Etymon
Senior Edition
Sparhawk Stories: A Light in the Darkness, Reflections of a “New” Normal Life has changed. Sometimes it feels as if our world has become a dystopian novel, except this isn’t the future...this is our life now. Surreal. Earth has been kicked off its axis and we wonder, “Will it ever regain control? Will life ever again be normal?” We are living history. We are living through unprecedented times. One which, hopefully, none of us will ever have to experience again. But, we’re here. Now. We’re here, and we should not let it pass without documenting it for future generations. That’s why I proposed this creative, expressive project that will document this time in history. Why? What’s the point? This project is, of course, not routine writing and composing. That’s the point. There is much that all of us, and each of us, have already experienced in the past few months that is shocking, unexpected, unpredictable, unknowable, new; much that we have not felt before and not seen. What is it like to live today knowing that we do not know what tomorrow and the day after will bring? What can we do? We can keep a record – in one or more different forms that somehow capture our feelings about life in these unprecedented days. These voices are urgent. Why is it important to do this?We are creating a record of our times. We are living through history. Our children, our grandchildren, our friends down the road, future generations will ask, “What was it like living through a pandemic?” Our work here will provide insight. Each individual perspective, experience, voice, is valuable, and adds to the whole. With our collection of Sparhawk Stories, we will be able to show them, tell them what it was like to travel through the darkness back into the light. Our graduating senior class of 2020 felt so strongly about the project that they decided to work on it and dedicate it as their Senior Legacy Project. It has been my joy and honor to work on this project with them. Bob DeLibero Humanities/Playwriting Teacher/Theater Director Sparhawk High School
Design Team: Yamilette
TĂŠaÂ
Matthew
Will
The Class of 2020: Jacob A.
Vince
Sarah
Yamilette
TĂŠa
Jacob F.
MagnoliaÂ
Matthew
Jake O.
Liam
Martiza
Joey
Ray
Will
Bob
Sway
Thank you to Bob for all of his support and guidance in the creation of this magazine!
It is the Stories That Will Sustain Us By: Jiff Cornwell In this time of holding our breath there is the
This is what sucks the air out of my lungs,
flip-flopping of expectations in rhythm with a
bringing tears to my eyes.
briskly beating heart. What to do? How to do it ? When to do it? And, more desperately as
This is what shreds my heart.
time goes on, when will it end? ***
It will not end. What will come to be; what will we become?
Today, on this blustery day, walking with my 17-year-old dog who plods at a much more
There is the joy of watching videos of wild
measured pace these days, I reflect on our
animals running in the desolate city streets
recent visit to the vet. Naively, I had not realized
and the delight in seeing clear blue skies over
that I would be instructed to wait in the car.
cities once clogged with pollution. But there’s
And as I waited to hear the Good Doctor’s
also fear. FEAR.
pronouncement, the realization slowly descended upon me...should the situation
I do not fear getting sick myself, although
become dire, I would not even be able to hold
perhaps I should M̀ ```````yst ````````````fear ``be.` ``````````is reserved for the people
her as they administered a final lethal shot.
who will die, not even as a result of coronavirus, but from other illnesses. But
This is what I fear. This is what sucks the air out
what seems most unforgivable, is that they will
of my lungs, bringing tears to my eyes. This is
die alone.
what shreds my heart.
This is what I fear.
I cannot not reconcile myself to this possibility. Those I love, dying alone. And the snow begins to fall. It is April 22, 2020, New England.
Shyanne
Anna
All of This By: Cathy Mannheimer I wondered aloud is "Bold and Brash" lonely hanging on my office wall? Keahilani assures me "the rat mole thingy" is keeping him good company. I see pictures appear; Casey, just a giant head, silly kids, hanging on each other in Spain. Sparhawk hallways come in the night, bubble wrapped floors from Senior pranks past.
The subtle scent of lavender, on Kate's cozy cute couch. The whispers and giggles of middle schoolers. Drifting in and out of classrooms vacant of Bob's "teacher" look. Kids in surreal eyewear chasing things unknown to me. I don't know where they are. I am here, you are all somewhere else. Yet...it's all still there, all of it,all of us. That is what Sparhawk is, all of this all of us!-April 29, 2020
Thomas
Nate
Eli
Zuri
Zoe
Zach
Maia
Covid Thoughts by Bob DeLibero March 28, 2020, 9pm The governor’s shelter-in-place order for Covid-19 is 4 days old. I just dropped off my last Uber rider until the order is lifted. Boston’s traffic and pedestrian filled streets are deserted. No horns honking, no people rushing to cross the street, on their way to or from home, work or school. Not a car, bus, taxi, or person in sight. Nothing, save for the occasional bit of paper dancing on a gust of wind. This is strangely eerie...otherworldly. For 30 minutes I cruise the city’s streets. A graveyard of skyscrapers and high risers. Darkened store fronts and restaurants. No sign of anyone anywhere. Silence; it is ghostly silent. Feels like I’m the last person on Earth. April 12 2020, 3am Can’t sleep. Decided to get up and look out the window. The moon, a day or two past full, still illuminates the backyard. Everything is still, quiet, beautiful. When I see the night so calm and rich like this, it’s hard to believe we’re in the middle of a quarantine and a worldwide battle for survival.
April 12 2020, 2pm Caden’s friend just had a drive by 14th birthday party. A six car caravan of masked friends driving past the house waving, holding signs, and sending birthday wishes; separately, but still together.
April Rain, 2020 The rain and cool weather refuse to end. It’s been raining for days. Raw; and the wind...it never seems to stop. Maybe this is nature’s way of trying to cleanse us of this virus. Blow it away. Wash it out of our lives. Possibly.Or, maybe, just maybe, Mother Nature has decided to join in on the “fun”, “throw another log on the fire”, and give us one more element to have to contend with.
Rebuilding 2020 by Louise Stilphen Rebuilding our world, rebuilding a new way, a different way, a better way is the task ahead, for ourselves, our nation, and the world at large. I am not talking about politics as many people are. (Not that I don’t.) I am talking about our personal, inner worlds, our own, our family’s, that of our collective communities of extended family and of friends, and the people with whom we work and learn and play. Without forgetting that this is a frightening and stressful time, more for some than for others*, I believe that in our time at home, and between us in social media communication, there is a bond being forged as a result of shared insight. We are learning that we can live better, more mindfully, and with greater empathy and grasp of what is important than we ever have before. Blended into an even broader network of other people, I hope we will be inspired to rebuild our world into a place of grace, compassion and gratitude. Unless, that is, unless we forget what we learned. Unless we allow ourselves to be yanked out of our shelter and back into a hornets’ nest of modern life, all whirling and buzzing into our mind and body space, with no plan to conserve and reserve our energies for what is actually important. When we cross the threshold of our home sanctuary, I hope we can find a way to heed our renewed and strengthened inner voice. The truth and insight whispered in the relative quiet is worth remembering. It tells us to abandon what is extraneous and focus on what is of consequence - to look up and celebrate our loved ones in real time and the beautiful sky and earth and growing things around us. It tells us to concern ourselves with the wellbeing of as many people as we can, however we believe we can do that. It tells us that we don’t need as much stuff as we thought we did. Often getting stuff was just another form of busy in the days before the pandemic. It tells us to stop a moment and refresh ourselves, however we best do that, so that we can address things of moments in our lives once we cross the threshold to our shared spaces again. We must ask what is it that we value?
I have experienced this quieter pace several times before in my life, and, now, I am experiencing that quieter time once more in my after-work hours during the Coronavirus pandemic. Some people are suffering, at least for the moment, because they have extra time on their hands and mind. Some people with young children are busier than ever, but still, if we hush the world of technology in the evenings, everyone you are with will be surprised at what you find about yourself and your goals. Trust the experience. We have been living in a very busy world. The volume has been tuned-down so rapidly that it is unnerving, but I think people will adjust and find benefits if they wait just a bit. Walk away from some of the noise bit by bit. You will not likely have this reset opportunity again. Everything is new right now, for those of us in quarantine, and in our isolation, reflection is inescapable. I have to believe that although we sometimes feel frightened, and we sometimes feel alienated, or, conversely, too close within the confines of our homes or close neighborhood, there is an opportunity to change our defaults. Circumstances right now give us opportunity to think about the good things that we have discovered during this time. Our appreciation for what we have now, what we had before, and what we look forward to again, are likely in our minds. We also contemplated what we look forward to doing differently in the future when we can go out and about freely once more. I would like to think that we all can bring new wisdom into our communities with us as we venture forth. As adults in the old world, we did lots of Something; we typically did not have much time for Nothing To Do, and even if we did, we tended to fill it. And, in the world before Covid-19, we most certainly did not end up with a healthy enough dose of Doing Nothing. I’m thinking that our time in social distancing has given us back some of the quiet we need. Time to putter about until the dreamy leisure inspires us. As Winnie The Pooh has said, “Doing nothing often leads to the very best of something.�
Rachel
Short Reflection: Pam McKay In thinking about a reflective contribution to our community during this time, I find myself continually coming back in my thoughts to our family dog, Ripple. Ripple is a rescue from South Carolina and has been with our family for most of his 5 years on planet Earth. Ahh, to see this pandemic through the eyes of Ripple. For him, it has meant spending more time with his humans and many more walks in the woods. This is something our family has worked into our daily routine. It has become a special time when we can feel somewhat “normal” and rarely don a mask because we have found a place where very few go! One day we headed out with Ripple in the truck and went exploring locally for little hidden trails off the roads that weren’t sporting “Private Property” signs and we hit the jackpot! Miles of trails that cross over into other towns, tall pines (that smell so darn good), windy paths that we hike up and down, and small ponds everywhere! A true treasure trove to explore. So that right there is one gift this pandemic has given us, because we probably never would have otherwise found this place! Ripple loves it there! He can run free, something he was truly built for! Ripple has no clue what a pandemic is - he is just a happy boy who continually gives our family unconditional love. I can tell you before this pandemic I absolutely loved him. If possible, I love him even more every day. He is ever ready to smile, play, jump, run, bounce, fetch (any stick will do), listen, cuddle and love. I am so darn grateful to him for helping our family through this pandemic in the very best of ways. Ripple makes everything better. And yes, Ripple was named after a very beautiful Grateful Dead song, which our family holds dear:
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung Would you hear my voice come through the music Would you hold it near as it were your own? It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken Perhaps they're better left unsung I don't know, don't really care Let there be songs to fill the air Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow Reach out your hand if your cup be empty If your cup is full may it be again Let it be known there is a fountain That was not made by the hands of men There is a road, no simple highway Between the dawn and the dark of night And if you go no one may follow That path is for your steps alone Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow You who choose to lead must follow But if you fall you fall alone If you should stand then who's to guide you? If I knew the way I would take you home Ripple Grateful Dead
Cathy
Cathy
Jiff
Anna
The Speech I Would Have Given at Graduation To the graduating class of 2020, I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry, because someone should tell you that. You deserve a formal apology from everyone, from your family, from the government, from the world, and from the universe. I know I didn’t cause this for you, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get to hear those words from someone who really means it. I’m sorry for anyone you’ve lost in this time, for work you’ve done that now goes unseen, unheard or unappreciated, for crushed dreams, for now empty promises, for taken experiences and for your tears or your anger over this pandemic. I wish that these past few months had not been taken away from us. I wanted to take our lunch outside and to walk and get coffee as the weather got warmer. I wanted to eat a well deserved lunch after our AP tests, and watch movies together in the ensuing weeks. I wanted to dress up and yell and high five as we won spirit week. I wanted to meet your mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents over dinner, and tell them just how much you had changed my life. I wanted to spend hours making the school an absolute mess and sing terribly to karaoke, panic over a scary movie or do whatever we might have done together sleeping over. And most of all I wanted to be standing with all of you at graduation. I wanted to catch your eye and smile, or laugh or tear up. I wanted to look around me and see all of the people who made me who I am, who supported me and held my hand through these years, and whom I've held my hand out for through the years. I’m upset that I couldn’t clap and scream and cry for you and hug you then, because I feel so proud of you all. I’m upset that I couldn't see your families’ proud looks and congratulatory whoops when you graduated. Yet, I wanted to say that even though graduation was not fair, and not how we wanted it, it doesn’t mean that you didn’t deserve all of the claps and cheers and support that you would have had in our ideal picture of that day. You still looked gorgeous, you are still intelligent, you are incredibly hardworking, you are strong, you are kind and you will change this world. You all will, and I am absolutely confident that it will be for the better. I am so grateful to have met all of you, to have witnessed your growth into amazing human beings and to have learned from all of you. Thank you. xxTéa
Senior Reflections Assembly Line by Jacob Adamsky Graduation is like an assembly line; Seniors go in and play their parts Like assemblers play theirs. Only our parts are different; It's more like going to the dentist To get a cavity filled, Or going to the doctor To get your shots; You know they mean well, But like our graduation, It’s nothing like we want.
Liam Paullis: Sparhawk has been my home for most of my life, and it’s always going to have a special place in my heart.
Matthew Lichtenberg: My Sparhawk experience is difficult to sum up in just a paragraph, but I feel the main element was finding my voice and my community. As some of you know, I was very closed off my freshman year, and didn’t like to rock the boat very much. Over time, and through experience, I learned that I would not survive in the real world like that. Also, I realized that you’ll have to find and/or make your own community.
Yamilette Espada: I love Sparhawk, the closeness and sense of community is something I hope to replicate wherever I go. My four years there were filled with hugs and laughs. That was my Sparhawk experience.
Will Tessmer: Well, this is certainly not how I envisioned my senior year and Sparhawk career to end. This isn’t how any of us envisioned it. But here we are. It hasn’t been easy for any of us. We’ve all had to adapt in one way or another. And we’ve lost things that we can’t get back. Seasons, traditions, priceless time with friends and families. I truly believe that everythings happens for a reason. So why this, why now? To test us, to teach us something. Who knows the reason, but beyond that, there’s one thing that I know about the Class of 2020, that we are resilient, and we learn from everything that we can. So if something like this happens again, we’ll have the high ground, and we’ll be ready.
Jacob Foti: This whole Covid thing has honestly been a roller coaster of ups and downs.. mostly downs. The senior class had so many things planned that we were going to do before the end of the school year, senior prank day, senior skip, our camping trip, prom, and so much more. Losing that time with my friends had really struck a nerve with me, and after a while I realized just how much I took for granted being at Sparhawk. Being at Sparhawk was not just a learning place for me, but it was the place where I interacted with friends and let my creativity flow. I’ll be back to visit, I know that. Foti out… for just a little bit.
Téa Flach: While this year has been very frustrating and overwhelming, there were also lots of opportunities for learning. Maybe you learned about the state of the environment, about health, about the government and their systems, or maybe you learned something you hadn’t realized about/from a friend or family member. I know that everyone from the graduating class of 2020 is perched on the brink of being able to make a huge impact in this world. I hope we can all use our knowledge as power to insight this change and I hope we can set an example to those below us to do the same.
Joey Shannon: This year was definitely not the one I expected. The year of 2019-2020 has definitely thrown some curve balls at the graduating class of 2020, but the fact that we made it through is a testament to the determination and creativity that allows Sparhawk students to thrive. It’s a wide world out there, but thanks to the extra obstacles that we had to get past, I think we’re more than ready for the next steps.
Maritza Ramirez: Never in my four years at Sparhawk did I go without bursting a laugh everyday. Whether it was because Casey’s joke was actually funny, Matt’s indirects in US History, or Bob in AP Lit. It was fun while it lasted. There were so many memories, friendships, and connections that were made, and I am for sure never forgetting about them.