SENIORS - WHERE
Air Force Academy Zac Hevel Arkansas Paige Dickey Caleb Hiss Army Jacob Boyer Avila Josh Barnes Baker Tyler Sams Caylea Siler Butler CC Adam Adcox Andrew Lillich Brigham Young University Rachael Cook Coastal Carolina CC Molly Tinberg College of the Ozarks Brandi Stahl Cowley County CC Jamie Johnson Emporia State University Alyssa Stubbs Highland CC Tyler Harrison Tyler Hart Austin King JCCC Will Bond Brienna Bright Samantha Dacus Sydney Foster TJ Garcia Kellie Goss Alexis Hunt Billie Jones Taylor Leach Jessica Morris Alicia Patterson Chance Ryder Zach Sawalich Sam Seaton Andrew Tady Haley Waters
Mackenzie White Caleb Wilson Marines Dustin Denham Nicholas Johnson KCKCC Mallorie Belk Devan Belt Rebecca Borders Kylie Brandt Hope Brown
Devan Carmichael Maecy Cooper Mac Duncan Blake Ewing Marcus Florence Lauren Leiker Courtney Leive Cole Mertz Austin Norris Alec Otting John Pierson Danielle Rohr Olivia Simmons
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Matt Sixta Dakota Snyder Courtney Stauch Hannah Trent Dusty White Dustin Williams Patrick Williamson Kansas State Shelli Brannan Hannah Ford Tanner Garver Jacie Harris
E ARE THEY GOING?
Navy Lee Maughmer Seagar Smith Pensacola Christian College Heather Francis Pittsburg State Trey Kincheloe Hayden Morris Patrick Rogers Sarah Scott Kara Stephens Lane Young Promatic Willie Wilson University of South Dakota Drew Potter St. Mary’s Jami Lynne Truman State RJ Dixon Tulsa University Haley Williams University of Oklahoma Taylor Miller UMKC Madisyn Edmonds University of Virginia/ Grinnell Joe Levinson
Courtney June Cameron Kennedy Joe Merino Samantha Rutherford Gage Zumbrunn University of Kansas Rachel Bennett Brooke Schler Janrae Bondoc Matt Case Brandon Cordell George Davis
Emma England Ben Forshee Cierra Garrison Nikki Hawthorne Sarah Jacobs Ben Johnson Zach Joyce Jared Kenton Patrick McKechnie Austin Mecum Maddy Mikinski Cheyenne Morris Matt Ogilvie
Desiree Ridder Dilynn Scheets Ariel Smith Josey Stephens Billy Trout Mario Vlasic Lucas Sarlls - Army Eli Elliott - Air Force ROTC University of Missouri Sydney Weible
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Washburn Haley Stallbaumer Wichita State Paul Rehm Work Jacob Sweeney Ethan Baker Daniel Journey Alex Ryburn Chris Schmalz Designed by Rachael Bell
thoughts of the CLASS OF 2013 define se nior i tis
Having a lack of drive, ambition, and urge to do anything schoolrelated at all, including homework, waking up, and looking any sort of presentable. Brooke Schler A sickness you get when a high point assignment was due. Adam Adcox A horrible flesh-eating disease. Tyler Hart The feeling you get every time you wake up for school and just think “UGHH is it May 16?” Haley Waters Having no want or need to do absolutely anything. I think it’s a real disease. Brandi Stahl When you can’t make yourself get up and go to school. Haley Williams I’m too lazy to answer this question…that is senioritis. Paul Rehm Not wanting to do anything...ever. Sarah Jacobs & Jacie Harris Apathy stemming from the nearness of graduation. Joe Levinson A disease where you’re sad, excited, anxious all at the same time. It’s awful and amazing. Kellie Goss The lack of motivation in order to complete the last two blocks of each day. Mac Duncan Presents itself with few physical symptoms, mostly psychological. Other noticeable symptoms are procrastination, nonspecific illnesses, and being called into the office. Andrew Tady
What advice do you have for underclassmen?
Don’t wish high school away. Paige Dickey Don’t fall into peer pressure. Hannah Ford Do not rush through high school. Cherish every moment and enjoy it, because it goes away too fast. Kellie Goss Don’t get caught up in petty drama. Cierra Garrison It’s not the end of the world. It really does get better. Shelli Brannan Do what you love, not what you think will get you into a good college. Joe Levinson Don’t do anything you don’t want people to find out about. Courtney Stauch Just put in the effort all the way through. Don’t let senioritis get to you. Nikki Hawthorne Don’t get on Mrs. Vielhauer’s bad side. She will fail you. Austin Mecum Take risks. Dakota Snyder Don’t be quiet or let people walk all over you. Cheyenne Morris Always smile. Ali Patterson If you had a bad start, it’s never too late to finish well. Janrae Bondoc
What is your biggest fear leaving high school?
Not being able to keep up with my homework. Brooke Schler Losing contact with the people that have been family to me. Courtney Leive Starting a career that isn’t right for me. Samantha Dacus Growing up too fast. Mallorie Belk Failing my first semester of college and moving home. Sydney Weible Not following my dreams. Hannah Trent Living on the street. Cole Mertz Forgetting where I came from. Josey Stephens Not succeeding in life, being completely lost. Taylor Miller Dying before I get to live. Sarah Jacobs
DESCRIBE THE CLASS OF 2013 IN THREE WORDS OR LESS:
What is your best memory from your school years?
Dramatic. Distant. Let’s Go Eat. Split. Competitive. Maybe Somewhat Decent. Attractive. Fresh. Intelligent. Hateful. Judgmental. Brainiacs. Weird. Vocal. Inappropriate. Fun. Adventurous. Outspoken. Awesome. Supportive. Loud. Fun. Lazy. Caring. Leaders. Friendly. Nice. Funny. Special. Smart. Energetic. Headstrong. Small. Thriving. Boring. Normal. The Best Class. Awesome. Together. Spunky. Outgoing. Spontaneous. Sexy. Rude. Annoying. Athletic. Loving. Eager To Graduate. Feisty. Winners. Resourceful. Verbal. Courageous. Hicks. Jocks. Ambitious. Cliques. Memorable. Snobby. Social.
Winning a state championship in track. Trey Kincheloe Being a cheerleader in middle school with my close friends. Caylea Siler Being a part of many theater productions with my friends. Jessica Morris The first day of jazz band when I shocked everyone with my gift of playing the guitar. Tyler Sams Getting suspended in third grade. Kylie Brandt My best memories from high school are on the football field. Dustin Williams Meeting my husband. Molly Tinberg
The Ten Year Gap - Where will YOU be in ten years? The members of the class of 2013 have their whole lives ahead of them, and they are now dreaming about where the future may take them. We asked a few seniors where they think or hope they will be in ten years.
BLAKE EWING
- by Ali Patterson
BEN JOHNSON
Blake plans to lead a simple life, hoping to live in his mom’s basement collecting troll dolls, and when he sees his old classmates, this collector hopes to be sitting by a campfire singing “Kumbaya.”
After playing football at KU, this athletic star dreams to put his talents to the test as he goes down to Louisiana hunting gators. His comment to a younger self? “Listen here Jack, be happy happy happy.”
BROOKE SCHLER
“I will be the lead architect in France, and millions will want me to design their lovely homes, right down to the gas station bathrooms!” Looking back on her younger years, Brooke gives her best advice from The Great Gatsby, “There is only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.”
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LEE MAUGHMER
Lee has planned a future at sea, serving with the United States Navy and has this advice to share, “There are two types of people in this world: those that work hard and those that don’t work an honest day in their lives. I challenge you to be in the first group. There is a lot less competition.”
THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!
When we were kids, we all had dreams of what we wanted to do when we grew up. Well, here you are class of 2013. What do you want to be? - by Brittni Wilhelm Elementary school dreams:
Graduation dreams:
Elementary school dreams:
Graduation dreams:
JOE LEVINSON didn’t want to be chubby....
...and now he wants to be a physician.
PATRICK WILLIAMSON wanted to be an astrophysicist...
...and now he wants to be a collegiate choir director.
PAUL REHM wanted the same job as Rambo...
...and now he wants to become an engineer.
COURTNEY STAUCH wanted to be a mom...
...and now she just wants to be happy.
MAECY COOPER wanted to be a rapper...
...and now she wants to be a personal trainer.
COLE MERTZ wanted to be a NASCAR driver...
...and now he wants to be a computer scientist.
JACOB BOYER wanted to be Arnold Schwarzenegger...
...and now he’s going into the military.
KARA STEPHENS wanted to be a princess...
...and now she wants to go into nursing.
ALEX RYBURN wanted to work for a railroad...
...and now he still plans on pursuing that dream.
MADI EDMONDS wanted to be a ballerina...
...and now she’s still planning on pursuing that dream.
ALI PATTERSON wanted to be in the Peace Corps...
...and now she wants to create her own fashion line.
SARAH JACOBS wanted to be an FBI agent...
...and now she wants to be a preschool teacher.
AUSTIN MECUM wanted to be an astronaut cowboy...
...and now he wants to become a surgeon.
HEATHER FRANCIS wanted to be in the NFL...
...and now she plans on teaching private music lessons.
LAUREN LEIKER wanted to be a nurse...
...and now she wants to be a veterinarian at a zoo.
DUSTIN DENHAM wanted to be an astronaut or archaeologist...
...and now he wants to be a Marine and a dad.
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THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!
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Influential Seniors of the class of 2013
ANDREW TADY
JCCCC Film Studies
JOE LEVINSON
Grinnell College or the University of Virginia Biochemistry
The Express caught up with several seniors who have left their mark on BLHS. Read their stories here. Joe Levinson has a hard time believing he’s inspirational but, when put next to his own definition of the word, it’s obvious he is. “[Being inspirational is] having an impact on others through your words and actions. You can’t be influential if one contradicts the other,” he said. Joe has been influencing his classmates with both his words and actions since entering BLHS in his freshman year. Joe has used both words and actions to get involved with a wide range of school activities. He runs cross country and track and co-captained this year’s state qualifying Scholars’ Bowl team. He was also involved in National Honor Society, Site Council, and CareCats. In addition to his athletic and academic influence, he also pulls some political weight through the school. At the end of last year, Joe was elected as Student Council president for this 2012-2013 school year. Through STUCO, Joe has had the opportunity to lead fundraisers, which help the community and open students’ eyes to those less fortunate than them. Despite being so busy, Joe makes it his job to reach out to everyone in the school. “I think that high school is pretty cliquish,” he said. “People hang out in their own groups.” Joe doesn’t let the group someone identifies with get in the way of his getting to know them and interacting with them.
Joe took us to his favorite place in the school...the water fountain in the social studies hallway.
His peers recognize his influence, and staff take note as well. Joe received the Principal’s Leadership Award, given annually to one BLHS senior. This award represents a student who models leadership, commitment to excellence, a willingness to help, and strong character. It’s obvious that Joe’s academic, athletic, and political success have set him up as an important leader of the Class of 2013. His engineering teacher Stephanie Harris said, “Joe leads by example. He knows when leadership is needed and provides it at the right times.” - By Maddy Mikinski
Andrew Tady’s claim to fame at BLHS is his filmmaking ability. He makes movies on his own as well as helping out with media classes around the school. “I’ve always enjoyed storytelling, and I was and I was drawn to the idea of telling stories through film. I’d seen how others do it and it looked like a blast.” This year, Andrew put together a documentary for YouthFriends and was a leader in the school’s 458News program. He also makes short films with his brother. At last month’s Johnson County Community College Film Festival, they took first place in promotional videos and second in shorts for their film, “Expired.” Being so passionate about something helps influence others to find their own passions. “It’s good to know my presence here has made some sort of impact in what I hope is a positive way.”
Community College in the fall. Fortunately, he’s going to leave a legacy to help future classes succeed. “I think [my legacy] would be the impact I’ve had on the media department. It’s come a long way in the past four years, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
The BLHS community will definitely be different once Andrew moves on to Johnson County
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ATHLETES IN THE CROWD
- by Mitchell Mikinski
Making the team is hard. The practice is harder. Sticking with it? The toughest. Somehow these students managed to do so despite their class schedules, social lives, and struggles throughout their careers. They participated all four years in the cutthroat world of high school sports. A truly remarkable feat of dedication, courage, and some luck.
Tanner Garver Football | Powerlifting | Baseball
Sam Rutherford Volleyball | Basketball | Soccer
Seagar Smith started off as a freshman playing football and stuck with it each year since, becoming an important part of the offensive line. He started for two years. He became a member of the wrestling team in the winter months qualifying for state and winning league in the heavyweight division in his senior year. He also was a member of the baseball team in the spring season.
Tanner Garver was a member of the football team for four years. He started two years at wide receiver and three years at free safety. He was chosen as First Team All-KVL both in both his junior and senior seasons at free safety. He was a powerlifter and finished seventh at State his senior year. He was a member of the varsity baseball team as well.
Sam Rutherford is the only girl on this list. She started two years in basketball and was a varsity volleyball player for three years. Coach Amy Irvin said, “She was an essential part of our team all three years, but especially her senior year. We went to state for the first time in school history, and Sam played an important leadership role in getting us there. Sam is a great volleyball player and allaround athlete.”
Drew Potter Football | Powerlifting | Baseball
Billy Trout Cross Country | Powerlifting | Track
Lucas Sarlls Football | Powerlifting | Track
Drew Potter had a successful football career at BLHS. He started three years as a defensive lineman and two years as a running back. He was All-KVL every year he started a position. He was an honorable mention All-State selection at running back. Drew also was the state hang clean champion in powerlifting and played varsity baseball. Next year, he will play football at the University of South Dakota.
Billy Trout is the only runner on the list. He participated in cross country in the fall. He took third place at state in powerlifting during the winter, and he was a member of the track team. Along with Haley Stallbaumer, Billy was chosen as the winner of the KSHSAA Citizenship Award where he was recognized for his respect, responsibility, and reverence on the field of play.
Lucas Sarlls was a part of Coach Hopkins’ football program at BLHS. He was injured during his senior year and missed part of the season. Coach Hopkins said he was a valuable contributor during his time on the squad as a defensive lineman. He was also a member of the powerlifting team and was a thrower on the track team.
TANNER GARVER
Kansas State University
Seagar Smith Football | Wrestling | Baseball
Senior year came faster than Tanner Garver anticipated. During his four years at BLHS, Tanner left his mark in many areas of the school. Tanner was an active member of NHS, Student Council, FCA, and participated in three sports. His advice for underclassmen? “Don’t blink; before you know it, it’s all over and you look back and wonder where the time went. Enjoy every memory and take pride in your school.”
and how Mr. Goodin always has a smile on his face. Also just all of the friendships I’ve built on the way.” It’s no surprise to anyone that Tanner is a good kid, an athlete, and an outstanding academic student as well. “One legacy I want to leave behind is that you can be the good kid and still have a lot of fun. You can also be an athlete and still do well in school. I want kids to look at me and say he did it right so I can too,” Tanner said. Math teacher and STUCO sponsor Stephanie Harris said, “Tanner is a positive role model in the senior class because he makes others feel welcome. I have had the chance to see Tanner welcome other students and make them feel a part of the class activities and the BLHS community. Tanner is genuine and truly puts others first in his daily interactions with his peers.”
Some of Tanner’s favorite memories were winning State in basketball and going to State in baseball. His favorite memories inside of class would be, “Mr. Keeler’s announcements
In 15 years Tanner hopes to be a successful businessman who is married with a wealthy family that lives in a town the size of Basehor. He would like to thank all the teachers, coaches, and classmates who helped high school the best time of his life. They all played pivotal roles in making him who he is today. And lastly Tanner would like to leave his fellow classmates with this message, “It’s been real! Be safe next year and remember where you’re from!” - By Susette Garcia
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THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS! Basehor-Linwood High School Booster Club congratulates the students in the class of 2013.
RACHAEL COOK
Brigham Young University
Good luck in all your future endeavors! Rachael Cook’s definition of an inspirational person is “someone who motivates you to be better or do better than you actually are.” Rachael, by her own definition, is an inspirational person. Through high school, Rachael has glided through various social groups with ease. She has inspired everyone she meets with her sunny personality and strong focus on school and sports. This year alone, Rachael has been involved in National Honor Society, powerlifting, two school plays, and was named a Kansas Honors Scholar. Social studies teacher Allison Gutierrez said of Rachael, “She can see the larger picture and is selfless with her time. When many seniors see an end in sight to gain independence or look forward to partying, Rachel has her hopes set on making a difference in the life of people immediately.” If that isn’t inspiring, nothing is. Next year, Rachael’s off to inspire others. At the beginning of June, Rachael will be submitting an application to volunteer anywhere around the world. Her affiliation with the Mormon Church allows her to take a year off between school and college to pursue a mission. As of now, she’s uncertain where she’ll end up. It could be here in the US or Europe or Asia. Wherever she goes, she’ll be brightening peoples’ lives the same way she’s brightened ours. - by Maddy Mikinski
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JCCC, then Florida Gulf Coast
HALEY WATERS
Heather’s determination to challenge herself is one of the qualities that makes her an influential person in the class of 2013. - By Maddy Mikinski
Haley’s story just goes to show that anyone can plan for the future all they want. That doesn’t mean those plans won’t change.
HEATHER FRANCIS
Florida is an ideal vacation spot. However, doesn’t going to college in the Sunshine State sound like a good idea as well? Haley Waters is looking to do just that. Waters has always been a KU fan. She thought she would end up attending college there. At the beginning of her senior year, she was torn between KU and K-State. “I am for sure a KU fan, but I don’t want to spend my college years with half of my graduating class.” Waters also wasn’t a big fan of the town of Lawrence. “I’m in love with the Manhattan atmosphere. I just don’t like K-State.” Now that graduation is approaching, her mindset about college has changed. “I was leaning towards KU, but I waited too long to find a roommate that wasn’t a complete stranger,” she said. Luckily, she was informed a family friend was moving to Florida within the year. “Almost immediately, my mind jumped to college in Florida. I could live with them, while attending school in paradise,” Haley said. She plans on enrolling in JCCC for a year before making the big move. “I’ve got my sights set on Florida Gulf Coast University since I’ll be living in Fort Myers.” Waters is still undecided as far as her major goes. “I want to go to JCCC for a year to figure out what I love to do and what I want to do with the rest of my life. I’ve been considering accounting, communication, or finance. That could completely change a year from now.”
Heather Francis believes that an inspirational person is one who “can do something special in the worst of situations.” Personally, she doesn’t believe she’s inspirational. “I think when someone thinks they [are inspiring], then they stop being inspirational.” Regardless of what she thinks, Heather is an inspirational senior, and her influence is far-reaching and diverse. In high school, Heather has been involved in forensics, theater, band, jazz band, marching band (where she was a drum major), was elected homecoming queen, participated in debate, Site Council, National Honor Society, and played piano. Rebecca Knowles, Heather’s forensics coach, said, “Heather is a leader both in the classroom and beyond.” The “beyond” part will come in when Heather gives the graduation speech at commencement this year. Despite the great honor, she’s a little nervous. “I’m scared because it’s a challenge for me to speak in front of people when I’m not acting. It’ll be good for me.”
Pensacola Christian College
Inevitably around this time of year, many seniors are still undecided on where the next years will take them. Here’s one senior’s story of her journey through the uncertainty of making a college choice.
- By Allison Crist
BFFs SINCE FOREVER Matt Case & Courtney Leive
Courtney Leive and Matt Case have been best friends for nine years. Since 4th grade to be exact. Their future plans will allow them to continue their friendship in close proximity over the next few years. Matt said, “We both are going to Kansas City Kansas Community College and we plan on staying best friends after as well.” Here’s a fun fact about Matt and Courtney. Their favorite memory together? They said, “The super fun car rides to CareCats! We did the craziest things.”
Joe Merino & Zac Hevel
Zerino! You may have heard of that word because it’s what some seniors call Zach Hevel and Joe Merino. What do they usually like to do? They said, “We like to just mess around with people!” They have known each other since the 8th grade. They are similar in many ways from the way they think to the way they dress. “We definitely plan on staying in touch after high school!” Joe said. Zac said, “We’re going to grow old and retire and buy a house next to each other.”
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Childhood and adolescence have come and gone, but these pairs have remained friends through it all. -By Liz Morris
Kansas State University
CAMERON KENNEDY
“Smart, helpful, optimistic.” That’s how Cameron Kennedy describes himself. Another word could be influential. Cameron was a Governor’s Scholar as well as a Kansas ACT Scholar, managing to score 33 out of 36 despite playing XBOX until midnight the night before. He also was a member of the soccer team, and on the pitch Cameron accomplished even more. He was a member of the only team to win at Regionals since the Knipp Era from 2004-08. Cameron, as the team’s keeper, finished the game with a shutout. He also played golf and had some of his favorite memories there.
In regards to his influence in the school, physics teacher Kirsten Roussel said, “Cameron has been a good example of strong commitment to academics and leadership in athletics.” His influence has been widespread. Cameron plans to go to K-State and study engineering and hopes for K-State to be great at sports while he’s there. He eventually wants to be “as or more successful than” his dad. He would like to thank “all the teachers who helped him along the way. Especially, Mr. Meyer (now retired), Mr. Earnhart, Ms. Roussel, to my many friends Shady, Jared Kenton, Paul Rehm, Janrae Bondoc, Gage Zumbrunn, Eric Purrington, Fergie, Sixta, Coach Knipp, Caleb Wilson, Juho Luomajoki, Trey Kincheloe, Lane Young, Sammy Seaton, Brucester the Rooster (Mr. Courtney), StromeDawg (Mr. Stromme), Bret Fritz, Mitchell Mikinski, Alec Walker, David Whaley, Warren (Dad), Gisela (Mom), and Bri (Sis). I guess.” - By Mitchell Mikinski
AN EDITOR’S FAREWELL I would like to start off my senior farewell article by talking about my love for the band Fun. Well…more specifically their song “Some Nights”. There’s something about that song that makes me listen to it a ridiculous amount of times per day. It might be the Queen-esque opening harmony, it might also be the fact the melody is so catchy I could cry. But it’s neither of those. It’s the fact that “Some Nights” is very sneaky. On the first listen, “Some Nights” sounds like just your average party-pop song. And on the outside it is. The first verse talks about staying up all night and going out with friends. Not the most deep, meaningful stuff. But then everything changes. With the lyrics “What do I stand for?/ What do I stand for?/ Most nights I don’t know anymore” lead singer Nate Ruess turns an initially shallow pop song into something a bit more meaningful.
From the adviser:
I think that, as high school students, we
frequently ask the question, “What do I stand for?” a lot. High school is full of teenagers trying to figure out exactly who they are and how they’re going to fit into the world someday. We also do things that make us doubt ourselves. Sometimes we accidentally nudge someone else’s car in the parking lot or choose to switch our focus to things that are, well, less than academic. Starting high school, I wasn’t really sure who I was and what I stood for. I knew that I was Maddy Mikinski from Linwood, Kansas, but not much else. I wasn’t even sure that I liked writing. This scared me slightly. Now I know that every single freshman goes through some kind of identity crisis and that I wasn’t alone. During my freshman Fun. moment, I enrolled in Intro to Publications and discovered a whole new journalistic world I’d never knew existed. We learned about proper quotation mark placement
I’d like to thank Maddy for her hard work and dedication over the last two years as we have worked to improve The Express as we published each new edition. Her commitment to excellence and desire to produce a newspaper we can all be proud of has left a lasting impact in the journalism program at BLHS.
by Maddy Mikinski Editor-in-Chief 2011-2013
and interview etiquette (both of which I can’t really recall now). That was when I found out what I stood for. Over the past few years, I’ve found out that I’m Maddy Mikinski: Journalist, and I was a lot more than just a girl from Linwood, Kansas. Through The Express I’ve been able to develop my writing abilities and make some new friends. I’ve also gotten to get to know the menagerie of different, unique people–students, teachers, and administrators–who go to BLHS. It’s given me a solid grounding before I move onto KU’s J-School next year . I’ve also been able to find out who I am and what I should stand for. Maybe someone should take the message back to Nate Ruess and he could write a happier song. Just kidding…I love you the way you are, “Some Nights.”
Maddy, thanks for being patient with me and working with me as we both learned on the fly. And thanks for making me laugh every day. You will be missed next year. A special thanks is also due to Shelli Brannan who contributed to the renovation of The Express. You both made my job easy and enjoyable, and your influence is evident. - Kristen Loney, newspaper adviser
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