Volume 78 senior issue

“Don’t you forget about me” The Dart compiled the class of 2019’s college decisions for next fall.

St. Teresa's Academy | Kansas City, MO| Volume 78, Senior Issue

28

table of

contents

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May 10, 2019

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News

4. Glimpse into graduating with a STEAM Certificate

Star Spotlight

6. Aryanna Wyatt

Features

8. Seniors apply to Selective Schools

Centerspread

10. College decision map

Perspectives

12. Leaving my mark 13. The last Netbook class

Last Look

28. Senior year in photos Cover designed by Claire Smith and Beatrice Curry

letter

the STA mission. To see where all the seniors are going, check out Anna Ronan’s college map.

Check out Tess Jones’ gallery capturing the senior’s last advisory parties as we all eat Bistro pizza together for the final time. If you Hello Readers, head to our Instagram, you can It’s that time again when also find Mary Massman’s video seniors get ready to don their featuring Lorna Green giving Faith cap and gown and say goodbye Andrews O’Neal advice as a to St. Teresa’s Academy. They former senior class president. will never again attend a class The seniors have made a mass together, wait in the Bistro tremendous impact on all of us, line or check out of advisory. especially our editors-in-chief, Although the senior parking lot will Gabby, Margaux and Julia. be empty without them, we are Margaux, we will miss reminiscing excited to see what great things on AL memories with you and the class of 2019 will accomplish. annoying the entire class. Julia, Senior Aryanna Wyatt will thank you for becoming our first be attending an international upperclassman friend in French business program in three class, freshman year. Gabby, thank different cities for college. For you for dealing with all of our more information, check out questions at publication night and Sophia Durone’s Star Spotlight. making our pages spectacular.

Also, don’t forget to check out You have been incredibly Ella Norton’s news feature on dedicated to this staff and have the seniors who worked hard to taught us so much. You were the receive their STEAM and STEM best leaders and there’s no way awards. we could get this far without you.

Some seniors have been We have big shoes to fill but we applying and working towards couldn’t be more excited. We’ll applying to extremely selective miss you with all our hearts. schools. Rachel Robinson sat Love, down with a few seniors to ask about the process and eventually getting into their dream schools.

The seniors are going all over, to different schools, on different paths, but we know that they’re all going to thrive and carry out

the staff 2018-2019

from the editors

Editors-In-Chief Julia Kerrigan Margaux Renee Gabby Staker

WEB

Web Editor Lily Hart Social Media Editor Katie Gregory Social Media Team Maggie Hart, Tess Jones, Rachel Robinson Breaking News Editors Sophia Durone, Mary Massman Multimedia Editor Aspen Cherrito

PRINT

Design Editor Anna Ronan Photo Editors Amy Schaffer, Maddie Loehr Page Designers Anna Ronan, Gabby Staker, Julia Kerrigan, Margaux Renee, Claire Smith, Ella Norton, Amy Schaffer, Maddie Loehr, Lily Hart, Katie Gregory, Olivia Powell, Mckenzie Heffron, Rachel Robinson, Tess Jones, Faith Andrews O'Neal

COPY

Features Editor Ella Norton News Editor Annabelle Meloy Lifestyles Editor Kendall Lanier Opinion Editor Faith Andrews O'Neal Sports Editor Claudia Benge Staff Photographers Maggie Hart, Grace Fiorella Staff Writers Carmon Baker, McKenzie Heffron, Beatrice Curry, Olivia Powell, Olivia Wirtz Adviser Riley Cowing designed by Faith Andrews-O'Neal

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NEWS Editorial Policies

Ownership and Sponsorship

DartNewsOnline and the Dart are created by the student newpaper staff and are maintained and published by general operating funds of St. Teresa's Academy, a Catholic institution frounded by the Stisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish opinions that contradict the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic church, whether on a diocesan or worldwide level.

Editorial Policy

The Staff of DartNewsOnline and the Dart are subject to prior review by the St. Teresa's Academy administrative team in circumstances that concern Catholic doctrine, student safety or illegal behavior. DartNewsOnline and the Dart will not publish reviews of sudent work or performances. Personal columns reflect the opinions of the writer, not necessarily the staff or school.

Letters & Reader Interaction Policy

DartNewsOnline and the Dart encourage the community to post comments on the website. Letters to the editors can be sent in the following ways: in person to Riley Cowing in Goppert room G106; by mail to St. Teresa's Academy, Attn: Riley Cowing, 5600 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64113; by email to rcowing@sttersasacademy.org or to dartpaper@gmail.com. DartNewsOnline and the Dart reserve the right to edit or shorten letters for publication.

STEAM:

Certifying experience STA was recently declared STEM certified, around a month before seniors graduate, some with STEAM certificates.

The push to be a STEM initiative school has led to many opportunities for some students.

Story by Ella Norton | Features Editor Photos by Carmon Baker| Writer

D

uring the school day of April 9 and April 11, two accreditors with the Comment Policy DartNewsOnline and the Dart encourage company Advanced Ed, walked around school, monitoring STA’s readers to comment on all posts.

However, DartNewsOnline and the Science, Technology, Engineering Dart reserve the right to monitor and and Math (STEM) department. edit all comments on DartNewsOnline.

At the end of April 11, president Comments that disagree with the Nan Bone announced over the editorial policy will not be published. speaker that STA received STEM Photo Use Policy accreditation. To qualify, STA had Photo illustrations are conceptual photos to meet a list of 11 criteria having that combine drawing and photography. to do with educators, learning All photos on the website are free for and experiences. public use. If a reader is interested in “The STEAM accreditation is high-quality copies of photos, please recognition that St. Teresa’s is on email DartNewsOnline at dartpaper@gmail.com. the right path and doing as much as they can for girls in STEAM,” Corrections policy DartNewsOnline and the Dart will publish senior Macy Bauers said. “It shows corrections as soon as possible after the the effort St. Teresa’s is making error is discovered. isn’t fruitless.”

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Senior Macy Bauers explains her project for an engineering class May 2. Bauers is one of the seniors who received their STEM certificate this year.

There are two types of accreditation, one for STEM departments and one for the entire school. The accreditation for the STEM department means that the criteria only applies to that department while some schools meet the criteria throughout the whole school. STA received accreditation for the whole school as it met all of the criteria.

“When you look at the indicators for excellence that are associated with the certification process, those are really things you can see across the board in all of our departments,” director of curriculum and instruction Jo Weller said.

STA is the second school in Kansas and Missouri and the second in the U.S. as an

all-girls school to receive this accreditation.

“I do think it’s significant because if you are going to talk specifically about STEM programs, females are heavily underrepresented in those disciplines,” Weller said. “We have programs at St. Teresa’s that supports our students being educated in those fields and continue in those fields in college and in industry.”

As part as the STEAM initiative, STA offers STEM and STEAM, which includes art, certificates. The program started with five students and has now grown to 26. Bauers received a STEM certificate and seniors Anne Claire Tangen and Olivia Rose received a STEAM certificate.

To receive a STEM award, a student applies late sophomore year or early junior year. If they meet the class requirements, the student has to take extra math and science classes, or arts for STEAM. Students in the program also receive an e-mentor, who is a professional in the field that the student is interested in and a faculty member who helps make sure they remain on track with classes and volunteer hours in a STEM field.

STEAM and STEM students were also given the chance to talk to STEAM professionals and attend STEAM/STEM events. Rose’s favorite was BioNexus KC, an annual event with a dinner and a silent auction. The students helped auction off work submitted by regional scientists. The students then ate and listened to the speakers who came to the event.

“We met really cool professors, engineers and scientists,” Rose said. “The connections are one of the biggest benefits."

Weller also believes that one of the most important parts of the program is the connection it gives girls to the broader community. Students have had the opportunity for internships, job shadowing, mentoring and

projects. She believes this exposes students to educators outside of the typical classroom but also allows the community to get to know STA. “For me, it's not really about the school certification or the individual certification, I love the process that it creates and the opportunities that come from that,” Weller said. “...Our students are the best version of us and I really think that any time people can have an opportunity to meet our students, it's a great way to know more about who we are and what we do.”

Weller believes the program gives students skills they can utilize in the STEM field.

“They really are skills of service,” Weller said. “I think it’s really important to who we are as a school, whatever it is you decide to do and when you find your passion — you have that opportunity of service for it.”

The requirements for classes also allowed Tangen to try new things. Going into sophomore year she was split between classes and last minute chose to take a computer science course.

“I actually ended up really, really liking it,” Tangen said. “I wouldn’t go into it but especially

going into a STEM field, coding is really important, even just the basics. All the requirements kind of forced me to step out of my comfort zone which is really cool.”

Bauers said that the certificate also helped her get organized as she had to make a portfolio and start thinking about her classes.

“I think that it’s nice because if you’re really wanting to push yourself into this certain field, whether it’s digital art or graphic design or focusing more in science and math, it makes you start to think about what classes you want to take early on,” Bauers said.

Bauers plans to major in physics and thinks STA’s all-girls environment helped her.

“Any field, being around allgirls in this formative time of your life and figuring out what kind of person you want to be is really good,” Bauers said. “I think in general, whether you want to be a journalist or a physicist, it teaches you to have a voice and push yourself. I think in any field St. Teresa’s does a good job with that.”

Two signs advertising the Fine Arts Showcase and the Engineering Showcase hang on the door of M&A May 2. Both events are considered STEAM events.

designed by Carmon Baker

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STAR SPOTLIGHT

Aryanna

Wyatt

Senior Aryanna Wyatt will attend EDHEC Business School, an international college program based in Paris, Singapore and Los Angeles.

Story by Sophia Durone | Breaking News Editor How were you first introduced to EDHEC? In sixth grade, Académie Lafayette takes a trip to France, and on mine, my parents picked me up after that trip and continued it. We were in Paris and took a bike tour and the tour guide went to college there. He was talking about the college and my mom mentioned it would be cool if I went to college in France.

Last summer, I was researching colleges, and we ended up going to France again. Nice is one of the cities that we visited, and I visited EDHEC and just fell in love with the program. It’s a pretty awesome program — you get to travel and get work experience in beautiful cities.

This fall when I was applying to and visiting colleges, I realized nothing really compares to the college in France, so I decided to apply there.

What is the EDHEC International BAA program?

It’s a bachelor’s in business administration, and the track that I’m doing is global business.

It is a traveling program that is in a top university in Nice, at UCLA

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and I’m going to Singapore for my last year. You can choose Singapore, Hong Kong or Argentina and my aunt visited Singapore and said she loved it.

I chose Singapore because if I were to have a business, I would want to have the technology there and the country is tiny and cute…With EDHEC, internships within the program are required so when I have jobs outside of college, they will already be drawn to me because I will have the work experience. Also, I will know what it’s like not just going to college but working in big businesses.

Why did you make the decision to consider international schools rather than looking in the U.S.?

Since I went to Académie Lafayette, the school broadened my horizons to be more international-seeking. I know other Académie Lafayette kids in my grade are actually looking at international colleges as well.

I think a big part of us learning a different language and visiting France at such a young age is having an interest in international schools rather than only local ones.

How do you believe your international school experience will differ from the localized college experience that most of your STA peers will have?

The cost is a big thing. It’s not that expensive — almost $15,000 a year. I also have to find my apartment, but it’s way cheaper than other tuitions if I went out of state. Also, the people coming in to the program are basically all international students, so I’ll get to meet a lot of different people...I think I’ll be exposed to more diverse learning styles.

Maybe at a college where you stay on one campus, you have the same people and things you see. With this traveling program, I get to see different countries and have different experiences.

What advice would you give to STA students considering applying to a nontraditional college program?

Go for it. It doesn’t really matter what other people are doing and you don’t have to follow everyone else’s decision to go to other types of schools. Just do your own thing.

For the full story check out www.dartnewsonline.com

Senior Aryanna Wyatt poses for a headshot April 22. Wyatt will be part of the EDHEC International BAA, a global business program where she will study abroad in France and Singapore. photo by Amy Schaffer

designed by Amy Schaffer

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FEATURES

Selective Stars: Seniors attending the country’s most competitive colleges Three seniors talk about their process of applying and being accepted to schools with extremely low acceptance rates.

Story by Rachel Robinson|Writer Photos and alternative coverage by Olivia Powell|Writer

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t was Friday, March 29, 2019: Stanford University’s regular decision release date. Senior Gabby Mesa sat down at her computer and opened up her applicant portal, trying not to get her hopes up about getting into her reach school. When she first saw the screen, she thought it was a rejection because there was no confetti on the page, but then she read the words “congratulations” and knew that she was in.

“I was in disbelief,” Mesa said.

“I just walked over into the living room, like, ‘You’re not gonna believe what just happened. I got into Stanford!’ It was crazy.”

Before she was accepted into Stanford, Mesa had her eye on a different California school.

She had just submitted her application to the University of Southern California the day she was accepted to Stanford.

“At that point, USC was my top choice,” Mesa said. “I thought I was going to figure out a way to go there. This just really shook up my plate.”

Stanford is consistently rated

by Niche.com as either the first or second most selective college in America. The school has stopped releasing its acceptance rate as of this year, but the last reported statistic was 4.3% in 2018.

Mesa believes that if someone

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is trying to get into a highly competitive school like Stanford, it’s better to be honest about their interests and do what they want instead of activities they think will look good on their resume.

“I worked hard to get good grades over the past four years, and I just did stuff that I like to do,” Mesa said. “I was in FBLA for four years. I’m not going to go into business, but it was a fun thing to do. And I held leadership positions in that, I played sports at STA.” Mesa gives STA’s college counseling department a lot of the credit for helping her get accepted to Stanford. She thinks that their help with applications, scholarship applications and deadlines is very beneficial in applying to schools.

“I talked about [it] with my mom a lot,” Mesa said. “I just have so many more resources than [my parents] used to have.

That was a big part of it, I think.”

Senior Maggie Fielder is the class of 2019’s valedictorian and she will be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall. For her, Notre Dame is a part of her family. Her brother graduated from the school last May and it was on a tour with him that she first realized she wanted to go there too.

“I was still, five, six years out from deciding where I wanted to go,” Fielder said. “When I went to other schools, I always compared them to Notre Dame, and Notre Dame was always still just what I wanted.”

Fielder found out she was accepted while on vacation at Disney World, her family’s favorite place to go together. Her brother was even wearing his Notre Dame sweatshirt when she got the email.

“My whole family was there and we went out and celebrated that night,” Fielder said. “So it’s just like a special way to get in, rather than just being at home and getting the email there.”

But before she could celebrate her acceptance, she had to work hard on her application. While applying to Notre Dame as well as other schools, Fielder was grateful for having learned how to divide her time at STA. “STA is a college prep school and you can tell especially with like frees and stuff,” Fielder said.

“You learn how to split up your time. So with applications, I had a good way to divide up my time and make plans in school.”

Not only does Fielder think STA helped her to get into her college, she believes she is ready

College Acceptance Rates Information from Niche.com and The Chicago Maroon

4.3% for Stanford University

to excel there.

“I feel like I’m prepared to go into it,” Fielder said. “Just because I’ve been at this school for four years, I feel well prepared and feel like I’ll be able to hold my own.”

Senior Ela Quinn will be attending the University of Chicago in the fall, a school with only a 5.9% acceptance rate this year. According to Ivy Coach, the rate dropped from 7.2% last year to a record low, making Quinn’s class the most competitive in the school’s history.

According to Quinn, the more selective a school is, the more work they require from an applicant. Highly competitive schools may require extra writing pieces or have their own prompt for the college essay.

Applicants may have to submit several supplemental essays in addition to the Common Application and their resume.

Quinn only attended STA for her junior and senior years, so she did not have access to college resources until later than most students.

19% for Notre Dame

She often felt overwhelmed by the application process with these added stressors on top of the average stress of choosing a college.

“I applied to a lot of schools because I was worried I wouldn’t get into any of the schools that I wanted,” Quinn said. “And

5.9% for University of Chicago

they all have their own separate writing piece, sometimes three or four, depending on how selective the school. So that was probably the most stressful part of the college application process.”

Quinn did not expect to get into her future college because of its reputation for being so selective. When she did receive her acceptance letter, she was excited, but also intimidated by the challenge of standing out in such a highly competent student body.

“I was really shocked,” Quinn said. “But also, the pressure was on because, you know, there are a lot of really, really smart people there. Now I have to step up my game so I can be competitive at the school.”

Although she may not have expected her acceptance, Quinn believes that the most important thing STA did to prepare her for college was give her the courage to apply.

“I think St. Teresa’s taught me how to take risks academically,” Quinn said. “[This school] has taught me that I can definitely go farther than what I’m normally comfortable with and apply to things that I don’t feel like I’ll get into, but to at least try and put my all into it.” designed by Olivia Powell

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CENTERSPREAD

DECISION DAY The Dart compiled the class of 2019’s college decisions for next fall.

Compiled by Anna Ronan | Design Editor Kansas

Johnson County Community College Elise Cressey Kansas State University Mary Allmon Brooke Casper Grace Coleman Jaden Donigan Holly Phalen Caroline Reynolds Mia Tomasic Pittsburg State University Rachel Curiale Emily Effertz University of Kansas Lily Altenhofen Brianne Arello Mallory Batliner Isabella Brown Annabelle Colombo Addison Coppinger Ryan Dorlac Katherine Euston Grace Fiorella Katherine Flynn Margaret Flynn Megan Gallagher Margaret McConnell Corynn McDonald Olivia Michka Mary Mohajir Evelyn Moser Caroline Reid Lia Siro Emma Smith Caroline Stuckey Mary Sullivan Olivia Swinney Olivia Thomas Maria Wiedeman Grace Woodbury

Kentucky

University of Kentucky Erris Pierson

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Michigan

University of Michigan Lily Farkas

Minnesota

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Macy Bauers

Iowa

The University of Iowa Paloma Solorio

Arizona

Arizona State University Gabrielle Staker The University of Arizona McKenna Bamesberger Ann Leverich Julia Oppliger Sophia Shugart

Arkansas

University of Arkansas Caroline Armstrong Lindsey Blaich Grace Boers SaraEllen Drinkhouse Brynn Slattery Cassidy Unland

California

Santa Clara University Brooke Eldridge Stanford University Gabriella Mesa University of California, San Diego Paige Ryan University of San Diego Faith Rauen

Louisiana

Tulane University Olivia Davison Annabelle Meloy

North Carolina

North Carolina State University Audrey Giersch Emily Robyn

Ohio

Miami University, Ohio Katherine Coppinger University of Dayton Roselee Crowe Lucy Hodes Margaret Thompson Xavier University Olivia Watts

Oklahoma

University of Tulsa Eden Schulte

Oregon

Oregon State University Leah Dorris Reed College Harper Dziedzic

Texas

Rice University Elisabeth Bichelmeyer Texas Christian University Lorna Green Cecilia Hodes Kaleigh Klosak Jillian Morrison Madalyn Penner

Washington, D.C.

American University Margaux Renee Howard University Kendall Lanier The George Washington University Julia Kerrigan

Wisconsin

Carthage College Cecilia Curran Marquette University Olivia Wirtz University of Wisconsin, Madison Maddie Douglass

Colorado

Colorado State University Annabelle Tangen Regis University Victoria Parsons Reece Robbins-Knudson University of Denver Sydney Baker

Connecticut

Quinnipiac University Francine Vaughn

Illinois

Columbia College, Chicago Reilly Donnelly Elise Malone DePaul University Ada Blasdel Isabel Shorter Loyola University, Chicago Lauren Daugherty Nicole Ficklin University of Chicago Elasah Quinn

South Carolina

University of South Carolina Grace Berghoff

Indiana

Butler University Isabel Thornton University of Notre Dame Maggie Fielder

Massachusetts Boston College Jordan Klumb Clark University Sophie Didier

Mississippi

University of Mississippi Emily Reib

Nebraska

Creighton University Isabelle Fleming Talia Parra Ellery Stubbers Olivia Williams University of Nebraska at Lincoln Caroline Franke Rhianna Jones Rory Keener

New York

Hunter College of the CUNY Alexandra Terry Syracuse University Arleigh Perkins

Undecided

Savannah James

France

EDHEC Business School Aryanna Wyatt

Washington

Gonzaga University Maureen Burns

Missouri

Avila University Camille Begnaud Lindenwood University Grace Marshall Longview Community College Whitney Stoettner Metropolitan Community College Olivia Ruch Missouri Southern State University Holly Vervaecke Missouri State University Aleksandra Blair Elizabeth Concannon Marilyn Rose Giwa Margaret Jordahl Teighlor Kebert Jasia Tolbert Northwest Missouri State University Jianna Salas Molly Cowan Rockhurst University Emily Baldwin Pauline Johnson Valleri Miller Saint Louis University Alexa Crimmins Jane Kincaid Olivia Robertson Lucille Whittaker Stephens College Helena Berger Truman State University Margaret Hart Natalie Telep University of Missouri, Columbia Elizabeth Baker Natalie Barber Olivia Barrett Hannah Bland Ayannia Carter Alexandria Dalecky Lauren Ennis Katherine Gregory Claire Herrington Emma Jackson Caitlin Lester Madeline Loehr Lenytte Matos Kathryn McCabe Katherine Mulhern Olivia Rose Kira Sanford Sophia Silva Paige Sopyla Margaret Vasquez Claire Wunder University of Missouri, Kansas City Cozette Viles Webster University Hannah Jirousek

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designed by Anna Ronan

PERSPECTIVES

Leaving my mark I am proud to be that girl known for her stains.

Story by Grace Fiorella Photographer

S

omeone excitedly came up to me in the hallway and said that we only had 20 days left at STA. I stood there and thought to myself, “Where has the time gone?”

As I was walking the halls, my mind wandered back to freshman year. I thought back to when I had blonde hair and how getting cookies on cookie Thursday was probably one of the biggest things going on in my life. Thinking back to sophomore and junior year, I chuckle to myself realizing every year has been different for me. My hair color, my friends and lifestyle has been different, but a little part of me feels the same.

One particular thing that has always remained the same — I am a true spiller at heart. I mean I spill everything.

That led to an even a bigger realization — this is why I never wear white shirts. I finally wore a white shirt this year, and it was like people would say things like, “you look different today,” or “when is the last time you washed your shirt?”

Then, it hit me that I really hadn’t worn an STA white shirt for a good two years. Right about now, you are probably wondering why is this crazy girl is talking about her realizations

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about not wearing a white shirt then finally wearing one? Super interesting...right? Well, my naturally observant self came out, and I started to analyze my white shirt.

People always say your clothing defines who you are and your personality. But I think my stains are what defines me. It first starts around 7 a.m.

It’s first period, and I already have a coffee stain. Somehow, I am still amazed every time how I’m capable of spilling on myself, but then I tell myself to remain calm. I’m tempted to react because it still really gets me that I can’t even make it to lunch without a stain. Hey, no worries though, because lunchtime rolls around and guess what? Another stain.

Every single time I see a huge coffee stain it reminds of the daily struggle of me running just a tad behind. My mind wandered back to English summer school before freshman year like it was yesterday. I was known as that girl that always ran in late with her coffee. My class making fun of me constantly because they could hear my daily footsteps scrambling up the staircase. I walked in with a smile, hoping not to make a scene. But, of course, I managed to spill my coffee everywhere, leaving stains and embarrassment.

Four years later, you will see me showing up to school 10 seconds before check-in

bell and running to third floor Donnelly. For some, this would probably be stressful. For me, it’s just showing up in Fiorella fashion (except running and coffee do not mix well together). And if the stain is not from me running around like a crazy person in the morning, then it’s just me being my clumsy self. Just like summer school, you already know I will be getting to class right of the nick of time. Call me a “hot mess,” but it’s just how I operate.

Recently, I was ranting to Chrissy, my mother, about my sudden spilling curse. She reminded me that I am clumsy, but she was confused as well about my spilling streak. Then, we started to look at some old pictures of me when I was baby.

Boom, it suddenly hit us both that I always have a stain or food of some sort on myself. I guess nothing has really changed.

Whether it’s coffee or food, I still always get asked, “How in the world did you manage to get that big of a stain?” My answer: it’s pure talent my friends. It’s truly a skill at this point and I understand that not everyone can have such an awesome skill like my own. Kidding, I honestly have no idea how I do it myself. I tend to do things a bit ungracefully. After four years of changes and being in different friend groups, different hair colors or playing random sports — I still manage to be that girl with her coffee and stains. In fact, I will be that girl proud to wear her stains.

Netbooks are gone, but I haven’t forgotten them As I reflected on my years at STA, it has become apparent that I started my time here as a Lenovo ThinkPad and am graduating as a shiny and functioning Microsoft Surface.

Story by Julia Kerrigan Editor-In-Chief

O

n May 19, a historic group of women will be stepping on to the stage of the Kansas City Music Hall to receive their hard-won diplomas — the last ever class to have used the Lenovo ThinkPad X130e during their time at STA. Few might remember their bulky exterior and matte display, but it will forever be a part of my high school experience. PCWorld said it best when it described the device as “a solid little laptop with a can-do attitude,” which is probably the kindest way they could say that it is one of the most inefficient devices that money can buy. In many ways, freshman Julia was a lot like that little “netbook.”

It would be too easy to condemn the person I was freshman year as embarrassing or cringe-worthy, but I really was just like that low-tech laptop I chucked into the backseat of my sister’s car every morning. Probably the most obvious comparison is that I lost power quickly. My first day at STA, I came home and promptly passed out for a twohour nap. My policy used to be “if my laptop needs a charge,

then so must I!” Can you see how flawed this logic is? My netbook barely made it through a morning of classes, and neither could I. The hardware itself was a problem, too. Mine had a frustrating habit of sticking shut and being impossible to open up. The same could be said for my attempts to make friends.

But once you opened that netbook up, man, was that keyboard irritating. Its clicks and clacks could practically be heard from one floor above the old library on the second floor of Donnelly (may it rest in peace). The freshmen I was initially apprehensive to talk to soon found that I had similarly unavoidably chattery tendencies, like word-vomiting everything that happened to me during a 15 minute trip to the pharmacy or singing every part of “One Day More,” the iconic ensemble piece from “Les Misérables.”

The whole premise of the ThinkPad, and to that extent, of myself freshman year, was that it was incredibly awkward and unwieldy. Pulling up simple information seemed to take ages. Without the courtesy of a warning, it often decided to crash multiple times over the course of the day. I spent the week before my freshman year watching YouTube tutorials on the ins and outs of the ThinkPad, as if I could give myself some upper hand. All I wanted was to be able to dive into school knowing anything and

everything I could, but I soon learned that high school was going to be all about not knowing for a while.

The summer before my sophomore year, I spent about a week with science teacher Renee Blake and network administrator Jeff Zimmerman unboxing the Microsoft Surface Pros.

All of the student volunteers felt like we were stepping into some brave new world. Gone were the days of glitchy trackpads — the touch-screen was here to stay.

This new era of tech has left behind some similar quirks and has grown along with me as a student. The keyboard might be quieter, but the case around it requires a resounding crank to open the kickstand. And I, like my laptop, am still prone to exuberant outbursts before hunkering down to work. But this laptop has helped me through some of my hardest Calculus assignments with its myriad of pen options and stuck with me during the most ambitious 120 page OneNote print jobs. If my netbook saw me today, it would be so proud that it would probably just force-quit.

My laptop, whether it has been a glorified brick or a well-running machine, has been my constant companion throughout high school.

Soon I’ll have to brave the aisles of Costco and make a new laptop selection to take with me to college.

And what will happen if it glitches when I’m there? Who will I take it to, if not JZ? All I know is that if the trend of upgrading from a ThinkPad to a Surface Pro continues into the future, life moving forward from STA holds nothing but greatness.

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designed by Tess Jones

LAST LOOK

senior year in photos The Dart asked seniors to submit photos from throughout their time at St. Teresa’s Academy. Featured are some seniors’ favorite memories.

Photos compiled by Mckenzie Heffron|Writer

Seniors Erris Pierson, from left, Grace Berghoff, Jane Kincaid, Cassidy Unland, Mia Tomasic, Caroline Franke, Kendall Lanier, Sydney Baker and Lily Altenhofen pose for a picture at pre-prom.

Seniors Lizzie Concannon and Paige Ryan during advisory.

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Grace Berghoff, Cassidy Unland, Jane Kincaid, Erris Pierson, Lily Altenhoten, Lucy Hodes and Caroline Franke at the Color Throw.

Jillian Morrison, Olivia Robertson, Hannah Jirousek, Annabelle Meloy, Olivia Barret, Bella Brown and Talia Parrat at pre-prom.

Senior Isabelle Fleming, art teacher Kelly Pack-Scott and senior Jillian Morrison on the day where seniors dressed like teachers.

Anne Claire Tangen, Jasia Tolbert, Liv Davison and Olivia Rose at the top of a mountain in Golden, CO. “The Windmill Project travelled to CO this past weekend,” Tangen said. “We were told it would be an easy hike, but nine miles and 4 hours later...we were all dead.”

designed by Ella Norton

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ON THE

DNO

Follow our new sports accounts Instagram: @dart_sports Twitter: @Dart_Sports

Interactive college map

Presidential advice

Video by Mary Massman

Stargazer: Margaret Jordahl

Podcast by Faith Andrews-O’Neal

Compiled by Aspen Cherrito Gallery: senior advisory photos

Photos by Tess Jones

@dartnewsonline

/dartnewsonline

@dartpaper

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@dartnewsonline

@dartnewsonline designed by Claudia Benge

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