The Lake - Senior Edition by The Lake - Standley Lake's News Magazine

the lake

senior edition

the swamp superlatives This year, we took inspiration from Yearbook superlatives to offer a more unconventional look into the Senior Class of 2017

well here we are: The time has come for us all to bid you adieu and shift into the next chapter of our lives. Some of us have a precise idea of where we’d like to be in six months, a year, even ten years and others of us are still going to be testing the waters for awhile. Admittedly, we are all very scared and anxious to get off at the next stop and there’s no telling what the future holds. e are confident every single one of us is going to face some sort of obstacle in our journeys at some point. Most of us will no longer be living at home, late night dinners will consist of microwave ramen, and we’re going to revert back to being the little fish in the big pond once again. But holy moly, we’re so pumped to see what’s next. It’s kind of funny because everyone gets to this point in their lives and we think it’s no big deal, yet no matter how in tune you become with the experiences of everyone around you, there’s never really any way to anticipate how it will be for you until you reach that point in your own life. We: the last of the 90s kids, Tail End Millennials, class of 2017, are grateful to have had the opportunity to give the Standley Lake community our time in telling you your own fantastic stories. We wouldn’t be half the journalists we are without the living, breathing people of this vibrant state. And so for that, we thank you. Thank you for your beauty and your experiences and your life.

peace,

E S P H A TA H M E K A.K.A. ESTEBAN, Sophia, patty, hannah J., aj, ty, atul, Hannah L., Meg, Emily, and Kayla: THE seniors

2 May 2017 | Senior Edition

Standley Lake High School Class of 2017, First, let me congratulate you on graduating high school. You are now free to live your lives. This was the last mandatory thing you had to do in life, from here on out your life is what you make it, good or bad. Second, thank you. Thank you for being the first class that I taught. To those of you that I had in class, thank you. I hope you had as much fun as I did. To those I have met in the halls, thank you for the conversations and the witty repertoire. To those I have not met, I guess we will share an awkward handshake at graduation. inally, I hope that you had some fun at SLHS making memories that will bring a smile to your face years from now. I hope the stories and inside jokes made here will be the source of laughter at future gatherings, events, and reunions. I hope that S HS has prepared you to be the leaders our world needs. So, please go out and make the world a better place, just like you made S HS a better place these past four years. How about some life advice? Say thank you to those who helped you get to this point. our parents, teachers, coaches, administrators, relatives, friends who all gave their time and energy to help prepare you for the world beyond S HS. They have been with you every step of the way and a simple heartfelt thank you would acknowledge everything they have done for you. ood friends are a precious commodity in life, they make the world tolerable. ife is hard, having good friends makes it all seem doable. ind a job you like, unless you like making money, then find a job making money. If you can find both, you are set. hoose your partner wisely, you have to be with them everyday the rest of your life. So, pick a good one that will put up with all the annoying things you do and treat them better than you treat yourself. Seems easy, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not. Help out society in some way, shape, or form. olunteer, be a good neighbor, help out someone in need, all of the things that make our society better are easily done if you look beyond yourself. Explore, get out of your comfort one and experience an adventure. Be open minded and try new things, you might see the world in a new way. Find yourself and be the best you, you can be. ou do all those things you will be just fine. eep in touch, I look forward to hearing the stories of your lives. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood and say hello if you see me in public. I have learned a lot from you and I hope you can say the same. Thank you for the opportunity to be your class teacher, I am honored.

All the best, Mr. Pond 3

4 May 2017 | Senior Edition

most likely to make america great again social studies teacher Mr. scott eichorn offers practical advice for adulthood

Taxes “At the end of january you’ll get your W2 in the mail. There’ll be numbers in those boxes. You’ll go to the federal website and they’ll allow you to punch in those numbers for free and you file it. If you pay more than you owe then you’ll get a refund, if you pay too low then you’ll have to write a check and they’ll have to receive that check by April 15. When you get older and you have more on your taxes like mortgages and you have kids and it gets more complicated you’ll probably end up going and buying a software like TurboTax that takes you through stocks and decimals and things like that and the same thing you’ll plug all the numbers in.”

housing “First of all you need to have money, and you should have at least 10% of the value [of the house]. Like can you afford the mortgage which means that you have a steady job and [you] should have it for a while, which is required to have a mortgage. The big thing is planning on staying in a certain amount of time with a job for a certain amount of time, and have a 10 year horizon of knowing that you’re staying there with the same job, when you’re ready to settle down with no landlord and sick of tired of paying somebody rent but also so you can afford it.”

cars “Never [buy a new car] because it depreciates immediately after you buy it, your taxes will be higher, everything will be higher. You wanna go to two to four years old. I would never buy a car unless I have 50% [of the car value] in cash. If you can’t do that buy a older, crappier car or wait. You don’t deserve a $30,000 car if you can’t afford it.”

saving money “It depends if you have a regular job, the idea is to spend as little as possible, so eat more ramen, go down to mom and dad’s and mooch some meals off of them, do all your laundry over there, drive a crappy car, and just spend as little as possible. For salary positions, it’s different, like with 401ks, now you have more money, so same thing, live a cheap lifestyle, in your first five years of life, live your life like you are still in college, bank all your money.” | AJ ehrhardt

take em’ back to the

90’s

The most iconic songs from when we were young

1998

2000

Britney Spears

nelly

The Boy WIth the Arab Strap

Ms. Jackson

Baby One More Time

ride wit me Outkast

Belle & Sebastian

1999

2001

TLC

P!nk

I Want It That Way

Can’t Get You Out Of My Head

Backstreet Boys

Kylie Minogue

No Scrubs

6 May 2017 | Senior Edition

Get the Party Started

2002

2006

Nelly

Gwen Stefani

Hips Don’t Lie

Sexyback

Hot in Herre Shakira

2003

Suga Suga Baby Bash

Milkshake Kelis

2004

1, 2 Step

Hollaback Girl Justin Timberlake

2007

Paper Planes M.I.A

Crank That (Soulja Boy) Soulja Boy Tell’em

Ciara

2008

Yeah!

Kanye West

Usher

2005

Pon de Replay

Heartless Single Ladies (Put a Ring On it) Beyoncé

Rihanna

gold digger Kanye West

ben hartman jack anderson

sami garner maylynn marlow

8 May 2017 | Senior Edition

most likely to age like a fine wiine

Maxin uhrich wren strother

FRESHMEN year

SENIOR year

Maxin uhrich wren strother

ben hartman jack anderson

sami garner maylynn marlow

Most Likely to finish each other’s sentences Two friends share their story through time

10 May 2017 | Senior Edition

Lifelong friends not only know the person you are, but also the person you were. They understand your roots and have witnessed important people and events in your life. It’s the sort of connection that’s so unbreakable, that even the crazy ups-and-downs of life won’t be able to change. For 12 long years, Tara Atwood ‘17 and Aly Ernster ‘17 have been lucky enough to be a part of a friendship like this. In a case of “friendship at first sight,” Atwood and Ernster met on the first day of school in 2005 at Semper Elementary. There’s no real rhyme or reason as to how the pair became friends. It was almost instantaneous. In typical 1st grader fashion,

the two simply started talking in the classroom line before the start of school—the rest is history. Inevitably, high school can be a place where you might’ve grown apart from certain friends you’ve had since middle school or the years prior. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s always been a trend that as people change as individuals, their relationships may change as well. The thing about Atwood and Ernster is that they both have acknowledged the other’s changes, but still focused on the strength of their friendship. “We always talk about [how our friendship has never changed, ” Ernster said. “It’s just like even if we don’t see each other for a while, it’ll just still be the same.”

“It’s literally awesome. I mean honestly, I think [our friendship] has gotten better over the years because we have obviously gotten closer, but like its never changed,” Atwood said. “ e’ve never stopped being friends for a little and then came back. It’s always been steady.” In Atwood and Ernster’s friendship, it’s always been about the little things. From intense games of “ uess ho” to sunny days spent with goats at White Fence Farms, the duo pride themselves on being able to have a good time doing anything and everything. When they’re around each other, there’s nothing but quirky giggles and endless smiles. “I love how Aly is like always

happy and a little ray of sunshine, like even when she’s not you can’t tell,” Atwood said. “And she’s always able to make me laugh so that’s always nice.” The aspect of their relationship that perhaps makes their friendship the strongest, however, is their ability to push, challenge, and better one another. “I just love Tara for who she is and how strong she is as a person and she always pushes me to do better and to become who I am really,” Ernster said. “She makes me do stuff which is actually a good thing and she’s really inspiring as to how she’s so independent and how she can take care of herself.” | Kayla Pray | Patty Sokol

MOST LIKELY TO WEAR A BRO-TANK AT BOOTCAMP Swimmer heads across country to attend military academy The end of high school has a different meaning for everyone. Many think of it as a way to let go and be a new person. Others live in reminiscence with their best friends doing the same crazy stuff they always did.

while it used to be a passion, lately it has become something else.

“As of more recently, [swim is] really just something that separate[s] me and add[s] value.” Staton said. “Few people can do what I do in the For Jonah Staton ‘17 however, the end of high water, so it’s made me—someone who has a 3.5 school means leaving everything behind; heading weighted GPA—able to get the school I wanted.” off to a different coast with different people living Staton is moving on to do bigger and better a different life. things, yet he seems to be leaving behind the bigKnown by many as the humorist who stands out gest part of his life: his friends and family. in the crowds at any school event, Staton not only shows his spirit in school, but in his own sport as “When I make friends I am really intense and am completely in love with those people,” Staton well. said. “I can’t count on the one hand the amount His swimming career at Standley Lake will cer- of people I consider family to me which seems so tainly be remembered. Staton continues to make great until I remember that come July 1st I won’t strides, and when July 1st comes around he will be seeing those people on a regular basis.” continue to swim at the United States Military Living a different life after high school is scary, Academy, West Point. yet the memories brought along on the crazy “I wanted to [be at] a really academically inclined journey help to get through the fear. school and due to my grades, I couldn’t get into any school without a swimming program,” Staton As Staton continues on his wild path to becoming said. “So I guess it was just the perfect line up of an army ranger or helicopter pilot with special being a great school and having a coach that want- skills in swimming, the memories with the peoed to recruit me bad enough to really push for me.” ple he considers family will be right along side him. Swim has always been a big part of Staton’s life and | Hannah Jensen

14 May 2017 | Senior Edition

“Few people can do what I do in the water so it made me, someone who had a 3.5 weighted GPA, able to get the school I wanted.” -Jonah Staton ‘17

most likely to have back problems from carrying too many books Two friends share the rationale to their jam packed schedule We all want to remember something special about high school. We want to be able to say we had a good experience and made relationships that will last long after highschool is over. While this isn’t guaranteed for everyone, it is the case for, Kendall Bril ‘17 and Sarah Boothby ‘17. Bril and Boothby are involved in many activities, clubs, and organizations throughout the school and community. “We’re both in Student Council, National Honor Society, Key club, National Art Society, PTSA, boosters, GET, theater, choir, Peace Jam, IB, and AP,” Boothby said. “We also do a lot of outside stuff like volunteering and internship programs through the school.” While it isn’t easy to juggle extracurricular activities along with school work and everything else in a busy high schooler’s life, it is all worthwhile to them. “Being apart of the school and a part of the community, makes high school memorable, “Boothby said. “I can say I had a really great experience with a lot of different people and I wasn’t confined to a specific group of people.”

Their relationship also includes some friendly competition in the amount of activities they join. “It turned into [a situation where] if someone picks something up the other person will be like ‘I can do that too,’” Bril said. Although they are competitive with one another, this healthy relationship helps them stay afloat and not drown in the myriad of school work and activities they have to keep up in. Participating in various activities and taking challenging courses gives them very little time for leisure. “A lot of our time is dominated by the activities that we do, so we do hangout a lot but very rarely is it without reason,” Boothby said. “When we do have that time we tend to branch out because we see each other so much.” Their drive to pursue the competitive medical field after high school has led them to pursue rigorous courses such as the IB and AP programs. “I love being able to challenge myself and get the most out of my education,” Boothby said.

Due to their similar interest in terms of what to get involved in, a great friendship between Bril and Boothby evolved.

The experience they have gained throughout the last four years here at SLHS will help better prepare them for their future.

“I am very happy to have such a strong support system in all of the things we do,” Boothby said. “From massive amounts of homework, to all the club meetings and events,. I am very lucky to have him to keep me grounded and sane.”

Not only will they leave high school with plentiful social and academic experiences, but also with an infrangible lasting friendship.

12 May 2017 | Senior Edition

| Atul Dhungel | Hannah Laughlin

“I am very happy to have such a strong support system in all of the things we do.” - sarah Boothby ‘17

most likely to make you want to â&#x20AC;&#x153;do it like a girlâ&#x20AC;?

Senior girl breaks barriers and joins the Marine Corps 16 May 2017 | Senior Edition

Of the total 214,098 women in the armed forces, only 6.8 percent are women in the Marine Corps. Amanda Bosben ‘17, will be joining that 6.8 percent after high school. Bosben never thought of the military as a career choice for her. That is, until two recruiters came to Standley Lake’s volleyball team in September to help the girls work on strength and endurance during their two and a half hour practice. “I thought it was pretty fun so I decided to talk to [the recruiter],” Bosben said. “Once I discovered that it wasn’t just ‘Hey we’re gonna throw you out in Iraq, here’s a gun, go shoot people’ and I reali ed all the benefits that go into it, I got really interested.” But Bosben’s parents weren’t as thrilled as she was. “They tried to talk me out of it,” Bosben said. “They wouldn’t talk to [my recruiter]. They were just crazy worried about all the select stories that you hear, like recently there was the one where the female Marines’ nudes were sent out on a website, but of course those are the only highlighted things. Just the bad things.” At the time that Bosben became passionate about enlisting in the Marines, she was only 17, which meant she needed parent permission to enlist. So she waited until she was able to do it herself. “When I turned 18, it was on a Sunday, and that Friday I enlisted,” Bosben said. “When you turn 18 you don’t need parent permission, and they wouldn’t sign for me, so I just did it myself. Her parents have slowly begun to warm up to the idea that Bosben will be off in a few months to begin her journey in the Marines. Being a female has proven to be more difficult for Bosben. ut of the people in her delayed entry program, only 5 are females. But that doesn’t stop Bosben from working just as hard as the males. “When girls say, ‘I want to go into the Marines’, guys will say, ‘It’s not a place for girls’,” Bosben said. “They work hard, but we work just as hard as the guys.” Bosben found herself being promoted to squad leader, which means she’s in charge of everyone her recruiter recruited alongside her. “That gives me a sense of pride being a female, because it’s not easy for a girl to be fit enough for them to be a squad leader,” Bosben said. “I’m most excited about knowing that I have a purpose, that I’m actually going to be doing something when I get out of high school.” However, Bosben didn’t reach this point easily. The recruiting and enlisting process were both mentally exhausting for Bosben, as the standards are set higher than ever for those wanting to join the Armed Forces. “Actually becoming enlisted you fill out a huge packet of paperwork,” Bosben said. “ ou have to go through background checks, you have to have references, and they have to see what scars you have or if you had any surgeries that can complicate things.” As well as going through a very thorough medical exam, Bosben had to take a placement test that evaluated her skills in math, vocabulary, reading, and daily skills, such as knowledge of electrical work and cars. Bosben scored an 84 on her test, which gave her the opportunity to work for the intelligence program, or the “behind the scenes” people for the Marines. “A lot of people just think it’s shooting and killing and going to war, but that’s not true,” Bosben said. “People are really misinformed about the military and I think that’s what stops people from joining.” Joining the Marine Corps for Bosben has been a long and mentally challenging process, not including her upcoming bootcamp process. “The hardest part for me will be bootcamp,” Bosben said. “The only way you can contact anyone is through letters, so you don’t have your phone, you can’t FaceTime anyone and see their face or hear their voice. That’s gonna be really hard to not have the comfort of someone else who I love there with me.”

“I’m most excited about knowing that I have a purpose, that I’m actually going to be doing something when I get out of high school.” - Amanda bosben ‘17

Despite inevitably being looked down upon as a female enlisting in the Marines, there is still the 6.8 percent of empowered women Bosben will be fighting alongside that share the opportunity to “do it like a girl” and prove their worth to the country. | Kayla Pray

Most likely to look like the scarecrow in Wizard of Oz Thespian takes a new route in the entertainment field riding himself for his tall, often flailing exterior and wide array of impersonations, Sam Noland ‘17 can be regarded as some sort of comedy genius. With a naturally comedic presence, Noland has found himself a part of the two improv teams at Standley ake Actors Anonymous and ixed uts. “If you’re talking just ixed uts, I’ve been on that for two years but for my freshman and sophomore year I was in Actors Anonymous,” Noland said. “There used to be two improv teams, Actors Anonymous and ixed uts, which was short form and then long form. In my junior year, we only had one team so we decided to combine and do short and long form.”

18 May 2017 | Senior Edition

Being connected to the school’s improv team, oland acknowledges the differences in his performances and in his daily life. In the classroom, Noland is a self described uiet and mellow student. It’s on the stage, however, where he feels like he can truly express himself and conduct his renowned cra y shenanigans. n the stage, the audience gets to experience when oland embodies Gandalf the Grey or gets pied in face. “I look hilarious, look at me,” oland said “I look like the scarecrow from the i ard of and any sort of exaggerated flailing movement I make is automatically funny. I don’t know, I think I just sort of look goofy that’s just the problem. It’s the account that people burst out laughing whenever they see me, so I try to use that to my advantage.” At enver in the fall, oland hopes to continue entertaining people by majoring in ilm Studies. Having a life long infatuation with movies, oland wants to take on the roles of writer, director, and occasional actor, in order to create pieces of work that makes its audience feel something. “ ith my comedy, I just want people to laugh, that’s all I want,” oland said. “I want them to just forget about all the stuff they were worrying about and just have a good time and sort of have fun...Hopefully, I’m able to provide that. As for movies, I’ve made a few shorts and they haven’t been that great, but if I ever get into this as a career, I want people to view it as an art form because that’s how I view it.” urrently, oland broadcasts “The ow onspiring,” a podcast dedicated to the discussion of movies. o matter the era or genre, oland researches and watches a plethora of movies to talk about and dissect during each podcast. It provides him an outlet to divulge in his love for cinema and to contemplate the amount of work that goes in to create a worthwhile movie. “There’s a uote from ulp iction that I love that says, ust because you are a character, doesn’t mean you have character,’” oland said. “I think that means a lot because just because you give a character a name and lines to say doesn’t mean that they’re a real person.”

“I look like the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz and any sort of exaggerated flailing movement I make is automatically funny. I don’t know, I think I just sort of look goofy that’s just the problem. [It’s] the account that people burst out laughing whenever they see me, so I try to use that to my advantage.” -Sam noland ‘17

As an aspiring artist, oland is the epitome of what it means to entertain people. He hopes to create characters that convey emotion and embody our experiences. ittle does he know, through all of the different personas he’s taken on, one of the greatest characters he’s portrayed is himself. | Aj Ehrhardt | atty Sokol

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Senior pursues political career during gap year

20 May 2017 | Senior Edition

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22 May 2017 | Senior Edition

goodbye... the good, & the bad To all the bad friends who were never there. To the bad teachers who didn’t teach me anything. To the bad grades that destroyed my GPA. To the bad days that I’ll never get back. Thank you for opening my eyes to the things I should avoid in the future. But I also want to say goodbye to the good. To the good friends who stuck by my side. To the good teachers that helped me when I was struggling. To the good grades that boosted my GPA. To the good days I spent laughing until I cried. Thanks for showing me that even if I had a bad week, I always had you to remember. Even though I’m sure that I’ll have plenty of the good and bad to go around in college, I want to say goodbye to the good and bad of high school, and thanks for shaping me over the last 4 years. | Kayla Pray

everybody

my life Denver We’ve known each other a very long time. My whole life in fact. Each time I’ve left you I’ve always come back. You’ve been my home. Your people have brought me life and your rich history and culture have given me a foundation for my own identity. I guess now I should sing to you “all my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…” because this time is different. I might not be back for awhile. I’m venturing out into the world to expand the breadth of my life. But this isn’t goodbye forever. We’ll see each other again, I’m sure of it. I may not recognize you and you might not remember who I am, but maybe one day we’ll undust our memories and share a laugh once again. I certainly hope so.

| Ty Milliken

yesterday If you think about it, our whole high school careers—even our whole life until this moment—has just been a series of yesterdays. Every day has been its own individual assortment of laughs, tears, smiles, and memories; a trail mix of life, if you will. It was yesterday when we felt the energy and rush of our first homecoming football game. It was yesterday when we had late night adventures with our friends, with the car windows down and the music blasting. It was yesterday when we might have danced a little too hard to Beyónce at prom. It was yesterday when we pulled all-nighters for finals we probably shouldn’t have procrastinated on. All the compiled yesterdays in our lives have shaped us into the individuals we are today. The thing about yesterdays is that they happened, but they don’t necessarily have to define our present or future. Every day can be whatever we want it to be. That being said, thank you to all my yesterdays, but I’m ready for tomorrow. | Patty Sokol

| Emily Leo

“Goodbye, everybody, I’ve got to go, gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.” The glorious words of the glorious band Queen who sang the glorious song Bohemian Rhapsody (which is our class song by the way). There is some truth in it however, on May 18th, we will greet the beginning of the end. Some of us will travel across the state, some of us will travel across the country, and some of us will travel across the world, all of us will travel as Gators. It’s sad thinking about how our class will be the last class who know the true meaning of “Gator Strong”. We will return in 10 years and meet once again, we will possibly have kids, wives or husbands, real jobs, but all of us will remain gator strong. It will be our jobs to preserve the meaning of “Gator Strong”, to show others what it’s like to be “Gator Strong”. | Aj Ehrhardt

24 May 2017 | Senior Edition

Goodbye my life as I know it, goodbye my restful nights, and goodbye my social life. It’s not as bleak as it sounds as I’m starting the next chapter of my life as an x-ray tech, if I can even get through school. And as I’m saying goodbye I’m thinking about my future and how good it’s going to be. My whole high school career has led up to me wearing that cap and gown and walking on that stage to send me off into the adult world. As my new life starts to show my old life has died and hopefully with a solid job, my own life, and maybe even the car of my dreams, I just know that when I get through the rough times, I know that in time I will be okay.

1062752@jeffcoschools.us Once upon a time I was forced to remember you in kindergarten to get hot lunch and ever since then we’ve been inseparable-until now. Throughout the years you have been a part of my identity and have been with me through thicc and thin. With every awkward stage and every text chain that I forwarded, (I mean, I would have had bad luck for 7 years now if I didn’t) you never left my side and it is very much appreciated. How could I ever forget you since you’ve been so carefully engrained in my brain? This is devastating to say, yet I’ll eventually find closure. Even though my number will forever be lost somewhere in cyberspace, a piece of me will always be 1062752. Lost but never forgotten. R.I.P. (2005-2017). | Sophia Stimpfl

goodbye comfort It took me a while to find you. I found you in the little things. The comfort of my bed after a long day. The comfort with my family at dinner. The comfort with my friends being able to go anywhere with them and tell them anything.The comfort with my teammates always encouraging each other to get better. The comfort with my coaches who always supported and believed in me. The comfort with my teachers who always helped me to become successful. Throughout these four years filled with tears, laughter, and memories, I finally found you and we became close. So close I couldn’t imagine my life without you. But on May 18th you will leave again, but hopefully not for long. Hopefully I will find you again some day in this new chapter of my life, but until then, goodbye comfort see ya soon. | Hannah Laughlin

old me not caring Hello to being responsible. Hello to being independent. Hello to taking care of yourself. Transitioning from high school to college is like walking blindfolded in a maze. Sometimes you will get lost. Sometimes you will wander around and find a way. Sometimes you will reach a dead end. Many will move to a different state or even a different country after high school in hopes of accomplishing their dreams and goals. Some will fail and others will succeed. We will each learn from our mistakes and continue to embark on a journey filled with many roads and opportunities. As we take the first true step toward adulthood, we will finally have to say good bye to not caring and welcome the inevitable phase of our life- independence.

It’s felt that way since I returned from spending last summer by myself in the mountains. It’s felt like I’ve been simply living out my days here, I’ve been in this limbo period doing work to pass the time. Sure there’s been this “goal” looming over my head: graduate high school, pass IB, get into a good college, but as time has passed this year I’ve started to question this timeline which I’ve blindly followed. Am I going to submit myself to nothing but school in order to achieve the things other people have told me to achieve? I’m ready to go. I’m tired of doing work to fend off the boredom I’ll inevitably feel. I realize college might not be much better for this, but can you blame me for being hopeful? At least I will have more control over my path, my life, rather than being corralled and expected to jump through these seemingly endless hoops of high school. | Meg Metzger-Seymour

| Atul Dhungel

tessa

jeffco Over the past thirteen years, my education has been solely based in jeffco public schools. From elementary school when I was a naive child, I didn’t realize the significance my district would have on my life. Once I got to high school, it seemed like the district I grew up with wasn’t even recognizable anymore. Suddenly they were changing everything I had known. It affected everything we did for eight hours a day, five days a week. Since my mom has taught in Jeffco for thirteen years, everything going on with the school board seemed to follow me home too. However, no matter how bad things got, I stayed in Jeffco with the people I had grown up with. When the students took to the streets to stand up for our community, it actually made me love what came out of jeffco. While it may not always have been the best district, I’ve learned to appreciate who I’ve become because of where I came from. | Hannah Jensen

Let’s be real for a second: dogs freaking rock. Over the past couple of years, they have become such a crucial piece of Internet culture, with a broad vocabulary of “doggo”, “pupper”, and even a complex scoring scale of 11s and 12s out of 10s. But my dog, Tessa Bella Arellano, is much more than a meme. She has been a fiery ball of fur that greets you when you come home, performs trick after trick, and tags along on any and all walks. Like most incoming freshman, I thought about losing my bed, my space, and my family, but it wasn’t until recently that I thought about losing my dog. I will miss those longing stares she gives me when I’m eating or the frightened bark she gives when there’s lightning. And while I may be able to get my “pupper” fix from the cool doggos around campus, they just won’t be Tessa. | Esteban Arellano

see you Never ;)