Senior Issue
E U S S I SENIOR
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The
May 2015
1
Senior Issue
HORSE-O-SCOPE 2015
Aries (21 March-19 April)
Aries: You are anxious but altogether excited to enter a new chapter of your life. While everyone around you is worrying and preparing, you’re ready to go right now. Instead of taking it down a notch, you should ride this wave of momentum and take that enthusiastic personality with you.
Taurus (20 April-20 May)
Taurus: This next step is a huge one, possibly the biggest one in your life up to this point. Whatever it may be, take that patented patient approach you’re known for while crossing the threshold. This should be a cakewalk for you.
Gemini (21 May-21 June)
Gemini: Wherever you end up going after high school, make sure to surround yourself with other people that you enjoy being with. After all, that’s when you’re at your best.
Libra: As you move onto the next stage of your life, make sure to balance your priorities. Don’t do too much and overwork yourself, but at the same time, don’t do too little and coast. Balance school and fun, and enjoy these last moments of high school.
Scorpio (23 Oct-22 Nov)
Scorpio: You are determined to do something with your life. The next couple of years after high school will test your infamous determination. Don’t let anything get you off track; you’ve sacrificed way too much to get to where you are.
Sagittarius (23 Nov- 20 Dec) Sagittarius: As a Sagittarius, you’re most likely to wander about life after high school. The best thing you can do is set a clear goal. Start with something small, but then work your way up. Once you get going, you can’t be stopped.
Cancer (22 June-23 July)
Capricorn (22 Dec-20 Jan)
Leo (24 July-23 Aug) Leo: High school is most likely the last time
Aquarius (21 Jan-19 Feb)
Virgo (24 Aug- 22 Sept)
Pisces (20 Feb-20 March)
Cancer: While you tend to be sentimental, you shouldn’t feel bad when high school is over. Understand that high school shouldn’t be the best years of your life, and enjoy your next step with just as must care.
you’ll be the star of the show, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your place on top. Wherever you go and whatever you end up doing, continue to be you and strive to be #1. Don’t settle for less.
Virgo: Honestly, you didn’t really like high school. Or you didn’t enjoy it as much as everyone else did. Either way, you should be a little more enthusiastic about your next step. Make sure you take time to get into nature, as that is your natural setting. Get some of that fresh air and couple that with some renewed enthusiasm.
2
Libra (23 Sept-22 Oct)
TROJAN HORSE
SENIOR ISSUE
Capricorn: Discipline and value. Take these two things and make sure you keep them in mind as you take your next big step. You’ve done everything very meticulously up to this point., and you should keep doing that. Just have some fun, too.
Aquarius: Logically, you’ve spent your time in high school doing what makes sense to you. Honestly, you’ve probably done everything as planned so far. When you make your next step, don’t follow the beaten path as much. Flow a little more, be like water. Meaning, you should go where life takes you a little more and not be as dependent on outside resources.
Pisces: Your understanding is what is going to take you far in life. It’s what makes you, you. At the same time, you need to be a little more selfish. Think about yourself. While strangers will appreciate your kindness, you can’t expect them to stick their neck out for you as much.
CONTENTS COVER: SENIOR STAFF MEMBERS HORSE-O-SCOPE 02 SENIOR REFLECTIONS 04 SENIOR EVEN BETTERS 06 SENIOR ADVICE 08 SENIOR MVPS 14 SENIOR SURVEY 16 DESTINATIONS 22 LETTERS FROM STAFF Adrianne Nix Editor in Chief Senior
Natalie Jenkins Editor in Chief Senior
Keith Higbee Staff Advisor
Moni Kovacs Head of being the best at everything Senior
Tana Kelley Photo Editor Senior
Brian Chatard Principal
According to Oregon law, student journalists are responsible for determining the content of this publication, except under limited circumstances. The subject matter, content and views of the news, features and opinion sections in this paper do not reflect the views of Portland Public Schools or Woodrow Wilson High School. Cody Miller likes Canada, but won’t admit it.
1
20 Expectations vs Reality
Going into high school, you always hear a lot of people talk about the cliques and how it’s always separated into these specific groups, but you don’t see a lot of that at this school. People you don’t expect to be friends are close together. DANNY BROWN
I thought that it was going to be the worst four years of my life and that it was going to be the hardest thing I would ever do. It turned out to be not as bad as people said. I gained lots of good friends and learned a lot from my teachers, but it was still difficult. RYAN MADISON I think it was what I expected, but I guess coming into high school I thought it would be a lot harder than it is. It’s pretty easy to follow. CHRISTINA STRAHM That it’s scary...and it is scary, but it’s not as cliquey as I thought it would be, and it’s easy to make friends. Also teachers are there to help you; they want you to succeed. BELLE LEMOINE
” 2
High School Musical. Anything that happens in that movie is literally, honestly what I hoped it would be like. In reality, you get let down a lot and you expect and hope that good things are going to happen, but then it just doesn’t work out because we’re teenagers and we’re stupid. SAHARA WRIGHT I thought I would be really busy, and I am really busy all the time. It’s easier to make friends than you think. MADISON SCHULTE I thought high school was going to be a completely different world than middle school in terms of school and athletics, and in a lot of ways I think I was right because I was a lot more independent in everything that I did. COLE CONKLIN
I know that coming in as a freshman I was so afraid I was going to get lost in a big school, being by myself. I found that it was pretty easy to remember where everything is by the second day. Wilson is laid out in a simple way. ALEX BATTLES
I gained lots of good friends and learned a lot from my teachers
TROJAN HORSE
”
SENIOR ISSUE
15 Highlights
Best Teachers
Getting my twelfth varsity letter. JACK HOWARD
Profe Flores. I had her for sophomore and junior year for Spanish and she was awesome. She was really enthusiastic about what she taught and made it fun to go to class. GILLIAN BELGIQUE
Beating Lincoln in football this year. SEAN MCCAULEY
Ms. Diamond. She guided me through freshman year and prepared me for all of high school. TYLER WILLIAMS
Probably winning the talent show in junior year. NAOMI FREDGANT
Ms. Quigley, because she genuinely believes in all of her students individually and tries her best to ensure that each one succeeds. KYLE TURNER
I think my senior night for lacrosse. It was really cute, and I’m always going to remember it! CAROLINE KASAL
Ms. Anderson because she saw potential and never gave up on me. NICOLE GANN
Dang, there have been several. One of them that stands out was winning the state choir competition with Wilsingers. RYAN NILSEN
Mr. Duchow Presley’s Chemistry class pushed me to actually think through problems instead of memorize the steps to find a solution. I feel like he taught the concepts well enough that I could actually understand the higher level problems he presented us with. BRYCE PURGIEL
Going to state in cross country. KENDRA ZIMMERDAHL
Winning the Oregon high school lacrosse state championship. DAKOMA JOERGER
This might sound kind of cliché, but for me I think a highlight has simply been the people I’ve met and friendships I’ve made. They’re the people who have made my high school experience so worth while! So shout out to them! CALAH RIDDELL-SHEFFER
Probably Mr. Boly, because I feel like he has really prepared me for English in college. He’s critical, which is helpful, and he’s also very funny, sometimes. ILIA DUCKLER Definitely Mr. E. He has been so supportive, and his guidance helped make my dreams come true. I have no idea where I would be as an athlete or a student without the support he’s given me along the way. I had never put much thought into what career path I would follow, but seeing how much he cares for us kids made me realize that I want to pursue teaching and coaching. OLIVIA STEIN
3
Senior Even betters For those special someones who didn’t make it into the Senior Bests.
Most likely to hug you in the hallway
Julia Coleman
Most likely to be tall
DANIEL THIESEN
Most likely to paint the Mona Lisa
VIOLET BURELL
Most likely to sleep in class
Jack Howard 4
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SENIOR ISSUE
Most likely to be on her phone
Most likely to put up with Peter
ADRIANNE NIX
Natalie Jenkins
Best couple that never dated
ERICA KEAVENEY & JAMIE VALENTIE
Most likely to never leave his dorm room in college
Daniel Brown
Most likely to be a pokĂŠmon master
Peter Swanson
Most likely to be a professional photographer
Madison schulte
Most likely to be an opera singer Most likely to explore the world
Jessie Paul
Gillian BergmanN
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Senior ADVIce
Advice to help you come closer to achieving the “High School Musical” experience.
FRESHman year Be nice to your teachers, you want them on your side. Don’t develop bad study habits; this is the year you want to start a 4.0 and maintain. This year may seem elementary, but 10th, 11th, and 12th grade aren’t. You need to do all of your homework, even if it seems boring and pointless. Getting in the habit of getting it all done will help you when you’re an upperclassman. Get involved with everything you can. This is the year you have the least going on, so don’t be scared to get involved with something new that you find interesting. If you like soccer, play soccer…for four years. Dedication looks great on college applications. Thinking about what you want to do and what your career interests are may be the last thing on your mind, but you need to start thinking about life outside of high school.
sophomore year Don’t start procrastinating now. A lot of students’ grades dip their sophomore year because classes get harder. To maintain a good GPA you will have to put some effort into it. This is the year to get your permit, because getting your license is an essential milestone in creating responsibility and growing up. You also might want to take Drivers’ Ed - try and choose Penny. When you get the chance to sign up for AP classes at the end of the year, do it. The classes might be harder, but the college credit is worth it. About that, you should know your limit and avoid taking too many classes. If you take more than you’re ready for, your grades will suffer. 6
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SENIOR ISSUE
junior year This is said to be the hardest year of high school with AP and honors classes, OAKS or SBAC testing, and the ACT and SAT. This sounds hard, but it’s not; you can and will get through it. Be sure to study for the SAT 2-3 months ahead of time. Cramming won’t help you and will only give you more stress. When it comes to the JLAP, follow the format your teacher gives you. It’ll make the process a lot easier, and make your essay much better. Again, junior year is the hardest year with the most going on, so get a planner and keep organized. Keep up with your extracurriculars; they are beneficial. Start seriously thinking about colleges now so you’re not as stressed senior year. Make a list of your top colleges and know what is required to get into them. This summer is all about research.
senior year Senior year is all about balance. Have fun, but keep working hard at school. Senioritis is real, so try to get as much done as you can before it sets in. When it does, just remind yourself that you aren’t done quite yet. Apply for everything you need, like scholarships, and start as early as October. Pick out your top two or three colleges and apply early decision. You’ll know if you get in before the people who apply regular, and you’ll be a lot less stressed. Keep a calendar with all of the important dates you need to know for college applications and graduation requirements. Speaking of which, get your graduation requirements done early. They’re not very hard to do, and you don’t want to turn them in last minute. Do the many activities Wilson offers senior year. And remember, prom is worth it; it’s a fun experience and one that you won’t want to miss. 7
Senior MVPS
The senior class’ most outstanding athletes.
volleyball Senior MVP
taija jones
soccer Senior MVPS
Cody miller Madison horn & dana nathanson
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football Senior MVP
Jackson davis
XC Senior MVPS
Olivia Stein & Jack Howard 9
lacrosse Senior MVPs
Nathan livingston & Ben Makuch Sophie zumberis
basketball Senior mvps
ben lensch madison horn & lily brodrick 10 TROJAN HORSE
SENIOR ISSUE
cheerleading Senior MVP
ilia duckler
Wrestling Senior MVP
shepol meman
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Golf Senior MVPs
Blake hudson & Erica Ewton
track Senior MVPS
Olivia stein & Chris horton 12 TROJAN HORSE
SENIOR ISSUE
Tennis Senior MVPs
sierra Ambrosio & Nadav Menashe
baseball/softball Senior MVPS
UNDECIDED
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SENIOR SURVEY POPULATION OF SENIORS:
*Based on a survey of 158 seniors
309
Are you ready to leave Wilson? 88%
Yes
LEAST FAVORITE YEAR FAVORITE YEAR 9%
FRESHMAN
35%
10%
SOPHOMORE
38%
9%
JUNIOR
20%
7%
No
17% 1% 1% 13% 17% 8% 16% 10% 2%
14 TROJAN HORSE
7%
5% 0.74%
72%
Butterfield Campeau Durham Feller Flores Luther
SENIOR
Which college are you going to? 15%
IDC
OSU U of O OSU Honors U of O Honors PSU PCC Other Oregon School Outside Oregon Gap Year/Work Undecided SENIOR ISSUE
McFadden Mateo Maack Parker Sahler Suehiro Guthrie Dolberg 1.5% Whatmore Rader Bob Duchow Bartlo Liscia
Loveless
11.19% Mathews
10.44%
Quigley Penk
Pearson
7.46%
Caldwell
Diamond
5.22%
Miller Boly
5.22%
Nolan Higbee 4.47%
Esbensen Potestio Schmidt
2.23%
4.47%
Root Olsen
Anderson MacDicken
3%
e you ever re v a H a
14%
53%
7%
Other
Classrooms
Cafeteria 4%
22% Hallways
agazine? em rs
e Trojan H h o dT
Where is your favorite place to eat lunch?
Yes
66%
No
10%
24%
Wilson has a magazine?
Eat out/Hillsdale
What was your favorite dance? “Homecoming.”
“Winter Formal.”
OCTOBER
JANUARY
SUN MON TUE
WED THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
4
APRIL
SUN MON TUE
WED THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
SUN MON TUE
WED THU
FRI
SAT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
28
29
30
31
25
26
28
29
30
31
26
28
29
30
26
67%
“Prom.”
27
2%
27
20% Don’t care/didn’t go
27
48% 30%
20%
6%
What will you miss most about Wilson? 44%
The people/friends
Teachers 1%
Classes
Undecided
Take a gap year
Start work
7%
Go straight to college
7%
Would you rather...
12%
Events/sports 22%
Nothing 14%
EVERYTHING
15
Oregon Key: 49 25 4
29 2
10 32
6 Wilson Seniors PCC
Wilson Seniors PSU
Wilson Seniors U of O
Wilson Seniors OSU
Wilson Seniors OSU Honors
Wilson Seniors U of O Honors
Other Oregon schools: 24
International/Gap year:10 Army/Airforce: 2 16 TROJAN HORSE
SENIOR ISSUE
WHERE A RE OUR SENIORS GOING? 4 2
1 2 2
2
1
1
3
1
1
2 1
1
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DESTINATIONS Aberle, Lukas Pacific Lutheran University Ackerman, Sloane Portland Community College Adan, Hodo Portland State University Agon, Rachel Portland Community College Ambrosio-Wood, Sierra Willamette University Angerinos, Alexis Portland Community College Anuta, David University of Rochester Awsem, Yasmine Portland Community College Asiri, Sharif Portland Community College Bachenberg, Elise Portland Community College Back, Ariel University of Oregon Honors College Balthazaar, Lucy 18-21 Transitional Program Baraquio, Sterling University of Oregon Battles, Alexandria Southern Oregon University
18 TROJAN HORSE
Beisel, Roark Portland State University
Chavez, Mariah Gap Year
Drago, Mikina Art Institute of Portland
Belgique, Gillian University of Utah
Coker, Emily Portland Community College
Duckler, Ilia University of Oregon
Bergmann, Gillian Oregon State University Betancourt, Chase Portland Community College Brenner, Ethan University of Oregon
Coleman, Julia Oregon State University Comella, Tristan Oregon State University Conklin, Cole University of Oregon Honors College
Broderick, Lily University of Puget Sound Coren, Sam Willamette University Brown, Daniel Portland State University Cox, Alex Oregon State University Bryan, Anna Oregon State University Culverhouse, Spencer Buhl, Sarah Portland State University Oregon State University Dacorsi, Kierra Burell, Violet Gap Year Portland Community College Dahir, Ayub University of Oregon Burton, Mel Oregon State University Dant, Erik Portland State University Burton, William “Luke� Gap Year Davis, Emily Tulane University Campbell, Carly Brigham Young University Davis, Jackson (Idaho) College of the Siskyous Carlson, Eliza University of Oregon
Davis, Kobe Portland State University
Carrick, Sam Oregon State University
Day, Hamza University of Oregon
Castillo, Michel Portland State University
Diffely, Cassandra 18-21 Transitional Program
Castles, James Portland Community College
SENIOR ISSUE
Dooling, Josh College of the Siskyous-
Duley, Spencer Oregon State University Emerick, Lily University of Oregon Evans, Alicia University of Wisconsin, Madison Ewton, Erica Oregon State University Honors College Feldman, Emma Western Oregon University Fleener, Marilyn University of Oregon Fletcher, Jackson Portland Community College Foran, Matthew University of Oregon Fredgant, Naomi University of Redlands Galicia, Joe Chemeketa Community College Gallo, Federica Italy Gamez-Murillo, Janette Portland Community College Gann, Nicole Portland Community College
Gansberg, Oliver Oregon State University
Hayden, Eric United States Air Force
Geraths, Madelynn Oregon State University
Hillenbrand, Jenna Gap Year
Golberg, Allen University of Oregon
Hoffman, Maia Cleveland Institute of Music
Gordon, Nadav University of California, Santa Barbara
Hopfer, McKenzie University of Portland
Kalenscher, Albert Southern Oregon University Kasal, Caroline Oregon State University Keaveney, Erica Seattle University Kelley, Montana University of Missouri Columbia
Goresh, Lia Finland
Horn, Madison University of San Diego
Gray, Markus Portland Community College
Horton, Chris University of Oregon Honors College
Greengrass, Cal Haskell Indian Nations University
Howard, Jack Eastern Oregon University
Guimaraes, Marcella Brazil
Hudson, Blake Oregon State University
Kinne, Sam Portland Community College
Hage, Chloe Portland Community College
Hyde, Callie Portland Community College
Kolin, Jake Portland State University
Hale, Marissa Gap Year
Interiano, Kevin Portland Community College
Hall-Dolezal, Sarah Unknown Hamburger, Annabelle Portland Community College Hamilton, Haley Undecided Hammer, Yonus Oregon State University Hansen, Michael Western Oregon University Hanson, Abbey Oregon State University Hartwell, Zeke New York University Harvison, Matthew University of Oregon Hassan, Omar Portland State University
Iverson, Emma Portland Community College
Kemling, Gabe Oregon State University Kent, Ann Oregon State University Killian, Lakota Unknown
Kakoun, Tal Oregon State University
Lensch, Benjamin University of Oregon Lewis, Aaron Unknown Livingston-Bullier, Nathan University of Oregon Lorang, Orlando University of Oregon Lupinek, Elena Portland State University Lydy, Eli Undecided Mabie, Valerie Portland Community College
Kovacs, Moni Portland State University
Macdonald- Factor, Alec University of Oregon
Kracke, Kendall Gap Year
Madison, Ryan Portland Community College
Kramer, Amber National Taiwan Normal University
Jacobson, Jase Ohio Wesleyan University Kuyat, Sea Unknown James, Alika United States Army Lamont, Lauren Portland Community Jenkins, Natalie College University of Oregon Larson, Anna Jockers, Ruby Oregon State University University of Oregon Larson, Emily Joerger, Dakoma Carroll College (Montana) Oregon State University Lawson, Vincent Johnsen, Zachary Portland Community Portland State University College Kaczmarek, Ming Portland Community College
Lemoine, Annabelle California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Mahamed, Sadio Portland Community College Mahar, Henry Grinnell University Makuch, Ben Oregon State University Mallon, Luke Linfield University Mann, Emily University of Puget Sound Masters, Ian Portland Community College
Lee, Jonathan Oregon State University
Mathisen, Elisabeth Norway
Lee-Liston, Wylder Gap Year
McCauley, Sean Montana State University
19
McCutchen, Aidan Portland Community College
Munoz, Aaron Portland Community College
Parks, Josie Portland Community College
McDaniel, Cooper Undecided
Murphy, Fiona Willamette University
Pate, Weston University of Portland
McMillen, Makenna Oregon State University
Murray, Caelan Paul, Jessie Montana State University Whitman College
McNabb, Spencer Unknown
Nagpal, Himanshu Perris, Jacob Indian School of Business University of Oregon (India) Peterson, Hannah Nash, Sarah Portland State University Portland State University Philbrick, Brenton Nathanson, Dana Portland Community University of Michigan College / Portland State University Nguyen, Summer Portland Community Piacentini, Jennifer College Oregon State University
McNiece, Ashlin Portland Community College Medlyn, Rachel Portland State University Mejia-Molina, Yajaira Unknown Meman, Shepol Portland State University Menashe, Nadav University of Oregon Honors College Menger, Andries Unknown
Miller, Cody University of Oregon Miller, Karen Portland Community College Miller, Sheridan Portland State University Miller, Stacy Portland Community College
Riddell-Sheffer, Calah Portland Community College Rincon, Alberto Portland Community College/Portland State University Riback, Jacob University of Washington Robin, Ellie Southern Oregon University
Price, Zach University of Oregon
Nilsen, Ryan Graceland University
Poff, Anna Oregon State University
Nix, Adrianne Portland Community College
Poyck, Sjors Roe, Oona Lane Community College Portland Community College Pulliam, Liam Portland Community Roepel, Clark College Oregon State University
Norris-York, Shayla Portland State University
Purgiel, Bryce Oregon State University
O’Halloran, Simone University of Oregon
Putney, Josh Unknown
Olson, James Oregon State University
Qaderzada, Khonaw Unknown
Ottobrino, Veronica Italy
Quarles, Madeline Western Washington University
Pacheco, Nora Gap Year Paider, Brandon Unknown
Mills, Felicia Unknown
Palmer, Matt Gap Year
Mohamed, Ibrahim Unknown
Paredez, Conner Unknown
Moore, Thomas Oregon State University
Parks, Hunter Portland Community College
20 TROJAN HORSE
Rhoda, Kimberly Portland Community College
Nicholson, Sage University of Oregon
Mershon, Kyra Montana State University, Norquist, Emily Bozeman University of Oregon Michels, Mary Southern Oregon University
Reese, Tristan Working Reynolds, Larissa Unknown
SENIOR ISSUE
Radich, Cameren Oregon State University Ramey, Noah Portland Community College Rauf, Ammar Oregon State University Reese, Rachel University of Oregon
Rodriguez-Hernandez, Andrew Portland State University
Rutledge- Gorman, James United States Air Force Academy Sanchez-Alcantar, Juan Portland Community College Sautter, Kyle C Oregon State University Sawab, Abdellah Portland Community College Schulte, Kate University Of Oregon Schulte, Madison University of British Columbia Scribner, Maren University of Oregon
Schroeder, Lara Germany
Taylor, Perry Portland State University
Shaikh, Anas Collin College (Texas)
Taylor, Rebecca Dixie College
Shore, Benjamin Portland State University
Thiesen, Daniel Unknown Thiessen, Shelby Portland Community College
Sikora, Emily Western Washington University Sipos, Kaely Portland Community College Smith-Covey, Ayla Portland Community College
Whittaker, Olivia Portland Community College Wilder, Colby Working Williams, Tyler Portland Community College
Trotter, James Oregon State University
Wilson, Lily Oregon College of Art and Craft
Spector, Josh University of Oregon Standfield, Michaela Paul Mitchell The School Portland
Turner, Kyle Portland Community College
Stanton, Cody Portland State University
Uber, Brijette Unknown
Strand, Ben Portland Community College
Uhlig, Shari Switzerland Umscheid, Rutger Portland State University
Stevenson, Kristina 18-21 Transitional Program
Weise, Haley Portland State University
Thompson, Quinn Unknown
Turel, Andrew Portland Community College / Portland State University
Stein, Olivia Seattle University
Simpson University
Winkler, Halle Trinity College Wright, Sahara Oregon State University Woodland, Tyler Santa Clara University Woods, Bethany George Fox University Wyzevich, Caliegh Portland Community College
Valentine, Jamie University of Oregon
Zimmerdahl, Kendra Western Oregon University
Van Horne, Allee University of Oregon
Zumberis, Sophia Colorado State University
Stokes, Anja University of Puget Sound Venturelli, Chris England Stortelder, Fleur Netherlands Vlastelicia, Britta Cornell University (New Strahm, Christina York) University of Oregon Viola, Sawyer Surma, Michael “Zak� 18-21 Transitional Portland Community Program College Wagemann, Michael Swanson, Moses University of Oregon Portland Community College Wanchu, Abhas Lewis & Clark College Szczepanski, Edward Wanchu, Sahaj University of Oregon Linfield College Honors College Wantz, Steffanie
21
Letters from sTAFF Sincere letters from your friends at the Trojan Horse Magazine.
Dear Seniors, After four long, tedious, never-ending years, we finally made it. We worked hard for this moment to arrive. We slaved through hundreds of pages of note-taking, dozens of essays, thousands of hours of homework, dozens of college applications, and now we’re here. We’re standing here after four long years of trying to maintain our GPAs, because we felt like if we didn’t, the world might end. But now, we’re ready, cap and gown at hand, ready to wear while we walk to and receive our diplomas. Exit stage left. We’ll soon be moving on with our lives, whether it be taking place at a university, community college, a job, the military, or abroad. This time in our lives is where we’ll be putting one foot in the door of adulthood. I am so proud of each and every one of us, and I am grateful I got to spend these last few years with you guys. My time at Wilson is one that I will never forget. Sure, I can’t wait to get out of here and start my life, but I know I can look back on high school with fond memories. You guys made high school a unique experience: Sure, it was sometimes painful, agitating, raucous, or even miserable, but nothing’s perfect, right? Congratulations Class of 2015!
Adrianne Dear Seniors, After a road much traveled and after many long days, we did it. All of that procrastination was worth it in the end, unless you were a good student, then good job. Let’s vow to have better study habits in college…if you’re even going. But, this laziness was well-deserved, because you’ve been through it all. You came to school with sore leg after meets and games. You fought through tiredness after late nights of studying, or texting, whichever one. You slayed the mighty JLAP, and fought through AWFUL teachers (you know who you are, teachers). You’ve seen teachers come and go, and if you were lucky, found a super cool teacher that you could talk to. You’ve failed a couple of test, came in, retook them, and maybe got a C. You probably cared way too much about your GPA, or didn’t care enough, and you honestly don’t regret either. But it’s alright, because senioritis hit you so hard you don’t even care. Take care in the next chapter of your life, it only gets harder from here. Underclassmen, make sure to not mess up too bad. Sophomore and Junior year are one long headache especially if you procrastinate. So don’t do that. High school is what you guys make of it. It can be a lot easier or harder depending on how you approach it. Either way, you have to go through it, like all of those before you did. You’ll be fine. Sincerely,
Peter
22 TROJAN HORSE
SENIOR ISSUE
Dear Seniors, I thought these four years were going to be filled with hard work, dedication, and high school movie moments. I was pleased to see that high school exceeded these expectations. It was four years of a high-speed roller coaster with the casual bumps and loopty loops and moments where you’re having so much fun that you forget you are on the roller coaster at all. There were always challenges, but we have succeeded in getting where we want. Now this is it. We have gotten off the rollercoaster and are about to get on another. Life is all about how we deal with the ride. The point of this letter is to say thank you, Wilson. Thank you for preparing me for college and the rest of my life. Not just through academics, but also through experiences that prepare me for the 70 years that I will live outside the boundaries of school.
Tana
Dear Seniors, I still remember the first time I stepped into the Wilson hallways, I was in elementary school and we were using the kilns in the ceramics room to fire little clay animals we’d made. I thought the school was huge, overwhelming, confusing. The halls seemed so wide, the students seemed so big, the classrooms seemed so loud. I couldn’t believe that someday I’d be going to school there. And then, before I knew it, I was a student here. I was one of those kids navigating the hallways that still didn’t make sense to me, until I realized two weeks in that the school was U-shaped. I was sitting in those loud classrooms, still not sure if I should speak or not. This school still feels overwhelming and confusing to me at times. But it’s also become my second home. This is the place where I made new friends, where I discovered how much I love running, where I learned about the world and learned about myself. It sounds silly, but the experience wouldn’t have been the same without you. You are what turned this school from just a building filled with people into a place that matters to me. We’ve spent these last four years laughing and smiling, stressing and crying, learning and studying, and we’ve done it all together. So soon enough, we’re going to be in Wilson for the last time, and spend our last day together as classmates. Sure, some of us will come back in to see friends and younger siblings, but it won’t be the same. Even as I move onto whatever my life brings next, I’m going to miss all of you, miss this school, miss our class. I hope that I’m not the only one who will be holding onto the memories of this place, and remembering all of the things I learned. And I also hope that you all find success and happiness in wherever life takes you. Love,
Natalie
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@WHSTrojanHorse Front cover: Senior staff lying on the floor Back cover: Senior staff jumping Photos by: Keith Higbee
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