weeks with a gap year program called ARCC. I was nervous as hell. I had never traveled with a group of people that I had never met before going to a country that I didn’t fluently speak the language of. I had never felt so vulnerable in my life.

It’s also important to mention that a significant part of the program was that for the first four weeks of the program the students would not have their phones. I hadn’t gone that long without my phone since I was 15 years old after freshman year, so it had been a while.

The first flight with my group was horrible. I couldn’t sleep at all and my butt and legs were getting awfully antsy. The plane did have the little screens for TVs, but sadly I had no plug-in headphones, so I took advantage of my no-phone situation and I asked to play chess with one of my new peers. I’m terrible at chess but it was fun to meet my now friend Jonah this way.

Once I lost every one of our four games, I was burnt out and began to journal. This journal was given to my dad by the Navy when he worked in an Army hospital in Tennessee and it is a nice journal, or at least when I first got it, it was nice. It has a hard cover and the paper feels thin, but tough. This journal became one of my main forms of entertainment. Everyday I would recap the day. I wrote about my time working with small farmer towns in the valleys of the Andes, working with high school students in their English

classes, and hiking 49 miles. Looking back on it now, it feels like I was living a whole other life with how much we did every week and every day. In addition to my recaps, I would of course doodle and write song lyrics.

One memory or whole day that stands out is when I was working and living in a permaculture farm called Alma Verde in Puerto Guadal, Patagonia, Chile. My group and I followed one of the farmers on a hike to a waterfall that he knew about.

We began walking along the lake that Puerto Guadal sat on. We walked for about 12 miles, or at least that’s what it felt like based on the aching in my legs. At one point a local dog joined us on the hike and it gave a bit of a pickup to keep going. It was worth it. We made it to this huge, gushing, cartoonishly-beautiful waterfall. It was ridiculous how gorgeous it was. It was loud and big and felt like it pulled straight out of the movie Avatar.

After a bit of rest at the top of the waterfall, the mist cooling down and food in our systems we were ready to head back. Since we were exhausted, we decided to call the owner of the dog that we had been with and we asked her to catch a ride. She came in her large pick-up and like a movie, we all hopped in the bed of the truck. Feeling exhausted, with sore muscles and now with the lake wind blowing on my face, I had never felt more alive.

I’m currently in New York City doing the gap year program at The School of New York Times. I’ve been studying journalism through the lens of the different sections of the New York Times newspaper like politics, books, and the arts. It has grown my love for writing and I get to live in NYC!

We’ve done lots of exploration through the city, which is more amazing than I could have ever imagined. There’s never a dull moment here. If I’m feeling bored I can just take a walk outside and there’s something happening.

We’ve visited some amazing museums like the National Museum of the American Indian, Fotografiska, and the MET. We’ve also gone to many neighborhoods like Flushing, Astoria, and Jackson Heights in search of some fantastic restaurants and we found them.

In Jackson Heights I went to a Nepali restaurant for a restaurant review assignment. It was fun to explore a new kind of cuisine and it was so good. The restaurant was small and the food tasted homemade, not to mention it felt like the two of my friends and I were treated like family in there.

Self reflection and being in the moment have been two big themes for myself this year. As corny as it might sound, this year made me think about the journey I’ve had and how there really is no true destination. You’re just always moving on. I’ve also realized how much I want to continue writing in the future and how much I love working with kids. It now makes sense why I’ve always liked the idea of being an educator.

For those thinking of taking a gap year, I can’t recommend it enough. Even if traveling isn’t an option, a year to cool down and to think is so good.

Lucy Tobier

Swarthmore College

Every time I tried to sit down to write this, I felt like an insufferable optimist. Expressing happiness and contentment came with a bucket of guilt. That might seem like a silly thing to resist, but there’s an idea that high school is a musical, and everything goes down after. It feels strange to never be homesick or wish I was back. I worried high school had actually stunk and I just hadn’t been willing to admit it. But the truth is Community was great, and laid the foundation for something even better. Because of the lessons Community gave me, it smoothed a large transition into something completely joyful. High school wasn’t the musical, but the songbook.

During the first couple of weeks at Swarthmore – emboldened by my newness and unattached roots – I would approach a group at random every dinner and ask to sit. Although others, and occasionally myself, might see this as a step too far, it helped tremendously in creating friendly faces and immersing myself in the student body. Community and positive memories of making friends on the St. Andrew’s pew opening day built this confidence.

Last week – now with my roots fully attached – I was sitting in the fortress-like library at 2 a.m., panicking over a research paper and convinced the future of feminist terrorist studies rested on my shoulders. Somewhere subconsciously, I remembered similar nights in room 300 and Tracy’s assurance that the world didn’t start and end with an article. It was Community

teachers that showed me there was more value in putting in hard work than producing a perfect end result every time. The intensity of a place like Swarthmore has given me the gift of failure, but it was Community that taught me how to use that gift.

Levity and intensity create a stark contrast at Swarthmore. At times, the work is non-stop, unbelievably intense, and failure feels inevitable. A worry of missing out is strong as I’m surrounded by top students doing incredible research, hundreds of class options (“Sacred Plants, Holy Fungi, and Religious Experience” for example), and an impossible number of world-renowned guest lectures and clubs. But between chaos and 80-hour work weeks are moments of true beauty with people I feel so lucky to have found. I’ve discovered how important it is to be surrounded by passionate people. Everything that makes life so special here – the dance recitals, the handmade boat races, the 4 a.m. chats about religion and Russian politics – are because of the people. Watching someone’s face light up as they describe a project or learning about the crazy major combinations people are tackling creates energy and excitement. I’m surrounded by people with a crazily nerdy, almost insanely committed drive to create. Whether it is in your area of study, a shared experience, or a common sense of passion, find your people. Energy is truly infectious. If I could stress just one thing it would be that: People first always.

Surrounded by students who have changed their majors countless times, taken time off, or otherwise completely shifted their life trajectories, I feel a new sense of freedom of time. In high school, I was consumed by the worry of time running out. The pandemic shook my notion of how much time I had to be young and figure things out. In college, I’ve realized the timeline that I used to cling to is made of rubber. Whether you’re off to college or not, this is the perfect time for foundations to be crushed and plans changed. Where there is destruction, there is rebuilding and progress.

Now, walking to class, I watch Class of 2027 tours and am reminded of how the magic has somehow only grown since I visited last spring and found my people on the lawn. Currently, the campus is full of flowers, students sit on the grass and read, and the library is filled with laughter and sharing of ideas. I haven’t picked up every activity I dreamed of before arriving, but I’ve thrown myself into completely unexpected experiences like fencing. I’ve been stabbed a million times – and have the bruises to prove it – lost countless bouts, and destroyed my calf muscles, but the promise of starting something completely new with space to grow has pushed me to keep lunging.

The foundation continues to be cracked and built as I’m faced with a never-ending stream of new experiences and decisions. Panicking over an almost unnecessary amount of class options for next fall, I remembered the same worries of never having enough time at Community early on. Walking out of Hill Auditorium at graduation, none of that seemed to matter anymore. The growth Community allowed in four years – even despite the pandemic – assured me time is never as limited and plans are never as set as they seem. Magic comes with the right people in the right place, and a healthy dose of optimism and wonder.

Sebastian Oliva

As I gazed at my soaked and tarnished Doc Martens floating in my flooded dorm room, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment and frustration. Little did I know that this moment would become a catalyst for growth and self-discovery in my college journey as a multi-racial, first-generation student.

I could begin this anecdote by describing to you how horrible my first semester went: the countless sleepless nights finishing projects; witnessing the dark circles around my eyes sink deeper into my face; and receiving a devastating phone call from my roommate about our flooded room and half of the floor. These events alone do not fully encapsulate the challenges I faced during my first year.

Amidst the academic rigor, cataclysmic dorm events, and even the internal debate over whether to get a Philly cheesesteak or tacos from the dining hall, I always managed to find moments of serenity.

Although the transition from Community to Michigan had its ups and downs, it brought about a pleasant surprise. I realized that I didn’t know as much about myself as I had previously known. At times, the pressure to succeed and constant competition left me feeling like an imposter in a world that felt foreign to me. I never anticipated experiencing these emotions; they were completely unprecedented for me. The feeling of loneliness and uncertainty was overwhelming, and I found myself asking, “What more could I be doing?” or “Do I even belong?”

As a first-generation college student, I had no one in my family who could offer guidance or support in navigating the complex and competitive academic landscape. I felt like I was on my own, and that only added to my sense of isolation and vulnerability.

Despite these challenges, I found solace in the confines of the brick building that housed my dorm room, with a small lawn out front. Though it was moments when I sat in my room, staring outside the window overlooking Ann Arbor that I realized something.

I recognize that my appreciation for my institution and the positive experiences I’ve had is influenced by the stressful situations I’ve faced. It’s important to acknowledge the impact of challenging circumstances on our perceptions. I have grown to appreciate laughing at jokes in the undergraduate library, getting to work as a research assistant in a research lab at U-M Medical School, and studying with friends.

It was during these moments of introspection that I realized the importance of celebrating small successes and being kinder to myself when faced with setbacks. Academic success was not solely determined by grades but by the effort and dedication I put into my work. However, acknowledging the pillars I overcame and recognizing my progress and achievements helped me nurture the cards in my hand.

I learned to embrace my accomplishments, regardless of their magnitude and came to understand that even in moments when events appeared unexplainable or un-

just, these circumstances were not happening to me but for me.

Despite my yearning to share a profound sense of self-reflection or narrate a defining experience that encapsulates my time here, I have come to the understanding that personal growth is a process that demands a significant amount of time before its effects can be fully realized or felt.

While I had so desperately wanted to share some profound reflection or recount an experience characteristic of my time here, I have realized that growth can take a really long time to be acknowledged or to be felt.

As I embark on the rest of my college journey, I know that the road ahead will be tough, but I am confident in my ability to face whatever obstacles and difficulties come my way. Yes, this past year has been fraught with numerous unpleasant experiences. I cannot deny that I have come to appreciate my school as a result of certain circumstances that, in a twisted sense, have facilitated this newfound appreciation.

My flooded dorm room may have been a setback, but it was also a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown.

College Essays

Seniors share what they wrote for their college essays, including their common application essay or supplemental school specific essays.

RAFFI AVEDISSIAN Common Application

In my life, there has always been one thing that would both inspire and terrify me: that is literature. As a kid, the bookcases that filled the walls in my mom’s library felt like monoliths, containing a surplus of intricate and extensively titled books—these always intimidated me. Whenever I saw authors such as Leslie Marmon Silko, Zabel Yesayan, or Franz Werfel on my mom’s desk, I felt unsettled; I couldn’t help comparing them to the C.S Lewis and Roald Dahl books I was reading at the time. Despite being curious about the contents of these books, I never really tried to approach them.

Every day it felt like there was a new book on her desk, which inspired me to read even more and try to build up to an assumed “higher” intellectual level. As I read more and more—from books on horror and science fiction films to classic literature such as Hamlet and Beowulf—I started to become fascinated by the inherent nature of reading itself. I contemplated how the idea of words became paths to understanding, and how the principles of language influenced the way knowledge was transferred.

Through this process, I found a lot of happiness and mindfulness through reading. Whenever I was stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, walking to a nearby park and reading on a bench was always my best form of self-care. Regardless of what I was reading, I found nothing more intimate than the relationship between me and the words on a page, bringing me to a level of comfort with the idea of facing my fears.

I approached my mom and asked if I could borrow her copy of Slavoj Žižek’s The Most Sublime Hysteric: Hegel with Lacan. I felt I was ready to handle a book that I believed had complex concepts with an extensive vocabulary. However, when I sat down to read the book, not a single concept registered with me—terms like “dialectical dynamism,” “paradoxical topology,” and “transcendental form’’ plagued the opening chapter of the book. I became overwhelmed by my inability to understand what I was reading and I got worried: How could I ask to borrow this book if I can’t even comprehend it?

This moment led me to confront my pride. Usually, at times like this, I generally tried to figure things out on my own, or indirectly by asking short answer questions. But no such questions could be asked here. I needed help with understanding large-scale concepts. I went to my mom, and what resulted was an unexpect-

edly interesting conversation about Hegel, Lacan, and all the background information needed to read the text. I was hooked.

Our talk was beneficial not only because of the clarifications it offered, but also because it allowed me to confront my fear. At this moment, I realized that one of the most important parts of learning is the acknowledgment of imperfection. I was now comfortable asking my mom questions and starting discussions to a point that now I don’t even ask to borrow books from my mom’s library. I had secretly thought of reading as a competition, but really it is collaboration. Coming to this realization not only made me a better reader but also a better learner. In my constant pursuit of knowledge, I will never let my pride get in the way of my curiosity, because I now realize how much could be lost if I do so.

LYDIA COCCIOLONE

Common Application

Putting the wooden post in the dirt was like planting a seed. I want to say everything changed in my relationship with my dad after that—and that we lived happily ever after, but nothing truly grows that quickly.

In the midst of the pandemic, I filled my summer days with random projects—dirt under my fingernails and paint stains on my jeans. When I came up with the idea to make a miniature library for my neighborhood, the project was going to be mine and mine alone. I had already created blueprints and registered for a placard from the “Free Little Library” national organization. I carried my love of books and an armful of wood and screws to the site of my project, where my pedestal stood firmly in the sky. As bright as the sky may have seemed that day, it didn’t stay sunny forever; I realized I lacked a few critical skills necessary for the construction of my library. With no other choice than to ask for help, I proposed my idea to my dad.

Over the past year, my dad and I had been trying to work on our relationship. Or rather, I was trying, and he seemed to be just along for the ride. While the project I proposed was not our relationship, we took on that challenge simultaneously. He angered me more than anything. I despised the way he talked to people; I could tell how much or how little he respected someone based solely on the tone of his voice. While I dreamed of being someone who would make him beam with pride and respect, I was often on the receiving end of Nick’s condescending tone and unkind words.

I relished calling my dad by his first name. I liked how it made him feel uncomfortable, the same way his unkind words made me feel small. He ordered me not to call him Nick because it was “disrespectful,” but I believe the true reason was his insecurity—this was a reminder that I didn’t think he deserved to be called Dad.

Despite our communication difficulties and frequent disagreements, Nick was excited to work on this project with me. He knew it would be quality time with the daughter with whom he struggled to relate. Disregarding my plans and proposals, Nick and I dove in. This time I felt as though I was the one who was just along for the ride.

Regardless of Nick’s talent for general construction, many mistakes were made along the way—by both of us. I found it hard to trust his decades of building experience. I didn’t want to do it his way, but I knew I needed his help. He didn’t like some of my ideas and I didn’t like some of his. We both wanted to feel heard but couldn’t find a way to want to hear each other.

Finally, despite saying to each other many times, “I can’t do today, I’m busy,” or “How could anybody ever work with you?”, we had our library. I felt proud and

wiser than I had been before. I knew Nick would probably never treat me like the men who held his respect, but one day he might treat me as a respectable daughter. Shortly after the library’s grand opening, my parents split up. I went from spending every claustrophobic pandemic hour with my dad, to every other weekend with him. I found that the less time I spent with him, the more valuable our time became. We rarely reached the point where we couldn’t stand each other before I had to make my way back to Mom’s house. I found myself looking forward to weekends at Dad’s. In the hours we spent learning how to combine our skills to create something beautiful for our community, we learned how to create something beautiful for us.

MATTHEW CASTILHO

Common Application

I scoured the pantry for the right ingredients: Thyme or bay leaf? Allspice or nutmeg? Cinnamon or clove? So many options to choose from, each being able to change the flavor of the dish in its own unique way. I won’t know if that one ingredient will make the hours of preparation and cooking worthwhile or worthless. I may have taken a risk in adding that ingredient, but that’s what life is about.

From a young age, my parents taught me to balance my ingredients, yet I loved to experiment. I loved to see what flavor would prevail. Would it remind me of a Brazilian dish that I grew up tasting from my mother’s own cooking experiments? Or would it be an American dish, savored with different spices from those my parents grew up tasting? I quickly learned that the best dishes have a strong base to them. This is the case with the up-

side-down pineapple cake, my mother’s favorite. I would watch my mother devour the cake with such joy in her eyes; I wished to bring that to her. I gathered the ingredients and started to experiment. Yet something was missing, an ingredient that could change the entire flavor of the dish. As I continued to search for the missing piece, I realized no dish is complete without its accents. Just like the majority of cakes, vanilla is the dominant flavor, but in the case of my mother’s favorite cake, the accent spices — clove and cinnamon — are what set the cake apart. In cooking, spices can make or break a dish. Spices bring rich flavors to a dish while accentuating the unique taste of international cuisine. But when used incorrectly, the flavors can miss the mark to the point where even the best recipe becomes unpalatable. Soon after this discovery, cooking became more than just making food. It became about learning about myself and the world around me. As I moved away from recipes, I was forced to find my own combinations and balance through experimentation, something I truly loved. It was here that I met the ingredients that helped make me who I am today:

Cloves. A resilient spice, a flavor whose warmth permeates through all my attempts to conquer it. I added orange, garlic, ginger, and molasses, but I could still taste the warm and numbing taste of clove. I slowly learned through trial and error that cloves aren’t meant to be conquered, they’re meant to be harnessed. Its ability to express itself through the acidity of the pineapple and numb the tongue are the traits that cloves give the upside-down cake its comforting flavor.

Cinnamon. A compassionate spice, the deep woody spice that pairs beautifully with a variety of flavors. A spice that defined my childhood. Growing up, cinnamon was my grandma’s favorite spice. She would use it in everything my brother and I loved: hot chocolate, “bolo de chuva”, “pavê”, “presunto”. As she cooked, she would often preach that cinnamon needed to be used in moderation, too much could ruin the dish but use too little, and you won’t even know it was there — a waste of spice. Because of this, I came to associate cinnamon with the love and compassion my grandmother gave us, the warm cozy feeling she radiated. Remembering the feeling and lessons from my grandma, I decided to add cinnamon into the cake.

Just as the spices make up the core of the dish, the traits represented by the spices make up the core qualities of myself. Compassion and resilience play an important role in how I carry myself and interact with the world. I find it essential to be kind and compassionate towards others and to have the resilience to push past hardships and negativity. Building from the recipes of the strong women in my life, my goal is to make those around me feel included and cared for.

SCARLETT LONDON

Common Application

After a taxing day at school, I collapse through my front door, stop, take a deep breath, and begin a quest to find my bedroom. This takes ten minutes. The hallways are 18 inches wide and today, they’re made entirely of sheets — castoffs of ochre and green from the 1970s, splashy Pac-Man icons of the ’80s, ruffly Laura Ashley florals, and more — all pinned together into a labyrinth of winding corridors. I climb on top of our dining room table, then down again, tunnel through a tangle of couch cushions, and turn a corner to find my father and two of his friends installing a full-sized cardboard gondola into a fake river running through my living room. I lift a Spiderman sheet, wriggle out of the hallway and retreat into my bedroom to get started on homework.

Each year from October through December, my entire house becomes a sheet-fort, in preparation for a one-night-only get-together we call Fortress Party. This is no highfalutin soiree; it’s built for friends and pajamas.

Our fortress is reminiscent of a blanket fort you build when you’re five, only taller, more structurally sound, and filled with outlandish props. But it may also be a sign that my family’s periodic regressive silliness has gotten completely out of hand.

October begins with a trip to the thrift store in search of used flat sheets. After drawing up initial floor plans, we run miles of clothesline through eye hooks in the ceiling and spend days atop chairs and ladders, pinning the sheets in place. As the winding fortress walls go up, all vestiges of our house’s original contours disappear. The result is, to put it mildly, disorienting. Finally, we give each room an immersive theme. You might find yourself in a tent on top of Mount Everest, inside Area 51, or at the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.

Over the years, my participation in Fortress Party has taken many forms, often depending on my energy level and artistic bent. In 2017, I portrayed dastardly Russian spy Olga Stroganoff, unmasked as a Scooby-Doo villainess amidst a plot to move the Metropolitan Museum of Art two inches to the left. In 2019, I wrote notes to the deceased at a Viking funeral. And this past year, I spent weekends creating one hundred celebrity puns for a bumblebee-themed room.

Sometimes I hate it. Fortress Party is exhausting. I dread swimming through a sea of dust, plaid and floral just to get a snack or use the bathroom. I tire of explaining this bizarre family tradition to my friends. I wish we could cook normal family dinners without risking a house fire. And while I try to focus on pliés and tendus in Saturday-morning ballet class, my thoughts careen wildly from bee-pun to bee-pun, and I wish our lives were more conventional.

But more often than not, I can’t help but smile at the maze of linens surrounding me. At my most insecure, when all I wanted was to fit in, Fortress Party forced my shell to crack. Crawling through a tunnel of cushions while listening to a song I helped write about camels, I came to appreciate that silliness has integral and societal value; there is both freedom and authenticity in being unapologetically silly. It also provides a respite from the grind. Growing up doesn’t mean that has to change. And no matter how many ballet performances I sweat through and articles I write, I’ll always count Olga Stroganoff and “The Jackson HIVE” among my best work.

KURT HAUSMAN

Common Application

I was struggling trying to figure out how to get my soggy shorts unstuck from the vinyl seat on the metro from Santa Monica. I was on the way back from the beach with my journalism class, after we had finished a weeklong trip in Los Angeles at a national journalism conference. I had sworn to myself that I wouldn’t let myself swim — I didn’t want to leave and get on the plane with wet shorts and salt strewn in my hair. But, I swam, and I was glad that I did. It was my first time swimming in the Pacific; going home without doing so would have felt like a lost opportunity.

As I was looking down, I recognized the man next to me was wearing a pair of Jordans that I’d always wanted, so I complimented him. He looked at me, smiled in surprise and said, “Thank you, man.” I could tell he meant it. He asked me who I was and where I was from. He wanted to know why my shorts were soaked – and when I told him, he laughed.

His name was Alex and he was from New York; after he had finished high school in The Bronx, he moved to Los Angeles with only his father and his belongings. As I learned more about him and he learned more about me, I soon realized that in a way, I was interviewing him. I was applying skills I had learned in the class I was on this trip for right then.

I learned that when he first got to L.A. he worked odd jobs to make a living. He told me about how he fell into his career of being a fashion stylist for celebrities by chance on a night out with his friends. He laughed and his face got red when he told me the story of him spilling food on himself in front of Jay-Z. He had the kind of smile that someone gets when their eyes light up and they have an idea. It was real, and it was almost like he had been waiting for someone to take an interest in him; to ask.

I learned about his relationship with his father and how they had to separate after their first few years in L.A. How he only gets to see him a few times a year when he goes to visit him in Oakland. I learned about his frequent trips back to New York to see his mom and siblings that still live in The Bronx. I learned about his dreams to move back home once he was financially able to support his family.

When his stop came and we parted ways he told me he was so glad he got to meet me and talk with me. I agreed and told him he stole the words right out of my mouth. As he walked away down the metro terminal, and our car slid out of sight, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. I couldn’t believe that the most meaningful interview I had ever conducted came on a metro ride with a stranger in the middle of Los Angeles.

That’s when I was truly able to apply the lessons I learned from this class in the real world. I’m always one to question the applications of the education we learn in school to real life and this couldn’t have been a more limpid example. Through my three years in this class I learned how to be a better communicator, which is the name of our publication. I learned how to listen and how to ask questions that mattered. I learned how to be a better person in this world by recognizing that everyone — even the stranger sitting next to me on the subway — has a story to tell, as long as there’s someone to listen.

The Cooper Union

Intellectually, I am only satisfied when I know something down to its smallest detail. Chemistry is everything’s smallest detail, explaining the world in quarks and electrons. Two summers ago, I studied biomedical engineering and learned to design synthetic blood vessels. As I learned about how engineers use chemistry to create new materials, such as polymers, which become the building blocks for synthetic tissue, I was transfixed. When I then set out to create a prototype for a synthetic blood vessel, I found myself drawing equally on my knowledge of chemistry, applied mathematics, and biology. Soft tissue replication fascinates me: it requires understanding every function and particle of the tissue, from multiple scientific perspectives, then engineering the best materials and design to mimic it.

I knew that summer that I had found the field that I wanted to become an expert in — to know down to its smallest detail–which would present a series of endlessly captivating intellectual challenges and scientific problems to solve, and where I could use science and engineering to save and improve lives.

I am applying to the 4-year dual degree program to get my BS and MS in Chemical Engineering because chemistry is foundational to biomedical engineering. Afterwards, I hope to pursue a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, and ultimately work to advance research and translational medical applications in the soft tissue field.

RIA LOWENSCHUSS Wellesley College

I have spent my life surrounded by women — my mom and her wife, my sisters, my countless grandmothers and aunts and cousins. They have nurtured and motivated me, both personally and academically. As I head to college, I am looking for a community of smart, passionate, engaged women from different backgrounds. This is clearly the type of community Wellesley offers. I am already inspired by the women of Wellesley; Malinda Lo, for example. I read “Ash,” Lo’s queer retelling of Cinderella, while I was questioning my sexuality, giving me much needed representation of the queer community and allowing me to come into my own as a queer woman. In the midst of a wave of book banning, stories that represent all people are more important than ever, especially those targeted at young readers. Malinda Lo has shown courage and passion as she has stood against book bans and advocated for queer young women. I hope to follow in her footsteps and use my time at Wellesley working with queer youth and using literature to spread my voice and fight for what I believe in.

Another role model for me in the Wellesley community is President Paula Johnson. I have been so in love with books that I spent the first part of my life convinced I was meant for the humanities. But when I took my first biology class, my world cracked open. I could suddenly see the intersection of science with issues that were important to me, like women’s health. Throughout high school, I’ve eagerly pursued STEM classes, worked at the University of Michigan women’s hospital, and taken college courses on women’s health and culture. President Johnson inspires me as a scientist and a doctor who has devoted her life to revealing and addressing gender and racial biases in health care and medical research. She inspires me in her commitment to further the education of women in STEM, and in particular through her focus on the social elements that influence our lens of science. I cannot wait to learn in a place that is headed by Paula Johnson. I know that I will thrive as a learner and as a person at Wellesley because it encourages women to do work they love, with an eye toward making a difference in the world.

Senior Profiles

By Staff

The Class of 2023 has seen the pre-Covid CHS “vibe,” lived through a global pandemic, returned to in-person school, had a “normal” year or two and now, almost, graduated. The past four years have been nothing but unpredictable, but through all the experiences, this class has grown in many unique ways. These seniors reflect on their time at CHS: how they’ve grown, what lessons they’ve learned, where their favorite forum trip was, who they’d like to thank, when they knew CHS was the right place for them or how they chose to spend the last four years. As they prepare to leave CHS and each make their own path, our staff offered each senior a space in this edition as a gift. We hope these profiles are way to honor this class and make a space for them in The Communicator history.

L.C-K.

LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY

“Coming into Community, I was a really shy person. I was really, really quiet and I wouldn’t raise my hand in class. I kind of kept my head down and just did my work but as we went online and then came back into person, my junior year, I came out of my shell. I think what really helped me find my voice was forum. Forum is really special to me and I love it so much. I’m in Tracy’s forum and she really gives the students a lot of opportunities to lead so as I started my junior year, she gave me a lot of chances to make mistakes and not do well leading an activity or talk really quietly in front of the whole class. But it just allowed me to become a leader, when I would have never seen myself as a leader before. She let me help, plan and organize forum activities. It gave me the chance to talk to new people and feel comfortable speaking in front of a class. That helped me in all other avenues of my high school experience — I felt more comfortable. And I joined journalism that year and was able to feel comfortable talking to editors about my articles and doing interviews, and I also felt more comfortable in math. I felt ready to succeed and kind of go off into my own thing. I felt comfortable enough to take more advanced classes, raise my hand and make mistakes. Community gave me a voice when I felt like I didn’t have one.”

T.G.

TAYLOR GAIES

“At Community I know that I always have a support system to fall back on, but I also get to have independence. Teachers here are always willing to help and I’ve never been told no by a teacher and you just get a safe feeling with the teachers here and get to have a close knit relationship. The teachers here truly care. I love my relationships with my teachers and I love being able to know everyone. At bigger high schools that wouldn’t be possible. My sophomore year because of COVID I really struggled online, and I really struggled with asking for help. I was really struggling with math, and it was Michelle Yager who really helped me. She really taught me that it’s okay to ask for help and you’re not dumb if you ask for help. I think, depending on who you are, whether you’re very academically based or very artistic you have a place here. You learn to grow into a community. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made coming here. It just feels like home. When I was looking at colleges, it was really important to me that I wanted it to feel like Community because it has been so helpful for me, mentally but also academically. So I really want to know my teachers and not just be a number in their class.”

N.K.

NATALIE KESSLER

“At Community, if you want to do well, you have to put in the work. I think that really taught me a lot of good lessons. If I went to any other school, I’d feel trapped. But at Community I feel like I’m doing things on my own terms, which helps me want to learn more. I think I’m a lot more extroverted and competent than I was freshman year. I didn’t really talk all that much. I was very, very shy and scared all the time. I think that’s a big way I’ve changed through high school. Next year, I’m going to Michigan State. I’m going to run track and have a great time. I’m excited for college because it’ll be a change. It’ll be something new. I think I’m kind of done with this high school moment in my life. I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to do new things. I’ll miss Community and knowing everyone and how small and close everything is. I think when I go to a bigger school, I’ll go back to being like my scared kind of shy freshman self and I think I’ll miss being an upperclassman and knowing what I’m doing.”

I.P.

IVY PROCHASKA

“I’m incredibly grateful for going to Community and the space that everyone here creates. All the teachers and the administration make you feel so good coming to school knowing that people actually care about you. I love the connection that we have with our teachers. I think going to Community has really helped me as I’ve grown up and come of age because [at Community] you are given this freedom at such a young age and what you do with that freedom can really teach you a lot about who you want to be as a person. Forum is an amazing class. Forum is the concentrated version of Community. It’s really what makes Community, Community. I love being able to have a school family whenever I need it. Some of my best memories at Community have been on Forum Day or Field Day. They’re such formative experiences that you wouldn’t get if we didn’t have forum. As an underclassmen especially and even a junior, looking up to upperclassmen and the seniors in my forum really shaped who I am today. I really looked up to them, and saw them as people I could always come to. As a senior in forum now, so much of what I do in forum and how I act is based upon the former seniors that I’ve seen. Seniors are such an integral part of forum and just showing up can be so impactful to the forum dynamic. With Community you’re going to get back what you put in. If you really try and put in effort to learn and build relationships, you’re going to get that back and it’s going to be really great. If you don’t put in that effort, obviously, it won’t be reciprocated. It’s really worth putting in that effort.”

THE BRENT FORUM

D.B.

DÈ BARNEY

“The open campus has let me explore, and for a lot of classes I’ve got to go out and just walk around and find stuff, which has been a really fun and great way for me to learn. I was in Italian Arts and Culture during my junior year and I thought it was really fun to walk around and look at all the different influences of Italian architecture in the buildings of Ann Arbor, mainly because I never really noticed those little details before. It really made me appreciate the same buildings that I see every day, like the big white house with pillars just across the street and so much more. I’m planning on going to college next year to study astrophysics. I really want to learn more about outer space, and I have always wanted to learn as much as I can about space. I feel like studying astrophysics is the best way to get there. I was a part of Space Club during my time at Community, which really fostered my interest in the subject. We get together every Friday and basically just talk about whatever we want to talk about relating to space, including discussions around space news. I’ll miss the people, the teachers, just the whole community, which I love, but I’m looking forward to getting my degrees and getting to work doing what I enjoy.”

T.TEDDY JACOBSON

“My time at Community has gone pretty well. I met a bunch of people and got to take one or two interesting classes. I got to take some of George’s classes, which, as we know, George is awesome. Probably my favorite class ended up being Advanced Topics with George because it’s basically an opportunity to just do anything you want to with computer science. [Computer science] is a very logical thing. A lot of things have a very open-endedness to them, like grammar, or other things like it. I always end up thinking, well, this is not correct to me. If I’ve ever been in a teacher’s class, they can know I’m always going to say, well, this question doesn’t actually make any sense because of this, that and whatever. But computer science is very straightforward: this is what you do, this is how it is. And even with that there is some flexibility around it, but it’s like logic, like math, but without all the complicated stuff. It’s just straight logic. I’m going off to Kalamazoo to continue studying computer science stuff. With the current state of computer science, and with everything that’s going on in the field, I have no idea what’s going to happen, but I’m pretty sure that whatever I end up doing in the field, I’ll be decently happy with it. I’ll miss being in close proximity to all the friends that I’ve met here, and being right next to Sweetwaters, which has taken basically all the money I’ve ever owned.”

H.C-T.

HENRY COLLINS-THOMPSON

“I’d say the most impactful thing from Community has been working with the Jazz Band. I’m in Jazz Lab, and meeting the people in jazz and playing music has been cool. I’ve done musical performances all throughout my life, but jazz is so much more interpersonal. Typically do classical piano, which is a more solo thing. When it’s an interpersonal thing where you’re sort of making jokes on stage with each other, you’re looking at your bandmates and you’re playing in accordance with them. I’ve listened to jazz music throughout my life, and it’s a cool opportunity to play that music.”

THE CRABTREE FORUM

R.A.

RAFFI AVEDISSIAN

“I remember initially not being the biggest fan of [CHS] and started to consider transferring after my first day. I realized that this decision was a little impulsive so I decided to stay patient and wait a couple of weeks. Looking back, that was probably because the school was much smaller. Once I got more in touch with CHS, I realized that it was right to stay. One of my favorite teachers here is definitely JTP (Jonathan Thomas-Palmer). JTP teaches like he has fully mastered his curriculum and it makes everything feel so polished. Co-leading the CHS Film Club was definitely one of the most notable experiences I had throughout high school. After the opening ceremony of my junior year I quickly realized that CHS didn’t have a film club. I’m definitely glad I ran Film Club with others. Being able to split the workload was really nice and it never felt like one person did everything. The advice I would give to younger students here is to be open. Initially, I was very hesitant to branch out at CHS, but when you realize that all you need is to be less judgmental about the school, you’ll definitely enjoy your time here much more.”

S.L.

SAM LEVIN

“I think that I’ve definitely become more outgoing because of Community. I had to do a whole bunch of group projects that required collaboration with partners so that truly taught me how to work as a team with classmates. I think since going to this school, I’ve definitely changed for the better and matured as a person. I am ready for the next step. My sister already went [to Community] so I kind of knew what the school was like. What drew me in was the small, connected feel and how personable you are with teachers. Once I got here, the biggest aspect that I liked was having classes mixed with all four grades. When I was a freshman, having seniors in my English class gave me a huge reference. I remember thinking ‘wow, this writing is amazing, I’ll never be that good’. And then here I am now, as a senior, hopefully carrying on that same impact towards underclassmen. Like I said before, [Community] has really prepared me for the world because of collaboration and learning how to work together as a team. I also think I’ve learned how to constructively criticize people on their work, either through peer editing or other activities that we’ve done. This school has taught me that everyone is their own unique person and that it’s perfectly fine to express who you truly are. I’m just glad Community is still going strong. It’s an amazing school even though it’s not the ‘ordinary’ high school experience. I’m grateful to be a part of this unique and tight knit graduating class at this school.”

L.P.

LEWIS PERRY

“My first memory at Community was the opening ceremony on the first day. I remember getting here in this crazy outfit, which I thought looked amazing. Looking back on it, it was definitely not amazing. I remember seeing a bunch of people. Some I recognized, some I didn’t. It definitely felt a little more intimidating than going to middle school because as a freshman you’re kind of at the bottom of the student hierarchy here. You had to look up to other students. But I remember everything [the staff] said at that ceremony felt really passionate. I could see much more energy throughout the staff than I had at past schools I’ve been to, so it made me feel like ‘okay, I think the people here know what they’re doing and it gave me some sort of reassurance that Community would be a good fit.’ That’s when I first met my original forum leader Steve [Coron], who I initially was intimidated by. But Steve definitely became a teacher that influenced me. I only took one or two classes with him, but having forum with him made me realize how passionate he was about teaching and I felt like my mood always got better when I saw Steve. If I had any advice for incoming freshmen it would be not to be afraid to branch out and explore new areas. The more I was here, the more I found interests I didn’t know I had, such as economics and history, and got to expand on and take classes on those interests.”

.G.

JAQUELINE GILLETT

“My first memorable moment from Community was the first Forum Day I had with Steve [Coron], when we went to Pinball Pete’s and got food. Steve was an influential teacher for me and he pushed me with my photography and I feel like I learned a lot from him. Since freshman year I feel like I’ve changed a lot. Freshman year I was much more shy and now I’ve come to open up more and branch out and talk to more people. I’ve also learned to work harder in my classes. One of my favorite classes I have taken at Community was my film literature class with Sean. It has changed the way I watch movies and I have also liked all the art classes I’ve taken in my time at Community.”

F.S.

FELIX STAROSTA

“My first significant memory from Community was the first day of junior year with the barbecue lunch. I remember seeing everybody for the first time since online school and I really started to get excited about what Community could be like in person rather than online. Being in person allowed me to reconnect with some friends that I didn’t really get to stay in touch with over online school. I also got to apply myself better to my schoolwork and really just experience Community more for what it is. Community’s teachers tend to impact me because they’re so different from any normal teachers I’ve had but a few in particular include Liz, Steve, and Courtney. Their personalities touch me in ways that aren’t usually expressed by teachers. Transferring from Pioneer second semester made me feel much more free and more in control of my learning in my interests such as computer science and physics. I’ve also really enjoyed all the science and English classes I’ve taken at Community. My advice for incoming freshmen would be to apply yourself more and try to learn more.”

P.S.

PEDRO SALAZAR

“I chose to come to CHS because it was a smaller school. Seeing their student test scores also seemed like it could boost my chances of going to a university. [My first couple of days] were stressful. Mainly because I didn’t really know that many people, but as soon as I started making more friends it started becoming much easier. Next year I am going to Washtenaw Community College for two years to major in project management with a minor in exercise science. Two of my favorite teachers here were Steve and Luciana. Steve was super goofy and never took his job too seriously which is one of the main reasons I liked him. Even though he was a teacher, he still felt like a student among everyone. Then there’s Luciana who is always really kindhearted. She helped me fall back into love with math again after a horrible year during Geometry and I really thank her for that. One thing I’ll remember about CHS is how much the teachers care. In middle school, I felt like just another student where my teachers didn’t care about me that much. But over here at CHS, you build relationships with your teachers and you can talk to them about anything. [The teachers] are very open which I think sets

A.T-C.

ANNA TAPLEY-COLL

“I got into CET my freshman year doing sets and lights. Then by junior year [post-pandemic], I was crew head which got me into all of the crew meetings and I was able to learn a lot more about the other crew members which was really nice. I’m thinking of continuing to do theater outside of CET as well. [The bonds I’ve made through CET] are really strong. They are definitely the type of people that I can do anything with or call anytime. My favorite teacher I’ve had is definitely Steve. I still take classes with him and he’s always been so helpful. He’s been a mentor in terms of my art career and also just a friend if I ever needed one. I think his openness sets him apart from other teachers. Being able to have someone who’s going to help me in all aspects of life because all of those aspects tie into school affects everything else so well. Also, when I joined his forum last year I was really scared and thought the people would hate me. [Steve] was really kind and welcomed me in which was really nice. I think I’ll miss the people at CHS the most. Mainly just knowing a lot of the other kids and asking about what’s going on in their lives or even hanging out in a classroom. One thing I would tell other CHS students is to keep an open mind and get to know as people as they can.”

THE DUDLEY FORUM

CHARLIE BEESON

“[At CHS you’re] able to express yourself without feeling pressure to conform to a certain way. It helps that it’s such a small school as well, it really does. I [feel] like everyone cares about everyone in this environment, versus a place like Skyline where you don’t really have that shared connection through the school. I think that really, really helps especially with the teachers and teaching as well. Because the teachers are willing to help you and want you to succeed. CHS is a place that wants you to learn and will help you learn. I think it’s kind of like a little bit of a party. Not like a boring kind of making it your own in a way. I really enjoy the way that the community runs its classes. They want you to do better and it’s more of a way that fits my style of learning. I think that’s one of the most important parts of learning. After CHS, I am willing to be open to new things and be willing to be myself and not in the sense of cliche, but be more willing to change and explore new things. For the future, I am gonna wing it.”

O.F.

OWEN FAINTER

“What mainly feels different from freshman year is just the familiarity of it. We had a year online, but you know a lot more people now, you’re familiar with teachers, their policies and overall how things run. So it’s just a lot more comfortable. What ways I’ve grown are, maturity, obviously, and not thinking so black and white. I think just overall, being more aware of what’s going on around me and trying to be more open-minded. I like to think there’s like a balance towards everything. I don’t like to think that you know, a situation can be approached by only two different ways. I don’t like to think that there’s always a right and wrong. I’m always just trying to have a little more thought and not just attach myself to just one particular instance. I really enjoyed forum day this year. It was a lot of fun. A lot of cool people in the forum, and we did a lot of fun things. We played capture the flag, we told camp stories, just talking to each other around the campfire. Our forum has kind of had its own separate cliques and never really intermingled with each other. On that night, those barriers came down and I got to interact with people I never really got to previously, and it was really cool. I think I probably regret not taking advantage of the CR program a little more. This is really the only year I’ve actually started to take them. I definitely wish I did that a little sooner.”

S.H.

SID HERMANN

“The moments that stand out to me over the past four years the most are honestly the times spent with friends. Having those friends for the previous four years really did help push me to do better and change. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. As far as teachers go, looking back most of them were amazing. Mike Vial pushed me to be someone else. Personally, what he has done for me is he’s mentored me in a certain way and he has taught me a lot. He helped me a lot with the SAT and he helped me understand certain things. Carl, the janitor, is my boy. He would treat me like family and I really do appreciate him. There’s always been a family at Community, at other schools it isn’t the same. I want to attempt personal business next year on my own. I want to try and grow and achieve as much as I can without college. I see the benefits of college but I want to try everything on my own first.”

Z

.S.

ZOË SIMMONS

“The most valuable part of my time at Community has definitely been the relationships I’ve built along the way, not only with my peers but also with my teachers. I started getting involved with leadership really early on because that was something that was really important to me, and I’ve been able to do a lot through my role as forum council president, mock trial captain, and through leadership in DAG. All of those things helped me to be more engaged in my community. Community has prepared me not just academically, but also socially. I feel like I’m prepared not just as a student ready for college, but also as a person. The flexibility of Community has allowed me to do a lot of work in labs, TA science classes, and really solidified what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. It’s not a cookie cutter education, and I was really allowed to experiment so that I won’t be flying blind in college. One time during my Italian Arts and Culture class we walked down to Washtenaw Dairy and took pictures of architecture and talked about life and politics and Steve Coron bought us all ice cream. Then we got out of school early and I went to get pizza.”

ZS. H R.

ZAMARIA SUYAPA HERNANDEZ REYES

“Coming into ninth grade knowing nothing was just scary. I didn’t know any English, nothing. I just wanted to be normal like everyone else. Other students understood lessons, they knew what they were doing -- that was the hardest part, that I didn’t know what was going on in class. I’d come home saying, ‘I hate it, I don’t want to do [it] anymore. I can’t understand anything,’ and my older sister would say, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll see, there’s gonna be a time that you know more stuff than me and I’m gonna ask about it.’ Which is funny, because it actually happened. I help her to say words in English. She’ll ask, ‘How do you say this word?’ I’ll say the word, and she’s like, ‘you see?’ I remember saying to her, ‘I will never learn English, I will never talk.’ And she would say, ‘you will, and you will see, and I will tell you that I was right.’ And she was right. I remember coming in after quarantine like normal, like everyone else. I laughed that day, my first day of junior year. I came into the library and Jeri was there. I started talking to her, and she was like, ‘oh my god, Zamaria, you’re speaking English?’ I was like, ‘yeah, you see, I only need to have COVID-19 happen to me.’ It was just funny how she reacted, like, wow. That means I changed a lot and I’m very proud of it. From not knowing how to even ask for a charger to having a whole, full conversation. That was like, wow, I did something right.”

H.W.

HARRISON WORDEN

“What comes to mind [about Community] is just that it’s different from the other big high schools. It’s more student focused, I would say, from what I’ve seen. There’s a better connection with your teachers, a better connection with forum and in my opinion it’s better all the way around, but that’s pretty biased. I feel like I’ve just learned how to fit in in new places. When I came to Community there were only four or five people from my middle school that were here. Trying to adapt to the much bigger environment while knowing anyone was a challenge. I feel just like the kind of more freedom to be yourself but also like to just, you know, [do your own thing]. You can leave class when you’re done. There’s a lot more trust given to you. I’m excited to figure out what I’m doing in the future. I don’t really know where I’m going yet. So I’m just excited to see where that leads. I think one of the best memories was my first tech week, which was for “She Kills Monsters.” I didn’t really realize how different theater in-person would be since I joined CET during the Zoom year, and I finally understood why people would spend that much time working on a show.”

THE ELDON FORUM

A.E S.

ALEJANDRO ENRIQUE SHAKESPEARE

“My favorite memory was getting to know my forum in freshman year on that first Forum Day. It was around the fall season, so it was a bit chilly, but the scenery was beautiful. Our forum planned to go to an older forumette’s house and spend the night. I remember being very nervous; I wasn’t even sure if I was at the right house. At that time I honestly hadn’t spoken to any of my fellow forumettes, which only added to my nervousness. But once I got there and started talking to people, I began to warm up to everyone. One very vivid memory I have was honestly [the forum] just standing around the campfire trying to make it ignite. Ultimately, we couldn’t get it to ignite, so we went to a park and played on the merry-go-round. Even though we weren’t successful, the struggle brought the forum together. Forum Day was definitely the catalyst that got me closer to my forum. My favorite part of Community isn’t anything special — the block scheduling. Everyone knows about the longer class times and the extra freedom, [but to me] it’s about how much we just get done in a single class period. I think it helps us, students, connect with teachers more deeply. Because we have more time, we can go on tangents with our teachers and just talk about something that wasn’t in the lesson, building those personal connections.”

F.M.FLYNN MALCHOW

“My favorite memory at Community was freshman year Forum Day. It was my first year, so I wasn’t in touch with anyone. It was around the time of the year when the leaves were falling and the weather was nice. [As a forum] we ordered a bunch of food and made a campfire. We went to the local playground and played “Cards Against Humanity.” Spending time with these people I didn’t know was a really good bonding experience. We spent the night at our forumettes house, and all I remember was waking up to the smell of pancakes. My old forum leader, Matt Johnson, had bought doughnuts from a local orchard and made pancakes for us. I think that was the day I realized Community was different from other schools. One of my favorite parts about Community is the trust they give the students. Our open campus is a clear example; it allows for a sense of autonomy and responsibility. Students have more [opportunities] to meet new people both in and around our Community. I think the sense of freedom and responsibility that comes from our open campus shows how much trust Community has in the students. Another example is that we can call the teachers by their first names. It’s another way [the school] helps foster our trust and create a casual relationship between the teachers and the students. Ultimately this trust leads to a greater freedom of expression throughout Community.”

F.M.

FELIX MCKENNA

“I love Community. If I didn’t go to Community I don’t think that I would have had a good high school experience. I feel like there are a lot of people who went to CHS for the same reasons as I did. I feel like we would feel more accepted at a smaller school like Community. And I feel like going to a school where a lot of people are like me makes it easier to find people who I like to hang out with and who are super nice. I think being a freshman is kind of learning that being a middle schooler was when everyone’s kind of silly and then once you get into high school, it’s you have to learn how to be an adult and not be like an annoying little kid.”

NADYA MATISH

“I think when I was in my freshman year, I tried out for the first musical that I had ever done in high school. It was “School of Rock.” I tried out for it when I was 14. This [was] before COVID-19. And I was really scared. I’d never really done a musical before. And so when we first got into our rehearsal, we started doing a bunch of introductions. We did a read through and then we finally got to bond as a full cast. And you know, theater kids, we do a bunch of weird things. There’s a lot of strange games and movements and silly tongue twisters that we do. When people started doing them I was just like, what’s happening?’ because I’ve never really been the type of person to just go into something without caring what everyone else thought about it. But I looked around as I was standing in the room, and everyone else was just kind of doing all of the crazy movements like hopping, skipping, saying weird words and just doing weird acting exercises. And I was like, ‘well, everyone else is doing it so I’m not going to be judged for this.’ So I might as well just not care, and that’s kind of informed the rest of my high school experience. I just kind of do it and if everyone decides to do it together, then there’s nothing to lose.”

THE HAMSTRA FORUM

JAMES AZIM

“I’ve changed a lot. I’ve become a lot more mature and I definitely have a different worldview. I felt radical when I was younger, now I tend to have a more moderate view on a lot of things, and I think about things a lot more rather than just feeling things. I think [COVID] also made me realize how hard a lot of the teachers are working. I think the biggest thing is having very good teachers who care about the students, and I think that makes the biggest difference and COVID definitely helped me realize that more. Now I actually care about learning things. I used to think of school as just a grade and there’s a lot of teachers who I care more about giving them a good assignment than just getting a good grade on it. I took Sean Eldon’s philosophical literature class and I think he helped me become a much better writer and that was a class that I probably put more effort into than any other English class because I don’t like English that much, but he made me feel like it was worth it to actually read the material, process it, care about it, and have a genuine unique thought about it and not just the same thing that everyone says. The name really says it all, about having a community of people that support and uplift each other and there’s not such a separation between the administrators and the students. There’s a much more close relationship there. There’s a mutual respect and appreciation here.”

A.F.

ABBY FRANK

“I always really enjoy tech week and our show weekends in CET and spending time to get a lot closer with CET people. I feel like every show that passes I get to know people better and build better relationships and that’s just really special. I feel like I bonded with Matt Johnson while he was teaching here, I really liked his teaching style. First of all, we kind of had a West Coast connection and I really appreciated his book recommendations and the feedback he always had to give me on my writing assignments. What I’m going to miss most about CHS is this small, tight knit community feel and I’m going to miss theater. That’s probably the biggest thing for me. Because I feel like it’s gonna be hard to find such a small special community like that, especially because I’m likely to go into a large university. And so I think even if I continue with theater, which I plan to do, it just won’t have the same feel as CET. I still wish I’d taken even more U of M classes during my time at Community. I’ll have taken five throughout my time here, but I couldn’t have taken any more my sophomore year because it was all online. But that was the year that I really wished I had something like a U of M class. There are really cool anthropology classes that they have and that I would love to take. For example, a class about death and dying and the afterlife and things like that, and I think it’d be really special.”

M.A.

MARGARET ALPERN

“One of the best days of high school was Field Day. It was so fun to, spend time with my forum; I think forum has been the best part too. Spending time with people on camping trips and Forum Day — I remember last year we showed up to Field Day and we just sat around and warmed up for the tug-of-war game. We did pretty well. Up until we lost but it was so much fun. Then we just spent time together. Last year we went kayaking. And that was so fun because people fell in; we were all laughing, It was just really fun. It was a lot of time together, and it was the first time I was with the new forum since COVID-19. In the spring we went camping. It was just so fun, especially at night. Because that’s when I feel like we’ve connected the most because we could just talk about whatever we wanted to. Forum is like a family in school. You have these people that you can always reach out to who will always be there for you.”

L.G-C.

LUKA GALLE-CALLAHAN

“My freshman year camping trip with my forum was really important. We had it with Judith before she left and it was that pre-COVID-19 era. It felt very fresh and new. On that trip I understood what forum meant to Community and the family aspect of forum. Understanding that you have those people in forum that are more than friends, they’re people that you can lean on and ask for help from. I think that’s pretty cool. Now I try to think about continuing to go to Community and keeping that essence. Beth, Steve, the art teachers were very helpful for applying to art school and things like that. After [high school] I want to make stuff: make clothes, make music, make art. Before COVID I liked music and thought clothes were cool. But then during quarantine, I met a cool, good group of friends and we all had really similar interests and built that off of each other. And that just grew into this idea of translating this feeling that we have, as a friend group, into an art form. Having fun with your friends and going out and doing things, the feeling that you’re alive in the moment is very important to me and I want that to be translated into art.”

E.K.

EVE KAPLAN

“I felt like the normal school route was never really my thing. I mean, I was fine. But it just wasn’t as engaging to me. Freshman year, I was struggling really academically and I also didn’t get diagnosed with ADHD until way later in my life. And then when I went to the college experience theater program that I did [last] summer, I was finding that all of a sudden, my issues with paying attention and time management, and all that stuff went out the window, because I was doing something that I was so passionate about. That was also the moment when I realized I wanted to pursue theater in college. It makes me really excited that I’m doing something where I get to be creative and be myself, rather than kind of keep forcing myself to be in spaces that don’t really work that naturally for me.”

K.M.

KARIM MOHAMED

“My parents put such a big emphasis on staying true to your roots and being connected back to your culture. But I think when I started caring was when we moved to Egypt, because I realized how important speaking Arabic and being tied to the culture that you come from was for my development as a person. I think knowing the language of your culture is honestly great because, first of all, if you ever travel back to that country you have that personal experience of speaking Arabic; you have that common factor with the people in that country. I remember one time I was at the pyramids where all the tourists go. We were at the very back of the line and we were talking in Arabic and the people who were selling the admission tickets heard us speaking Arabic. And they kind of ushered us to a side door gave us a full tour in Arabic and everything. I have a lot of friends who are Arabic speakers who go to the other high schools and they don’t have the same experience that I have had while taking Arabic as a language. I’ve had the experience of being taught by native Arabic speakers and diving deeper into grammar that I wouldn’t necessarily get at a high school. That was one of the main reasons that I came to Community. Because going here instilled in me a sense of responsibility because everything here is based on trust.”

G.A. THE HECHLER FORUM

GABRIELA ANDERSON

“On my first day of freshman year, I was really excited. I [felt like] I had a lot more freedom because in middle school the teachers just kind of controlled us. I took the city bus to school and I walked myself to school, I took myself there and back. It was this whole new freedom that I’d never experienced before. I was just giddy with excitement. As a freshman, I was a big follower. I would do what everybody else was doing and I didn’t really have much individuality. I think one upside of COVID-19 was that I kind of found who I was being around people like my family who I was comfortable with. I would much rather try something new around my family than try something at high school with 500 kids who I felt were judging me. So it kind of helped me figure myself out and become myself. I wish I had another year with my friends. At the end of last year we all got close and this year, we’ve really done everything together. We’re all one big group of people and we all love each other. We only have two and a half more months left with each other. It’s something I don’t really want to think about, I just want to pretend it’s not happening. I’m planning on going to Ohio State University. I’m going to major in mechanical engineering and I hope to work with race cars. I want to design chassis for race cars which is the body of the car. Hopefully, I’ll work in a racing league like IndyCar or some kind of formula league.”

C.B-C.

CODY BENJAMINS-CAREY

“I joined jazz band my first year. Being in a band, you get a good sense of camaraderie with your bandmates, and you work together to create art and music and you can express yourself through it. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had, doing concerts and gigs with my band. Our name is Spontaneous Combustion, and there’s eight of us. I play french horn, so a weird instrument for jazz; It’s not common. [In jazz band] everything’s very spontaneous. People from different bands can come together and play music very impromptu. So you play with a lot of different people, and it’s really about experimentation. You’re always trying new things and pushing yourself to play better. I’ve gotten a lot more confidence in my playing. I used to be very scared to solo and improvise when I first started. I’m not terrified, like petrified, to do that anymore. It’s not a big deal or anything. Lee Morgan is the one I try to emulate the most in my own playing. But my favorite of all time is Charles Mingus. He does more composing than just playing, and I like all of his arrangements.”

A.W.

AUDREY WEISS

“I would describe my high school experience as chaotic, confusing, but overall enjoyable. It feels weird coming back from two years of COVID. My friends and my support systems helped me through it. Also I really enjoyed getting to do my hobbies; I love backpacking and being in nature and stuff, so that was one way to exert and [release] a lot of my stress. I also really enjoyed forum. I started out with Cindy as my forum leader and that was really amazing, but she ended up retiring at the end of my first semester. And now since Sarah has gone on maternity leave, having Cindy back again is really closing the loop and I’m really happy about it. I have that kind of a forum experience. It was great, and I love everybody in my forum. We have a wall of mugs, I have my own little mug, there’s like pictures of all of us everywhere, and other things we’ve made. [It’s] very homey. I love all of my teachers too. I [took] every single possible class I could with Becky, and [I’m a] TA in her current health class right now. I’ve always been a really independent person and my parents always let me have a lot of independence. Being at a school that supported that and wasn’t like, ‘we’re gonna lock you inside for eight hours a day’ was really nice, especially going into college next year already feeling prepared for that.”

N.M.

NAJEH MARTINEZ

“The overall inspiration for me to want to pursue a career in the legal field is the desire to help advocate and represent more minorities in the legal system. Not only is there a lack of representation of women but also women of color within legal professions. I want to be a passionate attorney working toward bringing justice for minorities specifically. We are the ones targeted by the law the majority of the time. We deserve more people to fight for us and one of the many ways I plan to do so is through practicing law! My parents are also a huge inspiration for my passion. I’ve watched how much they’ve sacrificed to come to this country and let me have access to the education I do. They’ve always been supportive about what I want to do and push me to continue to fight for what I believe in.”

THE HUNSCHER-YOUNG FORUM

M.C.

MATTHEW CASTILHO

“I came into Community thinking it was going to be like a little hippie school, and I had no intention of coming here originally. From how they presented the school to my parents and me, it seemed like a very laid-back, chill school with no extracurriculars, no AP courses, and no actual difficult opportunities that would make me competitive on the college scene. However, when I actually started attending Community full-time and got into the nitty gritty — especially after COVID-19 — it was the complete opposite. This school is built to prepare you for college with a system of close relationships with teachers, being able to diversify and personalize your own curriculum, as well as teaching you to be responsible for yourself. It’s an environment that gives you the potential to experiment and thrive, while also keeping you in a safe environment where you can make mistakes and learn from them without much harm. I think this school really exceeded my expectations. I changed my entire mindset about what school can offer you. Now, it feels really good to be a senior. It feels liberating like all of this hard work paid off. It’s very liberating to finally know where I’m going: now that the stress is off of me, I’m trying to focus on giving back to the school a little bit. This school gave me so much that I want to give back.”

H.D.HAZEL DERRY

“It doesn’t feel like I’m a senior. I feel like there’s a level above us, but they’re just not here. It’s kind of surreal because I always remembered not even believing there’s a 12th grade, like that couldn’t be possible. That’s so many grades. And now I’m here, I’m like, oh, that was like a breeze. That was easy. Ish. I think I’ve changed a lot [since being a freshman]. I think I’m a little less anxious about how people view me. I’m way more prepared to be annoying without worrying about how other people see me. And I think that’s actually helped, being truly myself. And I’m just pretty honest and true to myself, which has changed from freshman year because all of it was a facade then. I didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t know what to do with myself. Now, I’m not completely sure, but I’m more sure. And I think I have good solid relationships. That was something I never dreamed would happen in middle school. So that’s been a really nice change.”

P.H.

PARKER HUHN

“My high school experience has been pretty good, Community is clearly the best high school in the Ann Arbor district due to its location and open campus. I’m grateful for all of the helpful teachers and having Joslyn as my forum leader, and I am grateful that I get to go to Community instead of a Brighton High School. I’m also very grateful for my father for helping me get a new car after my Accord was totaled.”

E.G.

ELLA GLASS

“I read in someone’s Letter Home a few years ago, in the senior edition, they were like, Community during springtime is one of the greatest things ever. Thinking back to last year with, Field Day, Forum Day and Commstock all in a row, I just thought it was so cool that we were able to get a little break and just be outside with each other. That sense of community where everyone is outside and on the same page about just having a good time on these specific days where we were supposed to have a good time is so special. And I’m really grateful for that. I don’t know what it was about Commstock, but everyone around me was having a great time and so I was having a great time. I think it’s a great opportunity to just be outside and dance with your classmates. It’s very unique and very fun. How has Community been the same or different from my expectations? I guess I remember something that I secretly really hoped for coming into Community was a good relationship with teachers. It was one of those things that I just thought wouldn’t happen to me because I’m so worried about it, I’m so wrapped up about it. But looking back this year, as I’m starting to reflect, I’ve realized that I don’t really have those thoughts anymore, and I don’t really have those fears about not being worthy and not being liked by teachers because of all the really positive experiences that I’ve had. All of the writing that I’ve done at Community has made me really proud because I know that when I click ‘view grade,’ I’m going to get something out of it. I’m going to get respect, and I’ll be seen.”

R.I.

RITA IONIDES

“Becoming more involved in journalism has been something that’s really brought me back to this school and the people in it. Coming out of the pandemic and throughout really the first few years of high school, I didn’t think of myself as a Community student, per se. Going in, I had some negative experiences and some negative impressions and going online, of course, there was no one there to talk to. Until I joined journalism and started having all these conversations, you know, hearing all these amazing stories from people around the school and around Kerrytown, I hadn’t thought of myself as being part of this place. And now I definitely do. I think that people who don’t understand Community sometimes look at our seniors and say that they’re successful ‘despite’ having gone to Community: I don’t agree at all. I think I’m successful because I went to Community.”

H.N.

HUGO NELSON

“I took an Intro to Drawing class with Steve my junior year. The class gave me a reason to draw. I could draw without the pressure of knowing that I was not doing any work. It was one of the first classes where I fully felt like I could learn to love art. I’ve respected art my entire life. Ever since, I’ve kept an art class in my schedule. Community taught me that art is really fun. I enjoy art because it’s one of the purest forms of expression. Visual arts gives me a way to convey information. Next year I’m going to take a gap year, I really want to get into 2D animation and practice drawing. I’ll miss my teachers, because they’ve been really supportive of me all the time. It’s nice to have somebody who supports you unconditionally. The school is small enough that the teachers can look out for students. Community is a very collaborative environment. Community [gives] students freedom. Free blocks have given me a lot of opportunities where I can just work on assignments that I wasn’t able to complete in the time frame allotted. It’s given me time to catch up and take a breather. There’s a choice given at Community to not abuse that freedom. The fact that Community trusts its students to do the right thing instead of making sure students can only do the right thing is very important to the culture of Community.”

CRICKET WREFORD

“I think I was a lot more anxious as a freshman, and I was also a lot more sad. I think that I’m a bit more content in general, with myself and with my friends, and just my environment and the space I take up in general. And I’m less nervous around other people. Online school sucked really bad. But now, I think a highlight was just the cool classes that I got to take. I think that the flexibility of what classes you get to take was definitely a highlight for me, especially ceramics and computer science. I like the art classes at Community especially, because I feel like there’s a lot of flexibility with the projects. With art classes in particular, you get to do what you want and represent what you want to represent in your project. You get a lot of freedom. So I really liked that. Becky Brent is also one of my favorite teachers. I took her Speech and Communications class, and I thought that it was really cool because it was very much tailored to what you as an individual wanted, like whether you want to work in a group or on your own for all the projects. It also just kind of helped me because I get nervous with public speaking. And so it was cool to have a class where that was the main focus.”

THE JOHNSON FORUM

JILL BOYNTON

“Community has given me a lot more freedom and with that freedom, it’s also given me time to grow more and mature faster. Because when you’re given freedom, if you take too much of it, it really can come back to bite you in the ass and I feel like figuring out that balance while you’re in high school is very helpful and it’s gonna benefit me when I go to college. I wish I could tell my freshman self to just be more involved, to be active in forum, and not just sit there, but actually participate. Because when you do you get so much more out of it than if you’re just sitting there and not really doing anything. I feel like Community’s block schedule and open campus and stuff like that has really showed me what college is going to be like, because in college you don’t have classes everyday. I feel like the close relationships you build with teachers is also very similar to what it’s going to be like in college. I’m really looking forward to being a student athlete [at Henry Ford College] next year because the school gives the student athletes all these tools and access to tutors that can help you just stay on top of your work and make sure that you are staying academically eligible to play. That was one of the main things that made me commit because if I am playing with them, they want to make sure that I’m doing good in school as well.”

S.D.

STEVIE DUMITRASCU

“I chose to come to Community because I didn’t want to go to a normal high school and because it is such a unique environment. It [CHS] has really prepared me for college because I’ve really been able to take my education into my own hands, which I think is an essential skill for higher education and life, where you get a lot more flexibility and responsibility. I feel prepared to take advantage of everything in college because I’ve been able to do that already here. Specifically, I’ve been able to go to Huron for music while also participating in the best of Community. Taking health sciences through Huron has been great because I get real-world experience at the hospital four times a week for two hours, but I also have a forum and teachers that I love here. Janelle, especially, has been a real one recently. She’s my forum leader and it’s good to know that you always have that one teacher that’s looking out for you in all aspects of school and life, who will let you know you’re in forum to be heard and they’re there to help you. After high school, I want to see how far I can take music. I plan to get a bachelor’s in music while also taking science classes and possibly go to med school afterwards. Eventually, I hope to write my own stuff and perform and see what I can do in four years, see if I can make a name for myself. If it doesn’t really work though, if I’m not feeling it, then I’ll still have science and medicine, which is a more practical path that I’m really, really interested in.“

N.F.

NAVI FIELDS

“One of my favorite Community things is spending lunch off campus. Me and my friends always go across to Kerrytown to eat. Just hanging out and being away from school is a very nice escape. I’m also gonna miss my teachers because it was very personal calling them by their first names and everything and I created some very valuable relationships. I’ll especially miss Beth, Janelle and Joslyn. I had Joslyn for a lot of the classes that I really enjoyed, and she’s a very nice, chill teacher. It was a very good experience doing the Jones School project with her. My advice for incoming Community students would be to be open to getting uncomfortable. Be willing to go out of your comfort zone and try new things and meet new people, because that’s what Community is all about. I originally wanted to go to the bigger schools just because that’s where all my friends from middle school were going, but I think if I had known all the stuff that I do now [about Community] I probably would have wanted to go here a lot more at the time, because I realized it was a place where you could still be independent, but at the same time have strong relationships with teachers. Since Community’s a smaller school, everyone is a lot closer and it feels more like a family. After high school, I’m excited to be more independent and be more of an adult. I’m looking forward to creating a new world for myself because three out of five of the colleges I applied to are out of state. If I do end up possibly going to one of those, I think it’ll be really interesting to meet completely new people and interact with a whole new environment.”

S.S.

SIMON SHAVIT

“For my freshman year forum day, we went to Zap Zone and then went to eat at Red Robin. We had a competition to try to find who could chug the most root beer floats. Sadly nobody puked that time though. My favorite classes at Community were definitely computer science and Spanish. In computer science, I got to design my own Wordle-like game, which was different than any other projects I’d done. And in Spanish, we always just get to talk a lot about life outside if school and I always have a good time in that class. I chose to come to Community for classes like that and because I knew the teachers were much more understanding about not only your troubles, but just how everyone is doing in general. After high school, I’m looking forward to going to college and meeting new people and seeing what living away from home is like. I’m going into college undecided, but I’m probably going to go into data science or computer science. I’m really interested in computer science because of all the games I can learn to make and how the subject applies to and teaches me about my real life. I’m interested in data science since I like analyzing sports data for crew and other sports.”

H.C.

HENRY CONNOR

“There was one day when we were coming back from online school and it felt Community. I’ve had three different experiences with high school. I hadn’t really found my friend group yet [freshman year.] I didn’t know anyone because a lot of my friends from middle school went to different schools. So I didn’t have a friend group going into [CHS.] I had to find my own way, and there were a lot of things I wasn’t aware of because I hadn’t found my path yet. And then online school, which was part two of my journey. I think COVID was good in terms of school; I got all my work done. I had [friends] but it just wasn’t the same. [When we came back] something was happening on the lawn, it was a back to school thing, I remember sitting down with my friends and I finally felt like I was actually in high school. We were talking about what we did for [online school]. I think my junior and senior year were more [similar to a] typical high school experience. I think that learning at Community will end up being a great influence on me because it’s made me a more creative and independent thinker, and it’s made me learn what it means to pave my own path, and if you want to do something, it takes a lot of hard work, but you’ll end up having something that you’re proud of. [At Community] you can just try out things that you want to do and there’s so many things that you can do in the community. I think that I learned a lot, and that can help me in university and then eventually after college.”

S.C.

SAM CAO

“I think overall it’s just been a very busy four years and I haven’t really settled down much and just relaxed during that time, which I am thankful for because it puts me in that mindset for my future of being able to do that level of sitting down, working and just getting through it. It was always enjoyable. A mixture of different extracurriculars and especially journalism took up my time in school and lacrosse outside of it. It was always fun even while working through all of those different things and getting to be a bigger part of them over time. It wasn’t always what I wanted to do at the time, but I’m happy that I did it because I learned a lot. A door rarely closes at Community, but there is always one open. So enjoy that.”

M.H.MICK HANSON

“I perceived [this school] as a lot more different when I was a freshman, but I’ve come to realize that it’s not all that different from other high schools, the only major difference is with the open campus. A lot of my experiences within jazz have been very memorable, even recently when we have been playing at bands and reviews. Some more memorable experiences have been forum trips and the film trip to the Michigan Theater. I’m going to be going to college for jazz, and being in community jazz has obviously helped prepare me for that. Also, the open campus style of Community helps prepare you for college as well.”

D.D.

DERREN DEAN

“Coming back from COVID and being able to see my friends in-person again, was something I’ll never forget the feeling of. COVID was a very isolating time for me. On the first day of school last year, walking in the building with my friends, it was almost surreal. I realized to always be grateful for the time you have with people. Because, you don’t know when that is going to be taken away. Throughout high school there have always been people to accept me. One of my middle school friends and I had a little bit of a falling out. However, when we came back to school, they were there to help me through a difficult time. My friend was there to help me make big decisions and to help with the small stuff. These friends changed my life and I know they’ll stick with me for a long time.”

K.R.

KAELA REDDING

“My confidence has grown. I don’t feel like I’m so scared to do something because a person is going to judge me for the way that I do one thing. I used to be so self conscious over how I did one thing. But, I think now I’ve kind of stopped caring so much and [I’m] just doing what I like. Being able to ask anyone anything and people being nice about it also helps because I feel like talking to a stranger is so scary, but it’s really not. Community gave me so much independence, which was really nice. It’s gonna help with transitioning to college because I’ve known now what I have messed up. So it’s a nice thing for me to have a growth mindset [when] looking forward to college. So I know I don’t have to make these mistakes again. And it’s really nice that as a high school student you almost get this college experience. I feel like if you have good grades, that’s the basics. But at Community, you can see people are actually passionate about what they’re doing, and actually learning. Community really does give you the sense of independence and create what you want to do.”

E.R.

ELLA ROSEWARNE

“Something I’ve learned about myself is I’d rather give 100% to one thing than 10% to 10 things. I feel like if you’re doing everything, you might have all of these titles, but it can be hard to tell what you’ve done. I feel like I can say I did something. In journalism I really enjoyed all the work I did and feel like it really changed and grew me as a person throughout high school. With college acceptances and rejections, I’ve learned to look at rejections and accept them and learn from them. At the beginning of the college process, I thought there was no way I was going to look at my application and think it represented me. But once I submitted it, I felt like you would get a pretty good sense of who I am from reading it. I feel satisfied with the past four years and I will miss Community so much, but I also feel ready for something new. I feel like at Community I branched out some, but a lot of what I did was scripted for me. I see college as a time for me to figure out what I want and to follow that and see where it sends me.”

I.S-M.

ISABELLA STEVENS-MERCADO

“Third and fourth grade was really hard in elementary school, especially fourth grade. My teachers didn’t know how to deal with ADHD. They thought that dealing with ADHD meant more discipline. I used to do this thing where I couldn’t sit obviously because I have ADHD. So I’d stand at my desk and I would do my work, but she had a problem with it. One day she just took my desk completely and forced me to sit in a chair. It progressed to her taking my pencil and trying her best to take away field trips. I used to never speak. I always used to do my work and now I talk to people and I can be social. I like who I am. I don’t feel like I have to be confined to doing what is expected of me because what’s expected of me isn’t what was expected of me in middle school if that makes sense. At Community they understand that not everyone can be that way. They’re a lot more open and accepting. It took me a really long time to adjust to that and it took me a really long time to adjust to it. And then I finally found more of who I was like Junior and Senior year, especially when I went off my meds. Every time I took my meds I just reverted back to being that person [from elementary school]. So when I stopped taking my meds I was able to speak and not feel like I had to be someone that I wasn’t.”

THE KILGORE FORUM

C.G.

CARL GOMBERT

“I had a final my freshman year and I didn’t study at all. I wanted to leave so badly that I filled in a bunch of boxes randomly. Everybody else in the class got a good grade and I was the one person who did bad on the test. I thought, ‘I can’t be doing this much worse than everybody else. I gotta do better than this.’ I definitely took my tests more seriously after that. When I came in freshman year, I didn’t know myself. I had a lot more negative influences in my life and I wouldn’t advocate for myself enough. I had a lot of self-reflection during the year of online school in how I wanted my life to look and who I wanted to be around. I have a much better sense of what my goals are now, what my values are, what I enjoy and who I am. I know that I want to get a degree, get a good job and be part of some community. I want to go into computer science. I like being able to construct something that’s completely unique, but I also enjoy having to be methodical about it. What I’ve learned in high school is that you can’t ever say you’re going to do something tomorrow. Don’t put stuff off and motivate yourself any way you can to do things as soon as possible. What I’ll remember from high school is that I had a great group of friends. I had some great teachers and a lot of freedom to figure out what I liked and what I wanted to do.”

I.B.

IVAN BAR

“So in freshman year, we were doing Multi-Culti, and I was with my junior friends. We took this big jar, it was like this plastic jar that used to have cheese balls in it. And then we went around to all the forums, and we took different things from each forum and put it in this jar. We had oil, we had mostly liquids, we had this olive oil thing, it was just a bunch of disgusting things. And at the end, we had this big jar full of everything that we could find. And then we go up to Courtney [Kiley] and we go ‘Courtney, can we have some yeast to fill up this jar?’ And she says ‘Yeah, sure.’ She poured yeast, we’re making prison wine, right. It’s prison wine. So we screwed the top and we put it in our friend’s locker on the first floor. And we just leave it to marinate in there. But then, lockdown happens. So Kevin was the one who had to take out that prison wine, and he had a lot of questions [for] the guy [that had it in his locker]. But it was like a really [essential] memory to me. [I’m] not really stressing about the past or the future. Because the past already happened, and the only thing you can do to change the future is what you do right now. That’s something you can change, that’s the only thing that’s tangible right now.”

I.G.

IZZY GILB

“I thought I had to be popular and all this and all that. I thought everyone had to know me or I wouldn’t have fun. In high school and once COVID hit we couldn’t really see any people. When we got back to school, no one cared. Obviously, I didn’t have many close friends. So it really pushed me back mentally. And during junior year, I was able to finally start making new friendships and connections with people and opening up and blossoming as a new person. Try not to care about popularity. It’s really not that important, you can have a way better time in high school if you just don’t care about popularity and make friends with people you have similar interests with. Just make friends. Get out of your bubble. Let’s be real. No one cares how you look, you don’t have to dress up all the freaking time. Just be yourself. And, I know that’s so cliche, but literally just do it. Be yourself.”

C.P.

COLE PEROFF

“My advice for freshmen is to get your GED. Try to get your work done in class. Don’t bring it home. I know for myself, when I get home, I’m not thinking about doing homework so I try to get it done early. And if you do it at school, if you need help with something there’s literally any teacher who can help you. So you don’t have to worry about not knowing what subject you’re on and always ask. The class that they offer is nice as support and just because you’re going doesn’t mean you’re dumb or anything. It just means you need help in math, but to be honest, right now, I don’t need help in math. And I’m just doing my other homework in the class. I’d definitely say I’m happy with my choice to come to Community because that’s how I started differences. Right now I only have three classes I’m taking but obviously they’re like two hours long each. But I don’t really mind that to be honest, because the classes I’m taking they aren’t bad at all.”

MADISON LEE

“I remember one time last year me, Maddie, Lauren and Ivy left school early one day and we went to Coney Island. It was just a really fun time, and it allowed me to get to know everybody better. We just messed around, listened to music and ate a bunch of food. I remember that was the first time I had ever been in Lauren’s car, and she let me play music. I feel like over the past four years I’ve been able to build great friendships with so many people. Freshman year I was only really friends with people I was friends with in middle school. There’s nothing wrong with that, they’re great people, but I feel like I’ve really gotten to know everybody here really well. And Coney Island was just one moment that made those connections stronger.”

T.S.

TOMMY SIMON

“I think Community taught me a lot about my personal limits with productivity and balancing work life. It’s a very adult thing to learn about, so I’m grateful for that. I also think I’ve gone through a lot of personal changes during my years here, so I’ve gotten to know myself a lot better and I’ve had a lot of experiences that have helped me figure out who I am and also make decisions about who I want to be. I think it’s just an accumulation of a lot of small things that have taught me these lessons. I think about them and forget about them, but the lessons kind of stay with me and then they all combine into something bigger. My teachers at community have really helped, they’re personally available to me and all the students and willing to form bonds and kind of raise their students. I want to mention Mike Vial specifically; getting to know every student that well shouldn’t be expected of teachers because that’s just not realistic, but I was really grateful that he was willing to go the extra mile for me in that way.”

THE LANDRUM FORUM

M.H.

MADDY HENDRIKSMA

“Basically my entire middle school friend group came with me to Community. It made my freshman year a lot better because I already had people I could talk to if my classes were hard or whatever it was. I never had to struggle on my own because I had friends that were going through the same thing at the same school. It was helpful to have a friendly face in my classes. I think I’ve probably grown the most in my independence and responsibility. My freshman year, I was spending $30 a week on food and I was late for everything and I don’t think I valued other people’s time. I think Community has helped me become a good communicator and have respect for my teachers in a way that I didn’t middle school. I think the teachers here are really receptive to reaching out. If you need an accommodation and access I think they’re really receptive to that. And if you need to turn in something late or you need a little extra help or something, it’s not something to be ashamed of here and I think that’s really I’ll carry that with me for a while — that it’s okay to reach out and ask for help.”

L.M.

LAUREN MACNEIL

“Last year, there was a group of boys in my forum. I thought they were so funny because they were just so into forum. Those four guys were super into the idea of being with people and they really put themselves out there. I looked up to them most. They were just so comfortable with themselves, and they could be themselves around others, which is something you don’t always see — sometimes people put on a fake face when they’re talking so that they’re liked. But they never did. They taught me how to talk to new people and not be super painfully awkward while doing it. I think it just showed me how shy and terrified I was. I used to have my solid group of friends, [and] I didn’t talk to really anyone else, unless I was forced to for a project. I’m definitely still very shy, but I do talk to more people. If I went to the Skyline, I wouldn’t have had to make new friends. Now, I bond with people that I don’t really talk to on a daily basis, and it’s just kind of fun to be around everyone.”

S.L.

SCARLETT LONDON

“I think the biggest thing Community has given to me is confidence in myself and it’s really helped me grow as a person. I feel like I came into Community really really nervous because the only thing I felt like I really had to identify myself as a person was who my friends were. And I came into Community without a ton of friends. I felt lost because I sort of defined their interests as my own — I didn’t have any sense of my own style or my personality. I guess it felt like the biggest risk I’ve ever taken, now it just seems obvious and I don’t know why I would ever choose not to come here. But it was the biggest risk. I feel like every day since then, I’ve grown more as a person and I’ve figured out something new about myself. I just feel like it’s such a gift to be able to look back at your high school experience as something where you really enjoyed yourself and you really got to know yourself. And I feel like a lot of people don’t actually have that experience in high school.”

JADYN TAYLOR

“Sometimes you never know what happens when it comes to the time, and then something will come when you reach that moment. Then you know that it’ll be reaching. In freshman year, I was a freshman. In my senior year, I am now a senior. But you know, now I’m a senior and I just think I’m a senior now and it’s kind of crazy. Overall, I would say CHS is a really good place to build your relationship with teachers. You will be just surprised by just how teachers are willing to help you out, and there will always be a teacher to help you with what you’re working on. I just love how there’s always gonna be a resource for you in that community. It is like you can always take classes somewhere else, working on yourself, and build a strong relationship with other students and teachers. CHS is just not the same like other schools. It’s just not the same.”

C.M.

CHRISTOPHER MENDEZ

“When I first came to Community, a senior and a sophomore in our forum took me under their wing. I think they did most of the heavy lifting — they always sought me out and went out of their way to make me feel included and cared for. I care about them, but I feel like my personal journey of growth was more influenced by other things — mainly my relationship with someone who doesn’t go here. I’m not in a relationship with them anymore, but I’d say we’re still close friends. I feel like my relationship with that person has really shaped me as a person. Back in middle school, I really didn’t really know how to interact with people in a compassionate way and I think I was a little egotistical. I had a bit of a superiority complex because I felt like I was pretty aware of what was going on around me — I had a good understanding of things that people didn’t expect me to have an understanding of. Since then, I’ve learned how to be more considerate and thoughtful. I’ve learned how to listen to other people better, and how to be supportive. I’ve learned to be more in tune and in control of my emotions, and am a calmer person than I was in middle school. I’ve also gotten better at having deep conversations with people, but I’m bad at forming initial connections and having engaging light conversations. I struggle with that. And, I need to figure out what I want to do with myself professionally. I just know that I want to do something that helps people.”

THE MANKAD FORUM

E.B.

ELLIOT BRAMSON

“Freshman year, I went to Huron for my first three classes. I didn’t know anyone so I would just be on my own. Then I would take the bus, and when I got to CHS halfway through the day, it was a more relaxed, welcoming environment. Everyone is themselves more; that’s a cliche, but it’s true. But I had no passion. I didn’t have many interests, I wasn’t confident and I played basketball, which I enjoyed but didn’t love. I was just going through the motions–It felt like my life hadn’t started yet. I got cut from the basketball team during my junior year, and the more I think about it, the more I feel like that was a turning point in my life. I started going to crew workouts, learned to drive and got my first job, and that was around the same time my grandma passed away. I feel like that was the start of a new life that I’m living now. I knew that there were milestones in my life that I was crossing, but I thought of them as more of external milestones, like getting my driver’s license, but now I realize they were more of internal milestones because I was changing as a person–it wasn’t just that I had done things or had more responsibilities, but I was changing. I’m different now because I have a better sense of who I am. I wish I could tell my freshman self ‘you were at a stagnant point of life, but by the time you get to the end of high school, your life will be so much richer.’”

KEVIN DUTTON

“It wasn’t that I didn’t like my first year, it was that I really liked Community and Pioneer both. I just didn’t like feeling split between two schools. I didn’t like having to take the bus every single day and pay for it. The walk was really far with my backpack and instrument. Once I was able to drive the higher band classes were later in the day, it made my schedule easier. I was able to drive and I could quickly commute so it wasn’t that much of a hassle. It was nice to be able to continue doing band the way that I wanted to and still be at Community, take the classes that I was interested in and find my niche. I enjoy playing my instrument. I enjoy reading music and I’ll keep trying to get better. I think it’s a unique way to express yourself [in a way] that isn’t through words. I think music is cool because it kind of speaks for itself. I just have an appreciation for it. And maybe I wouldn’t have done it as long if I went to Pioneer full-time. Split enrolling in the afternoon made it hard to be a part of the forum in the afternoon. Now that I’m able to go to afternoon forum, it means more to me. Forum has definitely, for me, been a really defining experience in high school. Being with Maneesha and my friends, we definitely had a very special bond in our forum, and that’s something that I’ll remember. I think like just being with Maneesha, from help with math to support as a teacher and outside of school, just advice on life. My bond with Maneesha has been special and has helped me grow as a person.”

S.F.

SANTIAGO FIORI

“As a freshman, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with my education. I didn’t know what I wanted to major in. I didn’t know what classes I wanted to take. I didn’t even know if I wanted to go to Community. But since then, over the pandemic, and over my years at Community, I really got to understand the resources that Community offers. I’ve gotten to understand the benefit that Community has and the opportunities it provides. And I think I’ve come to realize that choosing to go to Community was one of the best decisions I made and I realized that I have to take advantage of that. When I came in here, I was like, ‘alright, it’s just like any other high school’. It’s not, so I’ve matured with that and realize that my education can be whatever I want it to be. If you want to just have a normal high school, you can do that. But if you want to do something more, if you want to go out into the community and talk to professionals in the field that you’re studying, or if you want to take classes outside of Community, you can do that. It’s if you want to take time and you want to dedicate yourself to it, you can do so much more than what any other high school can offer. Here at Community you get to think of the entire city as your school. It’s not just like you’re confined to one space here. You can quite literally learn anywhere and everywhere.”

O.H-P.

OLIVER HILTZ-PERRON

“I had a falling out with some friends freshman year and that made me reconsider my standards for friendships. We were all friends from middle school and a new person that joined the group didn’t like me that much and then got everyone else to turn on me. But I’ve gotten to know that group again. That person has now left the group and it’s gotten a lot better. It was frustrating. I had to learn to put myself out there to meet new people. It was part way through freshman year so I found that pretty difficult. I learned how to meet people better. Making connections and getting to know people is important and high school has helped me hone those skills. During COVID-19 I developed an interest in computer science and coding. I also started out in CET my freshman year, but now I’m on the robotics team. That’s helped me with what I want to do in the future. I’m looking to go into computer science and get a bachelor’s degree and then probably go for an MBA and try to pursue some sort of management in a bigger tech company. I’m excited for the new experience of going to college, getting away from family and trying to make my way in the world. I don’t have any specific goals. I plan on working hard to try and get internships and things because computer science can be a very competitive field.”

A.F.

ADRI FRIEBEL

“My favorite memory from Community is probably from my freshman year when we had our first Forum Day. We went kayaking at Argo Pond and that’s when I met Oliver, Biel and Santi. Being at a new school, I didn’t know anyone here at first. So making those new friendships was pretty important. I had also never had a field trip like that before. I think the freedom and doing something you wouldn’t do in middle school made that moment stand out. Next year, I will be at Washtenaw Community College, and then I will go to Michigan State to become a forester. I’m ready to leave high school and ready to be an adult. I’m tired of doing work that I don’t necessarily care about. I’m ready to study stuff that I want to study and just have more freedom.”

B.T-C.

BIEL TAPLEY-COLL

“I was always interested in the base level of computers and how they work. I’m part of the programming team [for Zebrobotics]. It’s good hands-on experience for programming. My friend would create his own card game that we’d play, and now I really just play online games with my friends. Cooperation games are great for connecting with people. My friend Oliver is going to Canada for college and that’d be a great way to connect with him. The thing I’ll miss most about CHS is the sense of community–the personal connections that you have with people. CHS is such a small school compared to every other high school that I’ve seen. I think the best Forum Day we did was the kayaking trip. I think it was where we just went down the Huron river starting in Argo Park. I think we should do it this year as well.”

A.L.

ARISTA LUONG

“Freshman year, I remember thinking Community was a breath of fresh air because I didn’t have a monotonous schedule, I didn’t have to eat in a cafete ria, there were no bells and the administration trusted me to be responsible enough to take care of my own schedule and be where I needed to be. I think Community teaches you that you’re a person first and a student second. Sophomore year, I started taking classes at Huron too because I wanted to take AP classes, and then junior year I added UM classes on top of that. I was going to three different schools at once, but, to be honest, I loved it. I was always moving and my days were filled to the brim with learning centered around what I’m passionate about. That experience made me realize that I wanted the rest of my life to be like that. I feel prepared to face college and beyond because I’ve persevered through difficult times, which has made me more resilient and confident in myself. Taking AP Chemistry opened a lot of doors for me. Chemistry has become my favorite thing in the whole world — it’s the thing that I want to study forever, and I found it because of the opportunities that Community offered me. Community is unlike any other high school because of the amount of freedom that you have, academically and otherwise.”

H.M.

HANNAH MARGOLIS

“My favorite memory from Community is the Opening Ceremony my freshman year of high school. It was really fun and exciting because I got a sneak peek of how the next four years of my life was going to go. It was like this weird foreshadowing. I saw all the teachers getting along so well with the students, but I didn’t have connections with them yet. And it’s really nice to look back on that because I do have all those amazing connections with them now. Something I will take from Community into my life going forward is the kindness to everyone and being just happy where you are in life. Community taught me that you can literally be happy wherever you are, and you can find people to support you wherever you are. Another thing Community has given me is independence and responsibility. Being a senior is really weird and scary. I just think it was so anticipated and now that it’s here, there’s uncertainty in my life, but it’s all part of the circle. I will never forget the four years of my life here that have forever changed my life. It’s sad to leave behind this chapter of my life because of the impact it has had on me. That being said, I’m excited to see what the rest of my life has in store for me. I know I’m going to miss everyone and all my teachers very much, but I know the future holds great things.”

S.M.

SOFI MARANDA

“One of my favorite experiences was our camping trip for forum because that was the first time that we got an actual forum day. I didn’t connect with people in forum before that. It’s different than a field trip because you’re going out as friends and doing something outside of school, but you’re getting to build those connections in a way that isn’t in a classroom. It’s different building relationships across different grades and interests and it’s important because I see those people in a setting that isn’t a normal classroom twice a week, all year, for four years. Right now, I’m trying to move away from spending time on my phone, especially as I’m running out of time here. I’m reading more than I was in the college applications season, which I’m happy about, but I’ve had a good time with knitting and embroidering this semester. I’m doing art more and letting myself still be creative in that way. I want to make sure I’m making time for those things [in college] because I struggle with blocking out that kind of time now. My professor for my Korean class at the [University of Michigan] meant a lot to me because that was a new kind of class and I was nervous, but the professor I had was really supportive. Having that as my first glimpse into a college class was valuable because based on how much I loved that class, and how much I learned from the professor, that shaped what I want to learn about in the future and how I like to approach history.”

THE MOSHER FORUM

S.G-R.

SAM GIBB-RANDALL

“In CHS, we’re given a lot of freedom to do the things we want to do. I love the classes here, especially journalism. It’s definitely the best class here. I waited until my junior year to try it because I was kind of scared of how much work it would be. One of the most vivid moments for me is when I finished my first article. I learned a lot about how to be more assertive and feel comfortable talking to people. In CHS, when you’re here, you learn how to manage yourself. There are no restrictions on class. For example, you don’t have to be in class all the time and you can be in the hallways. CHS is a place where you’re allowed to develop as a person which I really appreciate. There’s a lot of pushing you towards developing your own ways of thinking, I am very different from when [I was] a freshman to who I am as a senior. For the future, I think my next step is going to be having fun in college. I am going to meet new people in college. I think it’s gonna be good. It’s gonna be a hard transition in terms of academics, but I’m still really excited to be in college.”

N.L.

NICOLAS LANGDON

“I think my biggest takeaway from CHS would be, that there are going to be situations where you can be yourself, and you should always take advantage of that. I believe that CHS is one of those places where you can be yourself. Throughout four years at CHS, I think CHS really made me more independent. I also learned about money management, since so many restaurants and businesses are close by and the school has an open campus. I love the environment that the teachers in the staff have created. I think that all the teachers like to work here and they make the students a lot more comfortable and they feel safer in the classrooms. In CHS, teachers are trying to help you and really want you to succeed. My plan for the future is to go to school in DC for the next four years and I hope to intern at Washington DC. Then sometime in the future, I’d love to go on a reality TV show. I hope to run for office someday to become a public servant. And after that, I would love to become a writer and write a TV show or a movie [star], because I’ve always found writing has been a good coping mechanism and creating stories. I think my experience at CHS gave me a great opportunity for my potential future careers, and I am really excited for my college years.”

JONAH LEE

“Sophomore year, I was fully online, and junior year, it was very strict because of Covid. You sorta had to stay in class. Obviously, you still had open blocks, but it was totally different. But my senior year feels like it’s prepping me a lot for college, in the sense that you’re gonna need a lot of time management. Nobody’s really going to be there to tell you like ‘Hey, remember, get to class’ other than yourself. And so I think this is good practice for managing your time well. I think the free blocks really stick out to me — you can sort of just walk around. I remember before Teriyaki Time closed. We used to go to Teriyaki Time at the end of the third block, and we’d get hungry at, like, 11. And we’d all order food, and we’d always be the first to eat because it was right before lunch, and we’d all eat lunch as a little group. I remember one time there was like a little bonfire with the whole school. I low-key forgot about that. It was like a full school bonfire in the Kerrytown parking lot. We haven’t done that since freshman year.”

C.V L.

CHRIS VAN LENT

“In precalc I had been sitting with people that I didn’t really know for most of the year, then one day I was just like, ‘Alright I am going to change tables and try talking with different people’ and I got to be friends with them pretty quickly. Once I got to know them in math, it was easier to talk to people in other classes too. With the small class size at Community, you’re always going to know someone in all your classes. It’s really easy to think that if you’re not talking to anyone and you’re by yourself, it’s just you being self-sufficient. But when I did start talking to people, I realized there’s no point in being self-sufficient and independent in a school with so many fun people and so much fun stuff going on. At Community, there’s always going to be people talking and doing stuff and it’s really easy to get drawn out of your shell. If you walk through the hallways at Skyline during class, it’s just silent; there’s no one out there. But at Community, if you walk out of your class — take a five-minute break — you could probably talk to three different people in different classes. The ‘buzz’ keeps my day interesting.”

THE QU FORUM

A.B.

ANTON BAPTISTA

“My dad and I watched a lot of documentaries growing up, and I feel like that has a large impact on what I enjoy doing. History doesn’t so much influence my life as it shows me how I got here, and that fascinates me more than anything else. Quarantine stood out because it just kind of felt like I droned through it and I didn’t really have any passions or interests. All my clubs shut down, and so after that point, I stopped talking to a lot of my friends. Going into junior year, I didn’t think I’d be able to reconnect with all my friends, but it was actually fairly seamless. I learned a lot about myself during quarantine, it gave me time to self reflect on and improve myself. I learned that you don’t always need motivation to kind of do things because I was very demotivated, but I still got pretty okay grades. But it also showed me that passion doesn’t just come on its own, you need to manage it and you can’t do things too frequently, or else they get monotonous. When it comes to history, I’m reading about it, but it’s not my whole life. So it’s a balance of studying and maintaining my social life.”

JR. .

RILEY JAWORSKI

“I think just the feeling of being at Community and the feeling of the relationship between the students and teachers, and seeing that it’s, this school is an option. It’s not like it is at Pioneer, which is pretty cool. Just get through your classes, go, you’re done. Having the forum program and having the block schedule, and everyone is just so friendly. Everyone here wants to be here. So just kind of the environment, it’s much, much more enjoyable than the other high schools. I like split enrolling a lot. When compared to Pioneer, I don’t think I would be the person I am right now if I hadn’t gotten into Community, and I’m really grateful that I did because there’s a lot of good memories but one is when I turned 16 in school on my birthday. My whole forum was eating lunch outside and Anna Tapley-Col brought a cake and she convinced our entire forum to scream-sing me happy birthday. And it was just really, it was a really touching experience. It felt really good that everyone cared enough to do that.”

E.B.

EVERS BASKEY

“Community means a place where fun comes first. I’ve learned that the most important part of school isn’t the material we learn in class; it’s the connections you make with the people around you that really matter. One of my favorite memories here at Community was freshman year during Forum Day when we all walked to Revel and Roll from Liz’s house and went bowling. During that Forum Day, I got to know some of the older forum members, which was nice. It was one of the last major forum things we all did before the pandemic. Another memory I have was when I was a freshman in CET and I was instructed to stand in the dumpster outside the building with TJ and receive all of the junk we didn’t need anymore and help put it in the dumpster. It was just a funny situation to be in, with all the people walking by and we’re just in the dumpster. I think freshman year I was definitely more reserved, and a bit more uptight. Since then I’ve relaxed a bit, and thus loosened up. I’ve learned to be open to different outcomes. Life often doesn’t always go as planned, and sometimes you just have to roll with it. I’m excited for a lot more independence next year, and to really be able to start the next chapter of my life.”

E.O.

ELIAS OVERPECK

“The most important memory is forum overnight in junior year at Elliott’s house. I just remember staying up really late with like, around the fire kind of just with everyone and talking. And just bonding. I’m gonna definitely miss that kind of opportunity to socialize. I feel like I got really lucky with the people in my forum. The forum overnight is kind of hard to remember in clear detail, because I was kind of delirious from lack of sleep. I definitely got closer with the other seniors and that’s been really nice.”

I.S A.

ISMAEL SAN ANTONIO

“What I’ve kind of realized is that there’s a lot more to being a teenager, there’s a lot more to being in high school, there’s a lot more to growing up than I might have thought coming into high school. There were a lot fewer types of people in middle school because it didn’t allow for self expression as much and kind of boxed students into acting a certain way and being a certain way. And that might have just been a middle school thing, but I know that a lot of high schools are the same way. The thing about Community is that it really allows students to kind of be themselves as they’re transitioning into adulthood, and it allows them to sort of figure out who they are and who they’re gonna be. I would end up randomly talking to someone I didn’t really know in the hallway. Sometimes I didn’t even know their name. I guess there were some class discussions where I got to hear what people think, how they think, what they want to be. There were some people that really made me realize that the most important thing is, if you want to do something, you have to not just have a clear vision, but have to put in the work to do it. It’s always a tough thing to hear, you know.”

E.R.

ELLIOT RHODES

“I really liked the student population in my grade. But I also just really like the freedom that I was able to experience a community that I wouldn’t have experienced in other high schools. It felt like, especially for me as a trans student, there were a lot more accommodations than there would have been like in other high schools, especially in terms of bathroom usage. But also having a block schedule is really good for my schedule because it means I don’t have to do a bunch of things every single day. And also like being able to go to like U of M classes has been a really, really cool experience that I’m really glad that I was able to take advantage of. I really like forum overnight trips, those are always going to be good memories for me, and also as a freshman, Multi Culti was definitely a really good memory for me and something I’m really glad I was able to experience before graduating. I really liked when my forum went to Wiard’s orchard last year in the fall because I thought that was just a really fun experience and it was also a nice way to come back from COVID-19.”

THE ROOT FORUM

L.B-B.

LYDIA BIGGERS-BROOKHOUSE

“Prom last year was really fun. It had been a long time since I’ve been to a school dance. I went with a group of friends, including an underclassmen and a senior who had graduated the year before because hers was canceled due to COVID-19. I think a big overall highlight was] finding people I connect with and having a really good group of friends. I think this year especially I’ve gotten more acquainted with people. I’ve learned how to talk to people better, and I’ve gotten a lot better at advocating for myself and going out and asking for what I need. Also, I learned not to take things that I can’t handle. I got a really good scholarship at Interlochen and I decided to go to Community because I realized I didn’t want to be an artist for my whole life. It’s more of a hobby for me and at Community there was a lot more freedom of choice. I have been doing art for a really really long time. I draw mainly like character design and stuff. I don’t call myself a professional because I’m not a professional. I’m by no means a prodigy, but I don’t hate my art anymore. I’ve gotten a lot better at loving my art over time. I’m gonna miss Community. That’s mostly because of things that have happened this year specifically – and freshman year. I’m mostly going to miss my friends and having teachers that I know really well. That’s going to be hard to reestablish going off to college, but I’m also very excited to have a change of scenery.”

N.F.

NOAH FULKERSON

“Forum days were always really fun. My freshman year we went to a seniors house. We stayed up really late and played games. That was the first time I really felt like a part of my forum. Chloe puts a lot of emphasis on time and effort, making sure that everyone is pretty committed to the group. It’s like a really safe, supportive place. It’s not a group of people that I probably would have spent time with, but I think spending time with people that you wouldn’t normally and still being able to function as a group is really important. I spent the first couple years of high school really trying to isolate myself. I didn’t like the people who were around me freshman year and then the pandemic just screwed everything up. I’ve been really trying to be more open to the people around me this year and I feel like I’ve made a lot of friends, that’s been really nice. My favorite teacher was Matt Johnson. He basically taught me everything I know about English, which is my favorite subject. How to read and write effectively, and think critically about all kinds of different things. My favorite teacher now is Jessika. I’ve been in several of her English classes and they’re great. My plan is to row a lot over the summer, hopefully go to summer nationals and then go to school at the U of M School of Nursing.”

M.D.

MCKENNA DUMAN

“My freshman year was definitely interesting. It was the year we went into COVID, which pretty much happened over half of my school career. It was definitely extraordinary. My first Forum Day was really memorable. We hung out, we played games and it was really fun. It was an overnight, and it was my first real forum bonding experience. I think that making friends and having friends who were there for me when I was having a tough time really helped me through high school. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be yourself. There’s always going to be people who support you in your endeavors. We’re not an ordinary school. We’re not like a regular high school. We have to block scheduling, and I think that’s really helped me with my education. Also, I think the teachers here really care about you and I’m definitely going to take that with me.”

P.L.

PATRICK LAFFERTY

“In [my] freshman year, we had the Halloween dance. It was super fun and I felt like it was a really big “Community moment.” It was a really nervewracking experience at first going in. There were way more people than they’re supposed to be, but It was just so cool. Freshman year it was a little bit scarier, but seeing all those people and everyone having a really fun time was a fun experience. Field Day last year was another time we’ve really been able to come together as a school. I felt like I met a lot more people than [I did] freshman year. Seeing all the upperclassmen, I was like ‘these guys are all like best friends with each other already,’ but it hasn’t really felt like that with us now. I felt like I really connected with seniors last year that I never talked to. I was able to do that the first time. Freshman year I thought [Community] was just like the weird school I guess. I still do think it is the weird school, but I embrace that. I have pride in it. I’ll be upset about [leaving], but I think I’m ready. I don’t want to stay here for another year even though I wish I had sophomore year back because that was online. I feel like I haven’t had all the opportunities, but I’ve had enough time here. I feel like I’m leaving at the right time. I’m happy with what I’ve done.”

M.W.

MICHAEL WEI

“High school felt very rushed. Freshman year I didn’t really do much, so it didn’t feel like a long stretch of time. I didn’t really do anything that was too crazy. Sophomore year was online school, so it didn’t really count as a year in my mind. So for me, the only two real years of high school were junior year and senior year. Last year a couple of the seniors who were a part of the class of 2022 would consistently tell me ‘Hey Michael, we got your back if anyone bullies you. If anyone does anything to you, in the slightest bit, the entire class of 2022 is gonna get their a**.’ It made me feel more comfortable, I guess. I just always felt supported by a lot of the students and felt almost at home. No matter what happened, I had people behind me. For incoming freshmen, a good recommendation is to give your forum a chance, and really take advantage of what Community has to offer. A lot of what Community High offers, a lot of the other schools don’t offer. If my last two colleges that I’m waiting on — U of M and MSU — don’t reply back with a positive note, then I’m probably gonna go to DePaul in Chicago.”

JOEY LOPEZ

“I would say high school was very messy and chaotic. I learned a lot, and I had a ton of fun. I’ve learned how to take advantage of opportunities, even when you don’t feel up to it, and to jump right into things when you’re not fully ready. It teaches you a lot and can give you some really incredible relationships and memories. I think that can seem daunting, but for me it’s been super rewarding. I gained a deeper level of understanding of how people act. I especially think one thing I’ve learned that I’ll take away is that people are so unique and cool. Every single individual that goes to this school. Everyone in the world is their own unique individual. And when you look at someone directly and think about that instead of looking at a big picture; it really makes you love everyone. Everyone has something to offer. In my life after high school, I’ll definitely take that with me. I chose to come to Community because I didn’t think any of the other schools were going to fit me well. Actually, I kind of got thrown into it, it was very ‘go with the flow.’ Sometimes these kinds of decisions are the best ones to make. Most of the things that have impacted my academic life have actually been stuff that’s not academic. The way I take care of myself has impacted the way I perform in school the most.”

L.C.

LYDIA COCCIOLONE

R.L.

RIA LOWENSCHUSS

“I think a lot about coming back to school after our virtual year. The first day of junior year was my first time at school since freshman year. We were all eating outside because of the pandemic. It was sunny and it was lovely out. I was sitting with a group of friends. It felt so good to connect with people, even if they weren’t close friends; having acquaintances I could sit with at lunch after the pandemic and returning to the community was a fantastic moment. I think that CHS has changed because of the pandemic, but the core values of connection, trust, and family are still there. CHS has been wonderful at fostering my self-determination and independence. I have always been good at making my own path and deciding what I want to do but CHS has allowed me to further that and learn more about myself. As I begin to picture myself at college, I know that CHS will remain a huge influence in my life. I will always remember Tracy’s lessons in grammar and online banking, Ryan’s kindness and willingness to help me whenever I needed it, and Jeri’s book recommendations whenever I went to the library. I feel so lucky to be able to call CHS my school and my home.”

R.N.

ROSIE MELLOR

“Being a senior feels really good, but also a little sad because it’s our last semester here. High school is the first time I’ve actually enjoyed being at school, so it’s kind of sad that it’s gonna be over, but it feels good that I persevered through the hard bits and then got to the end. I remember a lot about my freshman year, enjoying just having the new environment, the new group of people, the new teachers. It was just nice to have all of it. I loved my teachers, I loved forum, it was just nice to have a group of people that I enjoyed being around. Even when I didn’t have friends in classes, I had people that I liked being around. I had teachers that actually wanted to be there, that enjoyed teaching, which, for students, that’s a big thing, having a teacher that you can tell wants to be there and enjoys what they do. It makes a big impact on your learning. I liked what I was learning, I really liked all my classes. I remember forum from the first day of school. I thought it was so cool. I love our batch of forumettes. It was a good group to introduce me to high school because they were so silly and funny. They made me feel comfortable. It’s just our little school family. It’s where I can find comfort and familiarity. I kind of feel a lot of the same things today as I did my first day of high school. I felt excited and I feel excited now. I guess a big difference with how I felt was that I felt a bit shy and didn’t feel very confident or sure of myself and now I do.”

R.T-P.

RYAN THOMAS-PALMER

“With Community specifically, I think about the freedom and being able to focus on what I really want to do, which is art. So I get to take the classes that I really love and I get to make the classes into what I want them to be. I’ve taken as many art classes as I can take. I’ve taken a lot of open studio and advanced art, which lets me do whatever I want. But I also really like photography classes, because I’ve learned how to do that and I’ve gotten to experiment a lot with photography, and I’ve learned that I really love it. And I’ve gotten very comfortable with all of the art teachers. I don’t like the idea that high school is nearly over but I’m also really excited to be done with this part of my life. I feel like COVID-19 took away a lot of high school and I felt very stuck when we were in lockdown. so I’ve kind of been ready since then. I just wanted to get out and start. I was a lot more inclined to graduate early when we were in lockdown. So my junior year I applied to and got into Rhode Island School of Design. And once I got in, I decided to defer a lot of contemplating so that I could have my senior year in high school and learn how to make friends and have the experiences that I wouldn’t have if I had graduated early. I am very happy with my decision. I think it would have been a mistake to go. I think it would have been okay, but I would never have gotten this year back.”

THE STARKEY FORUM

D.C.

DANE CUCINELLI

“I started out at Ann Arbor Open, and then when Northside turned into Ann Arbor STEAM, I moved there. Both of them were K-8 schools, which provide kind of abnormal school experiences by most standards. I believe my mom told me a quote from back when I was in eighth grade trying to decide what I would do for high school. It wasn’t really a difficult decision, I know for me, but my mom told me that I said I want to go to Community because this is the only kind of schooling that I’ve ever really known. I think Community, especially given that I have experienced split enrolling to Huron as well for three out of the four years of high school, I kind of have a unique perspective there. I think that the freedom Community gives you is a make or break opportunity for a lot of people. Either you learn self discipline, or you don’t, and I think the vast majority of people learn pretty quickly that self-disciplining yourself into not skipping class and whatnot is not that hard, especially when you’re an underclassman. When you start getting into the end of your senior year, definitely you’ll notice for all the seniors, senioritis really starts setting in for many of them right around now. Last year I remember senioritis starting to be like the word of the day in my calculus class, which was mostly seniors, starting probably April, maybe early May.”

O.G.

OLIVIA GLYNN

“My favorite memory at Community is any of the Forum Days. Recently, because of my schedule as a split-enrolled student, I don’t get to spend as much time in forum as I would like to. I’m able to stay at Community on forum days and spend time with everyone, so those hold a lot of nice memories for me. I’ve changed a great deal and at the same time I haven’t changed much at all. I finally cut my hair and started dressing the way I’d wanted to for years, and I was also able to improve upon my passions (art and writing) through classes at Community. I think mostly I’ve just grown more into who I am, and Community was a good environment for me to feel comfortable to do that.”

B.L.

BLAKE LOVASZ

“Probably a lot of it would have to be the trust. I really feel as though I’m respected by my teachers. I don’t know if it makes me enjoy interactions more but it’s just a bit different. And another big thing would probably be a lot of people here are very respectful, and that’s definitely important. I feel as though it helps me grow a lot more if I do feel as though my ideas are respected. It helps me grow and helps me be more open minded. My outlook on identity and mental health has greatly improved. I used to believe that everything was binary with rigid rules, which is what impacted my mental health severely and it really took having a couple of classes with people who were just more outspoken about different mindsets and thought different things that helped me just shape myself a bit more to something that is more beneficial. I think if I had stayed where I was, prior to moving to Community, I do not know if I would view a difference as positively.”

ZZANDER MCLANE

“My senior year, I’ve had a lot of freedom. I can kind of take whatever classes I want, which is especially great because we have some pretty awesome programming classes that I’m interested in. My dream ever since my childhood, literally as long as I can remember, was to make games. I only got the chance to learn because of Community. It’s definitely the self pace about the programming classes. It lets me take my time with what I need to take my time with and speed through the stuff that I can do easily which is how it’s helpful. I’m in the robotics team, and that’s been pretty awesome. I really liked that we get to do something awesome. We get to build this robot and go to competitions, while still having a lot of fun with it. You know, hanging out, eating snacks while we work on the robot. It’s a lot of fun. Hopefully I’ll go to WCC and do some nice programming stuff in the future. I had a genuinely great time at Community. And I think Community was just the change I needed. It’s such an awesome place that has had so many nice people.”

R.P.

RACHAEL PASHTURRO

“In 2019, I had no idea if I would go to CHS or not. I was on the waitlist, so I never got the experience of being a winning student and touring the school in March of my eighth-grade year. Over the summer, I got in, and my parents just decided I was going; I’m so glad they made that decision. One of my first experiences at CHS [were] the forums. I remember we had a forum day, and Christia took us to a Methodist church. We walked in the woods, and some upperclassmen and I entered a shed that we weren’t supposed to be in. We played truth or dare and hot seat until Christia found us, and we had to do the walk of shame back. When we got back we all sat in a room full of couches and played games. It was a very fun experience that showed me what CHS was like. My favorite thing about CHS is how understanding the teachers are. When I had Matt Johnson for Introduction to Literature, I’d look at him and say, “Matt, I haven’t had breakfast. Can I run to Kerrytown and get a bagel?” and he’d say, “if you can get back here in under five minutes, I won’t mark you tardy.” This helped me make connections with my teachers which made me who I am today. I’ve grown a lot over the past four years on my own and with my friends, and a lot of my freshman-year experiences have helped shape me into who I am today. CHS has allowed me to grow to be more mature and independent and find my own people

L.R.

LILA RYAN

“This semester I was able to TA Marci Harris’s French 1 class. I took French 4 with her last year, which was definitely the best class I’ve taken at Community because there were only six people in total in that class. And we really bonded over everything and I became really close with Marci. I now have something that everyone who has gone to Community to talk about, that connection with a specific teacher. I want to be a teacher when I’m older, helping out in Marci’s class is definitely will be something that stays in my mind. During my freshman year US History class with Ryan, we were holding a town meeting and in my group there was this person who was supposed to give our speech for our group who skipped class that day. And Ryan Silvester came up to me and said ‘Lila, you are giving that speech’ and I did not have any preparation. I had to just go and speak in front of the entire class which as freshmen was really scary because US history is usually a sophomore/junior/senior class. But I remember after I got past the initial nerves really loving just talking about history and sharing my perspective on everything. I really would love to be a teacher at Community. It’s definitely a really good school. I really like how teachers have the freedom to really teach what they want to on top of the required things. I also think that community is really special school in the sense of the relationship between teachers and students.”

T. .

TATE ZELEZNIK

“I think I’m really going to cherish my memories that I’ve made at CET a lot. That was really special for me just getting to hang out with some really cool people especially evening light crew times were always my favorite. Just to get to be in the building really late with a ton of cool people and just hanging out with them and then without the stress of it being tech week and there being 90 people in the building. It was nice just to hang out and get to know one another. And that’s something we did for every show CET and I feel like I’ll cherish that a lot and just get to create theater which I love doing and doing with other people who also love doing it. I’m going to miss the atmosphere of CHS, just knowing so many people at Community and anytime I go in the hallway I can just talk to someone I know and start a conversation and everywhere I go there’s people that I know and I’m friendly with and I can talk to them and I know I won’t have that in college. I won’t be able to just leave my classroom and there’ll be a group of people waiting up there to talk to me. So I think I’ll really miss that connection and that aspect of it kind of feels like everyone’s friends around here especially since I went to middle school and elementary school with some of the people I think it’ll be something I’ll miss in college.”

Z.F.ZAKIYA FORTNER

“I chose CHS because I loved how small the school was, and I loved that the teachers were so open with us, worked close with us, wanted to work with us throughout my whole time being here. It’s never changed. The teachers have always been on your side, always been ready to work with you, ready to help you and be with you. They have always been in my corner if I really am struggling with something academically or even emotionally or physically. They’re ready to help. I struggle with my schooling sometimes and they’ve been like ‘Hey, I got this block open, come in and work with me and get some stuff done,’ and they take time out of their day to make sure that me or everybody else is getting the help that they need. I think Community has prepared me for the future because the way that we move about with our teachers and our peers has opened up a door of being able to communicate and being able to function and continue on with life working with adults. We are treated like we are people and not just a number. At bigger high schools there are so many people, you just can’t keep track of them, but we know our teachers on a personal level and that connection has opened like an educational door where you can get the help you need for schooling.”

S. G. D. THE VIAL FORUM

SEAN GRIFFIN DENOMME

“I think I’m privileged to say that I’ve had a good time at Community. I’ve had a great time in high school, which I know a lot of people can’t say and I think if I had advice for incoming freshmen, it’s that there is joy and fun to be found in the school, in the community, if you go out and look for it. I am an absolute believer in that freshmen should be getting into clubs and groups. I’ve heard excellent things about robotics and I’ve had an excellent time in theater and I wouldn’t trade for anything, but more than that, there’s we’re in that we are right on the border of downtown and University of Michigan. There are groups and classes happening all the time, looking out and going to those is genuinely worthwhile. My favorite class I took here was Model UN that was taught by Chloe, but I’ve really enjoyed all of those social studies classes and history classes. I thought those were excellently well taught and the teachers who teach them Ryan, Sarah and Chloe are all amazing people and I would totally recommend taking those classes. Unlike math classes, we have some history classes that are interactive with lots of discussions and project work and it covers a wide range of interesting topics. So that you’ll never walk down into doing one area of history that might not interest you.”

B.H.

BRUNO HOHN

“We did a project about layers in Mixed Media recently. Mine was an animation of my face breaking into about 20 different moving parts. I wanted it to go from live action into animation so I could show a real object breaking apart and having different layers. It’s my face hitting a table and then it cuts away from that and it just sort of devolves into different things. I’ve always been interested in animation for as long as I can remember. I think the movie “Song of the Sea,” and the show, “Steven Universe” were very influential to me. I only applied to art schools — I always assumed that’s what I would try and do. I’m considering either Stamps at U of M or Pratt Institute and Brooklyn right now. I’ve been in art club, which we’ve sort of had to build up. We sit around in the art room and sometimes we do things, and sometimes we don’t. Not that many people are in it, but I think it’s definitely gotten better. I’m also in CET, which sort of helped me with my interpersonal skills. I like performing. I like being able to be together with other people and make something together. It feels like a very community-based thing. And it’s sort of a connection that you don’t get anywhere else.”

E.D.

EVAN DZICZEK

“The memory that immediately came to me was art class at the end of last year. We had soap that somebody made for their science class, and we shaped it into a little face and threw it against the side of the building by the art room. And it’s still there. Even a year later, which is kind of surprising. I thought it would have melted in like a week. But, it’s just like a chunk of soap stuck to the wall. I wish I didn’t miss a huge chunk of high school with the whole online thing. That’s a whole year and a bit of just doing nothing in my room. I feel like my high school experience would have been more full without that. If it had been regular here, I would have gotten to know more people. I definitely don’t think I had the high school experience that I was told I was going to have, not just with how the pandemic interrupted school. I don’t know, just things worked out differently than they would be in high school. I do think it is kinda sad. Some things that I was told were gonna happen in high school did not end up happening, I’m kind of glad they didn’t happen. It’s a mix — partially disappointing, partially relieved.”

G.S.

GABRIEL SEMRAU

“I started doing theater about four or five years ago. I just really liked it and I kept doing it. As I went along I realized that I wanted to keep doing this, telling these stories the way a director does. I haven’t done a ton of directing since there aren’t a lot of opportunities for high schoolers, but Community has impacted me in so many ways. It’s made me a better person. I say thank you to Community for what it has done for me. I don’t remember the online year, it was all a blur. One thing I remember is that a lot more happened than I thought would. I thought it was going to be a lot of nothing. I thought it would be lots of waiting, and it was that. We all just waited for things to be okay but it was cool to see how we made it all work. The thing I’ll remember the most is CET. I’ll remember the really cool shows we got to do. Especially this year with “The Visit” and “Cabaret.” Also probably the online year. I didn’t do “The Tempest” but that was certainly an experience for others. Now I laugh thinking of the online year. But I think it was interesting coming back and trying to get back into it all. It wasn’t as jarring a shift as I thought it would be because I adapted really easily. One thing I’ll for sure take away is being self-motivated, and how important that is for everyone. To just succeed at what I want, having the drive for that.”

E.S.

ELIZABETH STRUMBA

“Community as a place makes me think of the teachers. Students come and go, but the teachers are the lifeblood of Community. They shape the coerces, the environment, and culture. The way they teach and act has a massive impact, and I’ll always admire them, and enjoy the memories of those classes. Outside of class material, I’ve learned how to be more confident in my image, and how to express myself in different ways. I feel that the environment that Community, and especially my friend group, has created is very welcoming and accepting, which made it easier for me to feel comfortable experimenting with how I dress, exploring different forms of self-expression, and questioning my identity. While I’m still unsure about what the future holds, I’d say I’m a lot more excited for it. There are plenty of things that cause me anxiety, but there are a lot more that I’m looking forward to after high school. But on a smaller scale, I’m not as anxious about things… freshman year I had difficulties walking down the hallway during passing times, because they were so crowded and it gave me anxiety to the point of feeling physically unwell. I ended up either rushing to class as soon as possible or being a couple minutes late, because that was easier than walking through the crowded hallway. Now I am a lot more comfortable with people, and I’ve learned how to manage my anxiety better. Figuring out when to space out walking to my next class isn’t even something that I take into consideration. I also think I’m a lot happier as a person, I have a good group of friends, and Community has a very positive environment that I definitely feel rubbed off on me in a good way.”

A.T.AVA TIEDEMANN

“My favorite class I’ve taken is Philosophy with Sean Eldon. I really liked the discussions that we had and hearing the insight from other people is so interesting. I originally took the class because I thought it was psychology originally, but I ended up keeping with it and I really am glad I did it. It wasn’t the first time that I took a class by accident, it happened to me this semester where I took poetry last year. This year it was advertised as creative writing and I ended up taking the class again. It was a little annoying and I didn’t really love the poetry class but it ended up being fun taking it for the second time.”

THE WHITESIDE FORUM

O.C.OLLIE CAMPEAU

“I would say the first year was a little rocky because those were obviously the COVID-19 years. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that our mental health declined during COVID-19 by a lot. Junior year I really had to just try to get back on my feet. I would say my junior year I felt like things really started to open back up. I was actually able to live out the true Community experience, which is hanging out with your forum, making friends and going across the street to Kerrytown. Forum Day and Field Day represent the true Community experience. During high school, please be true to yourself. I mean coming into this school as a closeted queer person, it really helped me open up over the years. I saw that there were a bunch of queer people here when I walked in freshman year. And then, as the years went on, I found who I was. I’ve been looking at how far I’ve come, specifically getting better as time goes on playing jazz. My first memorable moment from jazz class was playing in the Mendelssohn for the first time. It was pretty nerve wracking because you have jobs that you need to fulfill, like taking a solo. You breathe through it and then just don’t even think about the audience.”

D.M.

DANTE MAZZOLA

“A favorite memory at Community was Commstock last year. I got to perform, and it was really fun. I liked how everyone was just hanging out on the front lawn. I was playing with Lila’s band. She wrote some songs and I was just playing on the piano for them. I hadn’t performed in a while, so getting that feeling of performing was nice. Jazz was a big part of what I did at Community. So I treated that as a club even though it was not actually one, because it takes a lot of time. I’m glad I took jazz, though, that was really fun. I like that there’s no set music to play -- you learn your theory and you mess around and have fun. Jack was an incredible teacher and he’s definitely one of my favorites as well. In Jazz, I got to learn a lot more about other people and their skills and how we could collaborate with each other. I’m gonna go to Columbia College Chicago next year. I’m excited about that, and learning as much as I can about film. I’ve liked film ever since fifth grade. I just like the art form. I feel it’s such an easy way to convey messages to everyone you know, there’s films for every type of person here. I make some short films every once in a while. I like being able to express myself through film, even through subtle ways in film -- it’s my safety zone.”

R.F.

ROBYN FARKAS

“I feel like high school is a time where you learn a lot of social stuff and how to interact better with people. I also think that for a lot of people, it’s kind of just a time to deal with your mental health and [learn] how to balance that with actually doing stuff and getting work done. So I’ve learned how to navigate social situations. In terms of school stuff, I’ve also learned how to have a good connection with my school, teachers and work. I’ve learned how that can benefit you. Because if you just don’t tell your teachers anything, and then you’re doing horrible in the class, they can’t help you. I’d just tell my freshman self it’s okay to stand up for myself. I’ve always been a big people pleaser. It’s okay to advocate for yourself and you can do that in any situation your in, if it’s social or it’s with schoolwork, advocate for yourself and speak up on what you need and what could help. I hope I find myself in a career path that I actually enjoy and that I don’t feel trapped in whatever I’m choosing to do. And that I can enjoy what I’m going to spend a bunch of time working on, because I think that’s the scary part of choosing colleges. So I really hope that I know what I want to do and enjoy doing it.”

THE YAGER FORUM

M.C.

MAIWEN CLAUNCH

“I remember being in elementary school counting the years that I had left in school and realizing I had eight left. I thought that was crazy; doing this same structure eight more times sounded impossible. The schedule of having nine months of school five days a week, seven hours a day is very tiring. I’ve been wanting to escape that schedule and be able to modify to what feels better for me. It was my sophomore year that I decided to see how many credits I needed to finish high school and I realized that it was something that I could achieve in a year. When I realized that I wanted to graduate early it gave me such a purpose because I realized these things are things that I had to get done to achieve that goal. I learned why I care about my education, and the past few years, I realized that I wanted to start taking classes at the college level so I could study things that actually felt worthwhile to me. It’s so enjoyable to learn about things that you’re passionate about and excite you. Thinking about the college classes I’m taking makes me realize how much freedom comes with that. I love that feeling of studying and taking classes because I want to and because it benefits me.”

K.H.

KURT HAUSMAN

“I would say to the incoming freshmen class that you have to go out there and try new things in the community. I mean, I came to Community and I thought I was going to do jazz band all throughout my time at Community. I started my first semester, and it was the worst grade I’ve gotten in a class. I had to learn how to play the piano and I didn’t know how to play the piano. But I worked really hard. I had fun in the class, but I realized it wasn’t for me, and so I had to convince myself to kind of let myself let that go. Even though you know, my parents wanted me to continue to do music because I have done music my whole life. The Jazz teacher was impressed with how I had progressed from not knowing anything about piano to being able to play it at a concert, but I wasn’t really enjoying it. So I had to be done with it. You have to be willing to not let one bad experience let you down. I joined journalism, and I came in with an attitude of I don’t know if I belong. I was intimidated by how good everyone’s writing was. I knew The Communicator was highly awarded and was well regarded, so I wasn’t sure where I was going to fit in. It took me a while to kind of find my place or trust that I was valued in this community of really good writers. But I think opening up to the older kids in journalism, and putting more effort into my writing is what got me to where I am today. I’ve been writing for the Communicator for three years, and it’s been the thing I’ve been most involved in at Community. I’d say whatever it is you’re interested in, go try it and see if you like it, because even if you don’t you’re always going to think about what if I had tried this? And it’s perfectly fine to not like something and move on from it.”

IRELAND JOHNSON

“I’ve learned more independence from the freedom you have in new classes and really just being able to get your own work done without reminders from your teachers. I’ll just miss the community that the seniors have built, my group of friends and all the memories that everybody’s made in the school. I think my favorite memory probably has to be in ecology or any science class in the school because of the teachers and how fun everybody is. During the Great Lakes projects, I didn’t really know much about them in the beginning and learning about them with everybody and being able to get that done in the group was nice. The group of people that I hang out with has changed. I feel like I surround myself with a smaller group of people now, and I’m not really concerned with what other people think I just kind of do what I do. I would give other freshmen the advice to join clubs and do a lot of after-school activities because that’s what makes high school really fun is being able to make a community and make a group out of what you’re doing.”

M M.H.

MARY MARGARET HATCH

“I went on the Italy trip last summer. And it was kind of through the school because I took Italian art and culture. I wanted to take a class with Steve, and that was the one that fit in my schedule. It was really interesting to learn about Italy, and it isn’t like a traditional class. The focus wasn’t on a medium, or on prompts. It was more like research and you didn’t have to do physical art, like you could cook or could just make a slideshow for your projects. I made gelato with my friend for one of the projects. I made pizza one time, I made some drawings and a linoleum block print for one. I forget exactly when but I think it was probably February that it was like, oh, maybe we can go to Italy, and then we had to sign up within a couple of weeks. I really wanted to do it. I had to make sure that I was allowed to with my parents and figure out all that. But I really wanted to do it. Italy was really cool, my favorite part was Venice. We went on a gondola, and you’re not usually on a boat in a city like that. And that was really cool. Venice is just so different from all the cities here. After that trip I also stayed longer and went to Germany with my sisters and traveled around Italy a bit too with my mom and sisters. But I was very glad to come home. Even though I really liked being there, it took a lot of energy, so I don’t know if I really want to go far away for college.”

A.M.

ALEXANDER MARSH

“I didn’t necessarily feel at home until my first Forum Day. It was a great experience to learn from upperclassmen and bond with my new classmates, I still remember the day vividly. We went and played games at a park near my forum leader, Anne Thomas’, house. Then we all spent the night at her home and continued to bond. Anne’s forum opened up to me, and I really felt welcomed. Anne was a great forum leader: She was always there for me and I could go to her for academic support, social support or anything else I needed help with. Being able to bond with people through a close environment like forum helped me adjust from spending nine years at one school to suddenly switching to a new environment. Some of my favorite memories at CHS have come this year through interesting classes I have taken, like my Spanish 5 class and a Congolese Dance CR. It’s not always what I learn, but the good times and memories I made in those classes. I’m grateful that CHS has brought a small community to me. It can be kind of scary when introduced to a bunch of different new people and I was able to really meet and actually interact with people I would have never been able to at a larger school environment. It has kind of helped me find new friends as a smaller community. Lastly, I’d like to thank some teachers like Maneesha and Matt.”

R.W.

RUTH WASSERMAN

“I want to thank Anne, I love her and still do tutoring with her. She helps so much with math. I want to thank Tracy as well. She’s been really fun and she pushes me outside of my comfort zone, which is a good thing because I don’t do that by myself. It’s good to have a teacher to do that. I have made a lot of really good friends, so I’ll definitely miss that. After high school, I’m thinking of going to college in Toronto. I think either Toronto Metropolitan University or University of Toronto. I’m not 100% and I’ll maybe study environmental studies or the sciences but that looks like the route just because I really like Toronto. I have family there. I can move away, but I’ll still be surrounded with people. So that’s the plan.”

L.W.

LEAH WHITE

“There was one day that my friends and I went to lunch at the Cascades and we all went swimming. We all came back to school a little bit wet. We were drawing and we were swimming and we were reading to each other. It was super duper nice. I went swimming and scooting down the Cascades without a tube which is pretty fun—I don’t think I got any scrapes. I went in with most of my clothes on and I was pretty sopping wet if I’m going to be honest, and I actually had to go to Skyline. They don’t have an open campus so I probably looked pretty silly coming in soaking wet, but it was okay. It was just nice to do that with friends. And that’s what I really like about the open campus is we can do things like that. It definitely makes school more enjoyable.”

Stories From CRs

BY RIA LOWENSCHUSS

After three and a half long years full of difficult classes, nonstop extracurriculars and, more recently, college applications, both Sofi Maranda and Arista Luong were ready for a break. The aftermath of applying to college came as a surprise, however; for Luong, the sudden space to relax has made her anxious and restless. In response, Maranda and Luong, along with a group of their friends, created a Community Resource (CR) class for the second semester of their senior year: knitting.

The Community Resource program is unique to the Ann Arbor Public Schools. It allows students to learn outside of the classroom and interact more broadly with the communities around them. Students can choose what they want to learn and design a class that fits their interests; all they have to do is find an instructor that is willing to volunteer their time. The CR website states, “A CR is special because you get to create the class based on what YOU want to study!”

For two hours every Friday, Luong and Maranda, along with three other seniors, gather at their friend’s house, where they are instructed by her mother, and knit. It isn’t simply a time for knitting — they watch classic movies, like “Pride and Prejudice,” and talk about their lives.

“My social battery runs out really quickly so usually I wouldn’t go from school to something else with more people, but I think this group is really calming,” Luong said. “It’s a creative environment and it’s always a calm environment.”

The group of seniors has been a supportive group to prepare for graduation and going off to college, as well as a way to spend time with friends. Luong and Maranda are taking as much time as they can get with their close friends before they all go their separate ways for college.

“I’m really trying to spend quality time with the people that I love so much that I won’t see next year,” Luong said. “I’m anticipating feeling a lot of absence from people next year so I’m trying to soak it all up now, even oversaturate myself.”

The CR is a creative outlet for Luong and Maranda as they deal with the stress of figuring out what their life will look like in less than a year. Luong and Maranda have used the CR to make matching arm warmers and are excited to keep improving their knitting skills as they approach the end of their senior year.

“People say they want to do different ‘granny’ skills, like embroidery, knitting and crochet,” Maranda said. “I feel like getting to try that out in this kind of environment has been really fun. Those kinds of skills are a little bit lost in some ways for this generation and I feel like I’m getting to join the knitting community.”

Raffi Avedissian and his friends knew they wanted to take a CR together during senior year — the only question was what to take. Avedissian was inspired to do a DJing CR by a DJ mixer that had been in his house for years. When Avedissian mentioned the idea to his mother, she ran with it.

“I talked to my mom about it and she was able to structure the class outside of just sound mixing,” Avedissian said. “The course as a whole is more about how sound is used and how it can also be its own form of communication without any language attached to it.”

With his mother as the CR instructor, Avedissian and his friends have been able to learn a new skill in a more comfortable environment. Avedissian describes it as “casual” and explains that since it takes place at his house after school, the students are able to take it slow and learn about sound in a more rounded way.

CRs have been an integral part of Avedissian’s high school career. He has taken nine CRs during his time at CHS, including classes at U-M and traditional CRs with professors at Michigan State University. Avedissian has used the program to further explore his interest in filmmaking, getting credit for short films he has created and learning more about the study of films and film literature.

“The CR department is the main reason I came to CHS,” Avedissian said. “It was very valuable to be able to specialize in filmmaking.”

As Avedissian prepares for the end of high school, he is using the CR department to become closer to his friends and his mother.

“It’s really nice to be taught by my mom,” Avedissian said. “I’ve never taken a class with her so to be able to see her teaching style and learn more about her is really cool.”

Steve Coron is teaching a CR for the first time this year, after retiring from his teaching job at CHS the year before. He has appreciated being able to teach students he has known since their first year of high school as seniors, especially those that were in his forum. Coron believes that every CHS student should take a CR during their time in high school.

“I would hope by the time someone is a senior at CHS, they will have taken a CR,” Coron said. “If they haven’t, they should do it senior year first or second semester. It’s a great deal, right? It’s just the coolest thing.”

In fact, Coron remembers when CRs were required. All CHS students are required to sign a contract when they commit to the school. This contract lays out the key components of CHS and has students agree to respect the school and the freedom that they are given.

The Community Resource is an integral part of CHS. How do seniors utilize it as a way to connect with friends and broaden their interests?

Photography by Ria Lowenschuss Arista Luong and Sofi Maranda pose with their matching handwarmers that they made in their knitting CR. “I’m really trying to spend quality time with the people that I love so much that I won’t see next year,” Luong said.

Although it doesn’t include this now, in the past, one of the requirements was to take a CR.

“It wasn’t enforced but yes, students signed a paper that said they would take a CR and do a certain number of volunteer hours,” said Danelle Mosher, the head of the CR Department.

Coron wants all students to take advantage of the CR Department, especially seniors. He has seen seniors in his forum check out of high school before graduation and he wanted to help them stay engaged and utilize what CHS has to offer. Before he retired, he was hoping to introduce a program that would do just that.

“Some seniors are so done with school by their second semester,” Coron said. “Senioritis sets in and then they don’t want to go to forum. In order to engage seniors in forum, we could do either a senior project or more CRs. I thought of a CR that could be monitored with your forum leader. If I would have stayed at CHS, I would have tried to launch this project so you would have something bigger to look forward to and to dive into your second semester of your senior year.”

Senior Siblings

As seniors look towards graduation, many of their siblings will begin or continue their journey at CHS. How do these students face letting go of their elder siblings and moving through CHS without them?

BY ISABELLA JACOB AND MORGAN MCCLEASE

Ria and Lucy Lowenschuss constructed and created at a pottery class as they formulated a plan to call each other once the results for the CHS lottery had come out. When Ria Lowenschuss picked up the phone the pair triple checked before letting the excitement set in, Lucy had got in. Ria immediately texted her forum leader, Ryan Silvester as the excitement consumed the two as bright hypotheticals of the future illuminated their minds.

“It’s something that we both really wanted,” Lucy Lowenschuss said. “She was very excited for me to go and I was very excited to go.”

Lucy has heard all about CHS through Ria and is looking forward to its unique aspects. As Lucy begins thinking about her time at CHS, she knows that it is a space where everybody knows and accepts each other. When Lucy was making her choice to go to CHS, she knew about the special teacher-student relationships.

As Lucy is promoted to a high schooler, Ria will be starting her first year in college, which adds a bittersweetness to their excitement.

“I’m so sad that we’re missing each other,” Ria said. ‘I love my sister so much and I think she’s so cool. “She’s going to make this school a better place and I really wish that I could be there to see it.”

The pair has become closer as they’ve gotten older together and started to share similar passions.

“We both like to try new things and get to know people and now CHS is something we share,” Lucy said.

Ria Lowenschuss has felt the immense impact of the forum in a variety of ways. From her forum leader to her fellow forumettes, forum has been a central and necessary part of CHS for her. She knows even when she leaves, that she’ll always be a part of CHS and of the Silvester forum.

“I would still have a connection to Community even without my sister,” Ria said. “I would come back here for the theater program. I would come back here to say hi to Ryan and Tracy. I feel so connected to the school. The seniors in my forum, we’re all thinking of getting duck tattoos because we always play Duck Duck Goose and it means so much to us to be in this school and to have met all these people.”

Ria is sad to not experience CHS with her sister, but is mostly excited.

“I’m excited for her [Lucy] to have her own moment at CHS,” Ria said.

CHS siblings Scarlett and Malcolm London were lucky to share one singular year together at CHS. The only reason Malcolm London applied to CHS was because of his sister.

“I wouldn’t have even known [CHS] was really an option,” Malcolm said. “But I’m so glad I went here.”

Scarlett and Malcolm London have not always been close, but have been forced to spend more time with each other this year. This is because of their daily drives to school.

“I think our relationship has changed a lot over time,” Scarlett said. “I think we’ve definitely had phases where we’ve just not talked to each other, when we just exist around each other. But I started driving him to school this year, and I feel like we’ve had more time to talk.”

Now that they spend more time together, Scarlett realizes she’ll miss a lot of the little things about their relationship.

“I see a lot of myself in him,” Scarlett said. “I’m really gonna miss having someone around like that. We’ve become more similar and it’s gonna be weird to be in college to suddenly be surrounded by a bunch of new people.”

Malcolm has seen Scarlett take up leadership roles during her time at CHS. Specifically, how Scarlett has worked in the Communicator and has been an editor-in-chief for web for the past two years. This has inspired him to also take up leadership positions throughout CHS.

Malcolm is passionate about theater and is currently a part of CET (Community Ensemble Theatre). He plans to run for CET president in the coming years and eventually take up more leadership roles throughout his time in the theater program.

The siblings have grown up witnessing their mother’s relationship with her brother. Though they practically live in the same town, the two became more excited to see each other once they lived apart. The siblings have suspicions that this might happen with the two of them.

The London siblings are thankful that CHS has brought them closer and are looking forward to the evolution of their relationship. As Scarlett goes off to college and Malcolm continues his journey at CHS they’re going to strive to continue their relationship.

“I see a lot of myself in him,” Scarlett said.

“I’m really gonna miss having someone around like that. We’ve become more similar and it’s gonna be weird to be in college to suddenly be surrounded by a bunch of new people.”

The Seniors of Community Ensemble Theatre

The seniors of CET reflect on their time as part of the tight-knit community.

BY HANNAH RUBENSTEIN

Photography Courtesy of Margie Morris Tate Zeleznik pictured during CET’s performance of “Cabaret.” Zeleznik portrays the Master of Ceremonies, or Emcee. “I’m going to miss doing theater with some of my best friends,” Zeleznik said.

Evers Baskey: “In 8th grade, I came to see CET’s production of ‘Disaster.’ I was blown away, and loved the performance. Seeing the incredible set and amazing performance overall, I knew I wanted to join CET freshman year. I have many great memories with CET. One that stands out to me is during ‘School of Rock.’ It was the week before tech week, and we were trying to get the wall flat up on the proscenium. However, it just kept wanting to fall over. We decided to try to screw it into the floor, which was going well until one of the screws became so completely stripped that it was stuck. We absolutely could not get the screw out, which was a problem because we realized that we had built a section of the wall flat wrong and needed to take part of it down. I’m not sure exactly what happened after that, but I do remember that it involved Harrison Brown taping his phone to the ceiling. It was a wild experience, perfectly foreshadowing the crazy tech week that followed. I will definitely miss the people the most. Being able to create magical performances together has really been something special, and it has been the amazing people that have made every performance a fun experience. Not being with all the people of CET next year will be an adjust-

McKenna Duman: “I joined CET because my freshman year, they were coming around asking for people to join crew for CET and I thought I might as well give it a try since I had no extracurriculars at the time. I did and it was the best decision of my life and have been doing it ever since. My favorite memory of CET is from ‘The Visit.’ Sets crew was in the hallway painting the wall flats and listening to music and someone requested to listen to Disney music, so I turned on a Disney playlist and it started with some song from Hannah Montana, and one of the people on my crew says, ‘This song sounds like if Bob Ross had an emo phase,’ and I just lost it. I also just love all the dance parties we always have before/after/between shows, everyone just comes together and we all have a good time. I think the thing I will miss the most about CET is just the atmosphere because whenever you’re at a crew meeting everyone is also there to get work done and we have so much fun bonding while still being productive, it’s also just so rewarding to see things come together. Everyone is so kind and willing to work with you and cares about you and it’s just an amazing atmosphere and place to be in.”

mendous impacts on my life. From digging through the costumes closet for bandanas for running crew, to singing One Direction between shows, to covert rehearsals at a student’s house during a city wide power outage, CET has always enriched my life in unique, unexpected ways. I will miss the tight knit community. At school, we have our different friends and our non-theater interests, but at CET, we become a family. I think that is something that will be hard to find again in the future, and I will definitely miss my theater family a lot.”

Abby Frank: “I joined CET because I had read the book Drama by Raina Telgemeier in 8th grade, and it inspired me to do backstage stuff for my high school. On the first day of my freshman year, I saw a sign in the stairwell for the mass meeting for ‘School of Rock.’ I was sold from day one. My favorite CET memory cannot be expressed with just one story. Every tech week and show weekend, I have built new relationships and gotten to be a part of special moments that have had tre-

Bruno Hohn: “I have worn the label of ‘theater kid’ for most of my life, and participated in nearly every show throughout elementary and middle school. Despite this, I didn’t join CET until the pandemic year, when I had nothing else to do in my room and remote theater seemed like a way to hold on to a sense of community at least a little bit while we were all isolated. And while Zoom theater may not have been the most overall enthralling experience, we made the most of it (it provided the unique opportunity to feature my cat, Saoirse, in ‘The Tempest’), and I definitely liked it enough to stay for the next two years, over which my experience with CET has only gotten better. When Eliza (Fraulein Schneider) and I first attempted to rehearse the song in which I (Herr Schultz) gave her the classic romantic token of a pineapple, I remember not being able to look each other in the eyes without laughing. This was due both to the nature of the song lyrics and the prolonged eye contact we had to make, as well as Tate doing a graceful pineapple dance behind us. Even during this joyful but generally chaotic moment, we both

trusted that with time we would be able to gather it into a serious and emotional performance, which we eventually did. The nature of this process, and working together with other people to shape the dynamic we have with each other, however long it may take, is one of my favorite things about theater. I will miss very many things about CET, like show nights at NYPD, Gabe’s dressing room operas, and sending only the highest quality images to @ cetunofficial, but overall, what I’m going to miss most is being part of a group that I’ve come to know bet ter and better over the few years I’ve been here, spending time being dif ferent people together (mostly Ger man ones), and generally creating a positive space that, for me, personal ly, has made the school I attend feel more like a home.”

as tech director. I also loved when Abby Frank and I convinced Sarah Hechler to become our student tech director! We both sent her emails begging her to come help us after we lost a lot of mentors during the pandemic. I will miss the people. I have made so many wonderful connections during my time in CET and I am so sad to leave them all behind. But don’t worry, I’ll come back.”

stayed because it ended up being the most fun extracurricular ever! What other after school activity lets you use giant saws or have access to the school’s secret closet full of prop swords! During the first show I ever did, School of Rock, I was on the platform moving team. Which basically meant I was one of the people that rearranged the platforms the actors stood on between each scene! We were directed to act super cool, like we were moving equipment for a rock band, and they kept the lights a little less dim than normal so the audience could see us. It was so much fun and I felt like a total rockstar even though I was just a little sets crew member. CET is where I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve made in my entire life. It’s like an excuse to hang out with cool people every single week instead of just going home after school. I’m really going to miss being part of the group.”

Ria Lowenschuss: “My mom made me join CET! I did tech crew throughout middle school and I loved it, but I was super nervous about joining in high school. She made me go to the mass meeting for School of Rock and I remember sitting there listening to Quinn talk and being scared out of my mind. I cannot thank my mother enough for making me take that first step into high school theater. It has been one of the best experiences of my high school career and it has truly become like family. I have so many amazing memories from CET! One that comes to mind is learning from Sage during freshman and soph omore year. He really helped me come into myself as a crew member and a leader and he was always so kind and encouraging. One thing he would always tell me is to lead from within, which has informed my leadership style throughout my time

Nadya Matish: “I did some acting in elementary school (specifically Shakespeare), and a friend con vinced me to audition for School of Rock when I started high school. I wanted to continue doing theater and meet new people! I remember one time during rehearsals for The Visit, I was late to rehearsal because I was dying my hair red for the show. As I walked into the room, the re hearsal got to the exact point my character entered the scene, so I just dropped all my stuff and jumped right into the scene! It was fun to switch into character so quickly, and it was funny that I arrived at the exact right time! I will miss everything about CET!”

Gabriel Semrau: “I joined CET because I had done my very first show the year prior with Ann Arbor Civic Theater (A2CT), and I wanted to continue with theater. CET was much bigger than A2CT, and it was a little intimidating at first, but I’m incredibly glad I did it. My favorite memory of CET is during tech week for She Kills Monsters, Emily was going around giving acting notes to people and the only note she had for me was ‘louder balls noise.’ I’m of course going to miss the community and all of the wonderful people, but I’m also going to miss the theater space itself. I’ve had a really incredible time performing in Craft.”

Felix McKenna: “I joined CET on a whim freshman year because some of my friends were joining, and I

Photography by Hannah Rubenstein Nadya Matish [far right] pictured during CET’s performance of “The Visit.” Matish portrayed Claire Zachanassian. “I just dropped all my stuff and jumped right into the scene,” said Matish, describing a day she was late to rehearsal.

For seniors who are on their way to college this fall, college may seem like a daunting new challenge. However, their experience at CHS has prepared them for college throughout high school.

CHS prioritizes freedom for its students, giving its students some of the liberties that are normal at college. By not imposing strict attendance rules, CHS students are left to decide what choices work best for them and face the natural consequences of whatever choices they do make. This freedom allows students to learn what this element of college is like while they are still in high school, teaching them how to best manage their time in an educational context.

The most obvious way CHS prepares its students for college is by allowing them to take actual college courses with other college students through the Community Resource (CR) program. This helps students understand the expectations of a college class, such as how to manage lectures, discussions and finals. There are many college-specific skills that students can learn from the CR program that they will need to learn in college anyway. One of these skills is writing a college paper, a skill that many high school students lack. According to a study done in the Baltimore public schools, only 13% of high school seniors were deemed ready for college-level English class. CHS students are immediately set up for success in college, both from their experience in college classes and the unique English classes available to them.

CHS also gives its students the space to explore their interests and find what they like to do best. The freedom students are afforded in deciding their own schedule and creating their own classes prepares them for a college environment in which they will have countless classes to choose from and may need to try many different things before they narrow down their interests to a specific

field. For example, if students are interested in pursuing art in the future, they can fill their schedule with art classes and experiment with different techniques and teachers. This helps students learn more about themselves and their interests.

The block schedule that CHS uses is another aspect that is more similar to college than high school. This prepares students for a school experience where they won’t have every class every day, and will often have longer classes than the average high school class. CHS’s free blocks give students experience with having free time in their school day that they must choose how to use. With a full day between classes, students must find a homework schedule that allows them to get everything done.

CHS’s open campus is arguably the most college-like aspect of its environment. Unlike the rest of the AAPS high schools, CHS students are trusted to come and go on campus as they desire. Between classes, students can get a coffee from Sweetwaters or a bagel from Zingerman’s. This allows students to learn how to manage their own time and fosters an environment of trust that is present in all post-high school ventures, including college. CHS trusts its students, just like universities trust theirs.

As we have grown up throughout our high school career, we have been given more and more trust and respect from our teachers and peers. Now, as we begin to think about our next steps, we have an advantage: although we are still learning, we have a good sense of ourselves, because of how CHS has prepared us.

Taking the Next Step

Arista Luong

There is a pink plastic box under my desk collecting dust. Over the years, it has survived every spring cleaning and sporadic purge. I continue to stuff and pile more and more into this cheap little container, hoping nothing slips through the square-shaped holes that cover each of the four sides. A subtle breeze from a fan or a bump against my desk would send the tower of paper and knick-knacks toppling over, covering my floor with photographs, handwritten letters, birthday cards, bracelets and other things that belong in the recycling or trash.

As long as I can remember, I have yearned for adulthood. I have always hated feeling like I wasn’t in control. Naturally, as I’ve aged I’ve become more in control of my life, from choosing what to eat for lunch to what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. I don’t regret the time I spent wishing I was older. So far I was right, I’m much better suited for the age I am now than the ages that I used to be. But I do cherish the time I’ve spent being young. I’m grateful that for a portion of my life, I was carefree, and that I have had experiences that guide me in creating boundaries and interacting with the world around me.

I’ve been counting down to this pivotal age, knowing that after this year, everything would change. New school, new people, new place. I’m ready for all of these things — I have been for a long time — but I’m not ready

of my favorite books using this method, one of which is the 1967 sci-fi classic “Agent of Chaos” written by Norman Spinrad.

The book discusses the importance of entropy — how absolute organization and control is impossible and attempting to create it leads to the demise of individuality and free will. Absolute perfection is wholly unnatural. Chaos is a constant.

Every time I wished time would move faster, it didn’t. Now that I wish it would slow down just enough for me to savor every minute, again, time will not yield to me. I can’t control when the future will come, but I can do my best to prepare myself for when it does.

I moved from Rhode Island to Michigan, elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school with haste, transitioning into a new phase of my life without looking back. However, in the faded, cracking box under my desk, I placed sea shells, animal-shaped take-apart erasers, and friendship bracelets to take with me through the change.

This place, these people and this version of myself aren’t permanent. Nothing is, except for the trinkets I’ve tucked into my pockets, tangible things that connect me to memories and parts of my life that are no longer tangible. My collection of mementos is silly and juvenile but they keep me moving. The plastic box under my desk keeps my memories out of sight but ever present, a constant reminder that I can never go back but that I’m not moving forward alone.

Two CHS seniors reflect on their journeys through adolescence and the path they’re forging into adulthood.

Photography by Ruth Shikanov Arista Luong (left) and Lucy Cassell-Kelley (right) match in their Doc Marten Mary Janes. The pair discovered their coincidental coordination during their morning chat in the CHS parking lot.

Each day is a monotonous countdown to June 2 — the day I graduate high school and my life changes forever. I have always dreamed of being a senior. I imagined speeches and congratulations; waiting for my special moment in the spotlight.

But as I reached the precipice of my childhood, I realized I’m not ready at all. I want more time in this place I love so much. I want to revel in my loved ones’ company. My future stretches out in front of me—years of uncertainty and terror.

As I look ahead, I’m reminded of Sylvia Plath and her fig tree. I have an endless amount of choices, avenues and paths. I can picture myself at each college I’ve been accepted to, just as I can imagine myself in each career that has piqued my interest. I am scared to pick one but I am even more terrified to wait too long and watch my options shrivel up and fall from the tree. I can taste my success and happiness on each succulent fruit, but I can’t seem to commit to any individual fig, too afraid of the loss of the collective.

So I watch my future: sitting, wishing, waiting for someone to pick for me. I stalk Instagrams detailing college commitments, reread admissions letters, watch lots of TV and try to forget that my whole life will change in a matter of months. Everyone I love and know will be dispersed.

Life will never again feel this simple.

This is the moment I’ve waited my whole life for; the moment where I am meant to get into my dream school–carefully preserved in a recorded video — and have a big celebration with my family and friends.

But somehow, I haven’t heard back from all my schools. My future is still a big question mark, glaring at me from a computer screen, waiting for acceptance noti-

fications. I am living in a world of the unknown: where will I end up, where will my friends be?

As I look out at the rest of my life, standing on the cliff that is second semester senior year, I take time to turn around and enjoy the view of my high school career.

I reminisce on my first day of high school, the pause before opening the heavy metal door for the first time, the shallow breath I let out after stepping through the doorway. I remember the hours spent frantically studying for tests I was seemingly unprepared for, the afternoons spent writing and rewriting articles, the mornings filled with cold brew and stress.

As many moments of struggle I have experienced in these halls — the tears, the anxiety — I have felt just as much happiness. I have watched my friends grow up, met people I will keep in my life forever: grown, stretched, changed. I’ll fondly remember the projects I scraped together, the days I felt I would never pull myself out of bed (but still found myself sitting in first hour at eight AM) and the hours of aimlessly walking the halls.

I grew up without realizing it was happening, without wanting it to happen.

Like a baby bird pushed from the nest, now is the time to fall or fly. As the ground approaches, the details blurring into vision, I need to make the choice to continue the plummet or open my wings and catch the updraft.

So I’m trying to look at June 2 as an opportunity, not a death sentence.

Just as I was terrified to open the door and walk into Community on my first day of high school, I’m nervous to walk out of the building and close the door for the last time.

Photography by Ruth Shikanov Arista Luong (left) and Lucy CassellKelley (right) smile at each other outside Kerrytown. They often adventure to Sparrow between blocks to get sweet treats.

Lucy Cassell-Kelley

READERS WRITE

LYDIA COCCIOLONE

For some people, virtual school was torture — brutal isolation. For me, it was sparkly and bright. My setup was by a nice window in my bedroom at the time, with paintings and pictures garnishing the walls and (mostly) clear floors due to all the time I had to clean them.

The room became a place filled with life; the air was a concentrated mix of solitude and reflection. I took that with me into the outside world when I was fortunate enough to be able to run with my team when everything else was shut down. I took it with me in the mornings when I left my sanctuary to watch the sun rise over the Huron River.

No matter how cold, cloudy or early it was, every day I coasted on my bike all the way to the water. The sun always waited patiently for me to get there before it started its colorful show. I climbed over the railing on the Foster Bridge and sat on one of the four concrete bases. My little backpack usually consisted of a snack and a book to keep me company in the early mornings.

When the day became bright and the colors disappeared, my bike would take me back home; I was usually just in time for school. I took that energy with me in my junior year when we came back in person. Although I had less time to myself, I remembered the growth and reflection I had spent so much time doing.

Senior Communicator staff members share their short, personal narratives centered around their experiences in high school.

RIA LOWENSCHUSS

I turned eighteen this year. I can bet my savings away on scratch cards bought at the gas station. I can walk up to the marines office and risk my life for my country. I qualify for tens of thousands of dollars in student loans in order to go to college. And I have no idea what I’m doing with my life. When I was young, I thought I knew everything. I was always the most mature — when I went through a growth spurt in fifth grade, putting me a foot above my classmates, I was constantly mistaken for a high schooler. This made me want to age faster, to get to that mythical moment of feeling the age that you are, of fitting in your skin. I still don’t fit in my skin. I shift in my seat, uncomfortable with the way my voice sounds and how my hand waves in the air when I have an answer. I second guess myself, I seek validation from any source, I let myself by biased measures of intelligence. I do not fully believe in myself; I feel like I never grew into my skin.

But now I’m not sure skin is something you ever fully grow into. I am okay feeling uncomfortable. I am stepping out of the comfort zone that is high school, preparing to move out of my home, taking risks and taking flight. I believe it is fitting that I feel stretched and distorted in my body, that I don’t know what I’m doing and that I’m scared. As I learn and grow, I am creating a new skin to live in.

BY LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY

ROSIE MELLOR

I remember that feeling of excitement in my nerves, being surrounded by a completely new environment, new people and new teachers. Feeling like I couldn’t really catch my breath. I haven’t felt like that since the beginning of freshman year. Now I feel something different.

I sit down in my classrooms and melt into my seat. I feel comfortable. Before high school, school felt like an inconvenience in my day, something that I had to suffer through until 3 o’clock.

Never did I imagine school being a home. That excitement that flowed through my nerves during those first weeks of high school, I know they’ll be back, back next semester where I’m somewhere farther away, surrounded by a bigger group of new people.

I can only hope in the years to come that I can walk into my classrooms again, melt into my seat and feel at home.

KURT HAUSMAN

You’re not you at the end of high school. Well I guess you are, but you’re not what you think you’ll be. You can try to predict and plan out where you’ll end, but the more you experience high school, the more you will understand that you can’t control who you’ll become.

Think of yourself as an incomplete puzzle. Every experience you have, every memory you make will add a little jigsawed piece to slowly complete you as a whole. You don’t get to pick all the pieces, and you often try ones that don’t fit where you thought they might; But sometimes, even when you’re not looking, the piece you need falls right into your hand — and it snaps in place perfectly.

Be patient and let the puzzle take time. You’re not going to complete it in one day, you may need help from others, but most importantly, be proud of yourself when you finish, because that is the biggest accomplishment of all.

2023 Senior Map

CHS seniors are migrating across the country – and the world – to start the next chapters of their lives. Data for this map was collected from seniors and is accurate as of April 21, 2023.

Gap Year

Europe

Abby Frank Israel

Sam Levin

Felix Starosta

Michigan

Griffin Denomme

Luka Galle-Callahan

Ava Tiedemann

Queens University

Oliver Hiltz-Perron

University of Toronto

Ruth Wasserman

University of Puget Sound

Lydia Cocciolone

Grinnell College

School of the Art Institute

DePaul University

Columbia College Chicago

University of California

Berkeley

Elliot Bramson

University of California

San Diego

Henry Collins-Thompson

University of Southern California

Raffi Avedissian

Arizona State University

Harrison Worden

Carnegie Mellon University

University of Pittsburgh

University of Vermont

Sofi Maranda

Wellesley College

Ria Lowenschuss

University of Minnesota

Carl Gombert

Bates College

Leah White

Maine College of Art and Design

Hazel Derry

Rhode Island

School of Design

Ryan Thomas-Palmer

Indiana

Butler University

Jonah Lee

Indiana University

Hannah Margolis

Ohio

Bowling Green State University

McKenna Dunman

Taylor Gaies

College of Wooster

Kaela Redding

Kenyon College

Lucy Cassell-Kelley

Nadya Matish

Ohio State University

Gabriella Anderson

University of Cincinnati

Evan Dziczek

Florida

Eckerd College

Jade Zikmund-Fisher

University of Miami

Eve Kaplan

Eastern Michigan University

Navi Fields

Audrey Weiss

Ferris State University

Alejandro Enrique Shakespeare

Henry Ford

Community College

Ismael San Antonio

Jillian Boynton

Kalamazoo College

James Azim

Theodore Jacobson

Ryleigh Jaworski

Michigan State University

Mick Hanson

Michael Wei

Lewis Perry

Patrick Lafferty

Michigan Technological University

Lydia Biggers-Brookhouse

Northern Michigan University

Maddy Hendriksma

Lauren MacNeil

Lauren Sprauer

Dane Cucinelli

University of Michigan

Margaret Alpern

Evers Baskey

Matthew Castilho

Sam Cao

Henry Connor

Ioana Dumitrascu

Kevin Dutton

Santiago Fiori

Noah Fulkerson

Olivia Glynn

Mary Margaret Hatch

Alexander Marsh

Karim Mohamed

Elias Overpeck

Simon Shavit

Zoe Simmons

Tommy Simon

Biel Tapley-Coll

Jadyn Taylor

Washtenaw Community College

American University

Nicholas Langdon

District of Columbia Michigan

Central Michigan University

Najeh Martinez College for Creative Studies

Felix McKenna

Zakiya Fortner

Izzy Gilb

Blake Lovasz

Christopher Mendez

Anna Tapley-Coll

Charlie Wreford

Wayne State University

Dè Barney

Elliot Rhodes

Photography by Arista Luong Best friends Taylor (left) and Beeson (right) met at tennis camp during the summer prior to fifth grade. “We will always be just friends,” Beeson said.

that was LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY AND FELIX STAROSTA

that never was CHARLIE BEESON AND JADYN TAYLOR

Photography by Arista Luong Starosta (left) and Cassell-Kelley (right) sport wedding props from Party City. The couple will celebrate their sixth month anniversary in April. ”I’ll accept this award on behalf of both of us,” CassellKelley said. “I want to thank my stellar reputation and good looks.”

Biggest

DÈ BARNEY AND ARISTA LUONG

RAFFI AVEDISSIAN, ELLIOT BRAMSON, SAM CAO, HENRY CONNOR, KEVIN DUTTON, CARL GOMBERT, LEWIS PERRY AND FELIX STAROSTA

Photography by Addi Hinesman Barney (left) and Luong (right) put together outfits with their favorite pieces. “I’m happy to be serving the class of 2023,” Barney said.

Photography by Arista Luong Gombert (top left), Bramson (top right), Starosta (bottom left) and Dutton (bottom right) recreate the movie poster from “Step Brothers.”

Photography by Arista Luong Glass poses with her hair dryer, a bathroom staple. During her freshman year, Glass shaved her head, and has been changing up her hair style ever since.

ELLA GLASS

LUCY CASSELL-KELLEY, SOFI MARANDA AND ELLA ROSEWARNE

RAFFI AVEDISSIAN, ELLIOT BRAMSON, HENRY CONNOR AND SCARLETT LONDON

ZOE SIMMONS

Most likely to

No way they aren’t at

Photography by Arista Luong Covered head to toe in bright colors, Simmons is all smiles. Her cardigan is inspired by the one worn by Howl in the Studio Ghibli film “Howl’s Moving Castle.”

Photography by Arista Luong Maranda (left), Cassell-Kelley (middle) and Rosewarne (right) took Calculus 2 at WCC together during the fall semester. “I’d like to thank my parents for putting me in front of some Kumon work books in the second grade,” Cassell-Kelley said.

Photography by Arista Luong Connor (far left) and Bramson (far right) enjoy fried rice, while London (middle right) eats her usual sweet and spicy chicken.

Most

JILL BOYNTON AND LUKA GALLE-CALLAHAN

Photography by Ella Rosewarne Cao (left) and Luong (right) wear Chatime uniforms in remembrance of their favorite boba shop that closed in fall of 2022. “Rest in peace Chatime,” Cao said. “You are missed.”

Photography by Arista Luong Galle (above) and Boynton (left) hold out the keys to their matching vehicles.

Photography by Arista Luong White had the most kills in the spork game until her untimely demise at the hands of a fellow CHS senior.

from where they started...

BY ISABELLA MALDONADO AND NAVI FIELDS

Kurt Hausman

Taylor Gaies

Dè

Nadya Barney

Matish

Wei

Navi

Michael Fields

...to where they are now

Things...

The graduating class of 2023 looks ahead to the many exciting aspects of life after high school.

BY KAELA REDDING

“I’m excited to start this new phase and I’m excited to meet new people and study things that actually interest me.”

“I’m excited to start college and be independent on my own but also be in a safe environment.”

“I’m excited to find a new yarn shop that I can nest in, though it’ll feel like I’m cheating on Spun. I think I’m going to reinvent my style as well, get really funky with clothes.”

“I’m excited to meet new people and be able to focus on what I’m passionate about and see what else is out there.”

“I’m excited to be able to do my own thing in college and make my own decisions instead of having other people make them for me.”

“I want to find a new grocery store that I can work at. I want to find a great deli that has really good tuna sandwiches. I want to ponder reflectively into a nice river that is in a new place. Maybe I can run the post office in a small little coastal town pretty soon.”

“I’m excited to be in a new state and live in a completely different environment.”

“I’m excited for a new chapter starting in a new place.”

“I’m taking a gap year next year and I really want to work on my art skills.”

“I’m excited for] being in a new town and state and having like a fresh start in my adult life is very scary.”

“I think I’m excited to live on my own and to be in charge of myself and how I manage my time.”

“I’m excited to live. When you live in the dorms, you live near a lot more people and I live in the country. So I think it’s gonna be really interesting to live somewhere where you can walk places because I’ve never lived somewhere like that…”

Karim Mohamed

Taylor Gaies

Ryan Thomas-Palmer

Hazel Derry

Lauren MacNeil

Maddy Hendriksma

Hugo Nelson

Ella Glass

Mary Margaret Hatch

Rosie Mellor

Zöe Simmons

Christopher Van Lent

Ellie Strumba

“I’m hoping to travel to see my family in France and Canada or just travel in general.”

McKenna Duman

“I am excited to just go to college and make new friends and go to all the fun college sporting events.”

Felix Starosta

“I’m taking gap years so I’m excited to move over to my mom’s to get a job and just generally get a taste of adult life before I go back to school.”

Lydia Cocciolone

“I’m gonna make some noise in the Sound. A puget noise specifically.”

Ruth Wasserman

“I’m excited to be more independent and learn some new things that I don’t get to learn in school.”

Ella Rosewarne

“I’m really excited. I’m gonna buy a chameleon. I don’t know. I probably won’t buy it. But maybe I’ll buy a fish.”

Kurt Hausman

“I’m excited to play intramural sports in college because I played sports in high school and I think it would be a fun way to continue with a passion that I’ve had my entire life in college.”

“I’m excited to live on my own and start to be more independent and I’m going hopefully to Toronto so I’m just really excited. I have a lot of family there. So it’ll be nice to be with them more because I don’t see them that much and also just be in a big city that is really diverse.”

Ria Lowenschuss

“I’m ready to meet a new local bookstore. I love the place I work, but I’m ready for something new.”

Gabbi Anderson

“I’m gonna be going to Akron [College] and I’m excited to be in a pretty open campus for bikes and stuff and a lot of skateboarding and I’m hoping to get a one wheel that I can ride around campus.”

“I’m excited to go to the college libraries and go to the top floor where it’s pindrop silent and do my homework.”

Jade Zikmund-Fisher

Derren Dean

Books That Change Lives

I have spent two years interviewing my classmates and teachers on books that changed their lives. Now, I want to share my own story.

BY RIA LOWENSCHUSS

Reading didn’t come easily to me. I had grown up surrounded by books — tall bookshelves adorned the living room, novels were stacked skyhigh on my mother’s bedside table, and my bedtime always began with a book of my choice read out loud to me — but when kindergarten came around, I struggled to sound out the words in the simplest of sentences. I would spend what felt like hours staring uncomprehendingly at a single page in a learn-to-read book. Not only was I frustrated, I was embarrassed.

The beginning of first grade wasn’t any easier. I watched my classmates be promoted to chapter books like “The Boxcar Children” while I was stuck with what I thought of as little kid books. I wanted to be a part of the reading community, clustered around a little table in my first-grade classroom reading “Nancy Drew” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” but I felt unworthy.

Finally, I had had enough. I was tired of being left behind. I begged my teacher for access to the bookshelf filled with chapter books, as the colorful spines taunted me across the classroom. Triumphant in my granted permission, I chose the first book that stood out to me: “Ruby the Red Fairy” from the “Rainbow Magic” series.

“Ruby the Red Fairy” follows two young girls, Kirsty and Rachel, as they discover that fairies are real and help the rainbow fairies fight against the evil Jack Frost to keep their home vibrant and colorful. When Kirsty and Rachel find a pot at the end of a rainbow, they discover Ruby the Red Fairy stuck inside of it. Ruby tells them that Jack Frost has banished her and all of her col-

orful sisters away from Fairyland, hoping to make it devoid of color. The girls agree to help the fairy and they go off on a magical adventure to Fairyland. The “Rainbow Magic” series tells the stories of all of the rainbow fairies, one after the other.

As a young girl who still believed in magic, I immediately fell in love with Kirsty, Rachel and all of the magical fairies in “Ruby the Red Fairy.” I could picture myself in Kirsty and Rachel’s place, going on adventures and saving Fairyland.

When I finished reading “Ruby the Red Fairy,” my first ever chapter book, I felt like I could do anything. I had finally pushed past my limits and made it to the world of “big kid reading,” and I wasn’t stopping now. I read all of the “Rainbow Magic” books, devouring them in what felt like no time at all, and I moved on to “Nancy Drew” and other books I had seen my classmates reading without me. Reading became an integral part of my identity; I never went anywhere without a book.

To this day, I remain an avid reader. I love all genres of books, although fantasy still holds a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. I even work at a bookstore, where I help adults and children alike find books that speak to them and ignite their passion for reading. I created “Books That Change Lives” to make space for all kinds of readers and the books that have influenced them; I have interviewed people who used books to get through heartbreak and grief, to get out of a reading slump and to decide their career path. “Ruby the Red Fairy” changed my life. Without it, I wouldn’t be the reader, writer or person that I am today.

“That’s the magic of books: you can go anywhere and do anything, no matter your real-life circumstances.”

Photography by Cate Weiser Ria Lowenschuss reads a book in the Dawn Treader Bookshop. Lowenschuss has loved reading since first grade. “To this day, I remain an avid reader,” Lowenschuss said. “I love all genres of books, although fantasy still holds a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf.”

New York Fashion Week

BY MORGAN MCCLEASE AND ADDI HINESMAN

New York City is often dubbed the fashion capital of the United States. When The Communicator went to NYC for the Columbia National Scholastic Press Association’s annual conference, the seniors took it as a perfect opportunity to live their version of New York Fashion Week. For Lucy Cassell-Kelley, the senior photo shoot was a bonding moment. “As silly as I felt doing it, I had a lot of fun playing around with my friends and making a fool of ourselves in public,” Cassell-Kelley said.

O n t h e Wa y t o G r a d u a t i o n

BY KURT HAUSMAN, SAM CAO AND DANIEL GING

Long Time - Intro - Playboi Carti

Hate Bein’ Sober - Chief Keef

The Spins - Mac Miller

Ain’t It Fun - Paramore

Highway to Hell - AC/DC

Shooters Inside My Crib - Quavo

Antioch Pac - Mike Sherm

I’ll Do It - Heidi Montag

U.G.K. - Lucki

Enter Sandman - Metallica

added by: Kurt Hausman

added by: Sam Cao

added by: Lucy Cassell-Kelly

added by: Tate Zeleznik

added by: Christopher Van Lent

added by: Cole Peroff

added by: Carl Gombert

added by: Nicolas Langdon

added by: Lewis Perry

added by: Zoe Simmons

O n t h e Wa y H o m e

Ex-Factor - Lauryn Hill

I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am - Arctic Monkeys

Buttons - Mac Miller

Everything Reminds Me Of Her - Elliott Smith

Better - Khalid

Changes - David Bowie

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Kyoto - Phoebe Bridgers

Orange Show Speedway - Lizzy McAlpine

Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi, MGMT, Ratatat

added by: Alexander Marsh

added by: Arista Luong

added by: Scarlett London

added by: Hazel Derry

added by: Margaret Alpern

added by: Scarlett London

added by: Arista Luong

added by: Nadya Matish

added by: Tate Zeleznik

added by: Rachael Pashturro

Out Loud. Out Loud.

Out Loud.

Three albums to hear now.

BY RAFFI AVEDISSIAN, ISABELLA JACOB AND EVAN OCHOA

Red Moon in Venus by Kali Uchis

“Red Moon in Venus” is the third studio album by singer Kali Uchis. Uchis has been influential in the R & B genre since her debut mixtape, “Drunken Babble.” Since then, Uchis has continued to develop as an artist and this progression is clear on her latest album.

The album starts strong with a chain of slow ballads — “I Wish you Roses,” “Worth the Wait” and “Love Between”— including a feature from Omar Apollo. These opening tracks reveal the core of the album sonically: Uchis’ vocals. Her voice takes the forefront on every song and all of the instruments feel like they’ve been meticulously crafted to fully accentuate this. The mixing also favors Uchis’ voice over the other aspects. With slow paced drums and atmospheric guitars, the album’s production is sharp and polished.

Despite the aforementioned feature from Omar Apollo and another feature from Summer Walker, Don Toliver has the strongest feature on the album on the track “Fantasy.” Both Toliver and Uchis’ vocals fit well together and culminate in the albums strongest track. The song also feels faster-paced than the other tracks on the album, serving as a refreshing palate cleanser from the previous songs on the album.

Because of the previously mentioned emphasis on Uchis and her vocals, some of the songs on the album end up feeling repetitive. Unfortunately, this structure is not broken up enough for each track on the album to have a unique sound. This results in a good portion of the album feeling forgettable.

Uchis’ new album, despite having some bland components, provides a few memorable R & B tracks. This record isn’t one I see myself coming back to as a whole, but the individual pieces I enjoyed I will continue listening to for quite some time.

Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale by Tyler, The Creator

On March 31, 2023, Tyler, The Creator released “Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale” the deluxe version of his latest album. His original album came out almost two years ago and ushered in a new era and aesthetic for Tyler.

The deluxe version picks up where “Call Me If You Get Lost” left off, adding eight new tracks including “Everything Must Go,“ “Heaven To Me,” “Wharf Talk” and “Stuntman” — including featured verses from A$AP Rocky and Vince Staples.

New music videos were released in anticipation of the deluxe release, as well as after. Music videos like “Dogtooth” continue to encapsulate Tyler’s current era and aesthetic. Tyler Baudelaire, the main character of Tyler’s current “Call Me If You Get Lost” era, is featured in the music videos.

The “Call Me If You Get Lost” era is completed with “Sorry Not Sorry.” In this music video, multiple versions of Tyler enter and perform in front of a theater full of his peers. Multiple versions of Tyler rap their own verses in different styles specific to eras he’s created throughout his career. In the video, he apologizes to those he hid his sexuality from, his family and his ancestors, for not doing enough. Throughout the whole song he refuses to apologize for who he is and for what he has accomplished. At the end of the music video, Tyler Baudelaire is killed by another, more savage, version of Tyler, The Creator. Fans hypothesize that this might resemble his ego or possibly his next era.

“Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale” gives fans a fully rounded and developed version of his album. It’s a strong closing to his current era and fans are excited to see what he will do next.

Quest for Fire by Skrillex

After almost a decade without any new studio albums from Skrillex, he returns in 2023 with “Quest For Fire,” and a surprise release a day later with “Don’t Get Too Close.” Out of the two, “Quest For Fire” is the more interesting project. As surface level and care-free as it can sound, Skrillex doesn’t let that weigh down the album’s quality and craftsmanship.

“Quest For Fire” is through and through a party record, which sometimes ventures into the avant-garde. If anything, the evolution of Skrillex’s style can be seen in his attention to detail, like in the overwhelmingly textural “Supersonic,” as the listener travels through a wormhole, passing by multiple universes within seconds.

When Skrillex and the producers aren’t flexing their prowess in sound design, they are preoccupied with delivering beats and bass that could shake the ground of any rave. Each track on the album is constructed uniquely: “Leave Me Like This” is a solid intro, mixing Skrillex’s signature dubstep leads with classic house beats; “Butterflies” is full of ear candy from what sounds like marimba on the latter half of the song, along with ghostly vocal samples; “XENA” is undeniably the most massive and hardest sounding song on the album, and “TOO BIZARRE (juked)” is a remix of a punk song that’s transformed into a bizarre head-banger of a track.

Despite Skrillex’s grand status as an artist and producer and his frankly underwhelming “Don’t Get Too Close,” “Quest For Fire” still manages to feel full of the vibrancy and creativity that he led with in his debut releases, sounding rebellious and generally straying from playing into the generic trends of popular music today. Even if it’s not necessarily pushing the envelope for electronic production, it’s still a fun project.

Hazel Derry’s High School Soundtrack

Hazel Derry’s music taste has evolved alongside her through her four years of high school.

BY CLAIRE LEWIS

freshman year

Freshman year was the first time Hazel Derry really dove into music. In the years prior she had only listened to a narrow pool of songs and artists, mainly The Beatles. Months before the first day of high school, her dad made her a huge playlist, which kick-started her interest in music. It completely changed the trajectory of her taste; she transitioned to listening to a lot of Wham, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates and The Kinks. At the beginning of the year she didn’t listen to any female artists.

“I didn’t really think [female artists] would be good, which was a really bad thought,” Derry said. “I just thought of female artists as pop stars which was absolutely not true.”

As she moved into quarantine, her discovery of music halted, and her view on pop and female artists shifted. She exclusively listened to Tame Impala and Nicki Minaj.

“I think it was just upbeat enough to give me a boost through the day, but it wasn’t like I was actually exploring music,” Derry said.

sophomore year

The first semester of sophomore year, Derry wasn’t listening to much music. When she did, it was mostly Amy Winehouse. She didn’t have a distinct genre she listened to. Later into the year, Derry got wireless headphones, which encouraged her to listen to more music than she ever had before.

“I listened to so much music, I was never not wearing my headphones,” Derry said.

Later in the year she started to find a lot of music that became staples of her taste. Radiohead had always been a part of her music taste, but during sophomore year they were one of her favorites. With each month it seemed like a new artist or album was her favorite; the Smiths one month, Beach House another, Jimi Hendrix the next. In addition, Derry continued to move into female artists, which had a huge effect on her. Fiona Apple became a distinct part of her music taste and shifted her view on other artists. Her love of Fiona Apple toppled her into the discovery of Björk. She listened to her first Björk album for the first time on the ride home from her grandparents house and realized that “Vespertine” was going to be a big part of her life.

Despite the fact that her world was expanding with her interest and discovery of music, it was still a dark time in Derry’s life. The pandemic hit Derry hard, and as a result she gravitated towards sadder music.

“I feel like if you listen to happy music when you’re sad, it makes the sadness more sad because it’s a reflection of how unhappy you are,” Derry said. “So I kind of wanted to match it.”

Junior year was a continuation of everything Derry had been listening to, and she dove further into the genres she already liked. In the month before school, she had started listening to albums in their entirety, which began her obsession with progressive rock. She listened to King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and an assortment of other similar artists. This was also influenced by her dad, who impacted her music taste all throughout high school.

“Years before [high school], my dad played ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ in the car, and I thought, ‘This is ridiculous, no song needs to be 11 minutes long.’ But then junior year I came back to him and I told him, ‘Dad, I’m sorry,’” Derry said.

Her progressive rock phase lasted about five months. Later in the year, she moved towards mellow music like Faye Webster and Wilco. Although many of the artists that Derry listened to at that time continue to be part of her music taste, junior year also taught her not to stay in the same place for long.

“Listening to the same music all the time gets so repetitive and you lose track of where you are,” Derry said. “I wanted to move on from where I was in my life when I was stuck, I wanted to escape and find something else to focus on. When you love an album, it can shift how you see things.”

junior year senior year

Derry has been busy this year. She’s lost some of her creativity with music because of the chaos of senior year, but she still finds time to listen. Her lasting love for discovering new music has built a strange array of artists. She listens to an old country album by Marty Robbins whenever she’s sad, finds comfort in the stability of Led Zeppelin and has her staples like Duran Duran and Lionel Richie.

“I have a lot of memories connected to every song that I like and that’s a nice way to reminisce,” Derry said. “But I also like finding new music because you can find new memories with it. Music is a cherry on top to everything. It enhances every experience.”

The reasons behind Derry’s love of music have changed throughout the years. At times it has served as a time for reflection, memory and appreciation. Whatever genre it may be: pop, indie or rock, it all sums up as a soundtrack of her life and a guide through her feelings.

Mick Hanson’s High School Soundtrack

Throughout high school, Mick Hanson has grown into his music taste and realized the place that music has in his life.

BY CLAIRE LEWIS

freshman year

Freshman year was a transitory period for Mick Hanson. He listened to a lot of music that he had been gravitating toward in the years prior: classic rock such as Steely Dan and Led Zeppelin. He also listened to a variety of pop songs, the most memorable being “Baby I’m Yours” by Breakbot. Although much stayed the same, he was starting to pull out of his comfort zone. Freshman year was his first time playing piano in the Community High School jazz band, which led him into his first real taste of jazz music. He listened to a lot of the jazz basics: “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, earlier Blakey records and other jazz essentials. In middle school, he didn’t listen to jazz and went into freshman year with a disinterested view of the genre.

“I made fun of [jazz] a lot, actually,” Hanson said. I was in an orchestra and people would bang on the piano, and say that’s what jazz is. I think you can say a lot of things about CHS Jazz, but one of the things that it did best was help me grow my appreciation.”

sophomore year

The constraints of the pandemic pushed Hanson into long walks everyday. When he didn’t find motivation to practice playing music, he would spend hours walking around, listening.

“The pandemic was rough,” Hanson said. “The thing that got me through it was going for walks every day. I’d walk for five or six hours and I would just listen to music the whole time.”

His music taste was broad, with the additional time allowing him to explore different genres. Although Hanson started to shift a bit more towards jazz, the majority of his taste was a variation of other things. He shifted more from classic rock into fusion funk but remained focused on rap and hip hop, specifically Tyler the Creator and A Tribe Called Quest.

Moving back in person shifted Hanson’s perspective on music as he started exploring music more than ever. His taste exploded junior year; he was not only listening to more jazz than ever, but more of everything. He started using Discover Weekly on Spotify and found some of his favorite bands, one of them being Hiatus Kaiyote, which he hadn’t heard of before. In years prior he listened to A Tribe Called Quest, but during junior year they became one of his top five musical artists of all time. That same year, he started thinking about music as something more than he had considered it before.

“Coming out of being on Zoom it sort of clicked with me like I needed to start practicing way more,” Hanson said. “And it’s when I fully realized I want to be a jazz musician when I get out of high school.”

Although Hanson was already familiar with many jazz pianists, by junior year he had many lasting inspirations, like Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Art Tatum. Jazz was not only the foundation of his passion and a huge part of his music taste, but during junior year it also became a significant part of his relationships. He made strong connections, not only making close friends, but also teaching him how to form bonds with strangers.

“Playing with someone you’ve never met before, it’s this sort of instantaneous connection,” Hanson said. “People romanticize and exaggerate it, saying, ‘we’re having conversations with the music,’ but there is a sort of connection that’s significant and specific to jazz.”

junior year senior year

Senior year has brought a lot of nostalgia into Hanson’s music taste. With the realization of his future approaching, he’s been finding comfort from music that is reminiscent of his childhood, ranging from his old favorites, to his parents’ music. For example, he’s been listening to 1980s hits that his mom loves, like The Clash and David Bowie, and his dad’s favorites too, like The Guests and Andrew Bird. He’s also found the importance of listening to albums in their entirety, focusing on expanding his existing taste and revisiting the rest. Music has been a huge part of his life through nostalgia, passion and communication. Although his future is not certain, his love for music is.

“I’m kind of terrified of the future, but I consider myself to be an optimistic person,” Hanson said. “I hope I get to do music in some capacity as my career, and continue being friends with cool people. Those are the most important things to me and I feel confident that things will turn out right.”

The Last of Us: Two Sides of the Story

This article will be split into separate reviews from two fans of the series: One who has only watched the show and one who has been a long-time fan of the video game series.

PLAYER: KEVIN DUTTON

I watched my older brother play “The Last of Us” during my winter break in third grade. He covered my eyes at the scary scenes and would tell me to look away when his hands were busy shooting horrifying fungi-covered zombies. During the summer before my freshman year, I played the game on my own. Now, as a senior, I am watching the adapted HBO series.

I’ve always thought that “The Last of Us” would make a great TV show. I was enthralled with the story and Joel and Ellie’s relationship. I was emotionally attached to the characters and was obsessed with the game. Of all the story mode video games I have played, none had me as invested as “The Last of Us” did. When I first heard that the video game was being turned into a series, I couldn’t wait to relive one of my favorite and most nostalgic video games.

After seeing the trailer, my excitement turned into disappointment. Neither Bella Ramsey nor Pedro Pascal seemed to portray the characters I knew so well. From their dissimilar appearances to their inaccurate dialogue and body language, nothing about the casting felt right. Despite my doubts, I still knew I had to watch the series.

In the opening scene of the pilot, an epidemiologist talks on an interview show about the possibility of a

viral pandemic spreading. This scene was not included in the game, but it added depth to the post-apocalyptic setting. Throughout the first season, the series took multiple turns like this into new territory with the characters and plot. I began to accept this and started watching with an open mind.

When the video game was created, Covid-19 had not yet happened. Hearing a story told about a global pandemic in 2023 is much more relatable than it was in 2013. The writers make a conscious effort to find parallels to our shared experience of prolonged isolation and loss in a way the game did not intentionally get a chance to do.

Even though I was not a fan of the differences between the game and show at first, I am now pleased with the uncharted turns. If the writers focused on a direct recreation of the game’s storyline, they would not have been able to capture similarities to Covid-19 or add character depth. Whether an episode feels familiar to the story that I know or if it’s a step into something new, I am equally excited for whatever comes my way.

Whether you played “The Last of Us” video game or not, I would highly recommend the show to anyone. From Ramsey and Pascal’s characters’ relationship to the astounding cinematography, the producers did an incredible job with the first season.

QUICK FACTS

“The Last of Us” follows the characters of Joel and Ellie— portrayed by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey— who navigate the torn down and depressingly isolated world they live in. The journey they go through isn’t an easy one, and they are constantly met with different obstacles throughout the first season. The series is set in the year 2023, 20 years after a fungus outbreak that caused human hosts to transform into bloodthirsty and aggressive mutants. The writers do not pull their punches when it comes to the intense moments that the episode climaxes enthrall you in, and after living through a global pandemic, the show feels all the more saddening and real.

As someone who has always been fascinated with post-apocalyptic fiction, hearing about the new release of the show immediately sparked my interest. Having not played the game, the experience of watching the pilot episode was just as shocking as it was refreshing for me. The film and television industry has no shortage of zombie related films and shows, but one that is this well written and directed is a rare find.

Having heard and seen many great things about the video game even prior to the announcement of the series, it had always seemed captivating. However, I don’t have a lot of interest in video games as a whole, so I never got around to playing “The Last of Us.” I found myself wondering how a controlled video game format would work in the story throughout each episode. I thought about what locations would be where battles happened in the game and about which points in the series would have marked the next level, boss fights or other elements of the video game. Despite being aware of what Joel and Ellie looked like in the video games, when I heard that Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey got casted as the two leading characters, I was not worried. Pedro Pascal did a perfect job playing the closed off and tough Joel, and Bella Ramsey gave a heartbreaking performance as Ellie.

After finishing the series, playing the video game has never sounded more appealing to me. The narrative, characters, action and setting are all top notch in the show. The adaptation of the video game into the show was definitely not a poor decision. I would not be surprised if in the near future of television we start seeing more video game adaptations.

3

Co-creator Craig Mazin’s daughter can be heard singing over the credits at the end of episode six.

4 Episode three follows a narrative which was not told in the video game.

Tony Baker, the voice actor for Joel in the video game, makes an appearance in episode eight as James.

Gustavo Santaolalla, the music composer for the video game, composed all the music for the show. He used music directly from the original game and made new additions.

“The Last of Us” is a TV series that began airing weekly on HBO Max during Jan. 2023. Created by Craig Mazin, the show is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed action-based story mode video game which was released in 2013 and developed by Naughty Dog.

VIEWER: HENRY CONNOR

BY IVY PROCHASKA

All it took was experimenting with watercolors on one trip to his grandma’s house and Felix McKenna was hooked. It was at that moment that he discovered his favorite hobby, but it wasn’t until he was in eighth grade that he realized that it could be more than just entertainment.

“I had no idea that art was a job you could do besides the picture books they’d show us in art class,” McKenna said. “But then I realized everything’s art and I was like, ‘Oh, I can actually do art as a job.’”

Growing up, McKenna would watch cartoons and animated shows which helped him discover his love for animation. He soon realized that he wanted to be the one animating those shows. Many years later, McKenna is now planning on going to school for animation at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit.

Shows, music and other artists around him are McKenna’s biggest inspirations. He loves to admire others’ artwork and the desire for people to be inspired by his artwork is one of his biggest motivators.

“I want to be the person who makes art and then other people look at my art and want to make art and then everybody’s making art,” McKenna said. “That’s my goal in life.”

He sees art as a tool that can be used to communicate an idea to people. This is a big part of how art is used as a profession too, with advertisements using emotions to sell a product or tell a story.

Applying to art school was a different experience than

the traditional college application process. One thing that helps in the process is National Portfolio Day, where students can share their portfolios with different professionals to gain feedback. For McKenna, this event proved to be more confusing than helpful.

“You’d go to a table and show them your portfolio and each one of them would like a different part and hate a different part,” McKenna said. “I had to edit my portfolio for every single place I applied.”

However, he was thankful because most of the pieces he had to make for the portfolio were things that he genuinely enjoyed creating, such as character designs and keyframes for an animation.

Though sometimes a pain, creating the many portfolios taught him some valuable lessons. McKenna realized what people would expect if he went into animation and how to better manage his time. He learned a lot from studying other people’s portfolios and understanding what different art schools were looking for. Overall, the whole process taught him how to show off his art skills.

McKenna is most excited about being surrounded by a community that shares the same interests as him. He knows that no matter what happens, he will always have art and will continue to share it with the world.

“I think that even if I’m doing something else for my job, I’m probably going to make a graphic novel in my free time,” McKenna said. “I just want to make art that makes people go, ‘Whoa, that looks cool.’”

A CHS artist reflects on how his art has evolved and how the college application process affected him.

Felix McKenna

Over the Moon and New Friend

“These two pieces are part of a series of concept drawings I did for a story about three cows who meet and build a rocket ship together. At first they are still hesitant about each other, but by the end of the story they’re all best friends! I wanted to highlight the changing of the seasons throughout the story.”

Dream Dinner

“I liked the idea of painting myself in an imaginary place that I’d want to travel to, so I painted myself eating dinner with a bunch of fun animals in a dream-like diner. I used a wish-eye perspective to warp the environment so it would look like an alternate reality and I chose the cool color palate to make it feel calm yet cheery.“

Peanut Butter Snails

BY RUTH SHIKANOV

My parents would tell me not play with my food as I used my fork to make delicate indentations on my mashed potatoes or intensely stirred my ice cream so it resembled a texture similar to soft serve. But now it’s on a completely different playing field. These peanut butter snails are an elevated ants on a log and have the perfect combination of salty and sweet with a crunch.

Instructions:

1. Cut celery ribs into thirds. Spoon peanut butter into a bag and snip a corner to make a small hole.

2. Pipe two lines of peanut butter on the celery and insert the apple slice.

3. Place two chocolate chips to resemble eyes. Then, place a pretzel piece above each eye to resemble antennas.

Ingredients:

2 pieces of celery

½ cup of smooth peanut butter

2 apples

2 pretzel sticks cut in thirds

4 mini chocolate chips

Humans of Community

CHS students reflect on their proudest moments.

BY LYDIA COCCIOLONE, ELLA GLASS AND IVY PROCHASKA

Madison Lee Abby Frank

“I’m really proud of being able to do my own hair. I learned how to do my own hair during the pandemic because I couldn’t go to my braider because she had moved away. So I just learned to do it myself. I start by parting my hair and that usually takes the whole day, then I actually start braiding it and it takes forever and my back really, really hurts after because my arms are up. I’m probably gonna get pretty buff. This one right now is my favorite. It took two days.”

“I took Spanish 277 at [University of Michigan] last semester. That was by far the hardest class I’ve ever taken in my entire life. I barely tested into it through [University of Michigan’s] placement test; I was really scared and they didn’t email me back when I asked about taking it. So I showed up on the first day, and I went up to the teacher and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m a high schooler, can I take this class?’ He was like, ‘Sure, as long as the space opens up!’ It was three days a week for three months and I went every day and my Spanish got a lot better, but I don’t think that’s something that I would have had the confidence to do as a freshman. That felt like quite an accomplishment to be willing to put myself out there and go for something that I really wanted.”

I j u s t learned to doit mys e .fl ”

Anton Baptista

“In my junior year, I started to get a little bit more curious about my family and where they all came from. I think that that was really important. It was a cultural reflection because my parents grew up in very different spaces. My dad grew up in a very Mormon, strict household and my mom also grew up in a strict household and had to immigrate here from France. Even before that, she emigrated from Senegal. So she’s been all around the globe, and she’s been exposed to all sorts of different cultures. I had to find what I really love. And I found that history was the thing that piqued my interest.”

Taylor Gaies

“In high school I’m definitely most proud of the way I pushed through Covid-19 and online school. It was not my favorite experience, but I pushed through it and I learned to advocate for myself that year. That was the year that I really learned to ask for help. I was truly okay with needing help and learning that everyone is struggling and I’m not dumb or stupid because I needed extra help.”

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MAD LIBS Passing Time Edition

BY RUTH SHIKANOV

It’s finally passing time! Time to go to _____________ and get my favorite _____________. I’m going to invite _____________ to come along. We leave Community and make our way to _____________, talking about _____________. Once we arrive, I grab my _____________ and pay for it using _____________, now talking about _____________. We wait outside of the _____________ entrance, waiting for the door to open before we see _____________ open the door for us. We say _____________ before we _____________ _____________ the stairs. I say ‘__________’ to _____________ as I go to the third floor. The halls are empty, so that must mean class already started! As I walk to my class, I am stopped by _____________. I get nervous, thinking _____________ will tell me I should get to class, but instead, _____________ pointed out my _____________, saying that’s the worst flavor. Upset, I say _____________ is the worst flavor. Suddenly, we are trapped in an argument, going back and forth. As I was passionately declaring that _____________ is the best flavor of all, I see that 30 minutes have passed! Surprised, I _____________ away from _____________ and go straight to class, wondering how I spent so much time arguing with _____________. As I _____________ open the door, _____________ asks me where I have been. I say ‘_____________________________’ before taking my seat. I _____________ _____________ my _____________ as class flys by. The clock says 11:30 and as I get up with _____________ to get lunch, I throw my _____________ away and no matter what _____________ says, _____________ is the best flavor of them all.

Our Turn

Senior EICs talk about what they will miss about Community and how the school has impacted them.

BY ISABELLA JACOB AND SERENA O’BRIEN

Ella Rosewarne

“I’ll miss feeling so comfortable in school. I feel like Community welcomes you very quickly. As a senior that was kind of delayed because of COVID-19, but I’m at a spot where I love this school and I am very comfortable. I’ll miss all the great teachers I got to take classes with and learn from, and I’m grateful for all the relationships I’ve built. Community is a small school which I felt allowed and pushed me to break out of a bubble, and I think it allows the school and the grades to be a lot closer and more intertwined than a more traditional school. I’m really going to miss my forum leader, Courtney. I wish I had more time in forum and I’m really gonna miss that space.”

Elliot Bramson

“I think I’m gonna miss being in a close knit community where everyone knows each other and seeing the same people every day because wherever I end up for college is gonna be a lot bigger. I’m gonna miss having a personal connection with the third of the school I know and having close relationships with teachers. That’s definitely something I’m gonna miss. Also the freedom because the way it’s been for the last two years, I’ve been able to take whatever classes I want. I’ll have that in college, but there’s going to be classes I have to take too. The way that community is so tight and small, it feels welcoming.”

Ria Lowenschuss

“I think I’m going to miss the library. I spent a ton of time in the library as a freshman. I was like, ‘this is a whole room full of books, this is amazing.” I connected with Jeri and I had a lot of fun being able to sit in the comfy chairs and explore all of the shelves. And then when the pandemic happened, obviously, we couldn’t go to the library, and there was no alternative for the library. And then even when we got back in the building construction had taken over the library. So until this last semester I hadn’t been able to experience the library in its full glory. This semester I’ve really been taking advantage of the fully usable library. I think I have three books from the library out right now. And I just really love that I talk to Jeri every day — I just love that. It’s so fun.”

Arista Luong

“I think initially, when I get to college or maybe even this summer, I’ll miss the comfortability. I get really attached to physical places. I feel like this building is so special and the people in it are so special. I’m going to miss all of my teachers and my friends here. But I think as I go on, I’ll build that comfortability in other places — in my new place. I’m living in Boston next year, and I already feel really connected to that city. I think it’ll be easy for me to latch onto somewhere else. But I think when I come back to Ann Arbor for holidays or whatever, I’ll miss the point in time at which this was my home, and I think I’ll feel a little bit melancholy about the fact that I’m older.”

Cao

“Over my time my Community I’m really gonna miss my connections with my teachers and a lot of the friendships I’ve built up. Definitely more towards the teachers I feel like Community is really given me a unique experience to where I’m able to be like close with my teachers and I even would consider myself friends with some of my teachers. Now that I’ve gone through this I finally feel like I do have a genuine connection with my teachers and I reach out whenever I need help. It’s a really safe space for me. I’m definitely going to miss Luciana a lot. Even though I’m not in a class anymore, she continues to help me on all my math and checks in on me.”

Scarlett London

“I feel like next year, although I don’t really know my plans yet, I know that it’s going to involve a really big school. It’ll be one out of four schools that are all over 30,000 people. So definitely bigger. I think as I look towards that and try to prepare for that, it has caused me to reflect more on what I’ve loved about having such a small school. I think I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the people around me really, really well and I loved the teacher connection as well, you really don’t have to try it just happens naturally. The teachers really reach out to their students all the time and it doesn’t feel like you’re just a number, and you don’t get lost in the shuffle at all. So I’m trying to prepare for next year, having to fight for these opportunities a little more.”

Rita Ionides

I’m probably going to miss the teachers. Teachers care about you at CHS in a way that they don’t at any other school and as I move on to places that are not CHS, I’m going to be sad to lose that really sweet network of support and connection. They’re always just really invested. They actually care about you as a person. And I’ve had teachers that I had freshman year and never took a class from them again, but when they see me in the hallways, they’re still really excited to see me and they want to hear all about what I’ve been up to and I think that’s something that’s really unique to this school.”

Sam