kritika kumar, isabel chen, ehlaina mccaskill, johanna lohmus, niyathi vadlapatla, pramodani arulkumar Techniques

It’s not just the big things. It’s the little things as well that we’ve gotten to see, hear about, and experience in our time at TJ. It’s the interview quotes where we thought, “Hm, is that school appropriate enough for the yearbook?” It’s the sass we’ve heard from the freshmen, especially the four menaces in the corner, that added color to our classroom experience. It’s the complaints when FCPS didn’t cancel school, but LCPS did and now those kids have to find a way to school.

And that’s why TJ is special, so we made location the theme of our yearbook. We come from many different counties, commuting every day to this 398,833 square foot building to spend seven hours and twenty minutes together. In those gruesome hours, we’ve learned no one here is boring. There’s no room for NPCs in this eccentric school filled with people pushing the boundaries of academic excellence, creativity, and social norms. Every year has been a little different, some were weird, but all had unique experiences that have bonded us together forever.

Thank you to the freshmen that made this yearbook possible, even though most of you never made a deadline. You’re entertaining though, and we look forward to seeing what you make in future years. Thank you to our eighth period staff for asking random people weird questions all year long. Thank you to the students who answered those questions and shared your life stories with strangers. Most importantly, thank you to our advisor, Ms. Harris. She has been so important in making our award-winning yearbooks what they are and helping to capture the beauty and uniqueness of TJ. After leaving her mark on all of us, she is going out to make it somewhere else. We wish her the best as she embarks on her journey :) (she told us not to say that and remove it from our closing pages, but it’s just oh so fitting). Okay, but for real, it’s been an unforgettable year. The students there are lucky to be gaining such a wonderful, kind and positive person, and we are blessed to have had her for the past 15 years. We will miss you, and don’t you dare forget us because we will never forget you.

XOXO, Your senior editors <3

A threshold is defined as an entryway or starting point, the junction where familiarity ends and a new journey begins. For this reason, Threshold is an apt name to give to TJ’s long-running and only literary magazine — it is here that many students embark on their lifelong connection with the arts. Whether they seek self-discovery of the inner creative within them, or wish for a place to express themselves freely, there is a home for everyone here.

This year’s theme was “Fortune”, with the sections in the magazine named after a card in the tarot. TJ often feels as if it would benefit from having frequent favorable winds blow within its halls. From student to student, we hope that this edition of Threshold brings all who read it the utmost luck.

It’s an almost surreal feeling to be at the end of this voyage, especially after having spent the majority of our high school years working on this magazine. We know without a doubt, though, that another adventure lies in wait for us soon — and when the time comes for us to cross that thresh old, we will remember our time together, and how fortunate we are to have been here.

There’s a running joke among the Teknos staff that, despite the 70-ish fascinating pages of research that comprise the journal, no one bothers to read past the front cover. We like to think that everyone is just mesmerized by the stunning art. Really, it’s because no one wants to read 70 pages of scientific jargon — we get it.

It isn’t just Teknos. Throughout our time at TJ, we’ve realized that science is so often obscured by writing that is technical, dry, and ultimately inaccessible. But this issue shows why a club like Teknos must exist. In a world of sterile scientific writing, Teknos turns a new page, injecting pieces with voice and clarity. The creation of each journal is driven by high schoolers — students with bold perspectives on science communication. With each edition, we trade passive voice for passion, and APA for ingenuity. As you browse this year’s vol ume, we do hope you’ll spend time admiring the gorgeous cover (shout out to Mulan!). But we also hope you’ll explore the pieces; consider the innovative research, vibrant design, and fresh choices that defined this edition of Teknos — and made it one of the most memorable experiences of our four years here.