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.”