Senior Issue

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #19 Mercer Island, WA MERCER IS SCHOOL DIST 400

JUNE 1, 2018

THE SENIOR ISSUE | CLASS OF 2018

INSIDE FEATURED

6&7 Senior Reflections

Graduating seniors share their wisdom, insight, and advice.

8&9 MIHS College Map MIHS seniors share their post-graduation plans.

12 Thank you, Teachers! As

the Class of 2018 prepares to forge ahead, it looks back to thank impactful MIHS teachers.

16 Senior Shoutouts Students call out deserving peers who have made MIHS a better place.

ABOUT The MIHS Islander

9100 SE 42ND STREET MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040 MIHSISLANDER@GMAIL.COM WWW.MIHSISLANDER.ORG Editors-in-Chief ..................... Sophie Poole and Grady Short Front Editor ........................... Lucille Shield Features Editor ...................... Isabel Funk Sports Editor ......................... Reid Martinez Spread Editor ........................ Ellie Gottesman Opinions Editor ..................... Grady Short A&E Editor ............................ Sophie Poole Back Page Editor .................. Ellie Gottesman Online Editors ....................... Ellie Gottesman, Reid Martinez, and Maya Virdell Humor Editor ........................ Spencer Klein Cartoonist ............................. Teddy Fischer Business Manager .................. Jake D’Souza Adviser: Chris Twombley Staff Writers: Isabelle Arenson, Samantha Bender, Annika Bhananker, Benjamin Capuano, Brenna Class-Welch, Landon Cobbs, Katherine Francke, Joy Francke, Claire Korthius-Smith, Henry LeMaster, Cordelia Longo, Isabella Mancuso, Walt McKelvie, Nikhil Nayar, Dylan Notturno, Asher O’Briant, Isabella Pangallo, Annie Poole, Baran Fotouhiyeh Pour, Ethan Preston, Vishnu Raghavan, Liliana Szafir, Roni Talby, Lauren Umbehocker and Hannah Whobrey.

SOCIAL MEDIA follow us @themihsislander Photos in this issue by Annie and Sophie Poole. Special thanks to: Ava Blanchette, Estey Chen, Emi Olson, Sam Whitney, and the Yearbook staff.

Volume VII, Edition 7

2018

To The Class of

A class full of memories and lessons. A letter from Noonie McCann, ASB President.

D

o you guys remember the feeling of being freshmen? We walked into our new, gigantic school, dodging scary seniors and fumbling through the halls with our class schedule as our screensaver. All y’all in Sayers made it sound like the hardest thing you would ever have to endure. Despite not having frozen lemonade cups, we thought school food was a delicacy. We happily stood at the back of the student section at games, feeling proud to even be there with upperclassmen.

We stormed the field when lacrosse won state with overwhelming excitement to be Islanders. High school was fresh, and we couldn’t wait to experience it all… graduation felt like a lifetime away.

Now here we are, with four years of sleepless education under our belts. As much as we’ve all groaned about the monotonous lectures and sometimes seemingly pointless rules, I think I can speak for us all when I say that this feels surreal. As seniors, we swerved into C-Lot at 7:59 a.m., cut each other off to get out at 3:01 p.m., skipped the maximum number of classes to still be eligible for graduation, and told ourselves that we would do anything to just

be done with high school. So why are we so sad now that this is actually happening?

We’re probably nostalgic because of the way this island works. Although it was frustrating at times to be stuck in the Mom Mafia’s bubble, MI gave us a unique setting to grow up in. We’ve literally been through it all together.

Track meets in elementary school, when Lakeridge consistently sniped that To the participation award. 2018 The nauseat- family that ing stench of Mercer Axe in middle Island school dances, High a.k.a Carson School Coe’s peak. shaped: Our very first we frickin’ Homecoming, did it. and the awkward silence while we let the photographer place us hand-in-hand with our dates. And now, graduation.

I feel so lucky to have grown up with such a fun-loving, compassionate, and driven group of people. We met as children, struggled through awkward years together, and shaped each other into the young adults we are today.

We may not ever be together in the same way again, but the mark MIHS left will always stay with us. Good luck to you all on your upcoming adventures! Your future classmates are lucky.

Class of 2018, it has been an honor. Thank you for everything, and go MI!

Senior Wills

JACKIE AIRUT-MURPHY

I, Jackie Airut-Murphy, of sugary mind and jammy body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Maren Moll, my Sour Patch Kid stash & my killer lax skills; to Polly, Chloe & Ellie, the universal name of Squirt; to The T, Jo’s Gatorade; to Nordy, a boatload of maroon and white; and to the Goat, my spirit, spunk & spice.

MAEVE AKINS

I, Maeve Akins of freshman mind and orange body, do hereby bequeath my (appropriate) love for underclassmen boys to Julia Nordstrom, my sick lacrosse abilities to Scotty Rowe, and my heart to Rory Shanks.

KARI ANDERSON

I, Kari Anderson, of learned mind and partially sound body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Annelise Rorem, I leave a pair of snazzy music suspenders, may you wear them with pride as you dazzle the band with your spirit; to Disha Shah, I leave my senior band headband, as a senior did for me my freshman year to Philip Zhang, I leave a variety of MIHS spirit gear and an alarm clock in the hopes that it will help you wake up more easily; and to Brandon Hill, I leave my silver Acme Thunderer with a black nylon cord, may your yells be filled with passion and may your night tosses never fly off course.

JONAH ANDREWS

I, Jonah Andrews, of passionate mind and body, do hereby bequeath my love to Gretchen Blohm and Julia Nordstrom.

LEWIS BACK

I, Lewis Back, do hereby bequeath the drumstick drumsticks to Camilla Gaugush.

KYLE BAILEY

I, Kyle Bailey, of elevated mind and toned body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Colin Ralston, I give the full property of lane six. Please take care of it and keep the black magic to a minimum.

SAMI BENDER

I, Sami Bender, of hype mind and sparkly body, hereby bequeath all my love to Sean Coté, you have my heart; to Maren Moll, remember there’s no such thing as too much maroon!

DANA BEREJKA

I, Dana Berejka, of anxious mind and tired body, hereby bestow upon Lillian Gile and Scott McLellan the entirety of my spirit wear and the goal to attend every game, no matter how late you are running; my inability to announce Pasta Mondays without everyone cringing and the struggle that is pronouncing the easiest of words on announcements to Caroline Young; my extremely advanced ceramics skills and all the Neosporin in the world I pass down onto my sweet, precious, innocent son, Henry Weiker; to James Watson, I give you my love for food and adventures, but with that comes my busy schedule which forever inhibits making plans with friends; my athleticism in the sport of softball, and only softball, I give to Elena Briggs and Lily Ricci: Remember winning is not everything, it’s the only thing.

CARLY BERNSTEIN

KATIE BRODSKY

GRACE BETHARDS

SHELBY BURR

AVA BLANCHETTE

ESTEY CHEN

I, Carly Nicole Bernstein, of quiet mind and pale body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Talia Morris, Taleah Levin, Sarah Salisbury, Caroline Young, and Beatrice Lee, the strength and leadership it takes to be dance team captain. I also leave with them my patience to deal with the junior age group and my amazing superpower to get into college. I also leave to all of my BBYO freshmen, Alyssa Agoado, and Liat Pearlman, the spirit it takes to lead the chillest region in the order.

I, Grace Bethards, of scattered mind and broken body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Kevin Chen, my impeccable poaching abilities; to Sarah Clark, the MIGT blanket to care for and keep warm; and to the rest of the girls tennis team, all my notecards containing my goals.

I, Ava Blanchette, of sustainable mind and granola-filled body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ellie Sulla, myself as a third-party texting/ calling resource for when senior year gets hard. Also, as much boba as you can stomach. You’ll need some sweetness to balance out your salt. To Talia Morris, the large responsibility of helping our big sister with her Instagram captions. I will not have enough time. To Grace Gottesman, my face-painting kit and the assurance that everything will turn out alright. Enjoy your last year here, little ones. Don’t take yourselves too seriously and be kind whenever you get the chance!

I, Katie Brodsky, of serene mind and robust body do hereby bequeath the following: To Emma Brodsky, I cautiously loan you the car while I am gone — lord help me; to Ellie Sulla, I pass on another decade of friendship and homemade Ke$ha music videos; to Maggie Baker, unlimited passes to visit @gretathegremlin; to Alex Benson, the ability to regain reckless speed and to resurrect Clise; to Lily Gile, my open street parking project that WILL be completed; and lastly, to the MI glax team, the capability to win a state championship title <3

I, Shelby Burr, of strategic mind, do hereby bequeath the following: To Nolwenn Dumont, my savvy math skills and love for school; to Abby Fahey, my purple whistle and astonishing tennis commitment; to Robin Henry, my spirited clothes and love for sunsets; lastly, to my fellow DECA friends, I give you my international DECA pins and fashionable blazer.

I, Estey Chen, of aggressive mind and hydrated body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Grace “Gayce” Gottesman, my title as funniest person on MIGG and nickname wizard, may you keep Timothy Subaru Okamura wide awake on van rides; to Katelyn Travis, my van seat so you can take pictures of Subaru napping to your heart’s content; to Annelise Rorem, the incredibly heavy burden of keeping MIGG hydrated — my repertoire of hydration related tunes is not included; to Cameron Lee, Brian Park, Grace Zhang, and the rest of the 2018 AP Chinese class, the responsibility of taking care of Leonard, Lord knows he needs your help! Lastly, to Oliver Schaaf, a sock. Put a sock in it.

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Senior Wills

NICOLE CHEN

I, Nicole Chen, of tired mind and even more tired body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Cameron Lee, I give you the clarinet section (good luck); to Natalie Chen, I give you my room and the car; to Mattie Lee and Natalie, I give you the heap of clothes and practice AP test books I leave behind; and to Cole Mai, I give you all the food in my fridge.

LANDON COBBS

I, Landon Cobbs, of ADD mind and ecofriendly body do hereby bequeath the following: To Ford Cobbs, I leave you my room (SIKE), my car (double SIKE), and the best of luck in your last couple years of high school; and to Nolwenn, I leave you my MI spirit as you take on senior year!

BRETT COTTINGHAM

I, Brett Cottingham, of no mind and sick body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Tyler Shanahan, my quarter eaten McDonald’s Teriyaki Burger; to Connor Millison, that Mountain Dew I owe you; and to Leo Lollie, my Air Pods. Actually you guys can have my fridge; it doesn’t work anymore, the lightbulb is broken.

ALI DICKSTEIN

I, Ali Dickstein, of sensuous mind and intelligent body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Elyse, I leave my ability to arrive exactly on time. See you at 6:17 am sista; to Lauren, Talia, and Ellie, I leave half a jar of gold glitter and my prayers; to Evan Dickstein, I leave the house — now you can get a dog; and finally, to Renzin Grady Yuthok Short, I leave nothing.

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AIDAN DOBSON

I, Aidan Russell Dobson, of subjective mind and objective body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Steven Perzia, all of my luck and best wishes for the years to come, don’t let them pass you by; to the TRIBE, my veteran authority and expert pulls; and to Lily Gile, my Pokémon card collection, let it guide you through all your hardships and battles.

BRADEN DUEA

I, Braden Duea, of chill mind and thicc body, do hereby bequeath the leather of the frattiest boat shoes to Ty Robinson, Josh Chansky, Ben Dunbar, and Stew Vassau so that their legacy will continue to be even sicker, as well as giving Slater Duea the management role of the prestigious Spooky Clan and hope you carry the responsibility of recruiting new members and growing the name.

ETHAN EASON

I, Ethan Eason, leave 27 dollars to Mathilda Noone, a PUBG win to Tom Yang, Noble’s dust pan brush to Chris Elliot, and Coup to Will Lee.

BINALI EDMONDS I, Binali Edmonds, of overthinking/ social media-obsessed mind and mediocre body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Anna Sham, the responsibility of being my concert buddy for when Harry Styles and Martin Garrix come to town, the strength to get through senior year and get into a Dutch college of your choice, our shared enthusiasm for

photography and YouTube, rare vine references and memes, and all of our inside jokes!!; to Bridget (Brigida) Navarro, my unmatched enthusiasm for your Spanish name. Brigida…

Brigida…Brigida!; and finally, to Lindsay Shi, Mary Vanderwall, Sarah Gest, and Yve Sharples, the future of Green Team. Good luck to everyone else, see ya later MI, and follow @binali.edmonds on IG!

COLIN GERSCH

I, Colin Gersch, of weird mind and hugging body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Rani Woerner my infinite hugs and my incredible math skills; to my son Justin Lesko, I give my love, jokes and ability to make athletic plays despite being unathletic; to Hannah Hardisty, I give my sweet running skillz; and to the sophomore boys who run cross country, I give you my ability to mess around without actually getting in trouble; finally, I give my luck to MIHS — y’all are gonna need it.

JOSHUA GLANT

I, Joshua Glant, of creative prowess and mental agility, do hereby bequeath the following: An appreciation of birds and nature to the entire MIHS student body. Please keep my legacy in flight!

JULIA GRAHAM

I, Julia Graham, of jazzy mind and moonwalking body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Spencer Klein, I give you the “Feeling Horn-y” shirt and false feeling of rebellion that accompanies it; to Grady and Walter, I give you the copy of “The Room” that Walt already owns.

TESSA GUERRA

I, Tessa Guerra, of Din Tai Fungaddicted mind and eternally crippled body, hereby bequeath the following: To Walker Guerra, the daunting downstairs and the jamming Jeep, use them wisely — please take care of Robin and Coach Ron, they will be lost without me; to Will Wheeler, my hand in marriage; to Julia Nordstrom, keep flapping your wings, and to Ellie Sulla, keep on shimmying and growling. Both of you need to continue the percentage, remember what season it is, and learn how to score on and off the field. All my love, Fetus.

SOPHIE HANKES

I, Sophie Hankes, of caffeinated mind and strong heart, do hereby bequeath the following: To Katie Parkinson, I pass down the title of “Empowered Woman” of all of Drama, hold this close to your heart this upcoming year — especially in Ashland and during cast parties; and to Daniel Hankes, I pass down our car, Helen. Treat her with love and respect.

OLIVIA HARRINGTON

I, Olivia Harrington, of eccentric mind and Puerto Rican body do hereby bequeath the following: To Talia Morris, I give my jetpack, the title of dance team captain, and the freedom to do whatever you want on Wednesday nights from now on; to Kendall Orth, an unlimited supply of ramen and chocolate covered strawberries; to Jacob Moore and Luke Johnson, a watch so that you’ll always know when it’s business time; to Sean Coté, my love and affection, you are my one and only; and finally, to Abby Berman, I leave my velvet leggings, scrunchie collection, and endless glitter.

Senior Wills

JACK HASSALL

I, Jack Hassall, of sleep-deprived mind and funky fresh body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ana Somani, the homemade Jazz 3 bowling trophy so she never forgets to recognize her achievements; to Spencer Klein, my “ya like jazz” shirt to remind him of what true comedy looks like; and to Rani Woerner and David Wei, my grade in Calculus so they always remember things could be worse.

REIS KISSEL

I, Reis Kissel, of wiggled mind and diesel-fueled body, do hereby bequeath the following to Moisty Mire: Wimfred.

PARKER KITTILSBY

I, Parker Kittilsby, do hereby bequeath my MI spirit gear to Annalise Rorem, Alex Castleman, Mathis Destouches and Lucy Sumner. Next, I give a maroon trumpet to Naomi Hughes; to the incoming senior baseball players, the new code to the batting cage when my mom inevitably changes it again; to Jacob Poling, a back of mint gum. Lastly, my collection of decorative wrist-wear to Josh Chansky.

BRINKLEY HOLSHOUSER

I, Brinkley Holshouser, of semi-sane mind and poorly postured body, do thusforth donate the following: To my photography ladies, my enviable procrastination skillz, something that may be unlocked upon their induction into senior year; to Alex Williams and Emily Kovarik, my love, adoration, and whatever is left of my optimism; and to my siblings, Avery and Clayton, the spare room, an extra car, my APUSH notes, and all the support I can muster. Peace out.

JONATHAN JAMES

I, JJ, of deliberate antagonism and thick body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ford Cobbs and Donnie Howard, I give my endless support in lasting the tenure; to Danny Scalzo and James Cotton I give my immortal building powers and godlike acumen.

RACHEL LABRIE

I, Rachel LaBrie, pass down my green apron to Emily Rowe, to run the South Mercer Starbucks. I wish you the best of luck dealing with middle schoolers and angry customers! I also pass down my overalls and hammer to my daughter Elena Briggs, build many more houses!

COLTON LAKE

I, Colton Lake, of adequate mind and meh body, bequeath the following: To Gian, my high fives, as I inherited them as a freshman, may they serve you well; to throwers, may you inherit Swanson propaganda; to Mock Trial, may you receive the sense of justice from YMCA and Phoenix Wright. Also, a gavel. To all Islanders, I wish a good night and good luck.

SOPHIE KELLY-HEDRICK

I, Sophie Kelly-Hedrick, of distracted mind and over-caffeinated body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Megan Vandersanden, the title of Drama Mama, may you always be prepared and guide them well; to Damien Snyder, the title of Quad, relish in your power; to Caroline Atkinson and Josh Tanzer, all of my TEXT memories, they must remain in the past; and to Avery Holshouser, a broken bottle of grape juice and a little danger, have fun.

GABRIEL LAM

JOCIE THOMSON

I, Gabriel Lam of noble mind and transient body, cannot leave anyone with anything meaningful. To live is to suffer. Nothing I leave you with can change that.

Jocipheen, you are my light, you are my life, and I don’t know what I am going to do without you these next four years.

From team number one in math class to our many food adventures, you have always been there for me. You are an amazing, beautiful human and I know you are going to go very far in life. Don’t be anxious because you are so much stronger than you will ever know. I look up to you and strive to be like you every day.

I cannot wait for our FaceTimes from inside crammed dorm rooms and all your rambling stories that never cease to put a smile on my face.

–Don

CAROLINE LAMBRIGHT

I, Caroline Lambright, of multitasking mind and chocolate cake-filled body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Matt Lambright, the Acura keys. Take good care of her and please don’t change seat setting 2; to James Watson, OJ’s orange speaker. May you teach your next team to sing and dance just as aggressively as we did; to Scotty Rowe, my whole heart.

Don’t forget about our deal ;)

MARK LAMIN

I, Mark Lamin, of empyrean mind and pulchritudinous body, do hereby bequeath the spirit of the MIHS male flutists to Alexander Rosenbaum. May it guide you during your many journeys in the flute section.

PHOEBE LARSON

I, Phoebe Larson, of spirited mind and smooth body, do hereby bequeath the following: The ultimate pair of handpainted MI shoes, to the spirit queen herself, Jazz; the coveted Jung Ho-seok poster to the kpop expert, Alex Williams; the complete collection of friendship bracelet string to Lillian Gile; the utmost speed and agility when driving to pancakes goes to Brooke Comstock; all of my love and affection to the Alto Saxophone marching section (do me proud in Pasadena baltos); a lifetime supply of really good grapes to the communal lunch crew, keep Chloe in check for me; and a year’s worth of Red Robin late-night philosophy talks to Cara Starnes, enough until I get back :)

TOMMY LATKOWSKI

I, Tommy Latkowski of intellectual mind and acceptable body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Hannah Guagush, a single MI Trumpet bell cover (because I only have one); and to Ashley Weiss, the trumpet reindeer things.

GABE MUZIO

Thanks for helping me survive AP Physics, you made Noble proud. More importantly, thanks for being a good friend, being there for me when I needed your help, and giving me irreplaceable advice. I’m immensely grateful for getting to know you this year and I can’t wait to see the incredible things you accomplish in your future. Make sure you recognize me in your speech when you win the Nobel Prize or call me when you need to be bailed out of jail. I love you with all my heart!

–Tessa Guerra

–Chloe Michaels

BIANCA LE

I, Bianca Le, the QUEEN OF BADMINTON COURTS, bequeath my captain position to Sarah Gest and Valery Chen. May my luck and badminton legacy follow you through your next season and beyond; to the rest of my Badminton Team I leave the hope you continue to play and stay the tight family that I love so much; and to Kelly I leave my badminton team, be nice to the new captains...

HENRY LEMASTER

I, Henry LeMaster, of relaxed mind and surgerized lower body, do hereby bequeath the Yukon to Joseph, minus the handicap pass. Also always remember to wear the proper shoe so you can have a healthy knee your senior year.

BRANDON LOU

I, Brandon Lou, of mediocre mind and lucious body, do hereby bequeath the following: my Mercer Island Adrenaline Sweatshirt goes to Henry Weiker...seriously come get it; my snapping skills I give to Kyle Stokes, since he definitely will need it next year; my blocking technique for the offensive line I bequeath to Derek Osman, who will also need it next year; my social skills I bequeath to Bryce Fitzwilson; and finally, I bequeath my less than perfect leadership to Benjamin Roe and Eli Yen, you two will need it for track!

LINDSEY LOVSTED

I, Lindsey Lovsted of zesty mind and pure body, do hereby bequeath the following: my disposable camera(s) to Quinn Casey and Ethan Ralston; my collection of Washington DECA pins to Connor Grady; and to Stirling Yeadon, my loud cheering at games.

MARK LAMIN You are the sweetest person ever and we want you to know that everyone around you appreciates you, even if they don’t always show it.

You brighten everyone’s day and you remind us that there are still wonderful people in this world. Please never change.

-Your biggest fans

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SARAH CRUMRINE Real talk advice you won’t hear elsewhere: 1. Put your phone in black and white to limit distraction.

2. Stock a snack locker with instant oatmeal, tea, mugs, and reusable utensils so you don’t have to stand in the lunch line.

3. Get a major haircut halfway through high school—go for a big style change.

4. Don’t be afraid to ride your bike to school (the downhill ride home is amazing).

5. Join a club and host a drive or fundraiser; give back to the community.

6. And last but not least, have dance parties with your friends, anytime, anywhere, especially during junior year.

JACK HASSALL

There is never a time in your life where the correct answer to your internal debate is to stay up later to finish the work. Sleep, sleep, sleep. The less sleep you get, the worse quality your work and day will be, and you might as well not have stayed up if you were just gonna produce poor quality work. Just go to sleep when you’re tired please.

TESSA GUERRA

For current and future MI students: Remember to take every opportunity you can at MIHS. Wear maroon and white every Friday, do your homework, study for tests, create relationships with your teachers and classmates, go to the assemblies, and go to games! You will never get this opportunity again and you won’t realize how valuable it is until you’re graduating. In college, you often have TAs and grad students teaching you with little access to professors — you’re not likely to have the special relationships with teachers we have here.

Most of you won’t have a football team the whole community comes out to cheer for. Student-led (and staff supported) marches may happen, but they won’t be as personal as the ones we’ve had this year because it won’t be as intimate a community. MIHS wants only the best for you - you can have incredible experiences if you take advantage of this place we call home. Class of 2021 (my brother’s class), slow down! You’ll be adults soon enough — learn to enjoy being kids! Finally, don’t waste your time on toxic people. Find friends who care about helping others and will be there for you through anything. It will make leaving that much harder but the memories you create now will nourish you on difficult days later. See ya later, MI!

SARAH PICKLES

It’s time to get rid of your mental, emotional garbage. No one wants to hear it. It stinks. When you scream, “Ahhhh I’m going to fail this test” or “I’m not going to get into college,” you are not doing yourself any justice. You are only hindering your own ability to do your personal best.

You must trade your negative words for positive ones. You must be the cockiest person you know in your head. Because if you trust yourself and tell yourself, “I’m going to ace this test” and “I am a wizard at math,” you will eventually accomplish those things. So remember: You become what you think—think good words.

EMILY KIM

To the current students of MIHS, I advise you to laugh a little more, stress a little less, and nap more than you think you need to. Seriously, the nap part helps. No matter how close you are to the college application process, remember to live for yourself — not a college. We all end up going where we’re meant to go, and sometimes that isn’t even a college campus. Find activities that you enjoy, friends who you can FaceTime in a crisis, and actually call them when you need help. If there’s something you want to happen, then make it happen. And don’t be afraid to try something new, even if other people might not think it’s “cool.” Some of the greatest experiences that I’ve had in high school were those that I never expected to be part of.

High school may seem like it lasts forever now, but it’ll be over before you know it; I hope you enjoy your time in high school, because believe it or not, I’ve enjoyed mine, so it’s possible.

Photos by Annie and Sophie Poole; sunset photo courtesy Estey Chen. Photos edited by Annie Poole.

COLIN GERSCH I have become an entirely different person. Coming into high school I was completely entirely alone. I would walk through the halls alone, knowing no one but my older sister, who would rather pretend that I was a stranger than risk her social status by acknowledging her younger brother’s existence. I am probably singlehandedly the reason they removed the App Store from the iPads because of how much I played games in Honors Geometry with Mr. Weed. I spent the year moping instead of studying and by the end of the year, my grades reflected that. However, that is not the end of this sad soap opera story. I decided that I had to change for myself and the person that I wanted to be. I committed myself to studying, to playing less games and paying more attention, and to finding something that I could believe in. For me that was cross country. That team became my family and my best friends, and it also became my salvation. Sophomore year singlehandedly changed my life’s course as I devoted myself to be a better student, a better friend and a better person. I am so thankful for what I have gained, and the people that have supported me along the way. If I could only give one last message it would be this: Don’t give in, don’t give up, hold on to every person and every moment like you will never see it again. Go out and become the person you want to write about.

ESTEY CHEN Dance with your friends and watch a sunset at least once a week. Especially during junior year! It’s easy to feel like you don’t have time to slow down and smell the roses while you’re cramming for APUSH or the ACT but it’s the sunsets with friends that you’ll remember most. Oh, and be sure to stay at least twenty minutes past sunset to see the sky really light up with color. It’s a rookie mistake to leave as soon as the sun sets.

reflections

. . .

[more on mihsislander.org]

MIHS College Map 2018

W A S H I N G T O N University of Washington

Sami Bender Henry LeMaster Jocie Thomson Audrey Sun Sam Peckham Alex Platou Bella Knowles Jackie Airut-Murphy Owen Kovarik Arwa Mokdad Estey Chen Jeffrey Leung Lindsey Lovsted Jenny Dao Sarah Crumrine Brandon Lou Claire Mansfield Hannah Mills Alicia Chen Lewis Back Kate Wheeler Joshua Glant Kyle Yu Jacob Glant Emil Talerman Joy Guo Jeffery Tian Carson Coe Travis Stednick Zachary Arenson Jack Shanafelt Christoph Christian Nicoll Schmidt-Warnecke Jack Hassall Jessica Tischler University of Gabriel Lam Michael Sanchez Washington Ben Hauge Bothell Will Lee Genesis Salazar Laurence Monson Nathan Destouches Gonzaga Hunter Bauman University Andrea Lu Michael Sam Whitney Gearhart Eli Grosman Ena Wang Caroline Faucher

Griffin Emanuels

Alex Shanks

University of Puget Sound Robert Weaver

Pacific Lutheran Eastern University Washington Tess Ritcey Washington State University Jane Moattar University Will St. Mary Seattle Pacific Oliver Lee Mae Beuthel University Carson Sandwith Vanessa Radke Ann-Sofie Frichot-Skog Natalia Amirfaiz Olivia Kane Truman Keith Sammy Vacca Oliver Dowdell Jack Bay Haley Crowther Kate Hendrickson Matteo Corneto Haley Hendrick Ryan Moline

Jacob Wong Rachel LaBrie

Whitman College

Emi Olson

University of Oregon Isaac Yen Allison Myers

University of Portland

Anthony Reyes Sophie Feldman Tess Hendelman Aidan Dobson Sophie Hankes Leah Wootton Jack Salisbury Noonie McCann

Loyola Marymount University

Sophia Tiscornia Alice MacCormack Hannah Stewart Binali Edmonds

Cal Poly, SLO

Carter Melick Carter Selman Maeve Akins Lauren Ralph Clayton Elwell Zachary Friedlander Miles Alderman Carter Selman Jessica Ramseyer Olivia Harrington Claire Underwood Jillian Quinn Ava Rosenberg Annie Ritcey

Azusa Pacific University Spencer Luce

Megan Empey Nathan Hillard Alex Mueller

Kendall Riley

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Colton Lake

Kathryn Ristuben

Kenneth Wang Sarah Pickles

Loyola University of University Illinois, U-C Chicago

Chadron State Creighton College University Aksel Turk Jaeden Pritchard

Param Mehta

MICHIGAN

Maverick Emerson

Louise Morton

DePaul University

University of Chicago

Hari Chitturi

University of Michigan

Will Hamilton Kari Anderson Caroline Lambright Sophie Finch

Emilly Kim

California Institute of Technology Ethan Eason

Christian Anderson

Biola University Natalie Jewett

Harvey Mudd College Elakshi Shah

Pepperdine University

Anabel Marshall

University of San Diego Blake Sharpe Katie McCormick

University of California, Berkeley Miti Parkih

2

Hawaii

1

1 UTAH Westminster College

3 8

6 2

4

McKenna Wangen Griffin Akahori Claire Korthius-Smith

Katie Brodsky Zachary El-Ghazzawy Taylor Winnie Cole Hendrickson

ARIZONA

Lisa Roche: working at wildlife sanctuary in Namibia Phoebe Larson: working as an au-pair in France and

then attending Tulane University in the Class of 2023 Naomi Mechem Miller: Attending a cosmetology school to study makeup artistry, specifically special- effects makeup, and then I will attend Sarah Lawrence College.

2

Texas Southern Christian Methodist University University Braden Duea Garrett Poore

Reid Martinez

TEXAS

Oliver Hoff

Benedictine College Bernadette Flynn

KANSAS

p l a n s . . . .

Military Service

Working

Laurence Tomura: Working and developing art and comics.

Transition Program Jeffrey Pimentel

Austin Clerget: US Army Combat Medic Makenna Stevenson: US Navy Yi Hsu: Taiwanese Military Service Lehee Friedman: IDF Service

Shelby Burr

Purdue University Alexis Agoado Nathan Sprague Nathaniel Shenk Charlie Jansen Gabriel Muzio Justin Ho Vinny Ricci David Hicks

INDIANA

Hult International Business School

Boston College

University of MassachusettsBoston

Will Sham

Jorge Cervantes

Alec Moore

Keelan Allahyar

New Hampshire

Kendra Watson

Dartmouth College

Barnard College of Columbia University

12

6

Case Western 1 Reserve University Nicole Chen ohio

Alison Dickstein Zack Gottesman

2

connecticut

Wesleyan University

10 1

Sam Bailey

Villanova University University of Carnegie Mellon Holly Hubbard University Pennsylvania Drexel University

Kayla Lee

Refael Tucker p e n n s y l v a n i a Andrew Hanson

1

1

George Washington University Anna Moscovici

WASHINGTON DC

Mithril Hugunin Annika Evens

Maryland

United States Naval Academy Mary Rose Vu

University of Louisville Joelle Arcuino

kentucky GEORGIA Georgia Institute of Technology

2

1

Lycia Tran Karen Kodera

Louisiana

University of Kansas

Northeastern University

Fiona Smith

Madelyn Korn Annie Rosenstein

Indiana University Bloomington

Katy Spencer

University of Rochester

1

Tulane University

Seton Hall University

Adara Hamilton

Sophie Kelly-Hedrick

2

University of Arizona

Arizona State University

New York University

5 8

New jersey

Elan Ma Grayce Millard

Jasmine Zou Sophie Poole

1 University of Kylie Sampson

Gap Year

2

Aria Stark

wisconsIn

Wisconsin Madison

o t h e r

Amelia Ashton

2

4

Michigan State University

Parsons School of Design

Zoe Sheill

Wheaton College Smith College

Kelly Behrbaum Jon Ho

Northwestern I L L i n o i s

NEBRASKA

Colorado State University

Ella Warburg

Cornell University

7

Sophia Stribling

Pomona College San Diego Katherine Gelsey State Claremont McKenna College University Monica Wilson Tessa Guerra

Angel Hao Derrick Hicks Mitchell Woolston

Lisa Pitsch

Matthew McBurney

University of San Francisco

University of University of California, Davis California, Eugene Keehan San Diego Augusta Norman University of Valentina Muti California, Occidental Los Angeles College Miles Wu Colin Gersch Dana Berejka Tommy Latkowski Ava Blanchette

Ella Solberg Austin Shobe Jonathan James Max Thilen

Cole Galando

Adam Edenkrans

University of Nevada, Reno

Oregon State University

Parker Kittilsby Sam Castellanos

University of Idaho

University of Denver

Montana State University

Nevada

Sam Scull

Santa Clara University

Kaleb John-Lewis

University of Colorado Boulder

1

8

Grace Bethards

Angie Osman Ana Ko Glass

Boise State University

Adelphi University

Macalester Carleton College College Xavier Xiong Paige Robertson St. Olaf College

COLORADO

Patrick Hanson Reis Kissel

Montana

Tristin Rambaldini

Greg Fuchs John Garrison

idaho

Laurel Peterson

111

Central Washington University

University of California, Santa Barbara

Flynn Williamson Kate Panza H Kyra Syrrist Tynan McGee Gia Seese Eva Halsne Aron Van Vliet Mark Lamin Ryland Shannon

Hofstra University Vassar College

MINNesota

Nikhil Nayar

Reed College

University of Hawaii at Manoa Brynn Strother Beth Meyers

Brett Cottingham Seattle Giovanni Cervantes-Rocha University Jamling Sherpa Grant Callahan Vi Le Malorie Ulrich Isis Fu Donald Hildebrandt Ella Maksimchuk Carmen Wright The Evergreen Kyle Bailey Matt Boissoneault State College Alexis Flood Kylie Teng

Whitworth College

Otis College of Pitzer College Art and Design Alison Cary Ethan Lee Chapman Point Loma University Nazarene Daniel Kavesh Will Pawlosky University University of Southern California

Olivia Morris

Chloe Michaels

CALIFORNIA

Jonah Andrews Maddie Rowe

Gene Juarez Lake Washington Western Academy Technical College Washington Bianca Le Cara Schiffgens-Milnes University Northwest Bellevue Braden McGee University College Cameron Warnick

OREGON

Lewis and Clark College

Cole Comstock

Brian Smoots Jessie Stenberg

Massachussetts Worcester Tufts University Julia Graham Polytechnic Massachusetts Institute Avery Smith Institute of Wellesley College Technology

New YORK

University Sewanee: University of the South of Landon Cobbs Alabama Vanderbilt University Caroline Harkins

Carly Bernstein

alabama

Tennessee

1 Florida State University Shelby Shepherd

FLORIDA

Australia

Canada

Aaron Tomaselli

Zoe Staples

Monash University

McGill University

University of Sydney

York University

Karolina Noren

Zahra Sow

Scotland

University of Victoria Lulu MacKinnon

Brinkley Holshouser

Sean Ngu

Spain

England

The University of Edinburgh University of Toronto University of Nebrija Gaby Gonzalez-Posada

Royal Academy of Music Ryan Char

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i n t e r n a t i o n a l

Senior Wills

LULU MACKINNON

I, Lulu MacKinnon of empty mind and sequined body, do hereby bequeath the following: The ability to annoy literally anyone to Olivia; and my table in the commons to Aazaad.

CLAIRE MANSFIELD

I, Claire Mansfield, of a dancer’s mind and pale body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Emily Rowe, I leave “your” sweatshirt and pasta salad, you’re welcome; to Abby Berman and Abby Fahey, I leave the tennis cheer —please change it, I know you’ll do the right thing; to the basketball team, I leave the aux cord, but don’t let Sarah take it; and finally to Avery Conder, I give you the musical.ly skills, make me proud.

NOONIE MCCANN

I, Noonie McCann, of sophomoric mind and recently-bathed body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Camdon, Cruz, and Joe, the ovaries that I made out of pipe cleaners, may you never forget what we learned in Image; to Jon and Amanda, the secret ASB treasure chest… 42.3770° N, 71.1167° W; to one of the following three girls — Ellie, Talia, and Lauren — the legacy of “fake drill captain,” can’t wait to see which one it is; and to Matt Lambright and Noah Hendelman, literally my entire

10

TYNAN MCGEE

I, Tynan McGee, of musical mind and apathetic body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Hannah Kris, the title of supreme leader among the wind ensemble trombones (one which I never really wanted in the first place); to Max Jantos, leadership of $a$$y Bra$$y; to Jack Price, my unreasonably large collection of funny hats; and to Brandon Hill, the responsibility to yell “OLLLDDDD” at Bixby every time he makes a dated reference. Good luck next year, I love y’all.

CHLOE MICHAELS

I, Chloe Michaels, of happy mind and tall body, do hereby bequeath the following: Parties in the Prius, an endless supply of Nutella crepes, and long FaceTime calls to Maya Virdell; long runs with deep talks, snuggle sessions with dogs, and lots of Canadian candy to Taylor Libman; huge sweaty post-run hugs, Free the Children Club, and my admiration and love for her amazing braiding skills to Rani Woerner; amazing trampoline sessions, muddy legs from the goat run, and my gratitude and love for always pushing me and inspiring me to Maggie Baker; my love, admiration, and gratitude to the beautiful Hailey Vandenbosch who always makes me smile and gives the best hugs; my admiration for how they always smile while running, my love for their beautiful friendship, and all the best wishes for the future to Hannah

Hardisty and Hannah Whobrey; a healthy, happy, strong body and lots of hugs to Joyce Zhang; love and best wishes to all my cross country and track buddies, thank you all so much for being so kind, motivating, and somehow making me smile even during the hardest workouts; to MIHS and its amazing teachers, thank you so much for providing me with a safe space in which to learn and grow for the past four years, it has been unforgettable!

ANNA MOSCOVICI

I, Anna Moscovici, of curly mind and fun-sized body, hereby bequeath the following: To Abby Berman, all the DIY denim spirit gear and fun glasses in the world, as well as my Sano reward points; to Emily Arron, access to my closet and all my plaid skirts; to Peter Empey, infinite love and support for the rest of your life; and to Taylor Richards, as many long distance phone calls as necessary.

MACY MOUNGER

I, Macy Mounger, of suggestive mind and olive-hued body do hereby bequeath the following: To Robin Henry, my maroon and white wardrobe; to my dear obsession and black team baby Kate Myklebust, the tall blonde legacy — stay on stilts; and to Duke Brotherton, my whole heart.

GABRIEL MUZIO

I, Gabriel Muzio, of dangerous mind and robotic body, hereby bequeath: To Alex White, the wisdom of the Great Dadbury; to Hayden Moll I leave the safety and prosperity of the Robotics club; to Zach Muzio I leave the Fire speaker for your enjoyment; and for Twombley’s next senior block class, I leave the Hamlet tag avoidance system.

KAROLINA NORÉN

I, Karolina Norén, of sassy mind and Swedish body do hereby bequeath the following: To Mackenzie Magnussen, I give you Maddie Dodds, to keep the look-alike and sassy sisterhood alive, feed her Sunday brunch once a month; to Maddie Dodds, I give you the sophomore and junior boys-make me proud; and to Donnie Howard, my eternal love.

AUGUSTA NORMAN

I, Augusta Norman, of boyish height and salty spirit do hereby bequeath the following: To Asher O’Briant, I pass down the title of Drama Wizard. The responsibilities you inherit are great, but I know you are the most equeer- *cough* equipped to handle them. It is up to you to keep the bonds of friendship strong in Drama and to be inclusive to all. My dearest friend, never forget what makes you special, because it is more than just your magic.

Senior Wills

MITI PARIKH

I, Miti Parikh, of sound mind and sleepdeprived body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Makenna Rojas, my MI gear, a new water bottle, and many, many Spotify playlists; to Emily Kovarik, a final boba run to celebrate the end of fifth off; to Andrew Motz, my pocket black hole idea that will surely change the world someday; to David Wei, one carabiner of your choice as well as a tall glass of water to quench your undying thirst; to Christina Petrie, my TI-Nspire so you make more calculated decisions; and to Rani Woerner, my college essays and old AP books, since you will inevitably ask for them, along with the highly coveted title of flute caboose. Make me proud.

WILL PAWLOSKY

I, MacGregor, of mega mind and “at least he’s funny” body do hereby bequeath the following: To Duke Brotherton, I leave my half of the MIHS Pitchers account; to Lukas Ayan i leave my booming voice; and to Muffy, I leave a rally lipski.

LAUREL PETERSON

I, Laurel Peterson, of milquetoast mind and jocose body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Peyton Rapo, the word of the day calendar.

May it ameliorate your parlance with many pretentious-sounding words, but be careful not to use them all in one sentence; to Jessica and Lea of Jazz 3, the many unused hours I could have spent practicing trumpet. Use them well, grow strong, and nail all your future auditions, level assessments, and Rose Parade performances.

SOPHIE POOLE

I, Sophie Poole, of philosophical mind and poetic body, do hereby bequeath the following: My retro style and Amy Winehouse records to Annie Poole – remember to always be yourself, keep dancing to Cardi B, and continue to build the Jacuzzi Sister empire; to everyone on the Editorial Board of the MIHS Islander next year, I leave the ability to argue about literally everything. Keep telling the stories that need to be told – especially if people disagree with you; and to Nico Galvin, I leave all my love.

VINCENT RICCI

I, Vincent Ricci, of absent mind and sleepy body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Kendall Carey, my many college sweatshirts; to Lily Ricci, my indecipherable hieroglyphs that I call notes; to Joel Feinstein, my fake Mormon ID; and finally, to Peyton Mitchell, the secret to the stake dance, may your assimilation be swift and immediate.

KATHRYN RISTUBEN

I, Kathryn Ristuben, of tired mind and tired body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Spencer Klein, the sectional attendance link, use it with responsibility as I did; to Sophia Ristuben have fun with the car, excited for you and the many rides you will give; to Garrett Leung, the shotgun seat in my car, so use your power against anyone who defies you; to Cameron Lee, a plethora of Animal Band t-shirts; to Philip Zhang, I bestow upon you the remains of my

LOUISE MORTON & MONICA WLSON You two are the most supportive, graceful, kind-hearted, elegant, charming and intelligent women I know. You each deserve so much recognition for your selflessness and your capacity to love and nurture. I am so glad to have grown closer to you over the past four years. I appreciate all the moments we spend together, and I think the time we’ve spent dancing together has strengthened our relationship beyond words. I have and will always look up to you both as my big sisters and I hope that you remember me for my ACHIEVEments.

-Sarah Crumrine

academic enthusiasm. May you get into the college of your choice; and to Lauren Nakatsu and Mira Tang, the beloved title of “fafsa wives,” please continue the legacy of strong independent crazy women who have come before you. Don’t let me down.

GENESIS SALAZAR

I, Genesis Salazar, do hereby bequeath the account @miwatergirls to Lizzie St. Mary.

JACK SALISBURY

ANNIE RITCEY

I, Jack Salisbury, of sharp mind and glowing body, leave Alex Pritchard a gallon of milk and a jar of protein powder so that he can one day bulk up his petite frame; to Jack Clayville, I bestow Bobby Burns’ 2010 Louisville highlight tape (ft. Randall Cobb) so that you can remain zoom focused on the field; to Alex Benson, I donate my maroon pants from the thrift store so that you don’t waste anymore money there; and lastly, to Sarah Salisbury, I leave you with Mom and Dad’s undivided attention. Good luck.

I, Annie Ritcey, bequeath the following: all my navigation skills to Mattie Lee and Erika Yuk, I hope you do not get lost in Seattle; to Laine Hooper, I give you a turkey sandwich from Subway; and to Chloe and Mari I leave you sparkles, melted coconut popsicles, cheesecake and a great senior year!

TESS RITCEY

I, Tess Ritcey, give Annika Jorgenson the strength to get through any class as great as 2nd period Bio and the iconic somersault in the gymnastic floor routine; to Piper O’Kane, I give you my pre-calc skills and a fabulous senior year! Live it up, have fun, and don’t forget to keep in touch; and lastly, to Chloe Mark and Mari Neilson, I give my unconditional love, an air mattress so you guys can come visit me often, and ton and tons of sparkles! Have the best senior year, and don’t take it too seriously!

MADDIE ROWE

MICHAEL SANCHEZ

I, Michael Sanchez, of squishy mind and tired body, do hearing bequeath all works and assignments completed during the last four years to the fiery depths, along with my sophomore asb card photo. I also give my resolve to not cut in the lunch line, whenever one can avoid it, to all the incoming juniors. Lastly, to all the students and staff a heartfelt thank you and a hearty, GO MI!

CARA SIM

I, Cara Sim, of broken mind and shattered body, do hereby bequeath the following advice; the truth of high school is that it is just one step of your life. You will love it at times, you will hate it at others. Realize that like everything else, this too shall pass. You will be free one day.

I, Maddie Rowe, of innocent mind and body do hereby bequeath the following: To Emily Rowe, I leave the Silver Surfer; and to Megan Clayville, I leave the entire Mercer Island softball team.

MARY ROSE VU

MRV you are one of the most loving, caring, and resilient people I know. You’ve been through hell, yet somehow, against all odds, you’ve kept your chin up.

Thank you for always being there for me, even when I’m testing the limits of our friendship and generally being a jerk. I will always be by your side, and I want you to know that when you’re at the top of the Herndon Monument, I’ll be cheering you on and wishing you the best. Go get ‘em and make us all proud.

-Aidan Dobson

ALI DICKSTEIN & JULIA GRAHAM

Ali and Julia: you’re my second and third-favorite people, in no particular order! (Everyone else is tied for first.) Thanks for being true homies and examples for us all; thanks for the ill-conceived food account and hyper-political discussions. Even though it might not seem like it all the time, you’ve both had a huge impact on me and I really appreciate your friendship.

-Anonymous

11

Thank You, Teachers!

Dear Ms. Stafford,

I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done to help me to become the person I am. When first starting American Literature, I’ll admit that I wasn’t very eager to read books and plays like “The Crucible.” However, my perspective on the class soon changed with an engaging reading of the literature and a teacher that was excited to teach new concepts. I gained a newfound interest in the subject which I feel has been even more influential in my high school career. I also bettered my skills as a leader which has let me find more confidence in myself. Your class greatly helped to shape my senior year. It was on your recommendation that I took English 12H and AP Comparative Government–two classes that have been a highDear Ms. Tapp, light of my final year at the high school. You have helped me I’d like to thank you for your immense amount of patience and so much to be an individual and to challenge myself in life.

You also allowed me to become a better writer and student. passion. Thank you for making all three classes in the past two Thank you for giving me a new interest and new skills. I am years some of the most impactful of my four years at this school.

Your advice and viewpoints have helped keep me sane in the super grateful to have had you as a teacher.

-Travis Stednick midst of intense and humorous high school drama. You never fail to act as a role model for not only me, but for all students inside and outside your classroom. I admire your ability to create such a welcoming and effective classroom atmosphere for everyone, and I know I will continue to idolize you after my years at this school.

–Karolina Norén

Dear Ms. Melgar,

Sophomore year, I decided to take singleton English with Ms. Melgar. It turned out to be a defining moment of my academic career. Ms. Melgar helped me take my writing to the next level, consider new ideas, and try out new techniques with my writing. Not only was the class challenging, but it was also the class that I looked forward to the most. At the end of the year, Ms. Melgar encouraged me to take Improv. Without hesitation I signed up. Going into the class, I was a bit nervous; I was worried about making a fool of myself in front of new people.

However, I learned that it is okay to be yourself all the time.

The students in my class became like a family. The end of semester performance was a success and some of the most fun I’ve had in this building. The encouragement of Ms. Melgar to push myself in new ways helped me enormously in choosing who I wanted to be and how I wanted to represent myself in this school.

–Aaron Tomaselli

12

Dear Mr. Noble,

Thank you for being the one teacher who influenced me the most throughout high school. The one prioritizer who cared more about me being a good person than answering a question correctly. The one believer who congratulated me when I got 52 percent on my final. The one meanie whose class I failed my first test in. The one listener who answered my redundant, clarifying, and often off-topic questions.

The one fun guy who threw frisbees and did that iconic foot shuffle to move smoothly with constant velocity. I’m still trying to master that one. Thank you for being the one wise man who dished out advice and life skills that I will keep close to me in my future. The one motivator who taught me that doing poorly, even with a 30 percent curve, was not the end of the world. The one realist whose “I’m not mad, just disappointed” resonated with me, and forced me to work harder.

The one role model who taught me that it’s important to be happy and follow your passions, whether it’s making pizza, sheep shearing, or listening to the Thursday night symphony. The one teaser with the best comebacks who coined “roast Miti” day. The one fashion icon who convinced me to buy overalls. The one philosopher who made me contemplate the nonexistent and consider new perspectives. I still don’t know what it would look like if light diffracted around corners like sound, but I have spent too much time thinking about it. Thank you for being the one reason I stuck with physics. The one humble man whose many accomplishments and sheer amount of knowledge never fail to impress me. The one friend who I am grateful has shaped me into the person I am today. Your class was precious to me in its own way. Thank you for three perfect years.

–Miti Parikh

Senior Wills

WILLIAM SHAM AND JON HO

We, William Sham and Jon Ho, of Marxist minds and nicotine-free bodies, bequeath the following: to Minje Park, our Platinum IV PUBG ranking and an insatiable desire to explore the spectrum.

To Alan Bi, we leave you the ability to smile ever so often. Finally, to Tom Yang, we leave you with Xi JinPing’s “Governance of China II” and urge you to read it with great vigor. To all future calculus students, we leave you nothing, for there is no hope.

JACK SHANAFELT

I, Jack Shanafelt, of dilly mind and ticklish body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Luke Johnson, my lucky mashed potatoes — may you eat them or wear them with vigor. To Austin Evernden, my heelys so that your swag may ride forever. Finally to Jacob Moore, my Poptropica account so that you may pop my trops until the end of time.

NATHANIEL SHENK

I, Nathaniel Shenk, of impeccable mind and pretty good body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Jake Goldfarb, scissors.

May you utilize them if your hair ever

grows back to what it once was. To Kevin Baker, ten dollars. You can use it to buy anything. And to Abby Fahey, I give you all four of my maroon clothing items so that you will now have five maroon clothing items.

SHELBY SHEPHERD

I, Shelby Shepherd, of mighty mind and small body, do hereby bequeath the following to Dino Annest and Chris Twombley: all of the lovely owls in Pioneer Park.

JAMLING SHERPA

I, Jamling Sherpa, of Sherparts and all things filmmaking, do hereby bequeath the following. Clarke Chen, Kai Kovanak, Derek Wang, Will Price, and Joel Feinstein keep on doing your thing. I will be there with you on many perilous adventures that are yet to come. To Clarke and Kia: BANZAI!!!

AUSTIN SHOBE

I, Austin Shobe, of fossil-fuel run mind and swimmer body, do hereby bequeath the following: my undying love for the MIHS swim/dive team and my yellow car to Ryan Shobe.

BRIAN SMOOTS

I, Brian Smoots, of restless mind and sleepdeprived body, do hereby bequeath the following. To David, I leave the car. Don’t crash it. To Weivid, I leave my disc skipping skills #torqueit. To Rani, I leave putty to fill the hole that math squad’s shenanigans left in your wall. To Garrett, I leave the D bag and the integrity of Tribe.

JESSIE STENBERG

I, Jessie Stenberg, of ginger hair, childish mind and a talented body hereby bequeath the following: the soccer team to Jackie, Gretchen, Nicole and Emily. The care of Ruby to Nicole, walk her twice a day and feed her lots of chicken. To Jackie, I give you my closet, make me proud in your last and best year of high school!

SOPHIA STRIBLING

I, Sophia Stribling, of motherly mind and fatherly body hereby bequeath the following: to Grace Gottesman, Samuel Kresch and Steven Perzia, my flawless art skills and true passion for MIHS art classes, may you all be the seniors in art class one day. To Hailey Vandenbosch, Luke Johnson, Jacob Moore, Mason Baker, Sean Cotê and Beatrice Lee,

my green bandana and watch, may your scalps always stay protected and wrists always awkwardly tanned. To Noah Hendelman and Andrés Lam, my old phone, may you always answer my weekly motherly phone calls.

JESSICA TISCHLER

I, Jessica Tischler, of sarcastic mind and absent body, do hereby bequeath the spirit of Running Start to Olga Bugaevskaya. May it help you find what you’re looking for.

JOCIE THOMSON

I, Jocie Thomson, of fast moving mind and average moving body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Scott McLellan, Ethan Krebs, Steven Perzia, and Natalie Garrett, my hammer, which is far better than the enforcer, so you can side more walls with minimal effort. To Sarah Salisbury, two huge flags: one blue and one yellow.

Lastly, to Emma Pfeiffer, all of my math knowledge for you to use next year. Good luck.

AARON TOMASELLI

I, Aaron Tomaselli, of Aussie mind and dexterous body, do hereby bequeath the following: Grizzlies Guernsey number 10 to my fair cousin Julian Tomaselli.

13

Senior Wills

SAMMY VACCA

I, Sammy Vacca, of empty mind and dad-like body, do hereby bequeath the following: To FreestyleKingKB, the sourest of aliens and a compass; to Max the muddiest of huts and the water polo team; to Ben Dunbar a fresh bottle of propel; to Ford and Danny my plastic skull; and to Julia Nordstrom, nothing because you already own it.

MARY ROSE VU

I, Mary Rose Vu, of dirty mind and Chick-fil-A filled body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Rani Woerner, my main homie, the aux cord for many more terrible renditions of “Stacy’s Mom”; to Maggie Baker, my “special” friend, a mileage plan that’s actually adequate enough to meet the satisfaction of the coaches; to Hannah Hardisty, my only bud in Comp Sci, a million “REEEE’s” to last you a lifetime when you’re feeling down; and to Michael Deal, the biggest chick magnet I know, the power of Bob Dylan to get the girl you’re going after. Best of luck! Lastly, I impart all my love and spirit to the MIXC family

14

And lastly, I impart all my love and spirit to the MIXC family in hopes of actually having a retreat this year!

JIAYI ENA WANG

I, Jiayi Ena Wang, leave Pearl Rincon my terrible study habits and the knowledge that I will never jump her in the hallways again.

ELLA WARBURG

I, Ella Warburg, of sunshiney mind and outspoken body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Katelyn Travis, I give you the ribbon making responsibilities and my big girl leader voice — remember to make extras, someone will lose theirs; to Grace Gottesman and Lilly Pruchno, I give you my MIGG gear, wear it well; and finally, to Annelise Rorem, I give you my seat in the van and title of lead singer of Toto’s “Africa.” Make sure you hit every high note. I love you all, keep taking those dubs and singing Sweet Caroline.

ROBERT WEAVER

ISAAC YEN

LEAH WOOTON & VALENTINA MUTI

JASMINE ZOU

I, Robert Weaver, of oriental spirit and humble body, hereby bequeath my shares of Mihs_pitchers to Joey Gallagher.

We, Leah Wooton and Valentina Muti, of hyperactive minds and petite bodies, do hereby bequeath the following: Our incredible tennis skills and short attention spans to Kevin Chen.

JACOB WONG

I, Jacob Wong, of ABC mind and Chinese body, do hereby bequeath the following: To my brother, Jeremy, a shiny nickel or something; to Cassidy, my annoying presence during your senior year; and to the five people in my PE class, you guys need to chill out so you don’t get anything.

I, Isaac Yen, of white mind and Asian body, do hereby bequeath the right to the University of Oregon to Miss Maren Moll, and my love to Jonah Andrews and Ms. Stroup.

I, Jasmine Zou, of dancer mind and human body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Carina Williamson, Lucille Shield, Tristan Moore, and Ellie Bertram, the responsibility of appeasing Jonah’s spirit, so MIMT can enjoy another dinner in Olympia; to my fearless Prosecution team, a fascinating year of studying property law and the incredibly difficult task of replacing me and my 180 wpm speaking speed; to Homa Askari, my admirable and unwavering devotion to MIGLAX — Go Islanders!; to Libby Egan, my swords, because you deserve to be protected at all costs; to Philip Zhang, my memories regarding all things Schjelderup, you should have them before I wipe my brain; and to Acacia Zou, four long years of high school that will definitely be wonderful and will totally live up to your very high expectations.

Journalism Seniors

SOPHIE POOLE – Editor in Chief. A&E Editor

REID MARTINEZ – Sports Editor

Not many students know about the slightly abandoned media room hidden in the 300 hallway – but it is journalism’s (makeshift) home. If you were to glance into the green room on the average day you would think an earthquake had just hit. The pictures of current and past editors are precariously tacked onto bulletin boards. A poster of a Disney Channel star is taped next to a cartoon of Betsy DeVos. There is a photo of Grady Short holding a machete. Old newspapers are everywhere. Todo lists, deadlines and Teddy’s doodles stain the whiteboard.

High school often becomes a routine.

The same route we take each day as we walk from class to class to learn the same lessons and perform the same busy-work makes the days stick together instead of stick out. There are special people at this school, however, who break you out of that robotic routine by inspiring you, challenging you, and encouraging you.

I’d like to thank Mr. Twombley, Mr. Puchalla, Coach Cree, Ms. Sutherin, Dino, Mr. Goldhammer, Mr. Hampsch, and Mrs. Hayes specifically for being those people for me. Each one of them sparked excitement in me every day to go to school. I feel so lucky that I went to a school with so many teachers who work so hard to teach and inspired me to be the best student and person I can be. Though I will probably never be in Mercer Island High School again after June 6th, Mercer Island High School will forever exist in me because of the infinite lessons I learned and the fond memories I have here.

Reid signing off.

But in this very messy room, I found my voice.

I learned the value of my opinion. I learned Twombley is always right (Twombley – thank you for everything!) I learned how to find and share the real stories.

Accurate and compelling journalism fuels every community, and I have witnessed the impact of sharing a controversial opinion. I have felt the repercussions that come from daring to write about something many would shy away from. I have seen how one article can start a movement. Signing up for journalism, being a staff writer, and working as Editor in Chief gave me the tools to be brave.

But even more importantly, journalism gave me a place in the high school. My friends I made in journalism are passionate, creative and dynamic people. Thank you for being your weird and authentic selves everyday. Being a part of this class has made me an infinitely better person.

Senior Shoutouts JESSICA RAMSEYER

You light up the whole school when you walk in the door. You are hot as hell and by far one of the most genuine people at MI. Thanks for being true to yourself and always making other people smile!

BLAKE SHARPE

Blake Sharp exudes a general goodness each day.

When I see him, I end up laughing at either what he is doing or saying in class. Thanks Blake for making each day (when you show up to mat sci.

You’re one of the good ones.

–Skywalker

–Maeve Akins

JANITORIAL STAFF COLTON LAKE SYDNEY ELSTON Hi Syd! I want to shout you out because you are AMAZING! Thank you so much for being such an amazing friend and person, and for always making me laugh and smile. Some of my favorite memories are spending time with you, whether we are going to the movie theater, or shopping at the American Girl store. You are such a special person, and I am so excited to see what you will accomplish in the future!

Your smile, hugs and colorful outfits always brighten my day, and I am going to miss you so much next year. But I know we will stay in touch! Lots of love and hugs.

One of the closest things I’ve ever had to a brother, Colton has always been an incredible friend, from supporting me when times were tough, making me laugh so hard I’ve teared up while lying on the street, and being one of the best critics of my artwork that I’ve ever had the privilege to get to befriend, work, and celebrate with.

–Laurence Tomura

Thank you for working so hard to make our school look so great. Your work is thankless, but you put so much effort into making our school look as amazing as it does. Thank you for cleaning up trash and spills for students who are too absorbed in their own lives to recognize yours.

Thank you for cleaning up the messes that weren’t yours to clean up. Thank you for giving more to a school than it does to you. But most of all, thanks for being you.

–Colin Gersch

SARAH CRUMRINE

–Chloe Michaels, your biggest fan

Sarah, you make me a better person. I swear my carbon footprint is smaller because I know you.

BRINKLEY HOLSHOUSER

I can’t think of anyone in this school that is as nice and unapologetically themselves. Thank you for being there for me and supporting me through my ups and downs. I have enjoyed my high school experience with you and I appreciate every moment we get to spend together. Keep on being you!

–Estey Chen

–Madelyn Korn

MAEVE AKINS

Maeve never fails to say yes when I ask her if she wants to get food, which is a quality many lack. I admire her knowledge on good restaurants, and how we are able to eat gOoOoOd every time we are together #goodfoodonly. From Pho to truffle grilled cheeses, shoutout to favorite coffee addict for being the BFFF (best food friend forever) a girl could have.

–BaBar

OLIVER LEE

Oliver Lee of kind heart and good s(e)oul, thank you for being there for the past 8 years. There was never a moment when you weren’t outgoing, friendly and optimistic even in the face of uncertainty or danger. When I was quiet, you were loud. When I was shy, you were well-spoken. When I was weak, you were strong. You are a force of good to each and everyone around you. I am truly lucky to have known you and the world has been blessed with your presence. At the end of this year we say goodbye (although probably not for the last time), but this only means you have more chances to do what you do best: say hello.

PUBLICATION NOTICES Purpose

To provide news to the Mercer Island High School student body and members of the surrounding community in a manner that accurately reflects the readers’ interests.

Ads

–Probably Obvious

Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator: Erin Battersby, Senior Director (206) 230-6227 erin.battersby@mercerislandschools.org

To print an ad in a future issue of The MIHS Islander, contact Business Manager Jake D’Souza at mihsislander@ gmail.com for rates and information.

All electronic mail messages in connection with Mercer Island School District business which are sent or received by this account are subject to the Washington State Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties.

Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) Coordinator: Erin Battersby, Senior Director (206) 230-6227 erin.battersby@mercerislandschools.org

Nondiscrimination Notification

Title IX Compliance Coordinator: Erin Battersby, Senior Director (206) 230-6227 erin.battersby@mercerislandschools.org

The Mercer Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Mercer Island School District offers classes in many College and Career Readiness Programs, admission to which is non-discriminatory. Lack of English-language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in those programs.

The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:

Section 504 & ADA Coordinator: Dr. Lindsay Myatich, Director (206) 236-3326 lindsay.myatich@mercerislandschools.org