Memorial High School - May 2021 - SENIOR ISSUE

the

ANVIL MAY 2021 Vol. 59, Issue No. 5

Class of 2021 Senior Issue

17 Memorial High School

Houston, Texas 77024

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NEWS 05

Noteworthy Ex-police officer Derek Chauvin convicted in Floyd death, funeral held for Prince Phillip

OPINION 07

Eat His Musk Space privatization raises questions on the future of the final frontier

08

Splash into Summer

11

Happening Hallways

Houston Hotspots, Book Recommendations, Summer Traveling

Students share their red hall favorites

12

Trending

14

Mustang Mack

Flashbacks and Flash Forwards, Ask The Anvil, The Last Rodeo, Overheard

18

College Map

22

Senior Superlatives

26

Senior Wills

Class of 2021 heads to different corners of the country

Seniors nominate peers for their most memorable characteristics

Graduating seniors entrust prized possessions to underclassmen

34

24 A’s in a Day

36

The Divine Nine

Four years in, 24 vals out

Nine seniors leave high school with a book bag full of A’s and a B

37

Teacher Testimonies

38

Signing Off

Teachers impart final words of advice to the class of 2021

Editors share final messages to fellow Anvil members, staff reminisces about favorite R-206 memories

Gallery Furniture founder, Jim McIngvale, discusses heroes and regrets, offers advice

SPORTS 15

Road to State Tennis and water polo teams advance, prepare for state tournaments

15 Photo by Meghan Kao

CONTENTS

FEATURE

SENIORS

Proudly Supporting the

MHS Mustangs Sharyn Short Realtor® Associate

713.444.7981

Miller, Scamardi, & Carrabba P.C. Civil Litigation Law Firm 6525 Washington Avenue PH: 713.861.3595 - FAX: 713.861.3596 www.msc-lawyer.com

sshort@greenwoodking.com

GREENWOOD KING

PROPERTIES greenwoodking.com

COVID Coverage

Noteworthy

As of May 5, 2021: MHS: 308 total cases 18 active cases

By Lauren Wall, Reporter

Modified funeral held for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

HUNDREDS OF BOUQUETS were laid outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle following the announcement of Prince Philip’s death on Apr. 9. The Duke of Edinburgh died peacefully in his home, Windsor Castle, only two months before his 100th birthday.

Representatives of nations around the world sent condolences to Queen Elizabeth II, the British people and citizens of the Commonwealth in the days after his passing.

During the eight day mourning period after his death, no laws were passed and the BBC suspended all non-children’s programming until 6 p.m. on Apr. 9.

Prince Philip’s wish for a smaller funeral procession was granted when COVID-19 restrictions limited the guest list to only 30 people, a historic low for a royal funeral.

The attendees consisted of close friends and family of the royal couple, including their four children, Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, as well as

National

TEXAS: 2.9 M cases 50,473 deaths 8 M fully vaccinated

Prince Harry and Prince William.

“My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic,” Princess Anne said in a tribute to her father. “But it is his example of a life well-lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate.”

The funeral was held at 3 p.m. BST on Apr. 17 and lasted for about 50 minutes. The procession of cars and military personnel transported the Duke’s casket from Windsor Castle into St. George’s Chapel.

The Duke was very involved in the planning of his funeral and handpicked all of the music.

His choices were influenced by his legacy with the Royal Navy and deep appreciation of Britain’s musical heritage.

The chapel is not the Duke’s final resting place, though. When the Duke’s wife, Queen Elizabeth II, dies, the couple will be transported and laid to rest in the King George VI Memorial Chapel along with the queen’s father, George VI, mother and sister, Princess Margaret.

US: 32.4 M total cases 577 K total deaths 100 M fully vaccinated Sources: New York Times, SBISD website

LATEST NEWS April 13: Johnson & Johnson vaccine temporarily suspended after six rare cases of blood clots Apr. 27: CDC updates masking guidelines for fully vaccinated people; masks are not required outdoors in small settings

Derek Chauvin found guilty of murder, manslaughter in George Floyd’s death

AFTER ALMOST A YEAR of protests

over the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all counts for killing Floyd in one of the most closely watched court cases in history.

The trial began on Mar. 29 and went to the jury for a conviction on Apr. 19. After 10 hours of deliberation over the course of two days and the closing arguments, the 12 jurors found Chauvin guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd.

“The guilty verdicts for Derek Chauvin was a breath of fresh air for the BLM movement and criminal justice reform,” junior Fiyin Olayiwole said. “But this is just one step towards equality for all.”

The prosecution argued that Floyd died of low oxygen levels that caused a brain injury and arrhythmia. They claimed this was a direct result of Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, during which Floyd repeatedly told Mr. Chauvin, “I

can’t breathe.”

However, the defense argued that Floyd died because of other factors, including heart problems, drug use and carbon monoxide from his car exhaust.

Multiple members of the Minneapolis police force testified that Chauvin’s lengthy restraint of Floyd was unreasonable and violated the department’s policies on use of force. Authorities have since launched investigations that take a closer look at use of policies in Minneapolis and across the U.S. “The trial only scratched the surface of a long overdue need for fixing our police brutality problem,” junior Treasure Mulkey said. “We can’t bring back George Floyd, but we can change the system.”

Chauvin will face sentencing on June 25. The state recommends a sentencing of 12.5 years for unintentional second-degree murder for someone with no criminal history, however, he faces a maximum of 40 years if the judge determines there were “aggravating factors” in Floyd’s death.

FROM THE SOURCE

”

Global

The bottom line is clear: If you’re vaccinated, you can do more things, more safely, both outdoors as well as indoors. So for those who haven’t gotten their vaccination yet, especially if you’re younger or thinking you don’t need it, this is another great reason to go get vaccinated.

”

-Joseph Biden President of the United States

Anvil

05

Your doorstep?

Our pleasure.

Open the Chick-fil-A App and get all your favorites delivered from Memorial City Mall.

Memorial City Mall Free Delivery Fees 4/5/21 - 4/10/21 only at Memorial City Mall • @cfamemorialcitymall

opinion

G(ME) TO THE MO ON

IN MUSK WE TRUST

Eat His Musk Elon’s space race ushers in new era of controversial privatization

By Delaney Polocheck, Reporter

THE MUSK EMPIRE, with its crown

jewel, SpaceX, has expanded beyond Earths’ atmosphere and exploded into space. In 2008 Elon Musk launched the first privately funded, liquid-fueled rocket into space. As recently as last month, NASA astronauts completed a trip in the Resilience capsule to the International Space Station. The mission was a collaboration with NASA, and on the return trip, SpaceX successfully performed the first nighttime splashdown since 1968, parachuting the aircraft into the ocean upon descent to Earth.

“We welcome you back to Earth, and thanks for flying SpaceX,” a mission control officer said to the astronauts upon landing. “For those of you enrolled in our frequent flier program, you have earned 68 million miles on this voyage.”

But the concept of SpaceX passengers earning airline points might not be such a joke in the future. The possibility of space travel becoming as casual as a commercial Earth flight has materialized with Musk’s promise to send 1 million people to Mars by 2050. It is all a part of the plan to privatize space: the idea that the government will eventually transfer complete control over space exploration to private companies.

Up until this century, such an idea would have been laughable. When NASA was formed in 1958, it was to satisfy the extraterrestrial interests of the general public.

Curiosity is not something that has a promise of profit, so private corporations had no reason to be interested -- even if they had, none had the funds to finance rocket constructions and repeated space flights. But in today’s world, with two privatization pioneers sitting at the top spots for richest in the world, -- Jeff Bezos at number one with his space company Blue Origin, and Musk at third -- this idea is more than possible. It is imminent. And we should welcome it.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz even said that

the first trillionaire will be made in space, and though the financial benefits of privatization naturally first appear to be stacked with the actual companies, average taxpayers are benefiting as well.

According to Business Insider, about 4.5% of the federal budget was allocated to NASA in the 1960s. Today, that number sits at less than 0.5%, equating to over $22.6 billion taxpayer dollars saved as NASA has begun contracting out space flights to private companies who are able to slash costs. These companies still rake in billions each year. SpaceX was just awarded another $2.9 billion contract last month.

And though Musk may be spearheading privatization, his endeavors are just the tip of the iceberg in an industry that’s still in its infancy. There are over 67 different companies competing over NASA contracts, a number that’s bound to increase as more companies decide to cash in.

This competition will create even more excitement for space exploration, as companies are pushed to out-innovate each other, thus rapidly increasing the rate they are making advances. Companies are already drawing out plans for commercial space flights and even planet colonizations, ideas that would have been decades away if space travel was left solely in NASA’s hands. The concept of ‘space tourism’ has even materialized, and companies like Boeing and Axiom Space plan to send tourists into orbit as early as this year.

The Aurora Station, a luxury space hotel, is expecting its first guests in 2022.

With all of these new ideas comes the creation of entire new markets. This drives a need for everything from improved transportation and infrastructure to dehydrated food preparation, even to space gas stations, which will spike job growth as we push the frontiers of space. Privatization has even had influence in President Donald Trump’s establishment of an entire new military branch, the Space Force, which is tasked to protect American interests beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Granted, the pleasures of space tourism and

commercial travel will not be immediately enjoyed by everyday people. For five minutes of zero gravity, company Virgin Galactic is charging $250,000 a seat. For a 10-day stay on SpaceX’s capsule, you will have to cough up $55 million, and a 12-day stay at the Aurora Station will cost a comparably dirt-cheap price of $9.5 million. But billionaires are still making efforts to include everyday people in major space milestones. Entrepreneur Jared Isaacman recruited a team of ordinary people -- a community college professor, a data engineer, and a physician’s assistant -- to be the first to orbit Earth without a professional astronaut on board. Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa bought six tickets on SpaceX’s Starship, which he plans to give away to members of the public.

Space privatization has astronomical benefits, even for those not directly involved in the leading companies. Yes, it might seem like a Spring Break amongst the stars is light years away for ordinary people. But we just might find ourselves sipping piña coladas on some dusty, ocean-less Mars beach sooner than we think.

Illustrations by Lauren Wall

Anvil

07

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feature

Splashing Into Summer

By Giselle Tabibi, Reporter and Lauren Wall, Reporter

Houston Hotspots These Houston gems are sure to cure long days of summer boredom

The Escape Game

Speedy’s Fast Track

Want to do something exciting with your friends or family without having to worry about other people? Book a private escape room and explore a variety of 60-minute challenges, including the Mysterious Market, The Heist, Playground, Gold Rush and Prison Break.

Speedy’s Fast Track has something for everyone: including go-karts, laser tag, mini golf, arcade machines, pinball and more. Open 365 days a year, this attraction should not be missed for those who want a little bit of everything.

Space Center Houston

Typhoon Texas

Rated the number one attraction for international visitors, the Johnson Space Center features more than 400 space artifacts and multiple space crafts. The recent Mission to Mars exhibit showcases the new technology in development that will allow humans to colonize Mars.

Typhoon Texas will be open everyday for the 2021 summer season starting on June 1.

Experience lots of thrilling water and tubing slides in this massive water park.

‘

Reading Slump Reading a book doesn’t have to consist of the 1800’s literature your new English teachers have chosen, these are a few other-worldly texts that are sure to get you through the summer heat

The Darkest Minds

The Song of Achilles

Alexandra Bracken

Madeline Miller

In a world where children are dying off by the thousands, the ones that survive develop life-changing superpowers. Seen as a threat to society, the children are put into camps and classified into different color groups based on their power. Follow Ruby Daly as she escapes her camp and encounters Zu, Liam and Chubs, making the cross-country escape to freedom.

This heartbreaking adaptation of the Iliad follows the story of Achilles and Patroclus before and during the Trojan War. When Patroclus gets exiled, the young princes meet and form an intimate friendship, but when word comes that Achilles is needed in war, Patroclus decides to come too, unknowing of what he will have to endure during his time in battle.

Caraval Stephanie Garber When sisters Tella and Scarlett get an invitation to visit the annual Caraval performance where the audience participates in the show, they quickly sail to attend. But as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Legend, the organizer of the event, and it is announced that this year they will be given five days to find her. Now Scarlett must play to save her sister, or else Tella will disappear forever.

Anvil

09

Happening Hallways

Student journalists, photographers and future computer scientists, business majors share experiences in Red Hall

By Clara Carrabba, Design Editor

RADIATING RED

GUESS WHO? Which red hall teacher fits these descriptions?

2.

3.

Tells her students, “Don’t go to jail. Don’t go to the “Ms. Hartman is the hospital. Don’t get COVID.” absolute best! She’s an every Friday as they leave. amazing role model for everyone to look up to. She’s not a regular teacher, she’s a cool teacher.”

Loves to dress up in fun outfits, especially for holidays.

“Ms. Carney is a really chill teacher and is always happy to help us out if we’re struggling on an assignment.”

“Mrs. Baker is my favorite teacher because she is the sweetest and really cares about us as people and not just students.”

Plays upbeat music very loudly every morning.

1. Ms. Hartman 2. Ms. Carney 3. Mr. Sparks

1.

Students share their favorite things about red hall teachers

Sarah Beth Rother, 12

Aryana Majadarae, 10

Kate Conner, 12

SKILLED SCHOLARS

Students share valuable skills and life lessons learned in red hall

Business “I learned how to be a good businessman, thanks to Mr. Sparks. I’ve had him for three years, and he’s been the best teacher I’ve had.

- Damion Calderon, 12

Broadcast “I learned how to take lessons inside the classroom and apply them to my outside life.”

- Jordan Stein, 12

Journalism “Being Editor in Chief of both yearbook and newspaper, I learned a lot about my leadership skills and how to delegate, instruct, edit and juggle many tasks at once.”

- Megan Benz, 12

Photography “I’ve learned that artwork is an allrounded thing and not just about paint and drawings.”

- Raveena Devjee, 12 Anvil

11

Trending

By Zainab Siddiqui, Reporter and Kristina Pham, Reporter

Flashbacks & Flash Forwards Unpack the trends that have grown up alongside us or stood the test of time Silly Bandz

Scrunchies

For the record, vinyls have made a comeback

Tracksuits

Sweatsuits

Can’t forget a classic...corsets!

Flip phones

Bendable phones

The best bang for your buck, barrettes are back.

Ask the Anvil What is the meaning of life?

Hang in there, buddy.

How long is the breezeway?

715 steps. You happy? Got a lot of stares for that one.

Why was six afraid of seven?

Is this the journalistic integrity and truth you seek?

Enough of these childish games. But 7 8 9.

12 May

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Depends on whether you think cereal is soup.

Does Memorial have any secrets?

Tell you what, do with this what you will: “Where blue and white converge, In the hidden story lies, submerged, A secret so desired For all the lives it has acquired Only for the brave and true, With hearts of gold have broken through.”

Overheard

Ready for the Last Rodeo?

Big Bend National Park

Limestone walls and crystal candy? It’s hard not to cave in to the pressure, so go ahead and visit the nation’s largest natural caverns!

Bundles of bluebonnets and beautiful nature shots all around, could it getNational any better? Park Big Bend

Buc-ee’s

Buckle in for a road trip and stop by Texas’ most popular gas station chain, home to pit stop snacks, souvenirs and t-shirts galore.

Guadalupe River Sizzling summer sun? Hit the waters and go float the gorgeous Guadalupe River. Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

Blue Hall Natural Bridge Caverns

Red Hall

Bust out the ghost gear, it’s time to hunt some ghouls at this ‘hostel’ haunted attraction.

“The rats love us.”

Aqua Hall

Cadillac Ranch This time, the spray painting isn’t vandalization, but Texan tradition!

Leave your mark, but don’t leave Texas in the dust.

“Go check if she’s having a stroke.”

Cafeteria

Terlingua Ghost Town

“Did you or did you not domesticate the dog?”

“NOT THE BEANS!!!”

White Hall

Visitors and residents alike rejoice in the ultimate Texas summer bucket list

“Give me back my shoe, you’ll spoil it.”

Play “Deep in the Heart of Texas” by Perry Como as you cruise the countryside for a healthy dose of Texan pride.

Anvil

13

the

Anvil STAFF

Megan Benz

Co-Editor-In-Chief

Sarah Chirapurath

Co -Editor-In-Chief

Zarmin Shah

Asst. Editor-in-Chief

Clara Carrabba

Design Editor

Rachel Lee

Sports Editor

Meah Matherne

Business Manager/ Reporter

Mustang Mack

Houston Icon Jim McIngvale “Mattress Mac” discusses his success

By Ariana Mehdizadeh, Reporter

What was your education like?

I was born in Mississippi and moved to Dallas when I was 5-years-old. I went to high school at Bishop Lynch High School, which is a Catholic high school in Dallas that my father founded in 1963. I then attended the University of Texas at Austin, played the bench for the football team for two years and then transfered to the University of North Texas, where I continued playing football for two years. I was a member of the UT team when they won 30 straight games.

Cameron Bowman

Reporter

Bo Espey

Reporter

Who are three of your biggest role models, and why do you look up to them?

Chandler Gartner

Reporter

Ariana Mehdizadeh

Reporter

Kristina Pham

Reporter

Delaney Polocheck

Reporter

Zainab Siddiqui

Reporter

One of my biggest role models has to be my father. My father was always optimistic and outgoing. He was that way his whole life, and he always felt it was better to give than receive. Another one of my biggest role models is George H.W. Bush. He was a wonderful man and the ultimate people person. The third person I admire most is my wife, Linda, who has had the patience to put up with me for 40 years.

Giselle Tabibi

Reporter

Lauren Wall

Reporter

The Anvil Memorial High School 935 Echo Lane Houston, TX 77024 (713) 251-2500 Principal: Lisa Weir Questions? Comments?

Interested in buying a subscription or an ad for your business?

Contact: holly.hartman@springbranchisd.com The Anvil is published once every seven weeks by Memorial High School Publications and uses high school-appropriate advertising to offset costs. The Anvil is a nonpartisan newspaper. The editorial board writes an unsigned editorial which represents the opinion of the majority of the staff. Spring Branch Independent School District and MHS cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in its educational, career and technology education programs, cervices or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1973. The Anvil is copyright 2020-2021 by MHS Publications, all rights reserved.

No portion may be reproduced by any means without written consent from MHS Publications. Subscriptions are available for $30 per year. The Anvil is printed by Southern News Group and is designed by students using Apple Macintosh Computers, Abode InDesign CC2020, Abode Photoshop CC2020.

The Anvil is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, the Colombia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. The Anvil welcomes Letters to the Editor. Please enclose your full name (which we withhold upon request) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Please bring letters to R-206 or mail to the address above.

Why and when did you decide to start being a helping hand for the citizens of Houston?

I decided to start helping out during Hurricane Harvey. When people’s homes were flooding and they were losing electricity, I felt I had to help my city. I wasn’t going to let anybody suffer if I could help it. The simplest thing was to open up the furniture store. We had lots of food, a big restroom and tons of furniture for people to sleep on.

What is the biggest factor that has helped you gain success?

That’s a tough question. I feel my education really helped me, I also feel that the support from all of our team members has helped me.

Also the fact that it is hard to beat a person that never gives up; what doesn’t kill me can only make me stronger.

What is your favorite thing about the city of Houston?

My favorite thing about the city of Houston is whenever there is a crisis, whether it’s Hurricane Harvery or the recent ice storm, we all come together. We forget about political affiliations, color, creed and ethnicity and just unite, and that is what makes us a much better Houston.

sports

ROAD TO

STATE

Teams buckle up for intense competition at state finals

By Delaney Polocheck, Reporter

Twice As Nice AFTER SPRING SPORTS were cut unexpectedly short due to COVID-19 last year, the water polo program was left with an unsatisfying end to their season. This year, they’re back and better than ever. Both the boys and girls teams ranked well at Regionals and have earned not one but two spots to play in the State championship.

The girls placed second in the region, after a close 10-11 loss to St. Agnes. The boys placed first

Senior Will Robinson fends off a Stratford player. Photo by Kirsten Robinson

Ace, Ace, Baby

Sophomore Sofia Mazzucato backhands a ball in a stratford tennis match. Photo by Tracy Scholz

THE TENNIS TEAM did some light spring cleaning at Regionals last month, sweeping first place titles in three different categories.

Four players will now advance to State, with high hopes to return as champions and carry on the program’s legacy as a tennis powerhouse.

For sophomore Sofia Mazzucato, who medaled in girls singles, her first appearance in Regionals was a nerve-wracking event.

after winning 7-4 in an intense match against Strake Jesuit.

“It was a back and forth game. We were up four, but then they scored twice in a row,” junior Edward Chang said. “Then Drew Schachel scored from the other side of the pool, and we won.”

The teams will each face off against 16 other schools in the State tournament, including local rivals, Stratford and St. Agnes. For senior Tessa Welch, who will play water polo at McKendree University next year, winning state would be the perfect ending to her high school water polo career.

“I am so excited to go to state and leave it all in the water one last time,” Welsh said. “Our team has been preparing and is ready to have fun and prove that Memorial should not be messed with.”

The girl’s tournament will take place on May 7-8 at the Flower Mound High School Natatorium in Dallas. The boys will face off a week later, on

“When I had match point in the finals, I was shaking because I didn’t want to miss,” Mazzucato said. “When I served, I hit the ball with lots of spin, and the girl dumped it in the net. I jumped up and down, and all of my teammates were thrilled that I had qualified.”

Seniors Aleksandra Dimitrijevic and Drew Morris qualified together in girls doubles.

They’re hoping to finish off their final season strong, before they both move on to play collegiate tennis next year.

“It’s a little sad knowing that this is my last time I will get to go to state,” Morris said. “I’ve been playing for all four years at Memorial, and it’s always so fun when you make it and get to play.”

The team will travel to San Antonio for the tournament, which will take place May 20-21.

Also qualifying was sophomore Eric Kuo, whose resilient attitude reflects that of the entire tennis program.

“I’m feeling pretty confident and optimistic for state,” Kuo said. “It’s definitely going to be tough, but I’ll be ready for whatever comes my way.”

Junior Maya Schachel prepares to shoot the ball. Photo by Kirsten Robinson May 14-15 at the Cy Creek High School Natatorium in Cypress. Both teams are hoping to emerge victorious and make history as a double state champion water polo program.

“Going to state is a great opportunity for us to play some of the best teams in Texas,” junior Maya Schachel said. “It would be amazing if we won, and I think we deserve it because we all worked super hard this season.”

Senior Aleksandra Dimitrijevic prepares to serve. Photo by Tracy Scholz

Anvil

15

MUSTANG STRONG Surviving hurricanes, pandemics, historic freezes, the 2021 senior class has finally made it to Tully stadium for graduation

CLASS OF 2021

Alabama Auburn University Ashley Arbour Ben Johnson Bri Ellis Grayson Jasper Kate Conner Samford University

Arizona Arizona State University Glenn Elie Keeley Moore

Hannah Giles Madison Wooten

University of Arizona

University of Alabama

California

Charlotte Goddard Brooks Bartley Jordan Stein

Arkansas

Grace DeJong

Air Force Academy Prep School Alexandra Waller

Ouachita Baptist University

California State University Fullerton

Mullen Duty

Lyla Traylor

University of Arkansas

Loyola Marymount University

Carson Ultis Clayton Medlenka Kennedy Sinikiewicz Macey Schmitz McKenzie Weimer Olivia May Hall William Robinson

Lily Flexon Mariana Dias Pepperdine University Kellen Kroger Olivia Williard

University of California Berkeley Amaan Siddiqui University of California Davis Avni Desai University of California Irvine Marc Barbir

University of Southern California Vanessa Nunley

Colorado Colorado School of Mines Shannon Tyler

University of California Los Angeles

Colorado State University

Ellie Hilgert

Nicole Protz

University of California San Diego

University of Colorado Boulder

Rohan Patel

Abby Mohun

LEAVINGTHE CORRAL

Illinois

Northwestern University Emma Feuer Phillip Liou Sarah Li University of Chicago Ava Speros

Indiana Indiana University Aden Bernstein Caleb Choi Purdue University Andrew Cali Daniel Kim Tag Lee

Juliann Kidd

Louisiana

Louisiana State University

Demi Petree Kenedi Tellepsen Kirby Robinson Mike Mohr Sam McFarland

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Drew Schachel

Mallesh Maharana

Alexis Palmer Beau Nichols Brisa Gawlikowski Camille Lafferty Carolyn Blake Carrington Flemming Colin Head Damion Calderon Ellen McGettigan John Genung Kara Becker Lindy Haas Macey Mulvey Sam Fabrega Sofia Perry

University of Miami

University of Georgia

Tulane University

Georgia McMayon Jessica Wright

Ava Williard Kathleen O’Donnell

Lydia Lauritsen Meah Matherne

University of Denver Grace Moritz Josie Grossman

Florida

Georgia Emory University Sophia Yoon

Mustangs reveal their stomping grounds for the next four years

Kansas State University

By Sarah Chirapurath, Editor in Chief and Chandler Gartner, Reporter

Kansas

Maine

New York University

Clemson University

Colby College

Taylor Odum

Macey Muchard Taner Freed

Trey Tuscai

Syracuse University

Massachusetts

Matthew Kim

College of the Holy Cross

West Point Military Academy

Ellen O’Neill

Kingsley Wallace

Boston College

Ohio

Andrew Lee

Case Western Reserve

Boston University

Camille Smith

Bo Yu Chen Rachel Lee

Bowling Green State University

Wellesley College

Kathryn Weilbacher

Sarah Chirapurath

Oklahoma

Michigan Michigan State University Iyari Lutz Sydney McElhoe University of Michigan Amelia Zhang Will Moss

Mississippi University of Mississippi

Oklahoma State University Chase Beasley Margot Thevoux-Chabuel University of Oklahoma Amitis Malek Avery Clynes James Lowe Kendall Woodard Kylie Vanover Mackenzie Clynes Patrick Smith

Blakely Benton Braden Biggs Braden Lanclos

Pennsylvania

Missouri

Gautam Krishnamurthy Jack Janowski

Washington University in St. Louis

Swarthmore College

Chandler Gartner

Morgan Mouer

New Mexico

Temple University

University of New Mexico

Lehigh University

Sophia Cone

Jack Dragna

Rhode Island

New York

Rhode Island School of Design

Marist College

Claire Kim

Alison Von Haefen Parsons School of Design Ashley Thompson Jerry Chen

South Carolina Charleston Southern University Meagan Whatley

Tennessee University of Tennessee Corbin Pond

Texas Austin Community College Alex Biro Bentley Bruce Bradley Burrow Ben Ison Braden Eagle Dylan McNair Grayson Garner Holly Brunner John Cook Kai Stark Katherine McLeod Luke Wexler Michael Branca Thomas Crow Baylor University Alexa Keros Gavin Simpson Graham Mullins Graydon Fenn Greer Giles Johnny Casid Kaitlin Chang Katelyn Treadwell Katrina Chang Mykeala Lawson-Ho Peter Bakht Savina Sabatelli Stephanie Shaub Blinn College Allison Liles Aidan Sheffield Dillion Glenn Josh Yoon Georgia Herring Noah Scott Nicholas Antake Sabine Waldron Houston Baptist University Roger Valenzeula Houston Community College Felipe Herrera Leo Xue

Mark Garces Mason Guzman Thomas Salinas Tommy Hughes Weston Howell Our Lady of the Lake University Ford Coerver Rice University Carson Foster Mary Hammed Trinity Le Southern Methodist University Aspen Eastham Brooke Reynolds Drew Morris Jack Lindley Southwestern University Juliana Lips Sophia Triffilio St. Edward’s University Raveena Devjee Sara Parker Texas A&M Galveston Connor Moore Khoa Pham Texas A&M University College Station Abbey Hall Abby Pounds Alexandra Pappas Alex Bethancourt Alex Yang Al To Allie Rand Ally Kilgore Andrew Lewis Anna Sucec Amelia Crane Ava Shea Benjamin Clanton Bennet Bradford Benson Wu Bobby Sonn Carey Tu Carol Geng Caroline Green Carter Wienert Celine Faroughian Chanse Holub Chris Wilkinson

Claire Justice Claire McCord Diana Salha Duncan Heath Elizabeth Bounds Eric Miller Gabrielle Miller Gabby Rossenwasser Grace Touchstone Graham Swan Gregory Miller Grey Caven Hannah Krenz Isaac Bethancourt Isabella Sharma Isabella Truong Ivan Garcia Jacob Mckenzie Jade Waldron Jake Echols Jan Barrett James Shea Jason Park Jessica Stradley John Cutter Kayla Sidik Kayla Yi Kinsey Shine Kunyang Li Kyle Sedita Lauren Haley Luke Bethancourt Luke Kohler Lily Fultz Lindsey Moore Madeline Dukes Maha Quaddoura Martina Fuentes ME Harp Morgan Matheny Morgan Odum Nick Herrmann Olivia Knapp Paris Allison Pato Flores Rana Afshang Rachel Sedita Raviar Sulaiman Riley Boston Sarah Lootens Sean Lewis Seungjin Seok Seya Mathilakath Stephen Kim Thomas Moll Thomas Shavlan Tracy Park Tyrone Huang Yajat Bhargav Texas Christian University Addison Reilly Emily Crawmer

Hanna Landa Ian Stinneford Kelsey Williams Lindsey Fetzner Makenzie Pilegge Mary Kate Skrabanek Merritt Norris Nicholas Giannukos Oliver Buttram

University of North Texas Cameron Bowman Leo Boswell University of St. Edwards Jerry Reyes

Texas State University

University of Texas Arlington

Logan LeRoux Ruby Singletary Zachary McElyea

Gabbi Vela Kainosuke Fujimatsu Logan Agee

Texas Tech University

University of Texas Austin

Aidan Gindorf Ben Dodson Bethany Lisman Brandon Humphrey Brinley Lisman Catherine Stiles Emilia Christensen John Edmonds Kaiya Brandon Madison Freeman Makenzie Schellberg Megan Skaggs Rayce Green Thomas Boland Tijana Lekic Tyce Christopher

Abhinav Sinha Allie O’Shell Amelia Mannetti Andrew Amoruso Anissa de la Mora Antonio Amador Ava Autenreith Avery Wilburn Bailey Zhang Ben Gentry Bo Espey Blake Sanders Bradley Baay Brazos Donovan Caroline Bullers Charlotte Fairfield Chase Coneley Chloe Spears Ella Snasdell Emily Morse Emma Knowles Ethan Hughes Haoyu Joshua Fan Isabella Fidalgo Isabella Orvananos Jaden Yi Julian Weaver Kate Rotan Lauren Elie Lauren Chaffin Lauren Nguyen Lily Rassoli Lizzie Gissel London Keller Lucas Williams Maddy Biro Mariel Rached Maxwell Suchomel Megan Benz Meridy Tucker Morgan McAdams Olivia Stuyck Philip Soh Riley Kerns Ryan Swantkowski Sara Jane French

Trinity University Ethan Nguyen University of Houston Amaar Ansari Amna Ahmed Andy Yoo Brooke Onorato Danny Pham Ethan Nelms Faraz Lotfi Firyal Sameer Isaac Yoe Jeyla Kuliev Joshua Bearden Karaymaan Khan Kimberly Ni Lara Ibrahim Lisa Calderon Max Gao Naz Nabavi Parker Cone Pheobe Khudairi Robert Diaz Salma Soumali Victoria Grimaldo Zoe Nguyen Zain Shuhaib

Sarah Beth Rother Seamus Carragher Sean Sheets Sofia Alvarez Sophie Guinn Sophie Meckert Taylor Franklin Thomas Collins Tristan Wang Varun Kalappa Will Leman Will Shields Zaharaa Salman Zane Pramudji Zarmin Shah Zoe Zhang University of Texas Dallas Billy Fisher Chris Bachman University of Texas San Antonio Benjamin Ruiz Ocampo Jake Gollapalli Katherine Camilo Estrada Scout Belt

Utah Brigham Young University Brooklyn Norton University of Utah Jake McMillan Nathan DeLemos

Virginia Virginia Tech University Ben Fielder Brian Park

Gap Year Ally Garcia Daragh Haddon Grace Cali

Military Marine Corp Jared Cortez

Switzerland Franklin University Sarah Irwin

Mueller Thomas

Olivia Williard

Madeleine Dukes

John Cutter MOST ATTRACTIVE

Katelyn Treadwell

Oliver Buttram

BEST SMILE Drew Morris

Eric Miller

BEST HAIR Bella Sharma

Jack Janowski

BEST LAUGH Morgan McAdams

PRETTIEST EYES Ellie Hilgert

Amaan Siddiqui

CUTEST COUPLE Grayson Jasper

Jared Cortez

BIGGEST STARBUCKS ADDICT

Cameron Fuller

Case Iversen

BIGGEST FLIRT Allie O’Shell

Nathan DeLemos

SHOULD HAVE DATED Kelsey Williams

Jerry Chen

MOST FASHIONABLE

Zarmin Shah

Nathan DeLemos

BEST BEST BEST SMILE SMILE AUX Lindy Haas

Ryan Swantowski

CHANGED THE MOST SINGE 9TH GRADE Riley Boston

Justin Griffin

WORST CASE OF SENIORITIS JC Cook

Will Leman

LIFE OF THE PARTY Anissa de la Mora

Jackson Litts

MOST SCHOOL SPIRIT

Will Rexrode

CHANGED THE LEAST SINCE 9TH GRADE Courtney Fote

Patrick Smith

MEMORIAL MOM AND DAD Riley Boston

BEST BROMANCE Macey Schmitz

Will Leman

Ava Autenreith

Amelia Mannetti

BEST WOMANCE Alexis Palmer

Michael Roa

LUCKIEST PERSON

Lizzie Gissel

Gaston Elie

Alison Von Haefan

MOST ATHLETIC Addison Reilly

Kunyang Li

WORST DRIVER Macey Muchard

John Genung

MOST LIKELY TO BE LATE TO GRADUATION Sarah Irwin

Jack Lindley

MOST LIKELY TO MOVE ABROAD Bentley Bruce

Jack Dragna

MOST LIKELY TO TEACH AT MHS

Colin Pham

CLASS CLOWN Gabrielle Miller

Michael Mohr

MOST LIKELY TO BECOME AN INFLUENCER Taylor Odum

Drew Schachel

MOST LIKELY TO FIND A CURE TO CANCER Kirsten Evans

Thomas Collins

MOST LIKELY TO COME HOME EVERY WEEKEND Kate Rotan

Michael Branca

MOST LIKELY TO HOST AN AWARDS SHOW

Chloe Spears

Greydon Fenn

MOST LIKELY TO BECOME PRESIDENT Chandler Gartner

Mallesh Maharana

MOST LIKELY TO GO TO MARS Abby Mohun

Jason Park

MOST LIKELY TO ACCIDENTALLY LEAVE ZOOM UNMUTED

Hannah Krenz

Graham Swan

MOST LIKELY TO TALK THEIR WAY OUT OF A SPEEDING TICKET

Aspen Eastham

Colin Head

MOST LIKELY TO STAR IN A REALITY TV SHOW

Kathleen O’Donnell

Thomas Shavlan

MOST LIKELY TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY Stephanie Shaub

Sam McFarland

MOST LIKELY TO WIN AN OSCAR Gabi Vela

Thomas Crow

MOST LIKELY TO GET LOST USING A GPS Bailey Zhang

Preston Ramsey

MOST LIKELY TO BECOME A BILLIONAIRE Lauren Chaffin

Ben Dodson

MOST LIKELY TO PRETEND THEIR ZOOM CALL FAILED

MEGAN BENZ HEADING INTO HIGH school, I had it all figured out. I was going to take J1 in order to join The Anvil, so I could graduate as Editor in Chief and get into UT, setting me on track to become the Editor in Chief (EIC) of Vogue. Simple, manageable goals for my 14-year-old brain.

I entered freshman year, took (and CRUSHED) J1, then joined The Anvil as a reporter my sophomore year. While I was killing it in the academic sectors of my life, not so much in the friends sector. I had drifted away from a group of friends, but that ended up being the best unconscious decision I had ever made! While that was a minor hindrance to my confidence, my goals were still on track.

Come junior year, the plan was accelerated. I applied to be The Anvil’s Design Editor, and unexpectedly got it. I was doing well in school and made new friends. I was living, and enjoying, EVERY minute of high school.

Near the beginning of March, pre-pandemic, I was chosen as Editor in Chief of The Anvil. I had now successfully completed half of my life plan, and world domination seemed well within my reach. As the 2019-2020 yearbook editors were wrapping up the yearbook, the newspaper/yearbook teacher, Queen Holly Hartman, approached me about joining the yearbook staff. At first, I was shocked and excited about the opportunity to be a part of the yearbook as a reporter and The Anvil as Editor in Chief, but then came the real shock. She told me I would be joining the yearbook as EIC. As in, EIC of both.

Since this had never been done, there was no precedent to follow. I figured it out, sort of, along the way. One would think, for how similar the yearbook and the newspaper seem, it would be easy to catch on. It definitely was not.

I had quite the learning curve, but I wouldn’t have traded my experience for anything. Because out of the struggles, sleepless nights and stressed days, I made some of my closest friends, was exposed to a new and exciting media of communication and learned a lot about myself. Because of this experience, I altered my plan of six years. I realized the skills I learned and cultivated, not only artistically and academically, but also as a leader, pointed me in another direction.

I changed my intended major, got into my dream school and had the time of my life doing it. Although I spent an average of 45 hours a week in R206, in the same chair, at the same computer, with the same people five days a week, I never would have dreamed of my senior year any other way!

This is just the beginning of a whole new chapter in my ever evolving life story, and I’m beyond excited for whatever comes my way in the future. If you ask me though, world domination still seems to be written in the cards.

26 May

Senior Wills I, LINDSEY MOORE, do hereby bequeath tennis court 8 and my love for the football team to Sydney Newcomer, and my obsession with Camp Longhorn to Ava Annino.

I, ALLIE O’SHELL, do hereby bequeath my love to Vincent Ferruzzo and Gianni Green, 8th period and my guest room to Peyton Self, being the favorite child to Michael O’Shell, and the office bathroom to Claire Gammill.

I, OLIVIA STUYCK, do hereby bequeath my fish, Gary, to Kate Stuyck.

I, RACHEL SEDITA, do hereby bequeath Pete Reese to Cameron Kroger.

I, KELSEY WILLIAMS, do hereby bequeath all of my love to Wells Uptegraph, Trent Posell, Bauer Bruce, Patrick Hinson, and Vincent Ferruzzo. The homies. I also bequeath all my luck to the underclassmen with finding somewhere to park. Cheers.

I, LILLY FULTZ, do hereby bequeath nothing to MOST OF the juniors. Most of y’all don’t deserve anything from me.

I, OLIVIA WILLIARD, do hereby bequeath my closet to Parker Oliver and Kate Lichtmann, White Oak music hall and Highland Park boys to Claire Gammill, my angel wings to Cate Soriero, my blood, sweat and tears to Fiyin Olayiwole, Cabo Bobs to Jack Dragna and Braden Lanclos to Gray Gammill, and all my love to Michelle Marcil, the Brogden Starbucks, the San Felipe Whataburger, the Field House Lot, the Quillian Center, and Christian Braddock.

I, TRYSTON OBEVOEN, do hereby bequeath my senior stuff to the juniors.

I, MARIANA DIAS, do hereby bequeath all lacrosse bragging rights to Alex Jones.

I, KAYLA SIDIK, do hereby bequeath the captain diving yard sign to Will Shaw, reverse dives and every day after school practice to Sophie, Layla, Gianna, and Jack, Teens for Green to next environmental activists, and science Olympiad to the next upperclassmen.

I, TIJANA LEKIC, do hereby bequeath Andrea Herrera my parking pass so she shall never be towed again, and my iPad to Lily Ohanian so she can pass math class.

I, BEN DODSON, do hereby bequeath Charlie Oliver.

I, ALISON VON HAEFEN, do hereby bequeath Mr. Connell’s favorite student to Cristina Landa.

I, KUNYANG LI, do hereby bequeath my skills to not study for a test and do well to Kevin Zhang.

I, THOMAS CROW, do hereby bequeath Mathew McCall my massive muscles, George Eubank my knee brace, and my phone number to Naomi DeLemos.

I, LYLA TRAYLOR, do hereby bequeath positive vibes to Megan Xie, and leading warm ups to Caroline Howe.

I, GEORGIA GRACE HERRING, do hereby bequeath my sister Hadley Hobbs to Micheal Oshell, All of my love and anything else he ever needs to Bauer Burns Bruce, The president to Kate Rexrode, my machete set to Grayson Gore, Versace to Bennett Odegard, and last but not least, chili cook off to Lucy Gaines. Good luck!

I, STEPHANIE SHAUB, do hereby bequeath the good vibes and aesthetic of one remembering ones name and matcha to Ava Reistroffer.

SARAH CHIRAPURATH I, SABINE WALDRON, do hereby bequeath Hannah McCormack my dad clothes, Naomi DeLemos Pepper’s love for me, and the XC underclassmen frozone.

I, KATE ROTAN, do hereby bequeath Longwoods Lane to Charlie Oliver and Maddie and Carson Peterson, R-206 to Lindsay Farber and Callie Maxwell, and all the good Wade Hampton times to Bauer Bruce.

I, KATE CONNER, do hereby bequeath me and Tijana’s shared bus seat to Halle Lane and Andrea Herrera, and my Starbucks and Juice Well points to Lydia O’Neill and Logan Patterson.

I, ASPEN EASTHAM, do hereby bequeath my parking spot to Alix Hixson.

I, RILEY BOSTON, do hereby bequeath the wonderful Nicholas Giannukos to Lindley Maida, all my love to Sam Bakht and Vincent Feruzzo, and the stunning Sara Boston to Mason Bregenzer.

I, DREW MORRIS, do hereby bequeath wearing crocs at dances to Kelsie Jarvis and the tennis team to Hallie Jeffers.

I, ANISSA DE LA MORA, do hereby bequeath the biker chicks to Kate Rexrode, snuggles with Pippa to Charlotte Collins, and all my love to Vincent Ferruzzo.

I, ALLISON LILES, do hereby bequeath all of the turning in competition dances to Aubrey Mock, my coffee addiction to Kinslee Hanagan, and my constant delirium to Sloan Miers.

I, BEN JOHNSON, do hereby bequeath the mound tamp to Jakob Schulz.

I, LEO XUE, do hereby bequeath my math skills to my brother.

I, LUKE WEXLER, do hereby bequeath the shopping cart to Austin Ainsworth.

I, KATELYN TREADWELL, do hereby bequeath my ability to get a parking spot in the front lot to Courtney Treadwell.

I, JULIAN IVAN WEAVER, do hereby bequeath the land (and contents of) containing the properties of Memorial Senior High School to one Ilya Larin, of Junior Year, to be delivered expediently after my exodus from this scholarly plane.

I, ASHLEY ARBOUR, do hereby bequeath captain of the soccer team to Lydia O’Neill, pregame huddle prayers to Logan Patterson, and my locker to Cara Chaffin.

I, MIKE MOHR, do hereby bequeath Lane 3 in the natatorium to Eleni Voinis.

I, CHLOE SPEARS, do hereby bequeath the wonderful Coach Saam to Claire Gammill, the 300m hurdles to Izzy Jakobsen, and the TV in my room to Ethan Spears.

I, MARY HAMMED, do hereby bequeath my Flair pencils to my younger sister, Jenna, who will be a freshmen at Memorial next year.

I, DILLON GLENN, do hereby bequeath being Coach Q’s favorite to Jake Siblik, catching to Christian Braddock, my cooking skills to Cate Soriero, and all of my love to Brooke Soriero.

I, BRINLEY LISMAN, do hereby bequeath my A+ in Mrs .Stone’s class to Katherine Edmonds.

I’M GOING TO let you in on a little secret...I shaved off half my eyebrow. We’re talking smooth-as-a-baby’s-butt gone.

I remember pulling the razor up to my face and glancing at it (knowing it was a terrible idea but still wanting to do it), then shock, followed by panic, climaxing at horror. It was something out of a Loony Tunes skit. I looked from the razor to the mirror and then the pile of hair, and repeated. But, it was the moments after that make the story so hilariously idiotic.

My third grade self came up with an elaborate plot to hide the utter horror that was my half eyebrow.

At home, I would wear a hat. During school days I exchanged my “fashion statement” for a good ol’ bandaid, claiming that I had cut myself. I was firmly set in keeping with this poorly constructed tale until the hair grew back (however long that would take).

But walking downstairs the next morning, I had yet to realize that my plot had gone down the drain.

Little did I know, my brother had sneaked a photo of me sleeping with a hat on, half an eyebrow hidden underneath, the previous night, and then proceeded to share said image with my mother, the very person I was trying to hide from. There she sat, silently laughing at the sparkly, audacious hat (with one too many flowers), grilling me about my so-called “fashion statement,” knowing fully well I had zero answers to any of the questions she was asking. And that’s when the plan completely fell apart.

Despite the momentary horror and the weeks of drawn-in, overly dark, 2010 style eyebrows, let’s face it, it’s hilarious. Ironically, this has become one of my favorite memories, so when coming up with a column, what better way to encapsulate these last 12 years than with a list of my most embarrassing, and pertinent lessons that I’ve learned: 1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Yes, you did say “pah-pear” when reading the word “paper.”

It’s funny. Own it.

2. Experiment and explore. Those rolled up, boot cut jeans didn’t flatter anyone, but at least you know what not to do now, right?

3. PLEASE, PLEASE double, triple, even, quadruple check spelling on everything. We don’t want a repeat of “Sarh.”

4. Lose the stubbornness. “I didn’t eat the candy,” she said with a straight face and a blue tongue. It’s better for everyone, but especially you.

But most of all, and on a more serious note, let go, lose control, let everything shatter into a million pieces.

College and beyond is a world of unknown, and that is scary, so do what you can, and march into the future boldly and passionately with no regrets.

Anvil

27

ZARMIN SHAH AS SENIORS CONCLUDE their time at MHS and start a new journey in a college setting, I am sure everyone is excited and nervous at the prospects of exploring new frontiers, this time away from home.

Throughout my childhood, I moved frequently. This has meant starting my life afresh every few years, including settling into a new school, finding friends and assimilating into a new culture. It has ingrained in me a capacity to adapt and appreciate diversity. My journey began north of the Indian ocean, and before I could even talk, we had moved to Jordan.

Deserts and crystal blue waters of the gulf make up my earliest childhood memories.

Our move to Jordan was short lived, as after a year, we moved to Kuwait. I was a toddler when I lived in Kuwait, so I do not remember much except learning that holding scorpions and housing stray cats is not a good idea.

After spending my pre-elementary years in the Middle East, my family moved to Nigeria, the first place I labeled home. After seeing the optimistic nature of its inhabitants, I learned to be grateful for everything I had been given.

Though I became attached to Nigeria, I was still excited when my parents announced a move to Kenya. There, I learned how listening to the views of others helps broaden my own perspective and began appreciating the differences in people’s opinions.

Each move taught me its own lessons and brought its own challenges and benefits. As I leave Memorial, I can say with certainty that high school is a different experience for everyone, so there is no specific set of rules that will set you up for a perfect four years.

Some things will go according to plan, while some will not. The best thing to do is find time to do activities you enjoy and people you want to do those things with. And though high school may seem rigorous and unrelenting now, after four years, you may find yourself feeling excited yet unprepared as you get ready to graduate.

I, BAILEY ZHANG, do hereby bequeath my Calc BC homework to Daniel Xu, my Nerf gun to Chris Salha, my Instagram to Victoria Gong, and my unannotated copies of novels to Alina Du. I, JIN SEOK, do hereby bequeath the superiority of the Seok family to Ellen Seok.

I, MARY KATE SKRABANEK, do hereby bequeath my Valedictorian status to Renee Read, 30 degree ice baths to Lauren Wall and Katia Littau, gut checks to Ryan Fraser, and most importantly, Coach Saam to Naomi DeLemos.

I, JOSHUA FAN, do hereby bequeath my terrible driving to Avery Nguyen, my tasteless jokes to Marco Ferrier, my lack of math abilities to Daniel Xu and Bill Wang, my garbage time trials to Rami Taybi, and nothing to Hy Cao (who already knows everything to be known).

I, NICK HERRMANN, do hereby bequeath the power of the chicken mini run to George Altmann and my carpet to Ryan Kerns.

I, JACK JANOWSKI, do hereby bequeath my 2k skills to David Neyland.

I, MACEY MUCHARD, do hereby bequeath my hard work in the yearbook room to Lindsay Farber, Callie Maxwell, Shelby Rall and Mary Lacy Rieke, and my humor to Parker Oliver.

I, RYAN SWANTKOWSKI, do hereby bequeath my varsity broadcasting jacket to Cade McCary, and my good looks to Elle Espey.

I, ALEX YANG, do hereby bequeath my remaining motivation and physics knowledge to Victoria Gong, and my good luck to Ryan Fraser.

I, ALEXANDRA PAPPAS, do hereby bequeath dealing with Mari to Philip Pappas, my seat on the bus to Giana Vlahakos, the best shooting group to Riley McCloskey, the title of biggest Golden Goose collection to Katherine Kettler, and my bathroom to Mari Pappas.

I, SOPHIE MECKERT, do hereby bequeath my halo on the side of Piney Point to Cate Soriero, my spot on the bench to Mary Fielder and the Flyquoia to Riley McCloskey.

I, SALMA SOUMALI, do hereby bequeath my One Direction stickers to Treasure Murkey so she can give them to Mrs. Purvis and my English books to my little brother, Ali Soumali.

I, MORGAN ODUM, do hereby bequeath my killer soccer skills to Adelhia Ghonda, my sense of humor to Emily Farris, Jack Janowski to Logan Patterson, my proper English to Andrea Herrera, and my whole heart to Mason Sanders.

I, DEMI PETREE, do hereby bequeath my bad luck involving cars to Morganne and my speed to Quincy.

I, SCOUT BELT, hereby bequeath my soon to be sophomore sister Jeannette Belt carpool driver privileges and if I wanna be really cruel, I also bequeath you Flenderson, my 2008 SAAB. To Dani, Kara and Karsyn, I leave y’all all my words of absolute wisdom, hoping y’all don’t mess up or do something stupid. I also leave y’all to your parents driving you every morning. Muahahahahah. To Tulsi, I bequeath you my uvula now that I have no use for it now. To John Robert Ingersoll, I leave you my ‘you can’t ride in my little red wagon’ energy warm up leadership, get em hype, don’t let me down.

28 May

BO ESPEY I, ADDISON REILLY, do hereby bequeath all my love to Micheal O’shell, Gianni Green, Vincent Ferruzzo, and Will Crawmer.

I, HANNA LANDA, do hereby bequeath Mr. Ronnie Connell’s favorite student position to Cristina Landa.

I, JACK DRAGNA, do hereby bequeath my post practice shower duties to Ethan Spears.

I, JOHN COOK, do hereby bequeath my debt to Will Crawmer and wooden paddle to Gianni Green.

I, MAKENZIE PILEGGE, do hereby bequeath the 5 a.m. workout grind and a Celcius to Andrea Herrera.

I, LOGAN LEROUX, do hereby bequeath the starting stop on varsity to Caroline Howell.

I, JOHN GENUNG, do hereby bequeath my good looks to Michael Oshell, my “locks” to Will Crawmer, and my everlasting love to Suzy Telle.

I, ELLIE HILGERT, do hereby bequeath the lacrosse varsity defense to Delaney Polocheck, the flutes to Stephanie Han, and all of my parents hopes and expectations to John Hilgert.

I, ERIC MILLER, do hereby bequeth my backpack to Will Klingberg.

I, AIDAN GINDORF, do hereby bequeath my underwear to Cooper Gindorf.

I, NATHAN DELEMOS, do hereby bequeath my workout plan to Ryan Kearns and my skiing skills to Owen Jones.

I, PATRICK SMITH, do hereby bequeath my Pokémon card collection to Jake Jones, Coach Koch to Marshall and Mason Bergenzer, and my pet fish to Bauer Bruce.

I, JJ EDMONDS, do hereby bequeath the massive calves I have humbly built to Devin Freed because he needs them.

I, ELLA SNASDELL, do hearby bequeath my Freebird Fridays to Lily Ohanian.

I, MEAH MATHERNE, do hereby bequeath my car and Mom and Dad to Morgan Matherne (have fun!), sleeping in senior year to Alice Scafide, and my regrets to anyone taking AP Biology.

I, SEAN SHEETS, do hereby bequeath chili cook off to Wells Uptegraph and best hands on defense to Trent Posell.

I, ELLEN MCGETTIGAN, do hereby bequeath all my love to Bridgewood Street and Coleman Coolidge.

I, THOMAS SHAVLAN, do hereby bequeath all of my love to Jake Jones and the Bregenzer twins, and my heart to Parker Oliver.

THE DATE WAS Aug. 23, 2017, the third day of my freshman year. I was taking notes in biology class when Ms. Strait received a notification on her computer and said, “Huh, there’s a hurricane watch for the entire Texas coast.” The storm turned out to be Hurricane Harvey, which devastated Houston with over 50 inches of water. I witnessed firsthand the strength of the MHS community as students helped one another, whether it was rebuilding a house, working at a food bank or volunteering at a local shelter.

Thankfully, sophomore year was relatively calm, aside from the beginning of SAT and ACT practice added on to a full school load. Other than that, I was feeling good about my first two years of high school. And then junior year happened.

I remember sitting in my Journalism 1 class during fourth period on Sep. 19th, 2019, when all of a sudden, the power went out. I had no idea at the time, but Houston was in the process of getting hit by Tropical Storm Imelda. I remember the parking lot flooded and cars were totaled. The whole thing was really surreal.

Flash forward a few months to Mar. 12th, 2020. I was in math class talking with Mr. Aydell about how the NBA had suspended its season because of something called COVID-19. Little did we know how much the world was about to change.

The ensuing months were something I never expected would happen. The world seemed like it had stopped spinning and people were stuck in something called “quarantine.” My daily routine had completely changed. I was introduced to the world of Zoom and masks. However, if there’s one thing I learned during that time, it was to be willing to adapt to any situation thrown at you.

When school started back up in August, it took a while to get adjusted, but I eventually got back into the rhythm of things. Given the circumstances, I was happy about my senior year. And then we got hit by an ice storm. For three straight days, I sat in the cold wondering when the lights would turn back on.

When they finally did, I gained a new appreciation for everything we take for granted in our everyday lives.

The last four years have been a wild ride. I can say that my high school career has not been what I thought it would be. Every year offered twists and turns that I had to deal with, but I believe these experiences have made me a stronger person in the long run. If there’s one piece of advice I can offer from my time at Memorial, it’s to go with the flow. You never know where it can take you.

I, VICTORIA GRIMALDO, do hereby bequeath Nenagh McKeon to be the kind student to Mr. Johnson. Keep him in check, and take care of him.

I, CAMILLE LAFFERTY, do hereby bequeath team mom to Campbell Zahn.

Anvil

29

CAMERON BOWMAN EVER SINCE MY parents’ divorce when I was 10, I felt as if things became harder and harder every day. When I moved to Houston with my mom and my brother, I thought my life was over because I had to grow up faster than planned.

I faced challenges at home almost daily. I switched between constant screaming to walking to school while crying after loud and heated arguments.

As I write this column, I can only think back to where I was then and where I am now. Originally, I did not know what I wanted to do with my future nor why I had to take medicine in the morning every single day. I felt isolated and alone, like I was a freak of some sorts.

I had spent most of my sixth grade year alone, with no friends. It wasn’t until I entered seventh grade and then when I began high school as a freshman did I start to become more aware of who I was.

In that time I learned a lot. I learned that I was on the autistic spectrum with a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. I also learned I have ADHD, as well as a passion for film-making and the Hollywood movie scene. I learned that the most effective way for me to share my thoughts and stories with people was through analysis of something. I learned about the movie critic profession and felt my calling in that. I learned to come to terms with why I was surrounded by people who were there to help me in class even though I felt completely normal. However, knowing that my brain functions differently did not break me down. Instead, it made me feel better about myself.

Because of these classes and my experiences, I learned to start being the best I could be. Asperger’s or not, I began feeling more confident in myself and capable of pursuing my dreams regardless if I can sit still or not.

I’ve come so far in terms of my future and how I see myself, regardless of personal challenges. It’s amazing to see how far I’ve come, from dealing with a divorce, moving to a new neighborhood, struggling with friends to having my eyes set on Hollywood.

I, NICHOLAS GIANNUKOS, do hereby bequeath my smarts and good looks to Bauer Bruce cause I know he needs both and Room 632 at Bahamar to Will Crawmer and Michael O’Shell.

I, MADELEINE DUKES, do hereby bequeath a bowl of chili and Ford Coerver to Emily Farris, the Cy Fair student section to Logan Patterson, my love and admiration to Lucy Gaines, road trips to College Station to Mari Pappas, and busting it open to Will Klingberg.

I, SARAH IRWIN, do hereby bequeath my heart to Jason Zimmerman and everything I own to Jake Jones’ dad.

I, MORGAN MCADAMS, do hereby bequeath all my love to big Marsh, Bauer Bruce, and Wells Uptegraph.

I, EMILY CRAWMER, do hereby bequeath carpool to Charlie Oliver, all of my love to Callie Crapitto and Jennie Genung, and my curfew to Will Crawmer.

I, MACEY SCHMITZ, do hereby betqueath THE cul de sac, my dad’s beef tips, and great mornings to Ava Reistroffer.

I, MEGAN BENZ, do hereby bequeath all my love and the editor chair to my loves in R206.

I, BO ESPEY, do hereby bequeath the Suburban to Elle Espey and my football abilities to Chase Goodwin.

I, DYLAN MCNAIR, do hereby bequeath my entire closet to Cat Giamalva and endless college visits to Kate Rexrode, Suzy Telle, and Emily Farris.

I, SOFIA ALVAREZ, do hereby bequeath the nonexistent officer shrine to fancy five and my obsession with CyFair men to my minis.

I, ELLEN O’NEILL, do hereby bequeath my stuffed llama to Lydia O’Neill.

I, KENEDI TELLEPSEN, do hereby bequeath my acquired wisdom, enjoyable memories, and strength to finish high school off strong unto my younger, sophomore brother, Kaid Tellepsen.

I, LINDY HAAS, do hereby bequeath my experiences to Sydney Shelton, and my spatula to Mr. Krabs.

I, ISABELLA TRUONG, do hereby bequeath my old notebooks to my sister, Nadia and Reika Truong, the continuation of Writers’ I Guild to Sophie Czelusta (well, technically you’re already in charge), and everything else I bequeathed in the orchestra wills to those respective people.

I, SARAH LOOTENS, do hereby bequeath Buzz & Bites and my parallel parking skills to Nhu Lam. I, PHILIP SOH, do hereby bequeath my entire baseball locker and the contents inside to Jakob Schulz and Brooks Benton.

I, CARSON FOSTER, do hereby bequeath responsibility for the Mustang Coding Club and the NCSHS to Christopher Oosthuizen.

I, BENSON WU, do hereby bequeath my ability to sleep in class to Avery Nguyen.

30 May

CHANDLER GARTNER I, JESSICA WRIGHT, do hereby bequeath my $10 Costco leggings and ability to raise chonky animals to Alice Scafide, my red hair clip that matches the Markette uniform to Morganne Svoboda, and my loud vocal cords to the Markettes.

I, JASMINE RIPLEY, do hereby bequeath my academic prowess to Indigo Ripley.

I, CAMERON BOWMAN, do hereby bequeath my best wishes and luck to all my other fellow seniors and look forward to all new and coming future Mustangs alongside our teachers and staff.

I, LIZZIE GISSEL, do hereby bequeath speaker duty to Jamison Appel, the long jump pit to Kyle Braddock, and Mr. Biles children’s book to Farrah Wohlford.

I, KIMBERLY NI, do hereby bequeath my senior will to any underclassmen.

I, DANIEL KIM, do hereby bequeath my original home to my parents and my apartment to a new owner.

I, SARAH BETH ROTHER, do hereby bequeath yearbook snacks to Mary Lacy and Shelby and Irwin to all the junior dance officers.

I, MUHAMMED SENGOZ (The Turkish Student), do hereby bequeath my 3 month experience to other immigrants that are going to enroll Memorial next year.

I, REDDRICK HEARD, do hereby bequeath my motivation to peers who looked up to me.

I, JACK LINDLEY, do hereby bequeath my long passing ability to Jack Bergen.

I, SHYANNE GARCIA, do hereby bequeath my old lunch seat to whoever wants to take it.

I, MARIA FLORES, do hereby bequeath all of my notes to my sister.

I, MASON GUZMAN, do hereby bequeath nothing to nobody.

I, ETHAN NGUYEN, do hereby bequeath my notes to Naim Kim. I, CAROL GENG, do hereby bequeath my apologies to Audrey Huang for forgetting to put her in the Orchestra superlatives and will therefore give her all the random leftover art supplies that I own.

I, BENJAMIN RUIZ OCAMPO, do hereby bequeath my lunch table to a new group of freshmen.

I, RAVIAR SULAIMAN (SpongeBob Squarepants), do hereby bequeath my pineapple to Patrick Star, my spatula to Mr. Krabs, and my boating license to Gary.

I, BONNIE CHEN, do hereby bequeath every junior to the new senior class, and all the flutes Sir Samuel the Sixth.

MOST PEOPLE THINK middle school was their “awkward phase,” but I like to think that high school was my awkward phase. Not awkward in the braces and growth spurt sense, but awkward because of my selfdiscovery. During high school, I developed my own style; I learned what groups I wanted to be a part of; I experimented with my hair, learned to drive, and found my independence. All of these “awkward” aspects of high school culminated in my identity and sense of self. Although anxiety accompanied much of this self-discovery, it taught me to be more resilient and self-confident. This journey allowed me to prepare for the next chapter of my life.

My high school experience felt much longer than four years, probably because of its countless “once in a lifetime” experiences. From Hurricane Harvey and storm Imelda to the Astros winning the World Series and the “Snowmageddon” just last February, the past four years has been a laundry list of chaotic events.

Through all of these setbacks, I made it to the State cross country meet with my team, participated in a climate strike, went to the Texas State Capitol for Mental Health Awareness, wrote for The Anvil, and so much more. Classes were surprisingly fun, too. I grew closer to friends and teachers and got the opportunity to explore interests like computer science and engineering.

Then COVID came. I was ecstatic that Spring Break was extended, but had yet to know how much this would affect my future. But during that quarantined time, free from social commitments, I was able to mentally reset. I ran every morning with my team and spent the days relaxing and knitting. I applied to college and was finally able to figure out what I wanted to major in, through much introspection. When school started again, I was ready for the work and for all the fun I knew would accompany senior year. Though some events were dampened because of COVID, my friends and I made the most of our free time and ended up closer than we were in previous years.

My advice to students still on their high school journey is to embrace the awkward and confront your challenges head on because they will make you a stronger person in the end. Remember to be honest, humble and kind and to never stop your journey of self-discovery.

I, JONATHAN LIM, do hereby bequeath all of my percussion and drum materials to the younger kids in the drumline.

I, NICOLE PROTZ, do hereby bequeath the flutes to the new senior class, my Markette shows to Morganne Svoboda, all my extra snacks to Jeanette Belt, Sir Sam of Crabador to Elissa Qualls.

Anvil

31

MEAH MATHERNE DESPITE BEING A person that never shuts up, I didn’t know what I wanted to write for this column.

Part of me wanted to scream and rage about all the things I hated about high school and MHS specifically. I could talk about how I disliked this, and hated that, and was disgusted by XYZ: that little red devil on my shoulder really, really wanted me to do that.

But writing about all the things I didn’t like (but forced me to grow) would invalidate all the beautiful and life-changing things I experienced these past four years.

There have been ecstatic highs: driving down Memorial Drive, windows down, wind whipping sunlightened hair as music blared through my crackly car speakers. Football games where stadium lights glowed ethereally on the student body, our blood abuzz with something that felt like belonging. The second first kiss in the senior parking lot. Those last two weeks of May, where freedom rolled in along with the oppressive heat, exciting minds about the limitless possibilities of summer. It is a more complicated and bittersweet feeling now that I know that those two weeks will be some of the last that I will spend with those people that have meant so much to me.

And there have been melancholic lows: dancing for the last time with the drill team I loved, crying as we performed our finale dance, kicking in our white boots and sparkly black hats. Learning that I wouldn’t get to spend my final months of junior year actually at school.

The reunions with friends, seated six feet apart on my front lawn, after months of not seeing anyone but my family. Sitting at the dinner table and hearing my dad say that he no longer had a job. All the ended friendships and romantic rejections. The heaviness of the stress that sank me into a dark place that I am still clawing my way out of.

At the end of the day, high school sucked. I am more than ecstatic to go on to college and be free of all the things that bind me here. But I learned and changed and metamorphosed. I would change exactly nothing because it is only from experiencing the worst that you can see the beauty in the best.

I, STEPHEN KIM, do hereby bequeath my love to Z2.

I, TAYLOR FRANKLIN, do hereby bequeath the word “QUEEN” to Sloan Miers, the phrase “WE SNAPPED” to Sofia Costantini, judgy looks to Kaitlin DeFazio, and all my love to the Markettes/managers.

I, BRIAN PARK, do hereby bequeath my ability to survive a day with only 3 hours of sleep everyday to Andy Gim, my amazing drawing skills to Vincent Ma, and the ability to talk to girls to Joshua Lee. I, LUCIEN FROEHLICH, do hereby bequeath my throwing shoes to George and my parking spot to anyone.

I, JONCARLO VILLARREAL, do hereby bequeath my #9 soccer jersey to whoever takes its next.

I, KAINOSUKE FUJIMATSU, do hereby bequeath, 5 yard open goal shot to Aleksy.

I, CONNOR MOORE, do hereby bequeath good luck and good fortune to Bill Wang and Jason Lee. I hope you guys have an excellent time in your final year at this school.

Have fun for me ok?

I, BRADEN EAGLE, do hereby bequeath my terrific golf skills to Preston Rouse.

I, BENTLEY BRUCE, do hereby bequeath Wade Hampton to Bauer Bruce, Chili Cook Off to Kate Rexrode, UT visits to Andrea Herrera, and my entire heart to Marshall Bregenzer and Jake Jones.

I, PATTY ZAVALA, do hereby bequeath all my knowledge to you underclassman.

I, GARRETT BRIGGS, do hereby bequeath my lacrosse number to blackjack, my cross chain to Amelia, and my upper red bathroom to Mrs. Sparks.

I, WESTON HOWELL, do hereby bequeath my bequeaths to Oliver Charragher.

I, FELIPE HERRERA, do hereby bequeath my knowledge and aid to the underclassmen who will lead society in the far future.

I, JORDAN STEIN, do hereby bequeath my swag to Reagan Vallee.

I, AMAAN SIDDIQUI, do hereby bequeath the role of Head Drum Major to Leo Lopez-Manteca.

I, ZARMIN SHAH, do hereby bequeath psychology club to every student who attends MHS and my obsession with gushers to all Anvil staff members.

I, EMMA KNOWLES, do hereby bequeath my Spotify playlists and joy-driving routes to Hannah and Sarah Harp.

32 May

RACHEL LEE I, SHANNON TYLER, do hereby bequeath hording Gatorade chews, almost missing races and anything else I have to give to Lane Vandervoort, the girls water polo team to Sidney Nguyen and Bella Norton, and the beat up mini van to my brother Weston.

I, CLAIRE KIM, do hereby bequeath MY sense of humor to Mina Syed.

I, BROOKLYN NORTON, do hereby bequeath the privilege of driving Carlton (the coolest truck) to Isabella Norton, the job of keeping Bella in line to Julia Williams, and trips to Shipleys to the seminary squad.

I, EMMA FEUER, do hereby bequeath my ability to predict the timed write prompts to my incoming freshman brother, Braden Feuer. Good luck in high school bro.

I, MORGAN MOUER, do hereby bequeath my sub 2:30 800m to Lauren Wall, Paula Faccini and Naomi deLemos; complaining during every long run to Katia Littau and Lola Ballew; and my calculus notes to Renee Read.

I, CHANSE HOLUB, do hereby bequeath my pickleball prowess to Caroline Holub.

I, JONGEUN SONN, do hereby bequeath my love for Chemistry to Edward Chang!

I, WILL LEMAN, do hereby bequeath the bleacher bums to Harrison Brandt, the Chili’s to Bauer Bruce, my varsity jacket to Cooper Davis, and my unconditional love to Alix Hixson.

I, COLIN HEAD, do hereby bequeath the blue up bathroom to Evan Adams and all of my love to Ellie Goodwin, Julia Eliot, Catherine Giammalva, and Jennie Genung.

I, HOLLY BRUNNER, do hereby bequeath SKAhamas to Kate Rexrode, the bleacher babes to Parker Oliver, the upperclassmen boys to Hadley Hobbs, and all my endearing love to Bauer Bruce.

I, MALLESH MAHARANA, do hearby bequeath absolutely nothing. My things are mine. Get your own.

I, MACEY MULVEY, do hereby bequeath my old clothes to Sienna and Caroline Monch, and making sure my dad behaves to Wells Uptegraph and Bennett Odegard.

I, JULIANA LIPS, do hereby bequeath German Club to whoever wants it.

I, ISAAC YOE, do hereby bequeath my great amounts of wisdom to Param Luchun and Vincent, my juicy legs to Avery Nguyen, and my incredible levels of swag to Grace Yoe. I, SARAH CHIRAPURATH, do hereby bequeath my senioritis to Nhu Lam, late nights (with M&M addictions) and editor stress to Clara Carrabba and the future Anvil editors.

BEFORE I GRADUATE, I have decided to write down my five biggest regrets from high school.

Maybe someone will benefit from my mistakes.

1. Not studying enough This seems to be on everyone’s regret list, but that is the most important for me. I was always satisfied with myself if I put the minimum amount of work in every class. Especially English, which was always my worst subject, every single year. But I still did not put any extra effort to improve my grade. If I had the time to go back, I would definitely study much harder.

2. Procrastinating all the time Procrastinating is something I loved to do in high school. I always left everything for the last minute, no matter how important it was. There were many times when I had over a week to finish my project or study for a test, but I decided to start working on it the day before it was due. If I had time to go back, I would divide my work into different days.

3. Not realizing how fast the time goes When I first entered high school as a freshman, I thought I would never graduate. But now, with only a couple of weeks left until D-day, I realize the time has passed so much faster than I expected. Since it is almost time to leave all my friends and family, I regret not creating more memories. If I had time to go back, I would treat others much nicer, and try to make more memories with them.

4. Not going outside more I liked staying inside my house, in my room, on my computer and phone all the time. I spent most of my free time binging Netflix shows and YouTube videos on my phone. If I had my time back, I would definitely say yes a lot more when my friends asked me to hang out.

I would try to spend more time with people I care about.

5. Not joining many clubs Before my freshman year, I was thinking of joining all the cool clubs and maybe even creating one. However, when high school actually came around, I only joined three clubs. I regret not joining more clubs because if I had, I could have met a lot more people. If I had my time back, I would not hesitate to join more diverse clubs.

Anvil

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24 A’s in a Day

4 years of late nights, marathon testing days and hours of homework, 24 seniors come out on top By: Meah Matherne, Business Ads Manager

SOFIA ALVAREZ

SARAH SARAHCHIRAPURATH CHIRAPURATH

JOSH FAN

EMMA FEUER

Best Way to Unwind:

Hardest Class:

Looking forward to:

Hardest Class:

BROOKLYN NORTON

“Netflix, friends, food, dance, dogs and books.”

“AP Physics. It made me rethink gravity.”

“Living somewhere outside of Houston.”

TRINITY LE

MALLESH MAHARANA

MORGAN MATHENY

Best way to unwind:

Best Study Strategy:

“AP Physics.”

Looking forward to:

Worst part of HS:

“Napping.”

“Pay attention in class.”

“Meeting new people.”

“COVID-19 ruining our junior/senior year. ”

ABHINAV SINHA

MARY KATE SKRABANEK

MAX SUCHOMEL

“AP exams”

“AP Chem... Shoutout to Mr. Husted though!”

Worst part of HS:

34 May

Hardest Class:

Best Study Strategy:

“‘Chunking’ - Put everything you need to know for a test on one piece of paper and look over it.”

ISABELLA TRUONG

Best way to unwind: “Take time to appreciate the great (and not-sogreat) things in life.”

CHANDLER GARTNER

ELLIE HILGERT

VARUN KALAPPA

Best Study Strategy:

Worst part of HS:

Best way to unwind:

Best Study Strategy:

“Exercise.”

“Sheer willpower.”

TRACY PARK

PRESTON RAMSEY

DREW SCHACHEL

AMAAN SIDDIQUI

Best way to unwind:

Worst part of HS:

CARSON FOSTER “Find out your learning style.”

“Blast music and repress everything else.”

TRISTAN WANG

“The stress it caused. ”

“4th period lunch. It was more of a brunch.”

Hardest Class: “Spanish IV PreAP.”

Best Study Strategy: “I don’t, haha.”

CHRIS WILKINSON

LUCAS WILLIAMS

ZOE ZHANG

Looking forward to:

Best way to unwind:

Best Study Strategy:

Worst part of HS:

“The buffet dining halls.”

“I go get some Whataburger.”

“Studying the period before the test.”

“All of it.”

Anvil

35

The Divine Nine Drive, determination leave nine seniors standing

By: Meah Matherne, Business Ads Manager

ANDREW AMORUSO

LAUREN CHAFFIN

MADDY BIRO

University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Austin

BEST STUDY STRATEGY:

WORST PART OF HS:

BEST STUDY STRATEGY:

Get the work done.

Waking up at 6 a.m.

HARDEST CLASS:

WORST PART OF HS:

KARAYMAAN KHAN

BEST STUDY STRATEGY: Do your homework

LOOKING FORWARD TO: More freedom and independence

Second semester of senior year

HOW TO UNWIND: Mindless video games

36 May

WILL SHIELDS

Northwestern University

University of Texas at Austin

BEST STUDY STRATEGY:

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

Study the period before.

Not waking up early

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

HOW TO UNWIND:

No parents

Napping :))

KAYLA YI

KINGSLEY WALLACE West Point Military Academy

Later classes

SARAH LI

University of Houston

WORST PART OF HS:

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

AP Bio. I never understood the labs.

Every English class

Do your homework during school.

Texas A & M WORST PART OF HS: Waiting for lunch

HOW TO UNWIND: Listen to “Infinity” by One Direction.

BAILEY ZHANG University of Texas at Austin WORST PART OF HS: Freshman year. I didn’t have eyebrows

HARDEST CLASS: Calculus BC. I put the B in BC.

Teacher Testimonies

HISTORY

“

Be the blessing you wish to receive and the change you wish to see.

Christo Amarantos

Teachers share their parting words to the senior class

By Megan Benz, Editor-in-Chief

“

ELECTIVES

“

‘Get in the Nest’ The nest of trust! Just trust me and listen to the advice I am giving you! I won’t steer you wrong!

Trust me! I even have a nest that Emma Feuer painted for me when she was in the 8th grade!

Elisa Barry

“

”

‘Wherever you are in life, don’t treat it as a transitional period.

There is nothing like looking back and feeling like you wasted years ignoring what you had because you were hoping for something better.

Don’t neglect the present because that’s what determines your future.’

-Unknown

Elizabeth Carney

“

”

Travel. Travel far and wide and alone. When you travel alone, you learn so much more about yourself and the world. You learn to be assertive, strong and independent.

There is so much more you are able to do than you ever knew. Take a good book with you, books are great company. You will make mistakes, but you will learn from them.

Lisa Tames

“

”

Study hard and do well in school, but HAVE FUN, too! Balance is everything. Enjoy every moment of your college career, it goes by so fast!

Heather Brooks

”

Make a difference. Every night before you fall asleep, ask yourself how you made a positive difference in the life of someone you encountered. You are writing your own destiny, make wise choices, and always be an UP-Stander!

SCIENCE

“

Nothing is a mistake until you’ve done it twice--the first time was a learning experience.

“

”

The only thing of value you have is your time. Spend it wisely on people and things you care about.

Justin Schreer

“

”

It is up to YOU to make the best environment for yourself.

It is to YOUR advantage to befriend your teachers and learn their teaching style. You are in control on how you will react to your teachers or peers.

Annie Huynh

“

”

Get a work-study job at a campus coffee shop. You’ll have access to cheap food and caffeine, and you’ll get paid!

Alex Dewey

”

ADMINISTRATION

“

Remember, life is full of choices! Choose to be happy and kind! Also remember that pictures on social media never go away!

Buffie Mathews

”

” ”

Mary Reed

ENGLISH

“

Go meet your professors during office hours! This makes you stand out. Plus, if you need greater assistance later in the school year, the professor will be more inclined to help you since you’ve already shown yourself to be conscientious.

Lauren Shelley

“

”

Stay authentic to yourself—that doesn’t mean that you don’t ever change your mind or that aspects of yourself remain the same. It’s about accepting the fact that the only constant thing is change—you must actively check-in with yourself and what and who you value.

Min Hsiao

“

”

Go outside of your comfort zone – meet people different than you, try weird food, travel when you can.

Understand that the world you grew up in may not be the one you inherit.

Change your mind often, and remember that the success of others does not equate to a personal failure of yours. Get comfortable with being wrong, it is the only way we learn.

And above all: have some fun. Your life is yours to create.

Terez Denshaw

Anvil

”

37

Signing Off

Reporters reminisce about COVID-crazed year, say goodbye to senior reporters

REMEMBERING THE SENIORS Megan

Sarah

Zarmin

Bo

Publications extraordinaire, staff mom, always willing to help, radiates sunshine, title-making genius, icon, renaissance woman Ms. Congeniality, ultrapleasant aura, UIL master, always zen, best laugh, brings amazing energy, super kind

Cameron

Movie buff, so enthusiastic and passionate, focused, super nice, purposeful knowledgeable bright, super creative

Meah

Ads queen, best hair, compassionate, superstar material, hilariously quotable, powerhouse work-ethic, dynamo, super witty

News writing legend, infectious smile, forever upbeat, most gorgeous curls, open-minded, hard working, sweetest, boss girl Staff comedian, easygoing, good vibes only, absolute chad, staff dad, sports guy, fashionfanatic, best one-liners,

Chandler

Activist-minded, most athletic, super outgoing, golden attitude, nature’s ambassador, intelligent, TED talk champion,

Rachel Elite super student, personifies kindness, hard worker, cool and collected, best fashion sense, humble

DEAR SENIORS,

What a year! It simultaneously seems like the fastest and longest year I can remember in 25 years of teaching. I LOVED ending my days with all of you. You were such a laid-back yet determined, easy-going but assertive staff. Seniors, you all demonstrated such stellar leadership skills. I can’t thank you enough for always doing what you were supposed to do without being asked and getting each issue done efficiently. All five issues turned out even better than expected in this crazy year. Bo, Meah, Rachel, Chandler, Cameron and Zarmin, I know you are going to do GREAT things in your own unique way. I’ve loved getting to know you. Sarah, I knew from the day I met you your freshman year that you would find great success in R206 and you did!

So impressive. Megan, as hard as I tried to convince you that you would get sick of R206 and me, I’m so glad you chose to take on something that no one in MHS history has taken on. You excelled at both jobs. It’s going to be so strange and sad to not see you sitting in that chair for hours every day. Thank you to all of you! I already miss you.

DEAR STAFF,

Love, Ms. Hartman

I feel like just yesterday we were sitting down (over Zoom, of course) to talk about our first issue! We have accomplished so much, in what feels like a too-short amount of time (dominating at UIL!!). I am so proud of you all for powering through and putting out AMAZING issues, that just kept on getting better. To Clara and the next editors, it’s just going to go up from here! To Megan, it has been such a pleasure to be an editor with you these last two years. You are a powerhouse in everything you do, and I know that you are going to go to do great things (and rock the advertising industry) To Ms. Hartman, thank you for sticking with us through all of the rushed deadlines and late nights—you are truly the heart and soul of Anvil.

Love, Sarah Chirapurath

By Sarah Chirapurath, Editor in Chief

Megan: When Ms. Hartman locked me in R206 after a late night. Sarah: When Bailey and I put a mask on George Clooney. Zarmin: All the late nights were a lot of fun because it would be a nice time that we could all come together as a staff and eat. Clara: Staying for late nights and getting dinner with everyone was so fun. Meah: Sitting around the table eating dinner at a late night sesh doing poopsicle/popsicle. Rachel: Making waffles on Valentine’s Day! Ariana: Sweeping at UIL. Bo: Waffle day. Cameron: Getting to know my fellow Anvil staff members.

Chandler: Eating Ciro’s during a long night’s work. Delaney: Dominating the UIL District Meet.

Giselle: Convincing Delaney that Meah was her Secret Santa when it was actually me. Kristina: Working on my first issue because it was a fun learning curve that started with mostly confusion and ended with excitement to work on future editions. Lauren: Making chocolate chip waffles in class on Valentine’s Day. Zainab: My favorite memory was taking the staff picture because it was one of the few times in this hectic year where we were all together. Ms. Hartman: When we dominated District UIL and putting the mask on George.

FAVORITE ANVIL MEMORIES

This year turned out better than I could have ever expected. Each and every one of you put in so much time, regardless of after school and academic commitments, and it truly shines through in all five of our amazing issues. From zoom meetings where we planned our first issue to dominating UIL, y’all have gone above and beyond and I am so proud of every single one of you for your commitment to The Anvil and the talent you bring to it. Continue being you’re amazing selves and you will all go so far! To Sarah and Clara: Both of y’all have stepped up like no other this year and created such a beautiful magazine, I am so excited to see where the future takes both of y’all, and I am proud to have been an editor alongside y’all.

Love, Megan Benz

Anvil

38

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