The Communicator: v. 52, Senior Edition

VOL. 52, SENIOR EDITION, MAY 2025

we’ve gotten to ourselves into pour

About the Cover

As usual, the front and back covers of the year’s final edition feature the class of 2025. Over the course of three days, we invited seniors into Room 300 during odd blocks and lunch time to capture bits and pieces of their personalities. We photographed wigs and boas and silly faces; in some cases, half-dozens of us at a time collaborated to make the most out of the available props. When it all comes together, we're left with a tangible rendition of the group of young adults about to embark on the chapters of their lives that come after CHS.

But for now, we’re still here, in high school.

these editions, these roles, and this community.

Dear Readers,

The two of us first met way back in Courtney’s FOS I class. We didn’t know it then, but Traver Creek would be far from the first thing we bonded over; ultimately, it was our friendship’s catalyst. Throughout our entire high school experience, there's only been one semester where we didn’t have science together.

Over these four years, we’ve found ourselves in a perpetual game of follow-the-leader, alternating who leads and who follows all the while. We’ve jumped into CRs and friendships and Forum Council involvement one after the other, and our Communicator careers are no different.

While Lucia joined staff fresh out of Intro to Lit, Clara followed a semester later. In our sophomore year — despite Clara’s initial apprehension — we got a sample of what it means to call Room 300 home. Somewhere between 5-minute interviews with our classmates and remaking the same print page for the umpteenth time and writing a 2000-word feature together, we began to see ourselves as journalists; we could do what we’d seen our older classmates do, and maybe we could teach our younger classmates to do the same.

The next round of follow-the-leader accompanied this revelation.

Days after Lucia had finally been cajoled into applying and had subsequently convinced Clara to follow suit, we FaceTimed each other to finalize and submit our applications to be Social Media Editors-in-Chief. Two weeks later, we answered simultaneous calls in which we accepted twin positions.

Treading in unknown territory, we embarked on EIC-hood with our third SMEIC, Morgan McClease, leading the way. At our very first journalism conference (Morgan’s third), the three of us shared a room. We spent every moment we could at each others’ sides; we followed each other to morning conference sessions and dimly-lit dinner tables, even exploring the 37-story hotel long, long after the sun had set.

By the spring conference, our next round of follow-the-leader was underway. This time, Clara charged ahead: she planned on applying to be a Print Editor-in-Chief whether Lucia was to come along or not. Ultimately, together — alongside our three junior teammates — we took the reigns of the magazine. We had no idea what we were in for, but we wouldn’t — and couldn’t — have had it any other way. Through headlines and drop caps, Thursday nights and Monday mornings, we’ve learned the ins and outs of making a magazine that one can only learn by doing exactly that.

But perhaps more importantly, we’ve gotten to pour ourselves into these editions, these roles, this school and this community. And yet, our journalistic training hasn’t taught us how to explain what the impending end of this era means to us with a satisfying level of gravity. We know our fellow soon-to-be graduates share this perspective and we hope that the final Communicator edition the two of us will ever make — this one — both commemorates and alleviates the pressure of this oncein-a-lifetime era.

Thanks from the bottoms of our hearts to every component of The Communicator.

Your senior editors,

Lucia Page Sander Clara Freeth

PRINT EICS

PIPER COOKE

GABE DEEDLER

CLARA FREETH

JANAKI NALLAMOTHU

LUCIA PAGE SANDER

WEB EICS

LUCA HINESMAN VEDHA KAKARLA

PLAVNICK ANTHONY WANG

SOCIAL MEDIA EICS

JONATHAN CARTER

JAKE WILLIAMS WILSON ZHENG PHOTO EDITORS

JACOB

SECTION

CASTILHO KAYLEE GADEPALLI KYRIE GARWOOD

FINA KUTCHER

MALCOLM LONDON ISABELLA MALDONADO NINA TINNEY

AWARDS AT A GLANCE

National Scholastic Press Association

Pacemaker Finalist in 2024, 2023, 2022. 2021, 2020, 2019, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009

NSPA First Place Best in Show 2024

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Crown Finalist in 2024-2025, 2023-2024, 20222023, 2021-2022, 2020-2021

Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Spartan Award in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2006

POLICY

The Communicator is a open forum for student expression created by Community High School students. The Communicator does not represent the views of Ann Arbor Public Schools. The Communicator staff seeks to recognize the individuals, events and ideas relevant to readers. The Communicator is committed to fair reporting, providing a platform for student voices and equitable coverage. For our complete Guidelines & Policy, please go to www.chscommunicator.com

Table of Contents

VOLUME 52, SENIOR EDITION | MAY 2025 Cover Story

44

Senior Profiles

In this edition, we continue The Communicator tradition of senior profiles. Seniors share their favorite memories, the people they'll miss and advice for underclassmen.

BY STAFF

9

The Next Case

CHS' mock trial team looks ahead to the spring season and its challenges.

BY WILSON ZHENG

10

The Curtains Close on CET’s Winter Musical

Celebrating the product of months of hard work with CET's annual musical.

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI AND ELIJAH MAKMAN-LEVINSON

Photography by Daniel Jacob

20

108

116

Looking back at the careers of CHS' senior athletes as they make plans for the future.

BY KYREE GARWOOD, AVA GRIFFITH, LILIANA AMJADI KLASS, ISEUL PARK, MILLY SANDSTROM AND ELEANOR FOX Senior Sports

30

College Essays

Seniors were given the opportunity to share the essays they submitted as their Common Application personal statements.

BY

STAFF

36

Letters Home

Communicator alums detail their first year away from CHS and how they've created new homes for themselves.

BY

CHS ALUMNI

The four editions that came before this one are reflective of seniors' past four years: find out how.

BY STAFF Editorial

110

The Unfairness of Standardized Tests

As colleges continue to reassess the role of standardized testing, the SAT has seen a dramatic shift.

BY JANAKI NALLAMOTHU AND ELIJAH MAKMAN-LEVINSON

112

BY CLARA FREETH Readers Write

Short personal narratives written by our senior staff members

An illustration of the many places our seniors will be heading next year.

BY STAFF 2025 Senior Map

118

Mock Awards

From D1 Distractor to Best Couple That Never Was, our soon-to-be graduates are undeniably award-winning.

BY LUCIA PAGE SANDER, DANIEL JACOB, ELEANOR FARRELL AND CLARA FREETH

128

Artist Profile: Miguel Larios

Senior Miguel Larios reflects on his experiences as an artist.

BY NINA TINNEY AND ADDIE

MCCREADIE

Counselor’s Corner

CHS counselor Brian Williams shares some advice and praise for this year’s graduating class and his hopes for their future.

BY MARK IONIDES AND ALDEN KOSCHMANN

►

Graduating high school is a major milestone in every young adult’s life, one that can often seem impossible. At CHS, there is a deeply layered support system of faculty to ensure that every senior gets their best foot forward into the world by the end of their high school life. Within that system, counselors play a unique role.

“We’re not teachers, we’re not admin, we’re not parents," Williams said. "We’re not here to grade them like teachers. We’re not here to do the admin things, like discipline. That’s not our role. We’re here to be adults that you can ask for any additional help that you might not be able to figure out.”

From Williams’ unique perspective, he can see that this year’s graduating class is especially active in Community, as

well as in the community outside of school. After four years of watching them search out new things to do and experience, he understands their ambitions more than most.

“We have a very engaged senior class right now. There’s quite a large pocket of students in various roles, and they are really involved… in those experiences [they] are doing, and I think that overall, they seem pretty supportive of each other, which is lovely,” Williams said.

Williams had some more advice for this year’s crop of seniors. In his view, we as a society are a little too afraid to change. We get comfortable, and we become complacent, because it feels easier to do that.

Sometimes change is unavoidable, but Williams encourages people to seek out change.

It’s been said before, and we’ll say it again: Time flies when you’re having fun.

We kicked off this year with more participants than ever; we even had to relocate to the Craft Theater for a pair of meetings in order to accommodate everyone. As the weeks rolled on and we settled back into a packed room 220, energy stayed high and we checked off the year’s boxes with zeal.

It’s been heartening to see newer and younger participants find their voices on the council, and we can confidently say that FoCo’s future is quite bright.

Any missed experience could be life changing, and Williams believes today’s youth needs to hear that message.

As we write this, a refreshed Forum Competition week has just culminated in a win for the Yager forum and second and third place finishes for the Kiley and Johnson forums, respectively. This time around, we opted for a virtual lip sync battle instead of an in-person talent show, in addition to premiering the first ever Forum Feud competition and introducing a higher-value duck to the hunt.

As the year winds down with plenty of Commstock preparations, we’re also entering a transitionary period between leadership teams — we can’t wait to see what the incoming administration does with their final year at CHS.

“I’m gonna say yes more than I say no — that might mean that I’ll go to that concert on a Tuesday night in Detroit, knowing that I’m gonna feel awful the next morning, because I’m gonna be out way too late,” Williams said. “But you know what? I’m still going to do that, because that’s an experience that could be life changing. You could meet somebody or have an interaction. You could see something or hear something and think, ‘Oh my god, I would have totally missed that by being complacent.’ To say no, that’s the easy way out.” Lucia Page Sander Clara Freeth &

Photography by Alden Koschmann

CHS counselor Brian Williams is always around to help students, and he can often be found talking to students in the hallways.

The Next Case

After their finish in regionals, CHS Mock Trial enters the Empire Spring Leagues.

BY WILSON ZHENG

►

In a shocking twist that has stunned the Empirion State, BetEmpire — an online gambling and sportsbook company — CEO Ronnie Goodell was assassinated on the Capitol steps moments after announcing plans for the company’s new headquarters.

This shooting on Dec. 4, 2024 left authorities scrambling for answers until their dramatic arrest of 26-yearold Leland Messi just three days later. Messi’s capture, who was caught wearing clothes matching the shooter’s description and carrying a Glock 22 that forensic evidence links to the crime scene, raises more questions than answers. Cell records place the suspect downtown during the shooting, bringing along a journal with handwritten entries critical of politicians and the gambling industry.

After earning two honorable mentions in regionals during the main season, CHS Mock Trial has formed three teams in or-

der to prepare for their next competition: The Empire Spring Leagues. Hosted by Empire Mock Trial, the Spring Leagues is an online Mock Trial competition, where students compete against other teams across the country, included with a cash prize.

“The quality of the cases is a lot better. They’re a lot longer, a lot more detailed, a lot more nuanced,” said Noah Lauring, a long time member of the team. “[Empire cases] are always kind of like topical, and this case is about vigilantism, contrasting that to the main season cases, which are often a lot more goofy and over the top in a lot of ways that make them feel less serious.

Empire’s competition schedule differs dramatically from the mock trial in the main season. Unlike the typical three to four-month runway before regionals and states, Empire teams get just six weeks to prepare, and with preparation time essentially cut in half, teams face a lot more pressure on their hands. However, this short

time also allows for new and improving members to pick up quickly on how a trial runs.

In addition to more well-balanced cases and longer witness statements, Empire also has different rules that make competition more exciting, such as demonstratives — factual representations that can support testimony, made by the team themselves. These can include slideshows, maps, diagrams and more

“During the fall competition, we had a case with money, we basically turned information into a big graph that I think helped us a lot in terms of scoring, because the jury, the scoring judges and the jury could better see how the money was increasing,” Lauring said

This year, the entire team has split into a total of three smaller teams: one in the Premier league and two others in Sapphire, with the main difference being that Premier trials introduce more witnesses and are meant for those who are more experienced. With the qualifiers in June, the teams are now working to prove their point in court. In the end, only one side will come out victorious: will it be Leland Messi, who pleads not guilty, or the State?

Photography by CHS Mock Trial

The CHS Mock Trial Team stands in the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids after completing three successful rounds of trial.

Curtains Close on CET’s Winter Musical

CET members had the chance to learn and grow through five dynamic performances of “Curtains.”

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI AND ELIJAH MAKMAN-LEVINSON

► It was the opening night of “Robbin’ Hood!,” a Western musical based on Robin Hood, at the Colonial Theater of Boston. As the show ended and the characters took their bows, talentless leading lady Jessica Cranshaw, played by CHS sophomore Milly Sandstrom, dropped dead.

Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, amateur performer and musical theater enthusiast, played by CHS junior Malcolm London, arrived promptly at the scene to investigate. Upon learning that Cranshaw’s death was caused by cyanide poisoning, it’s up to Cioffi to find out who is responsible and save the show before the next performance occurs in 24 hours.

This is the story of “Curtains,” a musical-theater parody, comedy and murder mystery, that celebrates the power of musical theater and depicts the love and passion that people in the theater industry feel toward their work (and each other). Fittingly, CET director Emily Wilson-Tobin chose “Curtains” to be the winter musical for the 2024-2025 CET season.

After more than two months spent learning dances, memorizing songs and designing elements of the musical, members of CET were finally ready to show off all their hard work and talent. From March 13 to 16, CET put on five performances that took the audience on a journey to the Colonial

Theater in 1959.

Among the cast of this musical was senior Leila Durrie, who played Niki Harris. One of the main suspects for Cranshaw’s death, Harris, ends up falling in love with Detective Cioffi amidst his investigations. To Durrie, all the performances were extraordinary and effectively showcased the talent of everybody in CET.

“The shows went really well and we always had a packed theater,” Durrie said. “One nice thing about a comedy is that if there are any mistakes, though we really didn’t make many, you can easily laugh it off or work into it. All of us have really good improvisational skills, so when mistakes are made, we work it out really easily.”

Durrie has acted in CET shows since she was a freshman. But before this year, she only played supporting roles. Getting to portray one of the lead roles in “Curtains” was a great experience for Durrie; she got to play around with her character in ways that she’d hadn’t in previous roles and greatly improved her acting skills.

“It was really exciting getting to play one of the leading roles in the show, and I had so much fun doing it, even though it was so much work,” Durrie said. “I think the intent of the writers of ‘Curtains’ wasn’t to give Niki much depth, but I brought myself into it and made her a much more interesting and

Ionie Steudle portrays Bobby Pepper, the choreographer and male lead of “Robbin’ Hood,” after the character has been shot by a mysterious gunman.

Eli Braunschneider gives a speech as Christopher Belling, the director of “Robbin’ Hood.” The character explains that they are going to practice an acting exercise, the in-show transition to the song, “Show People.”

Jacqueline Boynton (left) and Gwen Galvin (right) read the reviews of “Robbin’ Hood” as their characters Georgia Hendricks (playwright and composer) and Carmen Bernstein (producer).

“ Being in Curtains really gave me the opportunity to sing and dance in ways that I hadn’t before.

- AVERY NELSON

fun character. I tried to make her into a more confident and outgoing version of myself. At first, I thought I would just be playing this naive, female love interest character, but I really brought my own personality into it.”

Most of the actors in this musical sang in the ensemble. Rather than singing a solo or duet, as the leads did, ensemble characters sung in a much larger group. Among the many actors in the ensemble was sophomore Avery Nelson. “Curtains” was the second musical Nelson was in the ensemble of; she was in the ensemble for “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,” the musical CET put on during the 2023-2024 season.

“Many of the songs in the last musical I did were solos in which the lead characters had the main parts,” Nelson said. “The ensemble didn’t have a lot to do.”

Nelson believes that in “Curtains,” more chances were given to the ensemble to show off their songs and choreography.

“Being in Curtains really gave me the opportunity to sing and dance in ways that I hadn’t before,” Nelson said.

Freshman Morgan Chen, another ensemble member, found doing the show to be a great experience. After playing the part of a fairy in CET’s fall play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,”

she was excited to do a musical.

“The ensemble role was built up really well,” Chen said. “They’re singing and dancing, so there’s more to do. You have less space in the big numbers, but they’re fun, and if you mess up, it’s harder to tell.”

Despite it being her freshman year, Chen wasn’t worried about joining a new theatre group. She did community theater outside of school when she was younger, and she knew a lot of people who did CET. Additionally, she noticed that throughout the rehearsal process, a lot of time was spent making sure everybody was comfortable with the content in the musical.

“Emily talked a lot about Native American land, because there’s some content in the show that we had to get rid of versus other high schools,” Chen said. “Other theaters might not do that. I also feel like there’s a lot more creativity when it comes to the sets because of the smaller theater and surrounding space.”

For Durrie, getting to put on lighthearted performances of “Curtains” reminded her why theater is so impactful.

“Being in this musical was so incredibly fun,” Durrie said. “During these times with so much uncertainty in our country, it’s so important to have comedy and live theater.”

The cast of “Curtains” opens the show with “Wide Open Spaces,” the final song from “Robbin’ Hood.” Morgan Chen enjoyed having more opportunities to sing and dance throughout the show. ”The ensemble role was built up really well,” Chen said.

Leila Durrie (left) and Malcolm London (right) meet for the first time as their characters, actress Niki Harris and Lieutenant Frank Cioffi, respectively.

Malcolm London (left) and Leila Durrie (right) perform the song “Coffee Shop Nights,” where their characters discuss the monotony of their daily lives.

Good News

JULIANNE HELLER

Even after Kareem Alwan moved to Cairo, he continued to play as much basketball as he could. Going so far as joining camps and playing with his cousin. But now, after recently returning from Cairo, Alwan is excited to be back playing basketball with his friends from Michigan.

“One thing I was thinking of all

A little good news to brighten your day.

BY LEE GREENBERG AND WALKER LEDBETTER

Julianne Heller is hearing the college decisions of her senior friends, particularly those in CET. She’s proud to see the people who were able to balance theater and schoolwork choose a college where they can continue their path, and she is excited to see where they will go next.

“Seeing people pick so many different colleges for so many different things really puts into perspective how hard every senior worked

the time was playing basketball,” Alwan said. “This basketball court was something I missed a lot.”

Since he returned, he’s played in the CHS Basketball Tournament for the Whiteside forum. He continues to look forward to many more games on the court.

JAMESON GRICE

these past few years,” Heller said.

Whether a senior friend stays home in Michigan or travels across the country, Heller is excited and proud to see where they end up next.

“I feel like college decisions impact seniors since they’re either moving somewhere or staying here,” Heller said. “But they’re all going to have to meet thousands of new people, all with different experiences. Seeing people I know have that experience is just such an amazing thing.”

KAREEM ALWAN

Jameson Grice awaits the arrival of “Sunrise on the Reaping” to theaters. Grice grew up reading “The Hunger Games” series and specifically recalls reading the entire series in fifth grade when COVID hit.

“It was kind of my escape from being stuck at home,” Grice said. “I’m excited to see how they are going to bring the book to life.”

Grice is excited about this adaptation because he likes how this series has done book-to-movie adaptations

in the past. Grice is more interested in reading than watching movies, but he enjoys movie adaptations when they’re done well.

“When a certain book has a movie adaptation, I feel like I should watch it, but a lot of times, they’re not good, and they don’t tell the full story,” Grice said. “I feel like this series cut the parts that need to be cut to make it fit into a movie, but they kept the important stuff.”

MIRIAM HAVILAND

Annaliese Ledbetter is excited about a new development in fuel cell technology. Toyota has just made a fuel cell engine that can be used for commercial transportation.

“Eventually, many more vehicles are going to be using fuel cells instead, which will drastically lower CO2 emissions,” Ledbetter said.

Ledbetter learned about this new development in her science class and

Miriam Haviland can’t wait to go to Record Store Day at AADL. He’s excited to see all the old and new records that Ann Arbor has to offer.

“Last time I went, it was the entire first floor of the public library,” Haviland said. “It was huge.”

Haviland loves the idea of giving these used records a second life, especially when used record stores can provide high- quality records for a much lower price than if you were to get them new.

“Records are really expensive. I mean, minimum $28 dollars,”

Haviland said. “I’ve gotten some really good deals from used record stores where I’ve gotten a good [record] for like $5 dollars, and it’s still pretty good quality.”

Haviland is excited to see the new records AADL will provide this year. He enjoys trying new albums and thinks that Record Store Day is a good way to do that.

“It’s a really good way to find new things,” Haviland said. “Used records tend to have way older stuff, so they’re really great to find jazz albums.”

ANNELIESE LEDBETTER

became interested. She is interested in how this new technology could help combat climate change by reducing CO2 emissions.

“I think people would like to live in a world where it is not cold in April,” Ledbetter said. “When large amounts of CO2 are not being emitted by transportation vehicles, climate change is not as severe.”

MISSY HERSKOWITZ

Missy Herskowitz is hopeful about a new advancement in cellular replication. Scientists were able to bring the dire wolf back from extinction by using its DNA.

“There’s a lot of negative things happening on the planet,” Herskowitz said. “To know that, despite the negative impact we’ve had as humans, we can also reverse some of it gives me a hopeful message.”

Herskowitz hopes that these new advancements will eventually help us revive our planet. She believes that the dire wolf is a sign that nature will persevere.

“I feel like a lot of news is like,

‘We’re killing it, everything’s dying, it’s going bad,’ and we don’t get any hope in that,” Herskowitz said.

“I think the dire wolf is an example of how humans can use science for good.”

Herskowitz doesn’t enjoy listening to the news too often because of how negative it has become. She shares how positive news is more impactful to her attention.

“Every time I listen to the news on my morning drive, it’s negative,” Herskowitz said. “This was something that made me interested. It made me interested in the science, and it made me feel hopeful.”

Goodbye Letters to the Class of 2025

CHS teachers and staff share their love and advice for this year’s graduating class.

BY SOFI DAS AND ISLA THARP

Ryan Silvester

Dear Class of 2025,

The Whitney Museum of American Art, located in the Meatpacking District of New York City, is the strangest art museum that I have ever visited twice. Its website describes its main exhibits as “the longest-running survey of American art, where artists test boundaries, spark conversation, and shape culture.” Its permanent collection includes multitudes of mediums: paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos and artifacts of new media by more than 3,500 artists. Even the building that houses its collection is difficult to describe: multiple half-stories of artwork, oblong terraces that overlook downtown Manhattan and galleries that twist, tangle and turn as much as the art itself. This is no Met. This is no MoMA.

On my most recent visit, I found myself stuck, fixated on a partial exhibition of the work of Georgia O’Keeffe. I could not look away from the intense gaze of the deer skull, featured in Summer Days. Her art is so different from the norm. Undeniably unique. Much like The Whitney, Community High was never meant to be just any other high school. We were built to be different: “the alternative.” It is a place that embraces the strange, the unexpected, and the unconventional. From the wacky and wild Halloween dances and breathtaking CET performances to the late-night

sporkings and everyday brilliance displayed in our classrooms, this senior class has embraced what Community High offers with open arms. This school was designed for you — for those who see the world a little differently and who carve out their own paths. Much like the artists at the Whitney, you all have tested boundaries, sparked conversation and shaped the culture of this place.

O'Keeffe once said, “You get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare.” Standing before “Summer Days,” I realized how boldly she claimed her vision: the beauty of the wildflowers and the vivid blue of the sky juxtaposed with the barren desert all illuminating the skull itself. She declared her approach and the world took notice.

Community High asks all of you now to do the same. Declare who you are and claim your own version of success. Bravely walk a road that isn’t always straight or expected, but find comfort in knowing it is entirely your own. As you graduate and go on to the next stage of your wonderful lives, remember that your only limiting factors are the ones you accept.

With love and great admiration, Ryan

Courtney Kiley

Dear Class of 2025,

During my junior year in college (circa 2001), I took a class called “Behavior and the Environment” with professor Raymond DeYoung. Of all of the classes that I took at the School of Natural Resources and Environment, this course, by far, had the greatest impact on my life and how I see myself as a human on this planet. A great deal of the class focused on how to change peoples’ attitudes towards the environment and encourage people to live sustainably as concerns about climate change were beginning to amplify. This became useful to me as I went into science education, but it was not the most impactful or life changing lesson that I learned in that class.

Green objects, shiny things, subtle noises, and blind corners that pique your curiosity and lead you to want to see what’s waiting for you — all of these can be found as you walk through the woods. Dappled sunlight bouncing off of leaves, the breeze making the leaves dance around and throw light on the forest floor, a sharp curve in the trail that leads down a steep hill. If you’re lucky, a river that bubbles and glistens as it winds its way across the Earth. All of these occurrences that you encounter on a nature walk are not only beautiful, but are actually proven to be beneficial for your mental and physical health.

Studies by numerous behavioral and environmental psychologists (yes, these are actual careers and fields of study) show that the common sights in nature have health benefits. One way they did this was by studying recovery rates in hospital patients. They found that patients who had windows looking at views of nature were faster to heal than those who did not have windows. Similarly, those that even had paintings or pictures of green and/or shiny things recovered faster than those who did not. What? So what does nature do for us that is so great? I’ll give you a quick summary.

Our world is exhausting. We are constantly bombarded with information that overloads all of our senses. This is fatiguing and prevents us from being able to learn, create, focus, and depletes our direct attention. A simple walk in a natural area restores this direct attention by providing us with space and time to recover from the business and stress of our daily lives. It lets us clear our minds, passively observe things that deter our attention from our stressors, and provide a sense of fascination, which is, as Dr. DeYoung states, the exact cure for a depleted direct attention.

According to the Mayo Clinic, exposure to nature can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, ADHD, PTSD and depression. Just five minutes in nature can lower the sympathetic nervous system (the part of our body that controls our blood pressure) and doing so repeatedly can lower your risk for some chronic illnesses and diseases. Also, the physical act of walking or running or frolicking in nature is good for the body and provides fresh air to the lungs. For me, being in nature is also an incredibly humbling experience --- how lucky am I to live on this incredible planet? It makes me feel so small, but so grateful at the same time.

I’ve had some stressful instances in my life --- deaths of loved ones, illnesses, stressful periods where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in my career (especially at the end of college). I can say that clarity and calmness came to me after spending time in nature — going on runs around Argo and swimming, sitting in a chair with my feet in the river, tracking Pileated woodpeckers in Scio woods --and helped me navigate these rough patches. It also showed me my place in this world --- as a person on Earth who deeply respects it because (selfishly) what it has provided for me and others in times of need. As a result, I prioritize being outside and do so every day. Just a 10 minute walk is good, but so is taking a Saturday morning to check out a nature preserve or pack a lunch and head to the Arb. I’ve woven nature into my daily life and routine because I need it for my physical and mental health. It cleanses me and heals my brain after long, hectic days.

So, seniors, you are about to head out into the world to do whatever it is you want to do and to be who you want to be. Life can be stressful and there will be some hard times, but you can get through it! You have done so much work already to get to where you are today, so you must have some pretty rad tools at your disposal. Just remember, spending time outside can minimize some of the stress and overwhelming aspects of life. Leave your head pods behind and your cell phone in your pocket, put on some good shoes, minimize distractions, and get outside. You’ll feel better, happier, more resilient, and learn to be appreciative of your place on this Earth.

Love, Courtney

Jesse Richmond

Dear Class of 2025,

I watched a movie earlier this year that’s been on my mind recently. It’s called Slacker, directed by Richard Linklater and released before you or I were born. I can tell you what the movie is like without spoiling it at all, because there is no discernible plot: we are presented with a series of scenes on a summer day in Austin, Texas, different conversations between different people in diverse locales. The things these people talk about are seemingly random and unrelated to each other: one group discusses conspiracies relating to the assassination of John F. Kennedy; Another pair looks for deeper meaning in episodes of The Smurfs and Scooby Doo. Part of the joy of watching the movie (aside from the well-written, painfully true-to-life dialogue) is trying to figure out why Linklater put all of these different ideas together. My personal interpretation is that these vignettes are all connected by a single theme, that of people trying to make meaning from the world around them. Each of the speakers, I would argue, is convinced that they have a special understanding of the world that no one else does, something that makes sense of the apparently random events around them. And, really, that’s what all of us — your teachers, parents, friends, and mentors — are trying to do when we try to give you advice as you move from this stage of your life to whatever comes next.

We try to take all of the things that have happened to us and divine a pattern, some guiding principle we’ve learned that will help you make some choices and avoid others. Will all of this advice help? There’s no real way to tell, at this point — sometimes our lives seem like they’re all running in parallel tracks, at other

times they feel completely distinct and orthogonal from everyone else’s.

So, if we’re talking about my advice to you, any words of wisdom that I think might be helpful as you start making more and more steps on your own, it’s this: you’ll figure it out as you go. You’ll make your own decisions and see the consequences of those decisions, and that experience will inform your future decisions, and so on and so forth until you’re the ones trying to think of advice to give to teenagers. Some things might only be true for some parts of your life; some things might require you to radically rethink what you thought you knew. But, if you stay humble and teachable and curious about the world and the people around you, I’m confident that, eventually, we all might just be able to figure out how to get through this life, together.

Jesse Richmond

Missy Herskowitz and Brian Williams

Dear Class of 2025,

Congratulations on making it to graduation! You’ve worked hard over the years and you should be proud. As your counselors, we’re excited to see where you take your future.

As you prepare to leave CHS, we want to remind you of a few things as you move forward. Life after high school will be full of change — and that’s a good thing! Don’t stick with something just because it’s familiar. Even if it’s on your 53rd birthday, change is an opportunity to grow and challenge yourself. The world is constantly evolving, and you should not be afraid to do the same and to allow others to change as well. Whether it’s a new school, job, or different life situation, embrace the change and let it lead you to be the best version of yourself. Life is too short to hold onto things that no longer serve you. Always remember to be kind and stay connected to your community. No matter where life takes you, remember that kindness is always in style. You never know what someone else is going

through, so being a positive force in your community, whether big or small, makes a huge difference. Be that person who helps others, listens when someone needs to talk, and spreads good vibes wherever you go. It’s also a great way to build relationships and support systems that will help you thrive in whatever you do next. People remember kindness, and it will always come back to you in ways you might not expect.

Lastly, take care of yourself, both physically and mentally. It’s easy to get caught up in what others think or expect, but remember that only you know what’s best for you. Stay focused on your own goals, trust your instincts, and don’t let anyone else’s opinions define who you are. Your well-being comes first — everything else can wait. Best of luck, Class of 2025. You’ve Got This!

Missy and Bri Bri

Sharon Harrison

Dear Class of 2025,

Congratulations, you almost made it through to graduation! This was no small feat so take pride in this achievement. No one can deny your hard work and I am so proud of each and every one of you.

The last four years have, no doubt, been filled with all kinds of experiences and emotions — joy, hardships, heartbreak, memories and laughs. From getting through math classes, writing countless essays, forging new friendships and making it through with some uncomfortable costumes at the Halloween dance, you made it through to the end. A little stronger, definitely wiser and absolutely more exhausted than you thought possible.

One of the perks of being the attendance OP in the main office is that I have had the unique opportunity to get to know many of you these last few years. I have thoroughly enjoyed your visits and listening to your tales of your weekends, how you spent your breaks, your relationship woes, and even if I had some chocolate or other candy!

So, as you head out of the hallowed halls of Community High School, remember a few things:

1. It’s high school. The experiences you had don’t necessarily define you but they can shape you

2. Take risks! You all took a big risk in going to CHS where your friends were not guaranteed to follow you

3. Take risks, part 2. Make good choices (mom voice) in your risk taking!

4. Wherever you land, don’t forget the friends you made along the way. And call home if your next adventure takes you away

5. Work hard now and have a cooler life later.

I wish you all the very best of what’s out there! The world is full of awesome adventures and endless possibilities so go take advantage of it and make the most of it. Your life is really just beginning and you have so much to see, do and offer.

Here’s to good fortune, outlandish stories to pass to future generations, and strong WiFi for all of your postings!

Sharon (In the main office)

Marci Harris

Dear Class of 2025,

As you stand at the threshold of what many call “the real world,” I invite you to pause and consider two thoughts from French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, whose words speak to both children and adults. There are many quotes from his beloved novel, “Le Petit Prince,” but I have been inspired to share,“Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord été des enfants, mais peu d’entre elles s’en souviennent.” (“All grown-ups were once children, but only a few of them remember it.”)

In the coming months, you will be urged to “grow up” with increasing frequency. You’ll face pressure to define your path, commit to majors and be more serious. But I urge you not to discard the child within you. The world needs adults who remember what it was to wonder, to question without reservation, to imagine without constraints, and to see possibilities where others see only obstacles. I hope you remember to hang on tightly to your childhood dreams and curiosities, to keep drawing, to see what many adults can no longer see and, above all, to remember the importance of the sounds of the birds on the back lawn, rather than the importance of numbers on the bottom line.

Hold on to the curiosity that made you ask “why” in your high school classes, for that is the same question that drives innovation. Hold on to the creativity from your classes at Community, for your originality and individuality will help you to stand out. The empathy that helped you make friends on the front ledge or in your forum is the foundation for building meaningful connections in future classrooms, jobs and communities. There are many quotes on life from Saint-Exupéry’s novel about a little prince searching for a friend, but the author also wrote a memoir called “Pilote de Guerre (Flight to Arras)” where I share my final wish for you, ”Les pierres du chantier ne sont en vrac qu’en apparence, s’il est perdu dans le chantier, un homme, serait-il seul, qui pense cathédrale” (A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.)

In your life beyond Community, you will encounter many “rock piles” — challenges, setbacks, and seemingly insurmountable tasks. Remember that what sets extraordinary people apart is not their absence of obstacles but their perspective toward them. The world doesn’t need more adults who have forgotten the perspective of childhood. It needs visionaries who can see cathedrals in rock piles and who approach life’s challenges with both the wisdom of experience and the unlimited imagination of youth

As you graduate, carry forward not just your diploma, but also your sense of wonder. This dual perspective — the practical mind of an adult coupled with the limitless heart of a child — will be your greatest strength in the journey ahead. Will you see rock piles, or will you see cathedrals? Will you find the extraordinary within the ordinary? In order to see the extraordinary, you will have to look for it, and to look for it, you will have to have your eyes and your heart open. I hope that you believe that within every rock pile, there is a cathedral. Be open and find it!

Marci

Sean Eldon

Dear class of 2025,

First things: thank you. Thank you for your courage, your questions, your patience and good humor. Thank you for your curiosity and wonder about literature and movies and our world. The subjects of our conversations have been rich and varied and wonderful. Plato! Hitchcock! Hansberry! Baldwin! Wisdom, knowledge, art, and truth with a capital T. Thank you for being wonderful conversational partners, adversaries, co-conspirators, observers, judges, and seekers. Thank you for being original. And thank you for your care for one another.

I don’t know if I have advice to share. But there are some principles that — when I’ve stuck by them — have helped me find meaning and connection in my life: be sweet and patient with children, kind to strangers, generous with your friends; say as little as possible in a meeting but never hold your tongue with the people you love because those minutes, hours, and days are numbered, truly, finitely. And none of us know when the number is up.

And there are some themes that fill me with such passion, light, and vigor, it’s as if I’m a scrappy, gangly shrub and these are the sun and soil I thrive on: words and experience.

Using words well means learning a language and growing a style that is at once your own and inclusive of others, a language unafraid of questions and rich in exclamations imbued with curiosity, wonder, and humor. When you make a promise, try to keep it. When you ask how someone’s day is, listen. When you share what you’re really thinking or feeling with someone, see the moment as an opportunity to be yourself rather than what you think others might like or need or want in you. Along with words, experience has granted me all the meaning and satisfaction I have. Experience with people, people from different walks of life and countries, of different ages and characters, on one’s own and with your nearest and dearest. Maybe your deepest experiences come from travel or academia or work, some you embrace and others come to you from nowhere, on your own or with your soul mate or your most maddening antagonist — these are the experiences that grow your world, your mind, and your heart. And if they are rich enough, they’ll show you at once how delicate we all are, how unqualified we are giving advice, but how vital, too. It’s not the advice, after all, that’s grabbed me: it’s the awareness. Like Joni Mitchell says, “We are stardust, we are golden, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”

Advice is a dangerous thing to give. Sure, miracles happen, and you might mistakenly give me the credit. Or you might follow my advice and pass it on. What’s more likely? You might blame me when wondering how you ended up in a mess. Or worst of all, you might find my advice to be completely irrelevant to your life and your world. So try not to rely too much on advice. Instead, be a person that others can rely on, especially you yourself. You! Do you! And do you as well as possible. Stay original. Continue caring for one another.

And, please continue to share your words and experiences after you leave. We’ve still got a lot to learn from you.

Forum Competition Week

CHS forums go head-to-head for the chance to win this year’s Forum Competition Week.

BY MIA RUBENSTEIN, KAYLEE GADEPALLI AND MALLORY TOWERS

► The Craft Theater roared with laughter, and the energy electrified students as they walked around the ring of chairs and scrambled to find a seat when the music stopped.

With the school year coming closer to an end, Community High School’s Forum Council planned its annual Forum Competition Week. Students in forums participated in competitive activities to win points for their forum. Some activities have become traditions that come back year after year, while others are more recent and experimental. These older activities include a basketball tournament, Euchre tournament, musical chairs, teacher trivia and the infamous duck hunt. Some of the newly added activities include a forum lip sync battle and Forum Feud, modeled after the game show “Family Feud.”

Forum Council’s vice president Lucia Page Sander worked alongside co-presidents Jacqueline Boynton and Clara Freeth to make this year’s competition week come together.

“Sometimes we don’t put enough value or time into our forums,” Page Sander said. “I like it when we can compete against other forums because I think that invigorates forum pride and ownership. It gives space for people to connect with their forumettes, which is, in the end, the goal of forum.”

Freshman Morgan Chen has found value in having a forum. She believes forum is a place where she can grow as a person and develop her friendships with people she might not usually be friends with.

“I feel like you get a lot of upper grade levels and people who have way different

interests than you, who might not be in any of your classes,” Chen said. “And you can really grow the bonds with them.”

Throughout the week, history teacher Ryan Silvester hid ten small plastic ducks throughout the halls of CHS. Then, during lunch, students could find the ducks to win points for their forum. Chen thought finding the ducks was a challenge, as they were always hidden in places that she would never expect.

“They were like microscopic,” Chen said. “And then people are giving me tips of where to find the ducks, but then by the time somebody gave me those tips, everybody else knew about them, and there were no ducks to be found there.”

Sophomore Rosie Matish emphasized that for a school without sports teams, events like these help fill the gap.

Photography by Daniel Jacob Anju Paulick (left) and Charlie Fox (right) go head to head during the Hechler Forum vs. Johnson Forum basketball game.

“[Forum Competition Week] is a really good way to connect to the school and have some healthy competition,” Matish said. “Even if you don’t hang out with people in your forum, you still have the shared goal of winning. That really helps people connect.”

As an athlete herself, Page Sander agreed that Forum Competition Week helps to bring out school spirit. She enjoyed seeing forums put a lot of passion into their participation.

“I love seeing everybody out on the basketball court watching people play,” Page Sander said. “[Having] a crowd of people out there is so cool. Just to have school pride and spirit and people cheering each other on, that’s something that we don’t get through traditional sporting events, but it totally brings us together.”

Senior Klava Alicea has played in the basketball tournament every year since she was a freshman. For Alicea, it has been fun to see a different side of her forumettes, as well as to let them see a more competitive side of her.

“There were people in my forum that I got closer to because of playing basketball,” Alicea said. “The competitiveness with other forums brings your forum closer together.”

The events new to Forum Competition Week this year were conceptualized by Forum Council during one of their weekly meetings where they took into account what had worked in previous years and what hadn’t.

“We’re always trying to find a balance between different events so we can reach everyone,” Page Sander said. “Not everybody is going to want to go crazy at basketball, but maybe if they don’t want to play basketball, they’ll be really excited about teacher trivia. We try to get a really wide range.”

One new event for forums to

To have school pride and spirit and people cheering each other on, that’s something that we don’t get through traditional sporting events, but it totally brings us together.

LUCIA PAGE SANDER

partake in was Forum Feud, a gameshow-style contest where forums competed in groups to guess what answers students submitted to a question. Matish attended the event as a spectator and had a great time cheering on her forum as they won a round. She was excited that her forum won Forum Feud because they hadn’t won anything previously.

“I thought it was a really fun thing,” Matish said. “It was a good way to bring together a lot of forums to do one thing.”

Page Sander reiterated that the point of Forum Competition Week is to unite the forums and unite the school. She felt like it brought a similar energy to Field Day, with everyone rallying around a big thing that happened in a limited time during the year. Having something fun and exciting to look forward to is especially needed during the lull that hits after spring break, when the rain starts falling and testing starts to creep up.

“We come from all over,” Page Sander said. “It’s not like there’s Friday night football where everybody’s going and screaming, but to still have something that people are looking forward to like, ‘I finally found a duck,’ and, ‘I scored 10 points,’ that’s special.”

Photography by Daniel Jacob Carter Dionne shoots against Ryan Grant during the Forum Competition Week basketball tournament.

Photography by Daniel Jacob Clara Freeth (left) holds out a microphone for Evelyn Stansfield (right) as she represents the Root Forum during Forum Feud.

s r

S po R T s

BY KYRIE GARWOOD, AVA GRIFFITH, ELLIE FOX, ISEUL PARK, LILIANA AMJADI KLASS AND AMELIA SANDSTROM

“I started playing when I was, like, seven or eight, but I’ve been skating forever. I started [high school hockey] my sophomore year just because freshman year I quit for COVID, and then I injured my knee pretty badly, but I came back. I wanna try playing club at Michigan for sure. As for my team, I love them. Seeing them every day was really just a highlight of my life.”

Lacrosse Hockey

“Something that I learned was perseverance. It’s easy to get down on yourself in a sport where you’re scoring a lot, and score changes can be pretty volatile, so just sticking with it and putting your best foot forward at all times is important. I think that’s definitely something that I can take into other facets of life going forward.”

Elias Kirschenmann

“I’ve always [played soccer], and it’s always been a part of me, but I think more importantly, I just love playing with a soccer ball. Obviously, I love going to practice and competing, and games are the best. But at the very core of it, I love just being alone on the field with the ball and just trying tricks and taking shots and messing around. At a very basic level, it’s something intrinsic inside of me, I just adore soccer.”

Charlie Fox

soccer & weightlifting

John Gerdes

“After my freshman year, after a Bedford game, me and a bunch of my friends went to this little burger spot right by the high school. We all had burgers and fries and just chopped it up, and it was really fun. You know, in baseball, there’s a lot of, like, taunting and like chirping at the other team. It was definitely a big step to overcome that and the want to talk back and kind of start fights and stuff. You just have to be the bigger man, shake their hands and say good game.”

Cadence Ludlam

“I had a Girl Scouts ice skating field trip and really liked it so I started learning to skate. I started synchronized skating because I saw them perform at a show. I think in college, I will skate regardless of conflict, it’s something important to me.”

Baseball & Powerlifting figure skating

“The people and the community that you have through field hockey are my favorite part. Everyone’s super supportive and goal-oriented at school and at club, so I think it’s a really great environment to be in. My favorite memory is winning state championships. It was great to see all of our hard work come into play, and I feel like we really deserved it.”

Field hockey & Lacrosse

soccer & track

“I got into soccer because my parents pretty much threw me in there. My most memorable moment in soccer was definitely scoring my first goal. I was playing for a team in an age group higher, and ever since that first goal, I started scoring more often. I joined track sophomore year because a lot of my family members kept telling me that I was fast because they saw me running in soccer. I started going more consistently, and soccer helped me develop my track speed.”

ISEUL PARK

Kyrie Garwood

“I love sports. It’s my thing. I’m going to college for sport management, it’s what I love. During COVID, I would just spend my days going back and watching old basketball games, watching old Olympic reruns. Just to hear that live crowd. The sound of a crowd is something that I just crave, it’s something within me. I would just turn on replays of any sport I could find to hear that crowd roaring.”

"I play baseball. [My best memory in baseball was] probably sophomore year, we went down to Florida with our whole team, and that was pretty fun. I’m going to miss the relationship with everyone and talking with friends at practices and games. Sophomore year I got MVP for the JV teams, so that was a good thing to accomplish. My favorite part about baseball is the community, and how close I am with all the whole team."

Oliver Myler

baseball

divingSoftballBasketball

Powerlifting

Ryan Grant

“A lot of people have this sense that powerlifting is only meant for people that are experienced weight lifters, that it's a very tight-knit community, and you need to be super competitive going into it. But honestly, the thing is, as long as you're better than what you were yesterday, it doesn't matter how you place or how you do, just do what you do best and you can really just do anything.”

Carlos Finks rowing

"[Crew has] given me something to do every day for the past three and a half years. It's broadened my friend group and community pretty substantially, and it's just really fun and I'm much stronger now. If I could talk to my freshman self, I’d tell him to enjoy being a novice. I think I kind of dreaded it my first year or so, and I think if I enjoyed it a little bit more, I think it would have been worth it."

“I love that equestrian is like free therapy. I can’t focus on anything else when I’m riding my horse. And it’s just nice to come to the barn after a long and stressful day, give my horse a cuddle and ride, and just have fun. I actually won riding lessons at my elementary school, so I won an auction, and then it kind of just divulged from there.”

Equestrian

Rebecca White

Pao Eagle

soccer

“I've been playing soccer since I was in kindergarten. A lot of my friends were doing it, and I just wanted to, like, hang out with my friends more. My favorite memory is probably winning a lot of tournaments with my club team. I’m gonna miss that so much. The biggest advice is just have fun and keep practicing and you’ll get better. If you think you’re not great, there’s probably a team that you can join anywhere.”

JASMINE BOGGY

“I did running in middle school and I started cross country because I needed a sport to be in and my mom is also a runner. I continued running in high school because it was just like the sport that felt the most welcoming. I like cross country better [than track] because even though it’s still stressful sometimes, it’s more calming, just being in the woods, rather than like on a track for everyone to see you.. My advice is just to try to focus on yourself and your team, but also care about the team of your team.”

Nina tinney Dance

“I have really enjoyed that [dance] is such a big part of me, and I hope that it can continue to dance. I know that going into college, it can change, but I always hope that dance is a part of my life in some capacity.”

track and cross country

Anthony Wang

"I think that crew really just taught me that you can now just go harder than you think. You can always push yourself beyond what you think you can do. I think that mindset really changed me overall. Just go as hard as you can and find your swing."

golf

“[Golf] has been awesome. I think my favorite memory is just driving to tournaments with my teammates. My coach would drive us in a van, and we would take six people. We play music really loud and sometimes we have to leave at like, five in the morning to get to the tournaments… It’s been great.”

Kyra Kahana

Violet Knyal

"Being a coxswain, you have to be really focused and be responsible for your crew all the time. [The reason I joined Skyline’s crew team was because] I went to a regatta one day and I just really fell in love with the atmosphere and the vibe of the team. I thought, “That's something that I wanted to be a part of.” And I've gotten a lot of really cool connections through this team. I met Olympians, really interesting people, and got a lot of opportunities."

Rowing

"I think sometimes it’s hard just to find the motivation to dive because it’s after a long day, but I feel like it’s worth it to be able to see my friends and get in the water. I dive with some of my friends I’ve known for a long time, like my friend Grace. We met in kindergarten and I think these relationships are some of those strongest friendships that I have."

soccer

“I’ve been playing [soccer] since I was six years old, and one thing I’ve learned is to just keep moving forward. Because at times it can be hard, but you always just got to keep trying and improving.”

field hockey and lacrosse snycro and water

Brook Fagan

“I always say I learned to swim be fore I learned to walk, which is actually true. [Sports] are really just a way to feel healthy, get my ex ercise and, it really improves my mental health. It's just in credible and they're so fun.”

Clara Freeth

“This goes for every Community athlete, because we're not sitting in math class or history class with our teammates, so our time at practice is really special. I have come to be really intentional when I show up to practice and it's quiet in the shed. I know that I only get a set amount of time with these people, and I want to make the most of every moment that I can. I find a lot of joy in spending time with my teammates, especially the girls who play both field hockey and lacrosse. I don't usually see them during the winter, but then we pick back up in the spring, and it's like, right where we left off. And I love them.”

Georgie Kerr

Mahala Nguyen

“I am a synchronized figure skater. I did solo for a while, which is basically like synchro, but you’re the only one on the ice. I’ve been skating since I was four, but I’ve done synchro since I was six. A lot of people have said that it’s half sport and half art. Every year we go to California, and that’s probably my favorite competition. Even though the competition itself stresses me out, doing it with other people makes it so much easier and more fun.”

Rowing

volleyball

Eloise Macdougald

"My favorite part is the camara derie with my team and being in a great environment with people I love playing with. We won districts last year, and we beat Saline, who is ninth in the state, and that really got us all excited. And was a great moment and we got to keep playing. I think in baseball you have to kind of deal with not being perfect. And that ability to make mis takes and push through is what I think has really helped me in life."

"There's a special kind of bond that comes with sweating together and bleeding together and winning together. And also losing together, especially in a four or a quad; it ties you together. And you have to trust each other, you rely on each other. I really am just grateful to have experienced that kind of friendship. So the most important thing I’ve learned has been to work hard, but don't punish yourself or dwell on things that aren't up to your standards. Not to be cliche, but work hard, play hard. And enjoy the small things. Laugh before practice and laugh going down to the water and then get serious on the water. But enjoy the little moments, because the little moments are what make up the big picture."

OWEN SWANEY

Elliot

Mason

“Being able to learn how to be led by different people has really helped me grow as a person and cherish the memories I’ve made. I would say remember everything and take more photos of your friends so you could have them. Remember those memories.”

Henry Busse

"It was winter my freshman year. I had done baseball for a while, but I was getting kind of tired, and then a lot of my friends were doing crew and said, 'Oh yeah, you should try this out.' So, I did. And now I’m a captain and I've been trying to focus more on mental health, just making sure everyone's good, not having as much burnout throughout the season. Practice is fully a mental game of, 'Can you show up six days a week and go and take a lot of pain and punishment throughout practice?' The sport is beautiful because of the endurance it takes to do it — not because of the actual rowing."

“I’ve been dancing for as long as I can remember, and it’s shaped me to be who I am today. As a kid, I’d get this shaky feeling every time I’d walk on stage, and now as an almost adult I still get that feel ing but it’s a little different. It’s more of an excited anticipation than a wave of nerves. I’ve always loved that feeling and I can’t wait to find other places to ex press myself like that after high school.”

Fina Kutcher

Water Polo

rowing

“[Baseball has] provided me an escape from school and other life issues. When I’m playing baseball, it’s all I’m thinking about during that time. Every day for two hours a day, it’s just baseball. Six days a week, at least, it’s just present.”

FROM STANDS

TO CENTE LD

It’s the end of the beginning for CHS senior Lucia Page Sander as she prepares to play for the same team she once watched from the stands.

BY MIGUEL LARIOS

It’s seven o’clock, almost summer, and the smell of Friday night astroturf circles above the field. But now, Lucia Page Sander isn’t in the stands. Since elementary school, Page Sander has been involved in AFC Ann Arbor soccer matches — whether she was playing in a halftime scrimmage on the field or simply watching from the sidelines. However, this summer she’ll step onto the field wearing an AFC jersey of her own.

The symmetry isn’t lost on her. Page Sander recalls being a ball kid for those very games and walking players out during the national anthem when she was just a little girl. Now, as she prepares to say goodbye to club soccer and start the next chapter of her career far from home, her imminent AFC career will bridge the gap between her childhood soccer experience and her college soccer years.

For Page Sander, soccer has never been simply a sport or hobby. It’s been a fixture in both her extracurricular life and home life for as long as she can remember. With siblings who played and a mother who coached, she’s been immersed in a world of soccer from her earliest days. By the time she was just two and a half years old, she had al-

ready taken her first steps onto a soc cer field — not merely as a spectator, but as a participant.

Page Sander’s first experience with team soccer was with the “White Bats,” a player-named youth team coached by her mother.

“I’ve been so lucky to have my mom as my coach,” Page Sander said. “Since I was little, she’s been a huge part of my soccer life. And not just watching like everyone else’s moms, I got to have her on the field with me.”

At home, soccer was woven into her daily life.

“In my old house, we had this per fect opening between our dining room and our living room, and my brother and I would stand there with the opening as our goal; he would shoot on me, and we’d switch so I could shoot on him,” Page Sander said. “I think I was so little that we were using a size one ball.”

From living room goalposts to Rec and Ed to MPSA Crush, her first travel club, Page Sander stuck with soccer throughout elementary and middle school. On the field, Page Sander knew who she was and who she could be. But in seventh grade, Page Sander — and her parents — thought that she was ready for more.

“I hit a point where I felt like I was a fish in a tank that was too small,” Page Sander said. “I knew I wanted to play college soccer, I knew that there was a world of soccer beyond this local community club, and I knew I wanted to explore that world.

COVID-19 pandemic brought an unexpected pause in Page Sander’s progression, but over the course of a stunted eighth-grade year, she joined Michigan Jaguars FC. The transition wasn’t just about changing jerseys — it was an opportunity for Page Sander to finally push herself to her limits and step into the unknown — socially and athletically.

“As I left my old club, what I was saying to people was that I wanted to be the worst on the field for once,” Page Sander said. “I think that’s such an interesting thing for an eighth-grader to want and to be able to vocalize.”

According to Page Sander, her transition into the Jaguars and time with the team was a “huge lesson” for her. Alone and suddenly in the deep end, Page Sander was on edge. But through the discomfort and unfamiliar terrain, Page Sander knew

she was where she wanted to be.

“I was doing something really hard and very uncomfortable, but I trusted in myself and my process and my future, and it genuinely took years, but I made that place a home,” Page Sander said.

Throughout her journey, what has remained constant is her fundamental connection to the game itself. For Page Sander, soccer’s appeal extends far beyond organized competitions and big wins.

“I love playing games, I love competing, and I love practicing. But at the end of the day, when it’s just me and a soccer ball on the field, I love that too,” Page Sander said. “The sport at its very core has been a part of me for so long. There’s always comfort in this sport for me.”

This summer will bring a poetic reversal of roles as she takes the field for AFC, transitioning from spectator to spectacle. Page Sander can vividly recall the atmosphere of those Friday evening games — the anticipation in the air and the smile on her face. Now she’ll experience that same environment from a completely different perspective, as a player with the opportunity to compete for the town she grew up in.

If her younger self could somehow glimpse this future, Page Sander doesn’t think she would be all that shocked.

“I think that very early on I felt

that I was passionate about [soccer]. And so if a really young Lucia were to see me now, I don’t think she’d be too surprised,” Page Sander said.

But AFC represents just one chapter in her ongoing soccer story. After her summer stint with the local semi-pro team, Page Sander will head to Southern California to join the soccer program at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. There, she’ll undertake the challenging balance of competitive collegiate athletics and rigorous academics, pursuing a double major in Environmental Analysis and Science, Technology and Society.

She looks forward to being surrounded by teammates who share her dual commitment to athletic excellence and academic achievement. For Page Sander, finding a community of similarly driven individuals represents the ideal next step in her development both on and off the field.

“I’m so excited to be on the field and learn from people who care about school as much as I do, and people who are driven in all parts of their lives,” Page Sander said. “And that’s something that I’m getting by playing at this small, selective liberal arts college.”

From White Bats to Sagehens, Page Sander has charted a course defined by self-assurance and persistent passion. And now, as her time playing soccer in the Ann Arbor area comes to an end, young spectators will watch her from those same sidelines she once occupied. It’s a rare full-circle moment that both completes one journey and launches another — the kind of transition that just makes sense for a player and person like Lucia Page Sander.

College Essays

CHS seniors share their Common Application essays.

Clara Freeth

I can’t pinpoint the first time we met. Still, I know she was there, looming over me as I started my third-grade writing project and couldn’t recreate the types of stories I read each night before bed; I know she was there, in the passenger seat, squeezing my hand as I attempted to parallel park during my driver’s test; and I know she was there, tapping on the glass, trying to get my attention as I flew across the country to go backpacking with girls I barely knew, and she was there every one of the following 15 mornings as we started our climb.

As hard as I try to get away from her, my anxiety will always be two steps ahead of me — an ever-present shadow. It’s like we’re in a constant game of hide-and-seek, only she knows all my hiding spots.

The summer before my sophomore year, I embarked on a twoweek backpacking trip. Inspired by a “Survivor” contestant’s advice to embrace what scares you, I decided to apply. But still, she almost convinced me not to go. The trek started near the Grand Tetons, their silhouette taking up a vast majority of the horizon. With 64 miles ahead, we marched forward.

At first, I found it easy to deem the mountains as an insurmountable challenge, impossible to summit. From the trailhead, I could see the peaks above, serving as inspiration. Once on the trail, the visual reminder of my end goal quickly disappeared as the seemingly endless uphill climb unfolded before me.

One of the last mornings, I walked quietly in the back of the group, barely aware of the conversation, staring down the interminable climb ahead. It was our longest day, and the squish of my soggy socks be-

neath convinced me I couldn’t make it to the top. Each step echoed in my ears — a reminder that I wasn’t strong enough, that she would win.

Yet, eight hours later, we stood atop the summit, taking in the view, most notably the Tetons in the distance. From here, they didn’t look nearly as daunting as they did on day one.

This lesson of perseverance was relearned through an overwhelming first semester of journalism class.

Stress over interviews, bylines, page design, and photography danced through my head at all hours, eventually leading to a pipe-like bursting of emotion during an after-school production block. That night, a senior editor held my hand as we finalized my page. Afterward, we played with punctuation and rearranged sentences — we laughed. She made sure I felt comfortable and confident in my new skills. That confidence has stuck with me for the rest of my high school career. It encouraged me to run for student council president, field hockey captain, and apply for editor-in-chief.

It continuously inspires me to push my limits and try new things, even when she lingers in the back of my mind. When the peak above disappears from my sightline and the only thing propelling me forward is faith that the end result will be worth the effort, I put trust in the process, the people around me, and my own abilities.

As I near the summit of high school, I embody the warm energy and never-ending enthusiasm of the people who came before me when I get to lend a hand. I have the opportunity to make an impact on younger kids the same way that others have influenced me: to pay it forward by taking weight out of their pack and walking by their side. With one foot in front of the other, we can climb mountains together.

From where I stand now, she isn’t as intimidating as she was in third grade or in the parking lot: more like a shrunken shadow in the distance. I stand atop the summit, taking in the view — most notably, the peaks ahead that are yet to be climbed.

Jasper Forgey

57, 58, 59… I heard my friends counting as I concentrated on holding my balance. A little more to the right, a pinch of power in the left hand, my brain instructed my body. I would handstand every chance I got: during breaks in Calculus, at lunch between spoonfuls of yogurt, while my friend read Oedipus Rex to me for Philo Lit — I was heels over head for handstanding. I spent so much time upside-down, I recognized frowns as smiles. But I wasn’t always so comfortable. Bottom-up though, I could look backwards and see how I got here.

As my mom and I headed away from the rising sun on the 10-mile drive from Ypsilanti to Ann Arbor, as the houses got bigger and the cars shinier, my balance started to wobble. The world inverted when I got to school, blood rushed to my head. Disoriented, I began to hide myself. Even if none of my classmates commented on my Walmart brand clothes and raggedy shoes, I was always the only one in line for free lunch while they got drunken noodles from NoThai. They made me feel small and hyperconscious of how I presented myself, to the point where I couldn’t tell who I truly was.

I started to get a sense of myself through visits to my Grandma and Pop’s, my mom’s parents, who lived 45 minutes away in the country. This part of my family — the Keenes — are a proletarian and respected people. I come from this family of builders — ingenious and hard-working. On one of these trips, my Pop took me out to the lean-to woodshop he’d just constructed, where we began turning a bowl. The shop was a manifestation of the Keene ingenuity — built from scratch and filled with handmade tools and accolades reflecting a lifetime of work.

I centered the wood. Equal power to both hands, my brain instructed my body. As my Pop guided my hands across the tool rest, the figure of a disk-shaped, shallow bowl emerged. Pop let me handle the chisels on my own, and soon enough, my bowl was finished. As I exam-

ined this vessel that had materialized, the realization that I had made a beautiful, actualization of my soul with my own hands hit me and lit an ember of pride in my stomach.

The pride that welled up inside me began to overflow into my life in unexpected ways. To my surprise, not only was I also excited to show my bowl to my friends, but they really enjoyed it. My clothes became more colorful, I made more friends, I had people over to my house for the first time ever. I was beginning to learn how to balance all the parts of myself, becoming more comfortable being upside-down and with my own difference.

As I looked into this bowl, I found a reflection of my truest self: a boy with love and pride for his family, someone who is capable of work and art, someone confident in his ability to see the world askew.

This newfound confidence propelled me into exploring my interests in the natural world and oceanic sciences. I spent a summer at the Island School, the farthest I had ever been from home. Sixty feet below the water’s surface, I rediscovered a childlike curiosity for the planet, and yearned to learn more. On an Outward Bound course, living on a thirty-foot open sailboat in Maine with twelve other people, I slept underneath big skies, half on the hard wooden thwarts and half on the limbs of my friends.

A basic rule of watercraft and of the Island School is no inversions allowed. When you’re out at sea or isolated on an island, it’s unadvisable to have your head below your feet. But I had found my balance. With my grass-stained hands planted, my feet rose into the sky. I heard my friends begin to count, 1,2,3…

Kyrie Garwood

“Ooh, what about this one?”

My teammate bends down on one knee and palms a basketball, staring straight ahead with the most serious look she can muster.

Another teammate repositions her arm and I snap a photo so we can see how it’ll look on the poster. It’s junior year and my team is in the midst of the most fun basketball practice of the year: Media Day. No matter how much we may dread the next day or how much our sore bodies ache from the practices before, we do our hair, ensure that our socks are folded just right, and smile together as the camera shutters.

Basketball and I have always been a pair. Since I was seven, finding a weekend without a basketball in my hand has been rare. I started with one rec team, then played on two concurrently, then jumped to travel. By seventh grade, I was known as “Kyrie, the Basketball Player.” Then Covid hit.

Yes, COVID-19 impacted others far more than it affected me, but going from playing an intense, highly competitive sport five or six times a week to nothing was devastating. I began spending my days watching old reruns of basketball games, track meets, soccer matches, anything where I could hear the roar of a live crowd that I so desperately missed. I would close my eyes and pretend I was there, not lying in my bedroom’s eternal darkness. Then again, things changed.

High school loomed, and the summer basketball schedule arrived in my inbox. I dug out my basketball bag. I was admittedly over-confident, not expecting too challenging of a learning curve or conditioning gap. Wrong.

The practices — often two to three hours, five days a week — plunged me into what I still call my summer of hell. As much as I loved the sport, my biggest fear in life became running, with the coach’s barked instruction, “Get on the line,” turning me rigid with fear. The only freshman, I was overwhelmingly alone.

As summer dragged on, I slept more and more, waking up only for practice. I distanced myself from friends, begging my parents daily to

let me quit. I now recognize these symptoms of depression, but at the time, no one intervened. Even when I turned to self-harm to avoid practices, the mentality remained to finish the summer.

When the last practice ended, relieved, I hung up my backpack. Forever, I thought. When the season approached, however, I knew that if I did not go to tryouts, my summer of hell meant nothing.

Terrified but determined, I pushed open the gym door. Surprisingly, the curse of being the only freshman that summer was now a blessing. I had become a “veteran freshman” if there ever was such a thing.

As the season progressed, no longer did I just want to go home. Instead, my internal dialogue became,

“Okay, I’ll just get through the hard parts of practice. They’re not even that long.”

Sophomore year I blossomed, taking on JV team leadership, even be-

ing elected captain. Junior year, early on, I was hit with an injury, sidelining me for three weeks.

Had this happened earlier in my sporting career, it might have killed my love for basketball. This time off the court, however, increased my passion for being on it. Once I returned, as a newly-minted varsity player, I helped take us to district finals.

Now, four years since that first harrowing practice, our gym has become my second home and my teammates, my closest friends. I am again “Kyrie, the Basketball Player.” Along the way, my hard work on the court inspired me to try other endeavors. So I am now also “Kyrie, the Diver,” “The Softball Player,” “The Sports Editor.”

Although I still hold the scars from my summer of hell, I also hold true that even if failure feels inevitable, I know I have the strength to succeed.

Eddie Mobilio Breck

I am lucky to have reliably good use of my five senses. I feel. I can smell and taste. I hear. I see. I am grateful that all my senses feel well tuned but sight is my greatest window into a full and rich experience. I find visuals in everything. I see why humans see, in every sense of the word. To see is also to understand.

I am an artist, a painter, a graphic designer, and a thinker. I am always learning more about what sight can do, combining observation, creativity, and imagination and bringing to life something we can call reality. The possibilities of visual input and output are complex and stunning. At first, I was frustrated that my hand could not recreate what my mind was creating. With practice, I learned to share the images and ideas with more people than just myself. I’m getting used to how I see things and how to represent them.

As I started digging into complex material in middle school, I realized I was primarily a “visual learner,” though I didn’t want to be defined only that way. I thought of my ideas as much more than that. I’m also a visual thinker, a visual listener, and a visual artist. I see shapes in words, I see patterns in tone of voice, I imagine how stationary objects might move, I find questions in everything. I remember myself at nine years old, pretending I was living in a world that was nothing but a massive room with white walls. I would run around grazing my hands on the sides, painting blasts of color with my fingertips until the room was covered entirely. This color, and the act of filling an empty space with color and light, helped me process my thoughts and brought meaning to my experience.

My 12th grade philosophy/literature teacher understands this. He always encourages our class to ask big questions in a safe space and to share ideas. He lays the groundwork for discussion with readings and descriptions that tap into my visual interpretation of the material. Like the prisoner in Plato’s Cave, we are allowed to see a certain version of what we think is true, and are then

given the space to explore well beyond that understanding. If we look, there is always more to what we see. My dominant sense of sight is what lets me feel and take in the world around me. My other senses are working too, of course. I hear but I have taught myself to listen, to be aware of how I receive sound, music, information. And I see, yes. More importantly, though, I consciously open my eyes. I look. I observe. I take in, I perceive, I analyze and try to make sense of my story, my context, the people and the experiences around me. More than anything, seeing in this active way helps me grow. It helps me have meaningful exchanges with others. Seeing active-

ly builds the skills to see better. And “aware” thinking helps me ask deeper questions.

I have always wanted to “see in 4-D,” to have the ability to see and know what came before, what an idea looks like from all angles, and what is likely to come after an idea has been deeply explored. It is an idealistic search for truth, for understanding reality. I am motivated to learn more, I want to dig deeper, I want to see and look further in a collaborative environment. I am looking forward to a college experience that excites, challenges and develops my perception and opens new dimensions in understanding the world.

Lucia Page Sander

I can see the lake’s mucky bottom in a 20-foot radius around where I stand on my grandparents’ dock. Here, it’s scattered with young pondweed and coontail swaying softly in the current. The occasional underside-of-the-dock-dwelling bass lazes by too, shimmering in the sun’s aquamarine spotlight. Beyond that, the water dims to a murky navy that’s deep enough to obstruct my view of what could lie within it.

For the first decade of my life — closer to the first decade and a half if we’re being brutally honest — I was certain that a troupe of wrongdoers lurked in that murk; pirates and skeletons and piranhas awaited my first solo journey to the dark side. I spent my time swimming in the bright spot of that 20-foot radius, only venturing farther when I had other swimmers by my side.

These villains manifested themselves into more plausible adversaries outside of the familiarity of our lake. Failure, humiliation, and ostracization seemed probable prizes in the mystery box of looming challenges, unknowns, or first-times.

I entered kindergarten as an avid reader, first grade with a rudimentary understanding of photosynthesis, and by second grade I was an adept multiplier and divider. I’ve never lost a student council election, I don’t know what it’s like to be picked last in gym class and up until seventh grade, it was an unusual soccer game if I didn’t score at least once. I tended to succeed and exceed, and I tended to be praised for it. My schools and sports were well within my lake’s shallows. There, I was swathed in familiarity and if things got uncomfortably difficult, the dock was mere strokes away.

Gradually though, when I left my beloved soccer team with the goal of being the worst kid on the field for once, as school began to challenge me, when friends went and came, as I applied for higher level leadership positions, I familiarized myself with the dimness — the not knowing. Living in the unknown takes its mystery away; water didn’t become poisonous when it got deeper, I just

lost my ability to touch the bottom. I learned that risks hold a whole lot more promise than peril.

Now that I live in the middle of the lake, I’ve come to the understanding that I haven’t seen the things I love most coming, rather, they’ve come only after I’ve thrown myself into the deep end.

Over and over again, I’m working to internalize this. I’m becoming a diver; I’m less and less fazed by opacity. The result: the most difficult math class I’ve ever taken gifted me with a best friend; the new soccer team I was so scared of granted me the opportunity to play in college; three solo flights to a summer program more than 2,000 miles away from home was the highlight of my summer; competitive weightlifting (my sole individual sport) became

the outlet I always needed; becoming an Editor-in-Chief, Vice President, and captain offered me the chance to give everything I’ve been given back, plus more; and leaving the future I’d always imagined in favor of attending my alternative high school taught me to never take learning for granted, and that ultimately, it’s your community that matters most.

Now, 17 years after I first plunged into our lake, my perspective on exploring its entirety has taken a oneeighty. From the comfort of the shallowly submerged rowboat to the inkiness of the deepest depths to the guacamole-like sediment surrounding the island and all the way back to the same dock I’ve always stood on, I’m ready to swim through it all — whether I can see what’s in the water or not.

Maia Genisio

“If you’re here right now asking that question, you’re gonna be the one who solves it,” said Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson to me. (Video link: https://tinyurl.com/maia-college) It was the end of a long lecture I struggled through, barely understanding. I was seven years old, enamored with astrophysics, and I had waited excitedly for the Q&A session. I had seen a few episodes of Dr. Tyson’s series Cosmos and was obsessed with the mysteries of space.

In the days preceding the lecture, my parents prepared me. They asked me to come up with a question I could ask during the Q&A. It had to be good: a question they couldn’t answer. It was the end of the night, the last question of the Q&A, and I stood up on my tiptoes in my starry blue dress and spoke into the microphone, just as I had rehearsed: ”If everything is made of atoms, was there anything before atoms?”

Dr. Tyson responded with immediate enthusiasm. He applauded the question, answered it in a manner I could understand, and gave me a question in return: “If there’s a time before atoms, what was the time before the time before atoms? That would be sometime before the Big Bang itself … If you’re here right now asking that question, you’re gonna be the one who solves it.

I went home and I slept. When morning came, I got to work. I wrote in a composition notebook about Future Me discovering what was before the Big Bang, and immediately I was met with a challenge: how could I come up with a theory when I didn’t know anything to start with? “No trouble,” I thought. I’d just write about myself after getting a PhD in astrophysics. I had years to learn what I needed to know to answer Dr. Tyson’s question.

I had always been a child with questions. I would contemplate how the mind works, how the universe holds itself together, and how humans have built our communities. Before, I had been under the impression that every question had an answer, but I was just not smart enough yet to know it. Dr. Tyson presented me with another option: with time and education, I was smart enough to understand the extent of human knowledge, and I was capable of finding the unanswered questions and answering them myself.

Coming from a family where post-secondary education was expected, I knew I should go to college, but I never understood what it would mean for me. After Dr. Tyson’s answer, I finally understood: college was for learning enough about a field to find the questions no one has answered yet. The only two things between me at seven and that end goal were time and learning. The application I am submitting

today is not an astrophysics major’s application. While my interests moved away from astrophysics sometime after I went to the lecture, I kept the insight I gained. My dream remains: to learn enough about a field of study to find the questions no one has answered yet. Just a week ago, in a seminar at the University of Michigan (that I am taking as a high school student), my professor presented us with a case study of a transgender woman who was able to induce lactation. The study explained the process, but said that it still was unknown what hormone combination allowed the process to take place. The professor presented the case to us and said that this was the furthest this research had gone, but our future research could illuminate more about medicine, gender, and endocrinology.

These are the questions that drive me now, and this application to college is the first step to answering more questions I have yet to discover.

Letters Home

Communicator alumni detail their first year way from CHS and how they’ve grown into their new homes.

Morgan McClease - Loyola University Chicago

As I write this letter, I am sitting in my room back in Michigan, my safe space. It is the same room I sat in nine months ago before moving to Chicago and changing my life forever.

In May 2024, I received an email with my housing assignment. This was the moment when I realized that my life as I knew it was over. When I opened that email, I expected to see San Fran, Simpson, or even Mertz as my first-year residence hall. Instead, I got assigned to Campion Hall, a residence hall I had never heard of before.

My dad and I began to look up Campion Hall on every possible platform: YouTube, TikTok, Reddit — anything to try and dig up information. Campion Hall was the oldest residence hall on campus, having been around for 70 years, and the reviews were awful. Black mold was growing in the rooms, there were multiple cockroach sightings a year and a faulty fire alarm woke us up countless nights but never for a fire. Receiving that housing assignment is where I closed my mind to Loyola University Chicago, and the comparison of my college experience began.

A few months later, I packed my entire life into a car and moved to Chicago. On that car ride, I was met with a wave of emotions; I had no idea what I was about to face when I arrived at Campion Hall. I entered Campion alone. I hauled my suitcase up two flights of stairs and wandered through the hallways trying to find my room. After 10 frantic minutes of walking past it multiple times, I finally found and entered room 240. Our room was much smaller than the picture our RA sent us over the

summer, but there were no signs of black mold or cockroaches, and I saw that as a win.

Loyola has a tradition where firstyear students walk through the green doors of Cudahy Library and then cross the threshold again when they graduate. During New Student Convocation, I participated in that tradition, and officially became a Loyola Rambler.

In my first few months at Loyola, I tried and failed to find a community for myself. I went to one meeting of the newspaper and realized it wasn’t my thing. I compared everything I tried to something I previously had: new friends to old friends, CHS clubs to Loyola student organizations, my residence hall to others on campus, and even my coffee order, Rivers and Roads to Sweetwaters.

Looking back now, with a month left of my first year of college, I realize that comparison was my thief of joy.

I compared myself to everyone and everything. Going into college, I wish someone had warned me about the dark art of comparison, and I wish I had listened. Maybe then I would’ve given Loyola more of a chance.

Although there were many downs during my first year of college, there were also many ups. My roommate and I discovered a love for basketball and attended almost every home game to cheer on the Ramblers. I found a mini community with my fellow social media interns, where I have created content for Loyola University Chicago’s Instagram and TikTok, and grew my passion for social media management. Learning to navigate the CTA train system has also been one of the highlights of

my year, especially taking the train down to Northwestern to visit my dear friend Izzie Jacob. All that’s to say is the year hasn’t been so bad. At the beginning of the second semester, the university confirmed that they are tearing down Campion Hall at the end of this academic year. The end of Campion Hall is also the end of my first year of college, which seems symbolic in a way. When I return to Loyola in the fall, there will be a space where my firstyear residence hall was, and with it, my endless comparison. Going into my second year, I intend to leave behind comparison and live my life. College years are supposed to be the best, and moving forward, I intend to make them so.

Sana Schaden - New York University

April 9, 2024, one year ago. Sitting on the tilted park bench surrounded in trees and overlooking the murmuring Huron river, I dip my spoon into my Monahan’s clam chowder (the best $6 meal a CHS student could ask for), and turn to my dad. He says, “So New York huh, what are you most excited for?” I flinched at the question. See, my entire life since I can remember, my response to the idea of staying in Ann Arbor was absolutely not. I planned to see the world and to throw myself into as many unfamiliar places as possible. However, on April 9, 2024, the idea of exchanging the view from my park bench for the so-called concrete jungle seemed impossible. I muttered something in response to my dad’s question, “I don’t know I’m gonna try to make friends and take advantage of opportunities.” For me, I viewed moving to New York as my chance to be at the precipice of change.

Early in high school, I developed a strong interest in education around reproductive health rights. I found advocacy work to be fulfilling and important. I became motivated to learn as much as possible about our current system and how to change it. In my head, New York was my opportunity to snap into action; to make as many connections as possible with new organizations and activists; to figure out what direction I wanted to take my learning; and to find my place in the world. But, now that my goal of making it to a big city like New York was finally being realized, I was in constant limbo between the fear of failing and the anticipation of great opportunity.

In the months that I’ve been here, this feeling has never completely subsided, but something else happened. I found my second home.

I spent my first night at college wandering around Washington Square Park. In that moment, the excitement was beating out the anxiety, as the energy of the city took

over my being. The scent of cigarette smoke and the sound of jazz tunes filled the air. I found my place by the large fountain at the center of the park, chatting with a group of ten or so people, most of whom I likely never saw again. One thing I have learned about myself is that my people find me slowly and quietly. I do not often click with anyone immediately, save for a few. And initially, I mourned the comfort of my high school friendships. With time, though, I found people that were interesting and different than anyone I’d known before. I fell in love with so many aspects of my college life, from late night subway rides or pizza runs to chatting on a stoop or studying in the park. I learned that I could be a different version of myself at school while still holding my Ann Arbor self close. I learned to stop viewing New York solely as a challenge to be conquered. This shift in mentality turned out to be crucial in protecting my academic motivation, specifically amidst the current political climate.

Earlier this school year, I began working on a project for a reproductive health rights advocacy organization to expand community health worker programs. However, when the current administration stepped into office, our work was directly impacted and the scope of our outreach reduced. Like many others doing this kind of work, I was facing a feeling of apathy. Here I was trying to build a career around public health, while every advocacy organization in the country was losing funding and reducing staff. I have seen first hand the reduced efficacy of protests and increased risk of international students being deported for engaging in advocacy work. In some ways, the motivation is greater because this work is needed, but other times it feels overwhelming to cope with so many unknowns. Navigating my academic path, particularly given current conditions can be complicated, but I have found my life itself in New York, including the people and places, to be a comfort and support.

Ruth Shikanov - Barnard College

Initially, I began this letter with “Dear,” but who is this supposed to be addressed to? I thought of who might read this and whether they are like me; last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, I read these exact letters, about others ending up in places they never dreamt of being in and feeling fear and regret, but ultimately having the most beautiful, meaningful experiences. They learned how to establish new routines, make new friends, find new homes. And no matter how much they changed, their new lives reminded them of something about Community, whether it was having the courage to go after what scared them or the idea that there is never just one “right” path.

When I first arrived in New York, it felt like everything I wanted was finally coming to fruition. I was leaving behind a difficult chapter of my life and beginning a new one. As I stood on Broadway with my parents, I remembered who I was six months ago and how in disbelief I would be if someone said I would be here, in New York.

Senior year of high school was one of the most challenging years of my life. I pushed myself harder than ever, trying to balance everything at once: school, extracurriculars, friends; one by one, I gave up the after-school activities I had been doing ever since I was young because school and college applications demanded all my time and energy. On top of that, the majority of my friends were a year older and had graduated, leaving me to feel incredibly alone in a place that was supposed to feel familiar. My self-esteem was at an all-time low, and I struggled to find the person I had once been.

I was so unhappy that I associated all of my emotional lows and negative experiences with Ann Arbor, convinced that leaving would be the light at the end of the tunnel. And it truly felt like it was as soon as I stepped foot into New York. Things here never stop moving — I was surrounded by new faces, exploring the city and taking classes that encouraged me to think in ways I never had before. But I falsely believed that being in a new place entailed a brandnew me. As the semester progressed,

the pressures of college began to sink in. For weeks at a time, I would go on autopilot, just trying to make it from one day to the next. I told myself I was fine because I was exactly where I was meant to be: not in Ann Arbor, not in high school.

After a long week of finals, I was on an hour-long bus ride to LaGuardia airport with my severely overstuffed carry-on (I did have to pay $40 to send it under), feeling all kinds of emotions: relief, fear, anticipation. In truth, I was scared to return home, but the month I spent at home was more necessary than I ever could have known. At first, it was a difficult readjustment, returning to a pace of life that had been so familiar for years but felt so distant now. By being home and with my family, I had time to reflect, and I realized I was also running on autopilot senior year — I was stretching myself thin every single day, barely making it through, and I was doing the same thing to myself all over again. I had spent so long dreaming about change, firmly believing that leaving would solve everything, yet here I was again. Why is it so hard to find that balance?

When I returned to New York, I knew something had to shift. I could not fall back into the same cycle. Instead of overwhelming myself in an endless pursuit of achieving balance, I needed to take care of myself, to be kinder to myself. It’s hard to believe that things will work out when it feels like you can always be doing more, doing better.

This letter is not me saying that I have found the “cheat code” and I am the happiest I have ever been. But I will tell you that I am doing so much better, and it is because I believe. Often, my mom reminds me of this quote from “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” — “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” It sounds incredibly clichéd, but if I could go back and talk to the person I was a year ago today, I would repeat those exact words. Undoubtedly, college is a difficult adjustment. I don’t regret leaving Ann Arbor; I love New York and everything the city has to offer. There will always be new challenges, but I know I will overcome them.

As Tracy has continuously reminded me, we must “stretch”; growth and change are not comfortable, but both are inevitable and necessary. So dear reader, if you are going to college next year — or if you’re in high school, or somewhere in between or beyond — there will be moments that challenge you and push you, but life is much larger than trying to be the perfect student or getting into that school. I remind myself of the times I spent at home, cooking in my kitchen with my dad or taking my dog on walks near Argo. In New York, it looks like buying fresh fruit from the market, people-watching in the park that overlooks the Hudson, going out with my friends. Those moments ground me and remind me that while college can feel paralyzing, it is eye-opening, liberating and vibrant. So the next time you feel lost or overwhelmed, just pause. Breathe. Pay attention to the small things that bring you joy. I cannot reiterate it enough — things have a way of working out in the end, and if they haven’t yet, then it just means this isn’t the end.

Aidan Hsia - Michigan State University

At the beginning of my senior year, I looked out of my bedroom window and imagined the first snow of the year. I could imagine the snow drifting down, covering the ground and with it, I knew winter break would be soon. It was something to look forward to, and when it finally came, I felt satisfied after waiting several months. That time has come and gone.

When I arrived at my dorm at Michigan State University this year, I looked out the window and could imagine the same thing: a gray sky, snow drifting slowly onto the ground covering the trees, grass, road and the dorm across the street. That time came and went too. And it was comforting because I felt far from home, but in a way, I was still right there in

my room at home watching as I had for years before

This year has obviously been very different. It’s been new, challenging, stressful, sometimes confusing and always exciting but through it all, it’s still just been some of the same. I still look out my window thinking about the snow or when the leaves will come back to the trees.

This year has been different, I found things to ground myself in, what is a major change of life. This school year I’ve read more books, watched more movies, and seen more plays and musicals than I have in previous years. There’s something both freeing and nostalgic about them. They tie me to the future and to the past because I can see my likes changing, but simultaneously, the

books and movies I watch are tying me back to what I watched and read in my childhood.

Before this year, I thought a job would be too much. However, a couple of weeks into the year, my mother showed me an opportunity for a job at the Wharton Center, a performing arts theater on the MSU campus. I wasn’t a huge fan of musicals or plays and thought that putting myself out there into a job on campus, especially one where I constantly had to interact with people, was a little frightening. My only previous job had been in a restaurant no bigger than my house. As I worked, I noticed myself beginning to fall into the role. At first, I tried to act professional and welcoming, but soon I found myself acting like it naturally. Shortly after that, I began to notice it outside of work when I would speak up in class or introduce myself to someone. It also allowed me an outlet to meet other students, as most of the other employees were students at MSU.

Only a few weeks into classes, I found myself walking off of campus and I simply kept going. By the time I turned around, I was a mile away from campus in a place that didn’t look too nice: it was a little asphalt trail behind a Crunch Fitness and on the other side train tracks run. But as classes continued, I found myself walking to the same spot behind the Crunch Fitness. It was a place that was strangely peaceful to me, a place where I could leave the stresses of college behind and allow myself a moment to breathe

This year has been a lot, so finding the little things is what matters to me, whether it’s reading a book or taking a walk in a now-familiar place or looking out my window to see the snow falling, it provides a space for myself in a time that can feel overwhelming.

Senior Siblings

Siblings at CHS reflect on their bonds and emotions surrounding moving into a new chapter separate from the built-in partner they have spent their entire lives with.

BY ELLORA KIRBAT, LUCY LOWENSCHUSS AND JESSICA ROTHSTEIN

LEILA & IRIS DURRIE

The only reason Iris Durrie chose to split enroll to Community was because of her older sister, Leila Durrie, a current CHS senior. The two sisters have been close their whole lives, from being homeschooled together when they were little to navigating the transition from house to house once their parents split up. Although Iris didn’t get into Community off the lottery, when the sisters realized she could split enroll from Pioneer, they were overjoyed to continue their journey together.

“I helped her pick out her schedule,” Leila said. “[Iris] totally wanted to come to Community because I had talked about how much I loved my teachers, so she wanted to experience that as well.”

The pair went to a K-8 school together before being at different schools for Leila’s first two years of high school, some of the only years that they have been apart from each other. Iris was excited to be able to share two years of their high school experience before Leila goes off to college. They both cherish being able to see each other again throughout the day at school and especially treasure their drives to school together. By the time Iris started high school and split enrolled in the morning to Community, Leila already had her license and drove them to school every day. Often running late, the two usually share breakfast on the way.

“It’s really nice that we can just talk if we’re both having a hard day,” Iris said. “If we need to, we can go home or get coffee or lunch together.”

The two also participated in a CR this year, spending time on Mondays and Wednesdays at the gym.

“It’s nice because she’s always there for me and vice versa,” Leila said. “We’ve got each other’s backs, and it’s nice to have that at school.”

Throughout their lives, both have been able to be there for each other. For instance, Leila has performed in theater since she was six, and some of Iris’s best memories include watching her performances. She loves meeting her sister at the stage door after a show.

“My favorite part is waiting for her and seeing her after she has her big moment,” Iris said. Iris has looked up to her sister her entire life and sees her as a role model, especially now that Leila is preparing for college. Watching Leila go through all of the tests and procedures for life after high school gives Iris a taste of what it will be like when it’s her turn.

The sisters have seen each other grow up throughout their lives and into high school. After their parents split, Leila became the consistent support person in Iris’s life, always being there for her as they moved between both houses. That weighed on Leila’s mind when she decided to spend the second semester of her junior year abroad in Spain. She was worried about how Iris, then in her freshman year of high school, would react to suddenly being an only child. But contrary to Leila’s fears, she noticed how much Iris grew through the experience, gaining valuable independence and connections.

“I was really glad that some of my friends stepped in and gave her extra support, extra rides home and stuff like that,” Leila said. “It gave me confidence that when I go off to college, she’s gonna be just fine.”

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ALLAN & MIRA AUTHIER

12.23.14

For Allan and Mira Authier, silence can be a sign of comfort. Before driving to and from school and extracurricular activities, Allan Authier, a CHS senior, scrolls through his playlists and turns on the music while his sister sits beside him. Even if they don’t talk, Mira Authier, a CHS freshman, believes that each drive has created a closer bond between them.

“I feel like, even though he’s my brother, sometimes he’s just intimidating,” Mira said. “So being able to just kind of sit there is comforting.”

Allan and Mira haven’t always been as close as they are now. Since Mira decided to enroll at Community, they have spent more time with each other. In addition to Allan driving Mira to school daily, they both participate in Community Ensemble Theatre (CET). Allan has been on lights crew since his sophomore year, while Mira enjoys being part of the cast and acting in the productions.

“Mira’s been doing theatre longer than I have,” Allan said. “She’s been

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acting for many years, so I think she was really excited to do CET, even if I wasn’t already a part of it.”

From a young age, Mira and Allan have had many shared interests, one being music. They both play string instruments: Allan plays the guitar in his band, Staircase Joke, and Mira enjoys playing classical music on the cello. Although the style of music is different, the passion stemmed from the same place — their parents.

“Our mom works for the Ark, so when we were younger, we used to put on concerts for our parents and sing together in the living room,” Mira said.

Although the pair favors different types of music, they make an effort to indulge in the other’s preferred genre when making or listening to music.

“Mira has a playlist that she made because of the music I listened to,” Allan said. “Over time, she’s warmed up to the music, which is nice.”

Next year, Allan will be away at Western Michigan University. However, the siblings are determined

to continue to support each other through college and beyond.

“I’ll come back for CET shows to see her performing and all that,” Allan said. “I’ll be in Michigan still, only an hour and a half away.”

Even with the distance over the upcoming years, Mira believes that it will bring her and her brother closer together. She will miss the time spent in his car listening to his music and his daily presence both at home and school.

“I’m scared about being an only child, but I think he’s gonna like it,” Mira said. “I’m excited for when he comes back and we get to see him again.”

The memories that Allan and Mira have shared will carry them through their time apart. Whether it’s Mira stepping onto stage at CET or Allan stepping onto stage alongside his band members, they are the same kids singing in their living room, performing for their parents. No matter the distance, they will always be there for each other. Only a phone call or a silent drive away.

Seniors of Community Ensemble Theater

CET seniors, cast and crew, have all had their own unique experiences with the program. Students share what CET gave them, taught them and more.

BY MILLY SANDSTROM, ELEANOR FARRELL , MALLORY TOWERS AND MIGUEL LARIOS

“I loved it. It’s genuinely become such a strong passion of mine, and it’s made me actually consider pursuing theater in my life. And I’ve learned a lot of new skills. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people, and it’s been a really wonderful part of my life.”

- Jupiter Gergics

“I have only been a part of CET for one semester, but I wanted to graduate without any regrets. I’ve wanted to do CET since I was a freshman, but I [never did], and I thought, ‘It’s never too late to start something.’”

- Klava Alicea

“I’ve learned to cooperate with people in a professional-ish setting. It’s very teamwork oriented, and you gotta get used to constant communication, effective communication. It takes a lot of work, but it’s a good way to learn.”

- Maggie Beeson

“I love the quiet moments in the theater. I like the times before the actors arrive when I can be sitting alone in the theater, just kind of vibing before the show. I get a relaxing moment in before I have to work.”

- Allan Authier

“This year, when tech week happened, getting to spend that much time with my friends reminded me why I was in CET to begin with. Before that, especially not having any groups that I clicked with, I was like, ‘What’s the point of this?’ But CET helped bring me back. It was really just a happy place for me.”

- Mathias Takacs

“Freshman year I decided to join CET because a friend was contemplating joining, and they wanted a friend to be in there with them. I started out on costumes crew then meandered over to sets crew. CET is important to me because it gave me the freedom to express myself in ways that I could never imagine.”

- Sara Jo Grover

“I think CET really helped me find my confidence. The seniors really were amazing role models for me my freshman year, and really showed me that it’s okay to make mistakes, ask questions, and be myself.”

- Leila Durrie

“I just like always think back to The Visit, which is the first play I did with CET, it was one of the first times I felt like really truly trusted as an actor by Emily, but also by my peers. I was so excited to be part of this company and it didn’t feel like a competition it didn’t feel like I was trying to prove that I was like good enough all the time.”

- Eliza Braunschneider

“I remember an advertisement for Pippin auditions popped up, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, my dog is named Pippin too, it’s an omen.’ So I went to audition, and it was really fun. It was kind of terrifying, but it was great to just step into a really welcoming space, especially since I had never done it before.”

- Bee Whalen

“I think, especially in the costumes crew, we’re just really close-knit. It’s such a place for people to bond and to express themselves and stuff like that. We have so much freedom to do things ourselves, and it’s just a lot of student leadership and students being in charge.”

- Sumaya Berki

“I joined CET in freshman year just because the title of the play, She Kills Monsters, sounded really cool. It turned out to be the best choice I made about anything to join in my whole high school years. It brought me so many of my friends and so many of my best memories.”

- Malia Weber

“I think I’ve learned a lot. I’ve met a lot of new people, met new friends. I have a lot of favorite memories, but most are our like after show outings, especially like NYPD, where everyone’s just like talking with each other and like having fun.”

- Lily Wren

“It was super scary at first, but now, I feel like it’s helped so much with my confidence and self image. It’s such a small, tight knit community that, like, everybody feels so comfortable.”

- Ionie Steudle

“It’s taught me how to manage my emotions during high-stress times. It’s taught me how to make sure that I stay okay during difficult times, and I’ve learned some strategies that I can utilize through CET and through the shows I’ve done.”

- Maia Genisio

“[I joined CET] when I was a freshman, like three quarters of the way through the year, halfway through the production of Pippin, and pretty much immediately I felt welcomed, even though I joined so late.”

- Seassun Rosenfeld

“[CET is special because], from the tech side, just how much input the kids in tech crews get in design, as well as just helping set things up. And I think that Emily chooses really interesting plays to do as well, and we have fun trying out different things, and so on.”

- Avalon McNew

“My favorite moments in CET are when you kind of get to do your own stuff. CET has taught me that there are things worth your time, and if it’s worth your time, then definitely go for it, go fully into it.”

- Logan Kaganove

“Even if you are so scared and so anxious to join, just do it anyway. Everyone is there for you. Everyone loves you, everyone will be so supportive. My life wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for CET and the relationships I built there. So just go for it, and you don’t have to be the best of the best. Just be there. Be present.”

- Jacqueline Boynton

“CET was my saving grace when I first moved here. The people you get to be surrounded with, the magic that little black theater contains, it’s all just so beautiful. It really makes you fall in love with it and everyone around you. That’s a hard thing to say goodbye to.”

“People in CET are really great listeners, which I think is hard in theater, because we’re all just trying to do our thing. You have to hit the cues, you have to learn your lines. But we do so much learning and talking, and communicating, I think it just makes us all feel like a part of it, in a special way.”

- Claire Lewis

- Gwen Galvin

WORDS FROM

Final pieces of advice CHS teachers hope their graduating students take to heart.

Dean Rebecca

“Be brave in a world where being brave

Steve Coron

“Be prepared for the future to be nothing what you expected, be prepared to be flexible. And remember, we don’t learn from experience — we learn from reflecting

Becky Brent

“Enjoy all of the little moments and the range of emotions that can come with those little moments. Celebrate the memories you’ve made.”

Tracy Anderson

“Go into the world with curiosity and empathy. Listen to people and their stories. And, remember that you’re going to be with yourself for the rest of your life. Take good care of yourself so you can love and care for those around you.”

Jessika Whiteside

“Try to be present in the moment and enjoy life for what it is. You can’t go back in time, so try to be present and enjoy what you have at hand even when it’s difficult.”

LYDIA DEBORD AND KATE GROVES

ART BY BEE WHALLEN

THE WISE

Brian Williams

“Don’t expect things to change if you don’t put in the work to change it.”

Sean Eldon

“Food is medicine. As you go out into the world, you’re reminded to think big, but you’re actually better served by thinking small about how to make each day meaningful and special. One of the simplest ways to do that is to think about how you interact with yourself, your body. Thinking about the little things that you do for yourself and others, like eating and breaking bread is a really great way to live.”

ANDERSON FORUM

pillote

“One of my favorite moments at Community was probably the summer after my sophomore year when I went on the France trip with Marci and Danelle. It was the first time that I was on my own in such a different place. The experiences I got from that trip are truly some that I will hold on to for the rest of my life. We got time where we all went our separate ways and stayed with families there, and it was something I had never done. I was just so fully immersed in this French household where I had to quickly adapt which was tricky due to the language barrier. I think that everyone should try to go on school trips. The experiences you get to share with people who you might have never known outside of this special place is something so beautiful, and it makes you really feel like a community, which I love so much. Community is so different from any other school I have attended. It’s just so accessible to talk to your teachers and have them respect you as a person. This also helps create amazing mutual relationships between all of us, which is something I don’t see in any other schools. It has helped me in so many ways in my life. Community is a place that really helps foster honesty and trust between people, and that is such a beautiful thing.”

parmer

“I think about this a lot, honestly, because you don’t really notice it until you’re there in senior year, and when I think back on it, who I was when I came into high school was very, very different. Super shy, super insecure. I was like a ball of anxiety. I cared a lot about what people thought of me. I hated being perceived like everything, and she was just this scared little girl. One year, there was some drama with friends. A friend group of mine that I’d had up until that point kind of split off, and we went our own ways. And, you know, splitting off on my part was very hard. To be able to do that, I needed a lot of confidence in myself and self respect and reassurance that I just didn’t feel like I had up until that point. But also last year, I just had that epiphany where I’ve grown a lot since then. I lost my friends that year, but it didn’t feel like the end. It was sad, but it was kind of necessary, and I am kind of glad it happened, but like. A lot of high school relationships are not going to be like lifetime friendships, you know, and it’s great if they are, but that just wasn’t for me, and I think it took a while to come to terms with that. When I did, I was like ‘Wow, I would have never thought that three years ago.’”

thomas

“Honestly, I think the biggest thing for me has been making real connections with my friends and actually putting in effort to build those relationships. Back in freshman year, I was way more anxious and nervous about everything. But over time, I’ve gotten more comfortable and a little more confident in myself. Being part of the school community really helped with that — it made me feel like I belonged and opened up a lot of cool opportunities. The clubs, especially the Art Club, were super helpful, and I liked being able to go off campus for lunch too. What really made the biggest difference, though, was finding friends I could totally be myself around. I’m usually really shy, but I remember one time I had to do a presentation in ASL, and that whole experience — along with the ASL program and teacher — really helped me grow and made my time here a lot more fun.”

BRENT FORUM

mason

“If I had gone to some normal school like Skyline, I don’t think I would be as mature as I am right now. Being able to have that responsibility of actually choosing to go to class instead of being forced to go to class helped me grow and helped me be more mature. I took advantage of Community. In my first two years, I would skip class a lot. I would take advantage of it, I would not go to class because of the open campus. I would hang out at Sweetwaters all day. I would not do my homework. But growing and becoming an upperclassman, I realized that that was unfair to myself and to the school because I’ve been given a great responsibility. I realized that I needed to take pride in where I was at and try to use it the right way. I was absent a lot mentally and just in school my first two years, whether that was in forum or just in my classes. But Becky stuck with me and helped me. I remember it was the first forum day I went to. I skipped the first one, so my sophomore year forum day. I remember I had to leave a little early to get to work, and she gave me a big hug and said she loved me. Becky loves teaching. She loves her job. It makes it just so much easier to learn. Sean, too. He loves English. He loves teaching literature, and being in a class where you can tell that someone enjoys teaching just makes it all that much easier to learn from them.”

hanner-zawacki

“I went into Community without much opinion on it. To be honest, I didn’t have any expectations because I didn’t really know what to think. I’ve kind of come out of that realizing that while it’s not perfect, it was absolutely the best school that I could have gone to. I probably wouldn’t have the confidence that a smaller school can bring with one on one with your teachers. I was in art club for my first two years, but I was so busy on Thursdays I couldn’t keep going to it. I was still feeling the ache for a club, and I wasn’t sure, because none of them really seemed to interest me. So I figured, we don’t have one for students with disabilities, because I am physically disabled. So I went to Becky and I said, ‘Hey, do you have a time open during the week where I could make a disability awareness club?’ She had Fridays at lunch open. We have about a handful of regulars that come in and just people that shuffle in and out. We watch documentaries, talk and discuss recent events. It’s more of a support group. What we’ve kind of solidified is that disability isn’t limited in its definition. I have been told before that I don’t look disabled, and I still am. Someone in there is hard of hearing. Someone in there has anxiety disorder and autism. We hang out and we share experiences. It’s been kind of soothing to have that and talking about issues we’ve had even in the school. Nothing’s going to be perfect, but it’s just been a really cool experience to get to talk to more people.”

“I’ll never forget that time when the school was still under construction and we had the fire alarm go off every day for a week. That was so funny, it just became a routine for a bit. I’ll never forget after a mock trial practice, going with a bunch of kids to Panera and having a charged lemonade at 8p.m. and then inadvertently having an all nighter because of it. Don’t have a charged lemonade at 8:30p.m. But I’ve gotten some of my best friends from the school, and there are a lot of really good teachers here. Specifically, I know I’m definitely not the only person that would say this, but Maneesha. Bless her heart, I love her so much. She is a very passionate person, very focused on getting as many people to not necessarily love math, but not be scared of it. I know it’s a big deal for her, and at least in my case, she’s been successful. I don’t think I would have taken Calculus if it were with another teacher. She’s just a very comforting person. She’s there for you if you need help solving a math problem or if you need a hug. Real close relationships with teachers has really helped my personality really thrive and prosper. ”

CRABTREE FORUM

ludlam

“I decided on Community because I wanted the flexibility with my schedule and to take the classes I wanted and to work around my life and skating. Everyone kind of trusts each other. For me, the open campus is helpful and the block schedule works really well with college classes. A highlight for me is that I’ve taken a lot of classes at Michigan. Anatomy, Calc 3, differential equations, genetics, those types of things. Anatomy and Physiology was my favorite. I liked doing cadaver labs, and I thought it was fun to apply learning to my career goals and explore those paths I want to go down. It’s helpful to have that experience with college classes. I am going to Michigan next year and feel like I am continuing that journey rather than starting a new one. But I will miss the teachers and Kerrytown and being right next to Zingerman’s sandwiches. Community has allowed me to have that flexibility and growth I wouldn’t necessarily have as much access to somewhere else.”

mendez

“I think I matured from being a freshman to being a senior. I have a better idea of what my goals are and where I want to be after college. I’m going to be at [the University of] Michigan, and then I think the goal is to go to law school after that. Mock Trial is what sparked my interest in law. It was probably like the first time I actually stepped in a courtroom, which was actually sophomore year. I really felt the energy of it all. I decided I wanted to be up there giving openings and closings and all of that. We did Empire, an outof-school mock trial competition, for the fall this year. We placed fourth, which I think was the first really big win we had when I was on that team. Working with everyone to get there, we were pretty surprised by the placement, and that was a really cool memory to have. The moment we found out, we were all sitting in the gallery. We had won our first three rounds, so we knew we could be going to the final round, but we didn’t know if we won or lost our fourth round. As the teams were being listed out, we weren’t hearing our names, so we thought we didn’t make the top 10. And then they got to that final four, and we were really happy.”

lorenz

durrie

“I had my heart set on Community because it really seemed like it suited what I wanted out of a high school experience. My friends and I all applied together, and most of them got in, but I didn’t. I was put on the waitlist. I remember being very anxious and not knowing what I would do if I didn’t get into Community because nothing else called to me. When I went into high school, I didn’t know who I was, and I made decisions based on what other people were doing or what I thought I should be doing. Through my time here, I’ve learned how to make decisions based on what I truly want or think, and I’ve, in a way, discovered myself. Last year, I missed second semester because I went to Spain. I had to make the sacrifice of missing school to take a leap of faith and have an adventure. When I told my friends I was going abroad, they told me I would miss prom and so many other things. I missed prom, I missed the SAT, but I had this incredible experience that I don’t regret at all. I learned a lot about myself and about others. I loved the culture there, the language and the people. I decided to look into American universities abroad, and I’m going to St. Louis University in Madrid. I’m going to study international business and minor in communications so I can keep on working on journalism. I really want to travel the world and see what is out there. If you set your mind on something, and you know what’s right for you and you visualize that, it will usually work out how you want it to.”

“I’m a student that came into high school not really knowing what I wanted to do post high school and pretty quickly found something that I really love, am passionate about and really want to continue doing throughout the rest of my life, which is jazz. Originally, I applied to Community when I learned that the jazz program was here, and when I got in, I was super stoked. I was able to go to this amazing jazz program. I started playing in Jazz I, and from there my interest skyrocketed. I’m going to school for music post high school. Next to jazz, Ryan’s classes, no matter the subject, are always really fun. Ryan just finds a way to make them interactive, and I really liked that. At Community, there’s a real emphasis on getting students to interact with one another and the teachers. There’s a lot of project based work, but then a lot of times you’ll learn about a topic and then play a game with the class to kind of reinforce that topic. One of my favorite memories is a bit of a silly one: When I was in Algebra 1, they were testing the fire system. The entire building evacuated except us because our fire alarm didn’t go off. So we went through a full fire drill without knowing anything happened. I thought it was kind of funny.”

nguyen

“Freshman year, we went camping for forum, and it was really fun. I shared a tent with Leila Durrie. We made marshmallows and had veal burgers. It was in my forum leader, Steve’s, backyard. I really like the freedom it offers and how people at Community use that freedom to do CRs and Michigan classes, which is a good opportunity. The most challenging part of CHS was having to discipline myself, there aren’t rigid class schedules, and having to teach myself how to go to class was hard — I think it will help me in college when there also isn’t a lot of external force to go to class. I’m proud of my skating accomplishments, like being able to go international with my team. Teachers were really understanding about catching up on work and giving me work to do while I was gone. They allowed me to be realistic about how much I could get done. [At CHS], I like how there’s more freedom to be yourself and find your own self-expression. I decided to go after I entered with a friend through the lottery. I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it again, I could always transfer to Pioneer, but I couldn’t transfer to Community full time. I figured I’d give it a shot. I stayed because I liked the environment, the teachers and the classes.”

glynn

“I didn’t think that I would be as connected as I am to all the teachers that I know and all the people that I know here. I didn’t expect that it would be this much, but I’m very happy to be wrong about that. I’ve learned that if you’re more open and personal with your teachers and everyone around you, it just makes the whole experience easier and more enjoyable. I like how [CHS] has an open campus. I like that it just gives you more opportunities to be yourself, to be more open with others, to be more connected with the people around you. It gives you so many more opportunities to just be yourself. Huron was completely different from that, but split enrollment was a very fun decision for me. I wanted to play in Huron’s orchestra and that was able to give me a sense of both worlds, of why Community is so different compared to the other schools. It was definitely very fulfilling in my high school career to be able to go to another school and do something that I love, that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to do here. I think that if you want to try and keep doing something, you should definitely do it through split enrollment. You get to participate in different events at both schools, and I’ve been able to go on school trips for both [schools]. I went on a trip to Spain with the Huron Orchestras, and I really enjoyed that experience, but I’ve also been to Quebec with Marci Harris. Even if you go to another school, you can still have people that you can talk to and be friends with.”

ELDON FORUM

“The people at Community are more open and welcoming. It’s easier to make friends and start conversations — you can walk up to someone random and feel included. At Skyline, I think the social norms are more rigid. You can’t really be ‘weird’ there in the same way you can here. At Community, you can be yourself without worrying about judgment. I especially like Film Lit, we just watch movies and analyze them. The teacher, Sean Eldon, is amazing — he’s also my forum leader. Sean Eldon — his teaching style, how he handled everything and how he supported me personally — has made a big impact on my life. Throughout high school, track has taught me hard work and consistency. You won’t improve if you’re not consistent. Rock climbing has taught me patience and how to stay calm under pressure. Art classes have shown me that things take time and don’t have to be perfect. Working two jobs has helped me with communication and understanding how I present myself to others. I feel like CHS teaches you responsibility and when to make the right choices and when to stay on top of your work. No one’s going to save you if you fall behind, you have to manage yourself. Freshman year, I was unmotivated. I didn’t do assignments, didn’t show up to class and was just being a little rebel. Now, I’m focused on my future and setting myself up for success. The people, the experiences — it’s all helped me grow. No regrets coming here.”

pellerin

“I would advise Community students to do a CR, because I didn’t get to do one. I would’ve done something related to Spanish since I like speaking Spanish. I’ve taken Spanish classes since elementary school, all the way to Spanish 5, and I just took the Spanish Biliteracy Exam. I don’t know, it’s fun to know another language. I think I’ll keep doing it after high school, but I don’t really see it as a career path. It’s not always possible because people have to devote a lot of time to making money, but it’s nice to have a hobby that doesn’t have so much pressure put on it. It’s a way to have fun, do things you like and still feel accomplished. I feel like I get that same thing from art. I’ve always done art as a hobby. I think the things that I enjoy most are things that I don’t put effort into, that come a little bit naturally and that I don’t have to really practice or think about really hard. I’d never really created pieces, titled works for show or put work in a portfolio until coming to Community. I took three art classes during the span of being here. My favorite was Advanced Portfolio with Beth because there were less people, and it was more open-ended.”

roscyzk

“My favorite memory was the first day I came to Community. I entered as a freshman, and just experiencing our school’s morning assembly at St. Andrews for the first time was so crazy. Not a lot of schools do that, and it was just really cool to hear the jazz band play for the first time. I immediately knew I chose the right school. All the teachers here, they’re really laid back and approachable. They’re really great if you have a problem, if you need an extension, if you just need to talk something out and have two way communication or just blurt out your thoughts and ideas for a project. Being like, ‘I’m thinking this. What do you think?’ and getting feedback is nice. One of my favorite teachers is Jessica Whiteside. In her class, you get to read really fascinating books, and you can just go beyond surface level learning and like literature examinations, which I always enjoy, because I’m always an avid lit reader. One of my personal favorites, even now, after one of her classes, was “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” I know my teachers better than I would at a normal high school. I feel like we learn better because we have smaller classes. You have more time for individualized questions. We go to Traver Creek in FOS 1, which Pioneer doesn’t do, and that’s really cool. You get to learn the exact same topics but just in a totally different format than other schools.”

“Two years ago, I went on the Greece trip with Sean. We stayed in Athens for two or three days, and then we traveled all over the mainland. We didn’t go to any islands, but we just saw a ton of old, ancient things. It was really cool. I remember Olympia the most because it was so beautiful. [But] I didn’t have any friends when I went. And in that circumstance, where you feel like you would need somebody to rely on, when you’re in a foreign country with no parental guidance, you just have teachers. Even in that situation, I still felt supported and connected to Community. I didn’t know anyone, but they still treated me with human decency and respect. Sean did a really good job at making me feel secure and at home, and he’s put a lot of attention into making me feel welcome. I think that made it one of my favorite moments of my entire life. The connectedness of Community has made it like a completely different environment. I feel like the community within the staff makes the students’ community 10 times richer. They all get along and hang out outside of school, too. They make such a fun work environment, but they also make it fun for students to be here. So that’s what I always want to remember. A lot of the time I look at our staff and how they talk to each other and how they’re just so kind. They’re such good people, and I hear about their life, and I want that when I grow up.”

mccreadie

“My years at Community got continuously better. Every year, I had deeper connections with people. I’ve met some people now that I’m just so grateful to [have met], and they’ve taught me so many different things about myself, and they’ve really shown me what it means to be a good friend. I really feel Community is not just reflected in the students, but it’s also reflected in the staff. I can look my teachers in the eye, and I’m not afraid to ask for help or ask them how their day was, and I don’t feel like they’re towering over me. I met Tracy in my first semester of sophomore year, in yearbook. Tracy’s class is just so different from any other class here, which is what makes it so attractive. Tracy’s the first teacher where I feel like she’s put a lot of trust in me, and I’ve gotten to know her really well. I think Tracy has taught me this through being an editor, but it’s something that I see reflected in her work, too, that in order to be a good leader, you have to give up your leadership in some ways, and I see that in her teaching so much. Tracy is such a great leader. She’s running these crazy publications and meeting these tight deadlines and everything, but she’s able to do that because she gives up so much of that power and puts her trust in students. In doing that, I think it’s really built the confidence of so many of her students, myself included. Getting to run a publication like the yearbook has taught me a lot about myself. Tracy’s just a really incredible teacher, and she’s so energetic, and she always has a positive outlook on life, and that’s really infectious.”

rountrey

“Coming into Community, I was almost a completely different person than I am now. I’ve become a more educated and worldly individual, and it has led me to understand things I previously didn’t understand. I came into community and honestly, I was quite close minded, but I learned things, and I learned what I was good at and what I liked doing. I think I probably came to a kind of realization when I came out. I remember the first place that I went for support was CHS because it’s this environment where people are non-judgmental. It’s a good environment to go to if you’re really just seeking somebody to talk to where people aren’t going to be as cruel and judgmental. The first place I went with that was Rebecca Brent, who is the health teacher. That was the best class I’ve ever taken. It was public health and policy. I think I learned a lot from that class, and I learned a lot about myself. I like how I know everyone, at least to some extent, because I was always one of those people who prefers to keep a circle of closer friends. You can be an acquaintance to everybody but a true friend to no one. I think Community embodies the way I look at social things, on this level of individual depth, and with understanding your own individual depth comes this ability, this capacity, to understand others. I’d tell my freshman self to come out earlier. I would say it’s time to start looking at things from a different perspective. You can be misanthropic as much as you’d like, but it’s not going to solve your problems. You can’t really have a meaningful interaction or connection to somebody else unless you have a meaningful connection to yourself.”

“Leaving these really close people behind is going to be hard and sad because I know I’m not going to see them every day. I think anywhere else I’d be like, ‘Get me out of this place, I hate it here,’ but I don’t hate it here, I love it. I love it here, but I’m also excited to leave. I did CET for four years, and I think you really get to know the people on your crew the longer you do it. You get to learn who they are, learn how they work and learn what they’re into and kind of apply that to the work that they’re doing in CET. One time during tech week for “The Visit,” there was a bat stuck on the third floor. It flew in from one of the windows, and it was just stuck here. And then another bat flew in. I think people were up here, and they saw it flying around. Word spread that there was a bat up here, so everyone kept trying to come and see the bat! I don’t think the teacher was very happy about that. They had to have Kevin and a couple other people come in and get the bat out of the school.”

HAMSTRA FORUM

freeth

"Last year for senior edition [of The Communicator], we needed props. I remember specifically, we needed a hard hat. So I spent 40 minutes finding this hard hat. I had to find Kevin, and then I had to go down and find the right door to unlock. I was searching and searching and searching in the CET supply closet, but they didn’t have one. But the next door was open down there, and it was a construction room. That’s where I found the hard hat and the hammer that was in that photo. And I don’t really know if I was supposed to be in that room or not, but it was okay, and it was fun, because I was just on the first floor by myself, looking for a hard hat. In no other school would I spend my English class looking for a hard hat. But I think I’ve learned so much more than I would have in a typical English classroom. And I think that that’s really special. The freedom that we’re given and the trust that’s put in us by our teachers, it allows us to just be creative, because I think that we know that we have opportunities that other high schoolers don’t, so we get to take advantage of those. It’s so hard to put the community experience into words, because really, you have to live it to understand it. A lot of my friends, my Huron sports friends, they don’t get it, but every single day, I have a story to tell at practice. Every single day, something fun happens. We really are a community, and it’s so cliche, because everybody says that, but it’s so true, and I don’t think you fully understand that until you’re in it."

“My schedule is set up so that I’m barely on campus, which honestly works out great for me. I get to do my thing, avoid unnecessary stress and just keep moving forward. The fact that I don’t mind that setup kind of speaks for itself. That being said, there are definitely things I do like about being here. For one, people generally mind their own business, which I appreciate. No one really bothers me, and I get to just exist and do what I want without anyone making a fuss. It’s a chill environment in that sense, and I can respect that. Plus, there’s Kevin — absolute legend, no contest. Having people like him around makes everything better. I also appreciate the ability to take classes at UMich, it’s a huge opportunity that I’m definitely grateful for. Having the chance to take college courses while still in high school is pretty nice. At the end of the day, every school has its pros and cons. This place might not have been the perfect fit, but it’s given me some good experiences, solid opportunities and a few people who genuinely make things better. And honestly? That’s enough for me.”

lawler

“I would say every year has unlocked something new in my brain. The jazz program has taught me so many things about myself and others. Everything that I play is revolved around jazz, and if it wasn’t for Community, I probably wouldn’t have that same play style. It becomes more so about the professional side of everything, and what I’m learning from a professional standpoint people weren’t learning until later. It’s really based on how to carry yourself. That’s why I appreciate Jack because he’s given me multiple opportunities to express that professionalism that has gone towards multiple other places outside of jazz, especially in my main foundation, which is church. I also haven’t learned that just from just school, but just being around musicians alone has taught me how to grow. However, one of the biggest things I’ve learned from the program is to learn from your mistakes. Don’t make the same mistakes twice, and don’t try to do everything at one time. Everything has time, and you gotta let stuff happen naturally. You can’t force anything to happen, because if it’s not meant to happen, then it’s not meant to be, but if it meant to happen, it’ll happen. So you really gotta just be patient with yourself, and don’t let what you see on the internet or have a person completely influence you to where you think we can’t do that, or it’s gonna cause you to rush. We’re all moving at our own pace. It’s important for us to stick with that pace and see other people as inspirations and role models, but at the same time, understand that you’re on your own path, and the people around you are going to benefit you.”

“I’ve done the jazz program all four years, and it’s not only the education that Jack provides, but also just the environment and how supportive everyone there is. The whole school in general is like a community. Everyone encourages each other and supports each other when they need it. I’ve also noticed at Huron people seem to care a lot more about things like AP and DP and IB, which makes sense, because those are at Huron and not Community, but it’s weird seeing the difference. It feels like people go to Huron for education and partially to get a degree and or diploma, but people go to Community because they want to learn things and are actually interested. Because of the amount of experience I have with music, I’ve been put in a lot of leadership positions, both at Community and at Huron, and I would not say teaching is my strong suit. I don’t want to be like an educator after school, I want to be a performer. But I think it’s been really helpful for me, especially to have to explain things. Having to explain things helps me understand what I’m doing better, so it’s mostly a net positive for me. I’ve just been surrounded by music for so long, and I’ve played music for so long. I’m glad to see the people [at Community] feel the same way.”

straszewski

“I heard about Community through my brother, who went here, and he was three years older than me, so the time when I came around as a freshman, he was a senior, and I had heard all about the schedule and the different classes you could take, and I really loved it. I really was like, ‘Oh, I want that.’ The first day of school was definitely my first time in the building. I remember on the first day, I walked up, and everybody was outside on the lawn. It was pretty hectic, and everyone was trying to find their forum, but nobody knew anybody. And during my time here, I created so much fun and jubilance with other people, especially with the Euchre club. I have a lot of fun memories playing Euchre at lunches with my friends, so junior year, we decided to start the Euchre club. I think it’s really great going to Community because if they have a class you can’t take you literally can take it anywhere else. You can take it at a college. At your home school, any sports that you want to do. I really loved taking Trailblazers at Pioneer this year with my bestie Kyrie. My favorite part about Community is the culture that we have as a school. Being such a small school, I feel like you really get to know your peers, and you can become friends with anybody.”

“I was originally in Thailand. I don’t exactly remember the name of my elementary school because it’s in Thai, but moving was kind of rough because my dad said he had a guaranteed job, but it was kind of a hoax. It felt challenging. It felt like I couldn’t really be myself as they wouldn’t understand me. I think I’ve changed so much since then, it’s hard to go back now. I’ve never really thought about it until recently, so I think it didn’t really affect me, but it would have been nice if I kept some bit of myself. None of my friends from middle school went to this school, so I mostly talked to them online. So that kind of changed because I only talked to them on weekends. I think it’s just been stressful trying to make it through high school, and now that I made it, it kind of felt like I should have done more, but that’s just the reality of it. You always feel like you could have done more. I’m still very proud that I made it here, though.”

“A big catalyst was getting close relationships with my teachers, and then from there, I kind of made more friends and just felt more comfortable existing in the school. I definitely think Community was what was right for me, especially because of the staff and environment. I feel like there’s so much support from the staff as long as you reach out and take the support. Being here really showed me that just because there’s more people doesn’t mean more opportunities or that it’ll feel more welcoming. I never liked opening up to teachers or even asking for help, I’ve never been a big fan of any of that in general because I know they’re so busy, and they’ve got their own lives going on. But I think just knowing that if you did reach out that they wouldn’t judge you made a big difference and really helped me feel safer and more personally welcomed. I also do not recognize myself at all from freshman year, I’ve changed so much. I see so many freshmen now, just not eating lunch. If I could give advice to freshmen, I would say to just eat your lunch. I feel like they come around to it later, but I think it’s such a canon event. It’s not lame to eat a sandwich. Just eat some food, socialize, stop coming to class 10 minutes early, make friends and be nice to your teachers.”

HECHLER FORUM

“I’m really happy I came to Community, I really love it. I’m happy that it’s a small school. I got to connect with the teachers oneon-one, and the student body is really welcoming. I feel like most schools are really cliche-y, and I’m happy I came here where everyone is really nice to everyone and can be friends with everyone. It is hard finding your people at such a small school, there aren’t as many groups you can join. My freshman year, I wanted to join a friend group without really wanting to find people I had stuff in common with. I was more introverted and more of a follower and just wanted to fit in with a group. All the people in my grade are pretty great, but not everyone is the perfect match for everyone. Nobody really cares if you’re not with a group of people, just take some time and try to find your friends. I’m a lot more outgoing now. I feel like I can be more comfortable being myself. I really try to mentor the freshmen and sophomores. The seniors and juniors aren’t really scary, you can just talk to them. Your teachers aren’t scary. Everyone here wants to help you and support you. You shouldn’t be going through anything alone.”

“Something I like about this school is that I’ve never had a teacher that I disliked or who I thought was bad at their job. I think every teacher at this school gives 100% to the students. My first two years of high school, all of my English classes were with Mike Vial. I just really liked the whiplash that you get in his class. He’d go from dumping his coffee on the floor to telling me about SAT prep. I thought that was a really fun way to learn. Teachers like Sean Eldon have definitely helped me with accountability. I remember one time I was late on an essay, and in previous years, I would just blow off my teachers and not expect them to say anything to me. But then Sean asked to see me after class so he could help me work on it. So that day, we just worked on it for an hour, and I was able to turn it in right then and there. All I needed was that extra help from him, that extra step from a teacher. That definitely helped me learn going forward and helped me understand that building these connections with my teachers is what’s going to help me grow in the future.”

“I took AP Government on A2 Virtual my junior year, and it was online, which was crazy in hindsight because I feel like online classes and AP classes are both different types of hard. You couldn’t submit anything a day late, or it would be a zero, so I really locked in on that. I got an A in that class, and one of my essays is used as an example in that class now. I feel like I tell people that, and they’re like, ‘Wow, I could never take an online AP class.’ I think that’s really the type of thing where, if I put my mind to something, I can do that. I’m not gonna pretend it’s not hard. But I did it, and I did it successfully. I’m proud I had, like, the discipline to do that at 16. I also took American Lit my second semester freshman year, and there was a senior in my forum, Eliot, and I looked up to them so much, and they were also in that class. It was so cool to be in a classroom with somebody I saw as a role model. I think it’s really cool how Community has classes with both 14 and 18 year olds, and I think that’s how you get people to mature is exposure to that. I think this school just creates such beautiful and kind people. ”

mobilio-breck

“When I was a freshman, I had this geometry class with Brett Kilgore. I met one of my really good friends that now goes to Western, she graduated last year. That class was really good because, okay, we might not have been paying attention all the time, but like, what can you do? Being able to feel like you’re not staring and listening for an hour and a half, being able to joke with someone about something that happens during that class, you feel a little less like you’re frozen. I’m going to miss being able to feel like I can be myself and actually say what I want to say without thinking about what other people want to hear. Seeing the same people every day has also been really important. I don’t want to say it’s like, forceful connections, because it’s not forceful, but you’re in the same place at the same time, and you’re doing the same kind of thing. You’re just learning and growing up. Community helps bring that about because the teachers are so open and they feel so friendly. Students always feel wanted and welcome. If people don’t like you, they don’t like you, and it’s not worth your time or your brain space. Just be a little more carefree, because it’s not gonna hurt. But yeah, be yourself.”

debord

finks

“I originally went to a private middle school, so I figured if I went to Huron, the culture shift would be too much. Community felt more relaxed — it’s smaller, focuses more on the arts and has an open campus. That really appealed to me. I still do crew at Huron. Crew was the first real physical activity I got into, I didn’t do any sports before that. It feels good to be outside for two and a half hours a day, getting exercise and hanging out with friends. Midwest Scholastic Rowing Championship 2024 — we got our first win, even if it was just a B Final. Pushing past mental barriers — that feeling of ‘I can’t do this.’ It applies to racing and life. You’re capable of more than you think. You just have to keep going. People often think they’re bad at something when really they just haven’t done the work. Having the right mindset — being willing to struggle and push yourself — is huge.. But I also need to find balance — make time for myself, go to the gym, do hobbies. I still need to figure out the specifics, but I’m really interested in working on cars and understanding the mechanics. It’s helped me get a better grasp on fixing things and how stuff works, which is great for engineering. I want to major in mechanical engineering. For a career, I’m thinking maybe aircraft tech, maybe something with Lockheed Martin or in the aerospace field.”

HUNSCHERYOUNG FORUM

berenfeld

“Math was never a strong subject of mine. I was all right at it, but I didn’t have fun doing it until I had Maneesha. I’m going into engineering at Michigan, which is a very math-related subject, and I don’t think I would have done that without her. She truly made me have fun doing math, which was a first since first grade where I would have fun adding and stuff. Since I like math and I love the environment, I’m wanting to go into Environmental Engineering. I can add these two together, and boom, this is what I want my career to be. Without her changing my relationship with math, I don’t think I could have gone down this road. I understand it better, and I’m fully driven. I understand the methods on how to pick up stuff in math quicker. I couldn’t have done it without her. I’ve definitely matured a lot since the start of my high school career. I couldn’t recognize myself four years ago, that’s a whole different person. I’ve changed a lot since then. If I went to Pioneer, sure, there are loving aspects, but I don’t think I would have been as comfortable. I really understand my path. I know where I need to go, and I’m gonna get there.”

“I was actually kind of scared coming on the first day of freshman year and then going to forum, but it turned out that my friend Lily who I went to Forsythe with ended up being in the same forum. And I didn’t know that until I saw her, and she was like, ‘wait, which forum are you in?’ And I said I was in the H-Y forum and she was too, so it was nice going into freshman year knowing that I knew somebody. I’m going to miss my forum the most. I really got to grow with them, especially the rest of the seniors. That’s the goal of forum and I feel like not everybody gets that, but it’s really cool that I’ve had it. I’m excited for a change next year, but also I’m pretty nervous. I feel like those are both normal things that people feel… I’m gonna be very nervous going to my first class in college. What if I get lost or something? I’ll have to be the be the new kid again. But I would tell younger, new-kid Pao to talk to people more and get to know more people earlier and to just have fun. These four years have been really, really fun and really great and Community has been a good fit.”

eggleston

“One of my favorite parts of coming to this school was probably the fact that I’m able to separate a little bit of my academics with my friendships in my social circle. A lot of my friends and clubs are at Skyline, and then I have my academics here. I just love that separation in my life. When I graduate, the things I’ll miss most about Community are the small things. Things like listening to jazz from Ryan’s room and the general energy around Kerrytown during the spring. I feel like you can really feel comfortable here and relaxed. You just wouldn’t get that experience anywhere else. I feel like the nice thing is that there’s never any specific moments that make me like this school in general. Every moment is good. At the start of my sophomore year, I joined The Communicator, and I was an editor for yearbook, and that was just too much on my plate. So I begged Sean to let me into his class in October, even though it was like a month late. He let me in, and that’s when I started doing American Lit. Ever since then, I think Sean has been one of my favorite teachers, and so I’ve taken a class with him every single semester since, and it just happened to be random that I had yearbook to switch out of.”

white

“When I stepped into CHS for the first time, I was definitely a shy, timid freshman, but I think I’ve kind of found my voice here. I’m more confident now, I’m not afraid to stand up for what’s right. I also have better advocacy skills and just more knowledge about the world. Becky Brent has definitely been a big part of my four years here and has helped me be more comfortable in school. Her Advanced Public Health Policy class is actually what inspired my passion for public health. I had a traumatic experience with mental health back in freshman year, and she’s helped me a lot with mental health struggles. The fact that she steps out of her teaching space to help others and the way she cares for all her students is so admirable. I really want to make sure that no one has to go through what I did and that they have the resources to help themselves sooner. I’ve been on the peer-to-peer team since my sophomore year, and it’s honestly been life-changing. It’s so nice to be around other people who are as passionate about mental health as I am. Sometimes I still think about that traumatic event, and I’m like, ‘Wow, that was a scary moment,’ but, you know, I didn’t want it to define me. And so I moved on, and I turned my pain into purpose. I’m definitely sad to leave Becky because she’s one of my favorite teachers here. But I think I’m very grateful for that feeling. It’s definitely a great privilege to be able to come to CHS, and I don’t take that for granted.”

JOHNSON FORUM

“Get into the community of CHS. Community has so many unique things to offer, so really take advantage of clubs and CRs and the things that make Community special. Don’t fall behind in your classes, especially freshman year because recovering from that is difficult, so don’t give up. Doing bad your freshman year honestly sets you on the wrong track, even though it’s just your freshman year of high school. Through your junior and senior years, keep trying in your classes, even though things get hard because that’s the kind of stuff you just can’t make up later. Senioritis is definitely real, and everyone feels it, but it’s your choice whether to let it affect you majorly or not. I’ve made really good memories at jazz competitions with my friends junior year, and it’s something different about Community that I love. Community has so many people who are awesome and willing to help you, so really take advantage of that.”

“I think the fact that Community doesn’t mold you into a student but into an adult is what makes it so special. Nothing mattered when I walked through those doors, and I just felt so free. Honestly, it was my mom who drew me to CHS. She was a teacher here my freshman year, and she really made me realize how special Community was. I really wanted to go to Huron, even throughout my time as a freshman, but once I found my group of friends and really took the time to enjoy the privilege of an open campus, I realized I really loved being here. My mom knew that Community would give me a better education and experience than other schools. One of those experiences was easily the best class I took here, jazz with Jack Wagner. Not just playing but listening to music became so much more elevated, and it’s something I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. To anyone taking jazz, make sure you’re committed because it can be a lot if you let it pass by you. Jack turns musicians into artists, so if you really do love it and want to get better, Jack Wagner will do just that.”

page sander

“Freshman year, I jumped right into journalism. I created a big spread for the senior edition that featured 22 things the class of 2022 was looking forward to. I had to go up to 22 seniors as a freshman and ask if I could interview them, and I was horrified. But something I’ve learned in the past four years is that when you’re faced with something scary, you just have to take a leap into it and trust that it’ll all work out. My high school experience has taught me that it’s okay to go into things a little blindly, and often just trying your best will reward you. I’ve completely fallen in love with Community. Throughout the past four years, I’ve been surrounded with people whom I love spending time with and who are so wonderful and smart and kind, and I don’t think I would have found such an amazing group at any other high school. Community is generally super full of possibilities — I’ve never not felt supported to do whatever I want or pursue whatever I’m interested in. Whether that’s through the CR department or in my classes or through leadership, I’ve been given so much room to grow, and that’s been crazy special. A huge part of my college search was defined by this school — some things I looked for when choosing a college were a small student body and a place that’s very secure in its identity as an institution in the sense that it has traditions and values just like Community. And I think I’m going to probably one of the most Community-esque colleges you can find. I’m committed to Pitzer College, and it feels like I’m going to Community on the college level.”

grant

“My best experience at Community was Commstock sophomore year when Gummy and Elias performed. They had this huge concert, and it was like a mosh pit in the Craft Theater. That was awesome. They had their own music, own beats, own lyrics, own everything, even their own stereo system. It was a great time. I learned how to control my emotions and carry myself with more dignity and self respect. I think I struggled with that a lot during middle school, and this place kind of helped me gain that confidence in myself and strive. I went through two shoulder surgeries at the beginning of high school, which really shaped my interest in human anatomy,specifically medicine and the intention of helping people. I was treated with a lot of respect and dignity when I was going through that, and I really appreciated it. So I wanted to give back with a career as a paramedic. My biggest advice for incoming freshmen is to speak kindly to people. Try to not take anything for granted because it does go by really quickly, and before you know it, you’re graduating or you’re becoming a senior. So just keep that in mind, and as I would say, don’t leave any pots on the stove, and make sure you turn off all the burners before you leave because you don’t want the house to burn down.”

garwood

“If you look at my transcript, I call it a transcript of misfit classes because I’ve pulled stuff from every different corner. I was always doubling up on English classes. I would call English classes my electives because I just wanted to learn so many different things, and our curriculum allows us to branch out in so many different ways. I’ve taken most of the classes that the history department offers. I say that I would be a sports historian if that was something people got paid to do, but it’s not. But I’ll probably be minoring in history in large part because of the history department [at CHS]. I took U.S. History freshman year as opposed to World History, which is the typical path, just because I was so excited to take U.S. History, and that’s something that you can only do at Community. I’ve had a good time here, and I really want to keep that mentality. A lot of people look back on high school and think, ‘Oh, that was so awful.’ But I hope that I continue to look back and think ‘No, I really enjoyed my time at Community and the people that I met and the things that I got to do.’”

“One of my favorite memories at Community was field day when I was a sophomore. Our forum had high hopes to win the field day tug of war tournament, and the seniors were really hype and all confident that we would win. We ended up getting out in the first round by the Yager forum, and literally our whole forum just fell down on the ground and got dragged on the field. Looking back, it’s honestly just really funny, we had such high hopes to win the tournament but ended up losing the first round. Everyone still had fun though, even when we lost super early on. For my senior field day, I’m feeling more confident, we have Ryan Grant on our team, so yeah I’m ready for field day, and we’re all excited. During my freshman year field day, I was one of five freshmen and super shy and nervous because it was my first time competing against other forums, and the seniors had really high hopes for us. This year, I would tell our freshmen to be more confident and trust yourself, trust in the forum and just don’t be so scared. Just relax and have fun.”

KILEY FORUM

tinney

“It was freshman year. I was in Courtney’s FOS 1 class, and I think it was our benthics test. And I’m a pretty anxious test taker, like when I was younger, but now I’ve learned how not to be, but I would constantly be like, ‘Is this right?’ I was questioning everything because I was such a little perfectionist, and I remember being the last person. Everyone has picked up their stuff and left. The classroom is empty. I’m just sitting there at the table by myself, erasing and rewriting, erasing, rewriting, questioning all my answers. It’s just me and Courtney in the room, and she came to me, and I said ‘I don’t know if these answers are right.’ And she just looked at me and she goes, ‘I trust you.’ Like, she just looked at me like, I trust you, like she believed in me that I would get it right, and I was right. I just didn’t believe myself. She’s just had constant belief in me since I was a freshman. She has believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. And I think that’s been true for a lot of other teachers, especially with Tracy, like I believe my writing sucked or like I wasn’t good enough, or like I would never learn how to use English, but them just saying, ‘I trust you, I believe in you,’ like that helped me a lot.”

bowser

“Yeah, it was my choice to come here; I wanted to get into the lottery because I didn’t want to go to a big school like Skyline. And it was the right choice. Coming from Ann Arbor Open, it felt like similar values and principles, especially the better inclusivity for every individual student. The teachers really try to see individual students, talking about problems or just things they enjoy, really seeing individual people. I’ve definitely utilized that a lot, especially with my IEP; teachers have been very helpful, letting me vocalize and actually talk with them. Courtney, especially, I switched my forum just to be in her forum. She makes teaching a lot more fun and active, though I actually like all my teachers. While I don’t have one single best memory, there are definitely good ones, like playing ukulele in forum. I know I could have probably done more, like clubs and stuff, but I definitely had a good time, not a bad high school experience at all, and I think it would have been worse at one of the bigger schools. I’ll definitely miss this more structured school when I go off to college, and I’ll miss the people here, definitely the teachers. That’s something I’d tell an incoming freshman: everybody’s much nicer than you think they are, and the teachers are really there to help you. Community says it’s inclusive, but actually being here, you see it.”

“The things that stand out to me from my time at CHS are the interactions I’ve had with teachers. I remember during freshman year, I watched a handstand competition going on between Courtney and Ryan, and I was just overcome with a feeling that this would never happen anywhere else. Courtney is just as much of a friend as she’s a teacher, in the best way possible. I feel so grateful to have had her in my life and to continue to take that relationship into college. There’s no teacher in the world that I would go to and find their deodorant in the middle of the day because I forgot mine. I felt so lucky to be here, to do fun things with your friends at lunch or in between classes. Me and my friends would go down to the river, everyone piling in my van, going down and swimming between classes. That memory is going to stay with me for a while. I think Community is a really constructive place and a great place to grow and find yourself, especially in the midst of all that’s going on in the world. I think we’re really lucky to be here. While at Community, I really came into my own and gained a lot of confidence in terms of who I am, being okay with that and sharing that with other people. I learned that doing different things isn’t weird, and even if it’s weird, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

macdougald

groves

“I got a piece of advice from a mentor in my life who used to work at Community. She said, ‘If you get the chance to go to Community, you don’t turn it down.’ I was pretty nervous about coming because it was something new, but I followed that advice. It was the best decision I’ve ever made and I don’t regret it for a second. I’ve really been able to come out of my shell and gained the ability to feel more confident because of my time at Community. I think there wasn’t a specific moment when I realized I’d changed, but instead a gradual change where I kind of looked back and realized I was different. Different in a good way. The thing I’m most grateful for from my time at Community is meeting my best friend, Maura. It was very much an invisible string moment because we immediately hit it off, and have been best friends ever since. I can’t imagine that if I never had come to Community, I might’ve never gotten to know her. One of my favorite parts about Community are the teachers. They all have such a passion for their jobs and so to really experience that love for teaching, combined with my love for learning was magic. It really helped me to fall in love with learning again. There are so many wonderful things that have come out of this school. The days are long, but the years are short. I feel like a lot of times we get bogged down in the little things that in the end don’t matter. My advice for other Community students would be to switch the mindset on school and cherish each day because before you know it, you’re going to be gone. So just enjoy it.”

“It sounds silly, but I like the community [at Community], especially the relationships with teachers and feeling like this school is really my place to be and grow and use as I need it. The fact that I am able to go and talk to and get support from my teachers whenever I want is lovely. My sophomore year, I was applying to go to The Mountain School, and I had so much support from Ryan Silvester. I would go in around once a day and talk to him about anything, sometimes it was about helping with my application, but a lot of times, it was just an update. That was what I really needed that semester, and I was able to get it. I feel like people here are so nice, and there’s such a culture of bringing people into a circle and not making people feel like they don’t belong. I think that’s a beautiful thing. For incoming freshmen, or honestly, anyone in high school, try all the things. Community offers so many amazing opportunities, like joining clubs, talking to people, doing CET and taking classes that you want to try out. If you don’t like them, it’s only a semester. Try as many things as you can while you’re in high school, take advantage of this time.”

“Part of being a senior, part of having a couple of months left, it feels like you have a terminal illness for high school. I know the time is coming. I need to enjoy this, and I need to stop hindering myself or changing myself because of something that ultimately doesn’t matter at the end of the day. There’s a lot of history by the time you make it to be a senior. [But screw] that history. I don’t care if [something] uncomfortable [has happened] with them in the past. Or that there’s something where I messed up, or I think they messed up. If I want to have that person in my life, or if I want to do something and I’m worried about being uncomfortable, it doesn’t matter. I might as well live if I have two months. Why have I spent three and a half years stopping myself from doing stuff that I wanted to do because of some fear that is totally not based in reality, and even if it is based in reality, doesn’t actually end up impacting me long-term? [I’m glad I] did stuff, and yeah, I would change things. But the big thing that I regret most is not living every day to the fullest extent that I can and doing everything that I want to do and being what I want to be.”

genisio

“If I had to give one piece of advice to an incoming Community student, it would be to take CRs. Though it might not be the case for everyone, taking CRs has changed the trajectory of my life. The first semester of my junior year I took a class at the University of Michigan called Perspectives on Women’s Health. It was a 200-person, lecture style class that talked about topics such as birth, sex, menstruation and mental health, all through the lens of women’s healthcare. Looking back, it’s funny because I signed up for the class on a whim. But over the course of the semester, I really discovered a passion for the subject. Since then, I have taken The Psychology of Women and Gender, LGBTQ+ Reproduction and the Science of Doulas and have essentially completed a minor in Gender Studies as a highschooler. Without the Community Resource program, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Not only was I given the chance to discover a new field but I was also given the resources and support to go as far as I wanted. Taking these classes has taught me so much, and as a testament to Community, I feel really prepared to study public health at college in the fall. I will always be an advocate for taking CRs. They are such an incredible opportunity, and they have truly changed my life.”

LANDRUM FORUM

“Unfortunately, [since starting at CHS,] I have not physically grown. I’ve been five foot the whole time, which is frustrating, but my freshman year, I found growth in a mental standpoint, I was diagnosed with ADHD. It was such a world turning moment. I found I understood myself more, and that was something that I struggled with at Ann Arbor Open. So I think I changed a lot in that way, and then I feel like I’m a lot less sporty now, which is funny, because at Ann Arbor Open, I pretty much did every sport: basketball, soccer, track, cross country, synchronized swimming, tennis, volleyball. I didn’t do any of them in high school. But I think it’s pretty important to separate your high school self from your middle school self. It should be a fresh start. It should be something different than middle school. Make new friends and branch out because it can be really good. My mom keeps on saying that. I’m just thinking, if I can do it, meeting new people on the first day of high school, then I feel like I can do that with college too. You just introduce yourself, you tell people about yourself, and that’s how you grow and make those connections with people.”

gerdes

“I feel like this is kind of a basic answer, but I really like forum days. I’m in the Landrum forum, and we’re all super chill and awesome, and for every spring forum day, we go to the same spot, and it’s always really fun. We hang out around the fire, listen to music, play some laser tag and we make a song. Somebody brings a laptop, and we freestyle over somebody’s beat. One specific memory at forum day is when we were playing laser tag, and somebody went into the bathroom, and they got totally stuck, like the door wouldn’t open, and they were in there for a good two hours while we figured out how to get them out. I thought that was really funny and memorable. Forum days set Community apart from a lot of other schools, in a good way, and I’m really glad that I got to experience it. Also, there’s definitely a lot more freedom at Community, and I think one example is the open campus that allows you to kind of go, you know, just grab a snack in between classes or get lunch anywhere downtown. But I also think the teachers make it a lot more personal, whereas at a bigger school, I would imagine the teachers have a lot more students to keep track of, which makes it harder to connect. I got to know all my teachers really well, which makes Community such a great learning environment.”

knyal

“I didn’t really know much about Community before picking it. To be honest, I just heard that it was gonna be, in general, a better experience in Huron, and after doing split enrollment at Huron, I can definitely agree with that. I’m very happy I picked the school. I don’t think I’ve had a single teacher that I didn’t like. Okay, there was one that I had for a day, but I dropped out of that class. But out of the teachers that I actually stuck with, I love every single one of them, and that’s saying a lot, because I didn’t like a lot of my teachers in middle school. I don’t have a specific teacher. There’s just so many that, are really good. I don’t really have a number one because they’re all so good. I think that moving on from high school, I guess that maybe there’s not like one path that I really have to fit myself into. I should take the opportunities that I have to actually figure out what I want.”

“I really enjoy a small school environment because I pretty much know everybody in my grade, and I know whether or not I like them. If I’m walking through the hallways and I see somebody, I know if I can talk to them or not. I know if there’s someone I can really tap in with or not. I see people I’m friends with, and I wouldn’t get that at any other school. It’s really a small community of my boys. I really love that everyone seems tight. But with Laurel Landrum, really honestly, during the summers, I genuinely miss Laurel. I’ll come back to school and realize, wow, I genuinely miss this teacher. And I just don’t think I could get that out of any other school. But I love Laurel so much. She’s just such a chiller. I can truly go and have a conversation with her whenever I want. It’s such a good feeling. There are so many teachers here that I love, too, like Sean Eldon. Sean has gotta be one of my favorites, even if he doesn’t like me that much. I don’t think I’m one of his favorite students, but I still love him.”

boynton

“I remember getting an email about my French host family in Spanish class with Elle and Claire. They sent me a letter that I didn’t understand. We put it into the picture-translate thing and we’re like, ‘Oh my god, stop. They’re so nice. I love them.’ That was a really special moment because my friends got to see my family at the same time I did. Then in summer and the last two months of sophomore year, it got really bittersweet and sad because I wasn’t gonna see them for five months. When I got back, it felt like I never left. I just missed being in this environment and being with these people, because they’re so strict there. It’s just like a breath of fresh air coming back here. The difference is everyone here can express themselves however they like, and I feel like there’s no judgment. In France, you’re not allowed to be different, but here, you’re celebrated for it. Even from Labor Day to now, we’re all completely different people, and we’ve all grown so much. It’s insane. When people say senior year goes fast, I mean, damn, they’re right. Going up north during Labor Day in September with Claire, Lucia and Clara, we just had deep talks, and we had so much fun. We reflected on how we want senior year to go and how we think it’s gonna go. I feel like we were all like ignorant children, but in the most normal way possible. Now that I know where I’m going, it’s great but I’m scared to go forward without my friends, because I love them so much and we’ve all grown up together, and I wouldn’t have been the person I was without them. It’s gonna be hard to leave them.”

rosenberg

“Here at Community, I was a part of the Film Club, which was amazing. We would watch movies that pushed me intellectually and exposed me to different cultures, which was super cool, and then we would talk about them. I believe I was a sophomore [when I joined], and it was mostly upperclassmen, so I was a little bit scared to talk, but they were all so cool and knew everything about films and really inspired me to start watching more and paying attention. And… Marvel movies are great, but there’s a life within film outside of them. My favorite [film] that I watched with the club was one that we actually did at my house. We set up a projector outside, and we watched “Perfect Blue.” It’s a great animated movie that kind of has you wondering what’s going on until the last five minutes, which, in the moment, you’re super confused, but afterwards, it’s such a satisfying watch because you’re like, ‘Wow, it all makes sense now’. [The film] opened my eyes to a different way of getting a message across because that’s what films are trying to do. They’re trying to make a statement about something."

LAVELANET FORUM

cooke

“Originally both me and Lincoln were going to go to Skyline, and we just went and did the lottery for Community, just to see if we got in. We thought, ‘What are the chances that he and I can both get in?’ And then when we did both get in, we started taking a step back and really looked at it. We soon realized Community had better options. We had a cousin who went to Community, and they took college classes and graduated with college credits. So that kind of inspired me to come here. It feels way more chill, like you can push yourself and get the proper support, but there’s more opportunities for just about anybody. I personally got super into weightlifting during my time here, and with Community’s freedom, I could take the time to do that. Forum is also very important to me. I mean, with Robert, it’s a way closer knit community. He takes it more seriously. We celebrated his wife having a baby, and we did a lot of forum events. We had a little celebration around it with balloons and everything. It’s very nice. Robert took over and really brought all of us together. He made my forum experience special.”

“I think that taking Spanish at Community was one of the most memorable classes I had. I love learning different languages. It’s my favorite subject. I like learning about how different people communicate and how different languages were created, and so Spanish class has been an absolute dream for me at Community High School. Profe does a good job of teaching language to higher level students because she teaches more language acquisition rather than language learning, which I think is more fun. We do a lot of activities speaking Spanish and like watching movies in Spanish instead of the traditional lecture. For our final last year, we did a scavenger hunt, which was super exciting. We ran all around school for our scavenger hunt, looking for things and speaking Spanish. We actually went all around Ann Arbor, so that was super fun. She made it so exciting. We had to run around to places like the fire station and then back to Community, all within an hour. Profe is really good at making fun activities and different opportunities to speak Spanish. I just loved it.”

kahana

“Both my older brothers went to Community, and they were in the jazz program, that’s why I really wanted to go. I knew sort of what I was going into, but I didn’t know the extent of the impact it would have on me. I was used to the small school thing, and I really like that, but some things surprised me. It was so easy to get along with everybody, everybody was just so approachable, which I wasn’t super used to. I definitely think that Community is what you make of it. Things like field and forum days I’ll always remember, and those are the things that you need to take advantage of at CHS. Also meeting Robert, my forum leader, for the first time is something I’ll always remember. We changed [forum] leaders my junior year, and then we almost lost him at the end of my junior year. The hard talk we all had when he thought he was leaving will always stay with me. It was hard, but I really appreciate the things that form close knit relationships and memories, and being with the same people for so many years at a place like Community creates that.”

lewis

“I have always wanted to go to Community. I went to Ann Arbor Open, which is basically like part one of Community High School. It’s really weird because it kind of looks exactly the same, and I just felt like it was the right thing for me. And then I applied to Community, and I got on the waitlist. I was literally 10 behind. So it was like, obviously you’re gonna get in. But I was so scared that I wasn’t. All I wanted to do was go to Community since always. But then, obviously, I got it and it was awesome. I wasn’t really into theater before CET. It felt so exciting and like an escape from everything else that was going on, and I didn’t feel stable in my life at that time. I would go and be in that community, and I felt stable and connected, and that’s what I needed. My freshman year, I didn’t do the play, and then I saw it, and I cried. It was so stupid because it was 'She Kills Monsters,' but I just was like, I need to do this. I’ve always liked musical theater, but I was always too scared to do it like a lot of things in my life. But having Ionie there, I was like, I can do this. It was awesome, and I’ve done it ever since. I think the biggest advice I could give to anyone is just embrace your feelings, trust your gut and know that everything has a purpose. Even if stuff is hard, it’s gonna get better. But don’t just push away those feelings because they’re hard. Try to be good to yourself and be good to others, and everything will be okay.”

waugh

“Robert is just such an incredible guy and such an incredible forum leader. He’s compassionate and cares a lot about everyone participating, making it the forum family that everyone’s always talking about. He has a tendency to not only drop crazy lore about himself but also say that there is something he wants to talk to us about, and then not elaborate. It’s like getting a ‘we need to talk’ text, but in person from your forum leader, I love him. Last year, he was laid off, he was like ‘Guys, I need to talk to you.’ And he sat us down. He was like, ‘I’ve been laid off.’ And so ever since then, whenever he is like, ‘Guys, I need to talk to you,’ everyone’s like, ‘Oh my gosh what.’ [Another great memory I have from forum is] doing this stupid wobble dance. He’s got this song, the lyrics are like, ‘wobble, baby, wobble.’ He taught us this dance that goes along with it, he just always goes the extra mile. We also did his snow day dance. It didn’t work, but that’s not his fault. And we threw him a going away party, kind of like a congratulations on having a baby, and also we will miss you, which was great. He started crying as soon as he opened the door. It was very cute. I love him a lot.”

whalen

“Honestly, I think I just have loved getting to go on different adventures with the friends that I’ve made over the past four years. I personally struggled to find my place for a little while in Community and finding the right group of people that I really felt at home with. But once I found those people, I feel like the sort of trips that I went on and the little adventures that I took were really small and more worth it. I loved working with Emily Wilson-Tobin at CET. I was the assistant director, so I did a lot of work, just one on one with her. One of my favorite memories was when we had worked out getting a drag queen to come in, Perry Dox, which was super fun. And the day that she came to perform, me and my friend Kat were like, ‘Okay, Emily, we’re gonna go down for 20 minutes to this claw machine downtown, and we’re just gonna play.’ She was like, ‘Okay be back.’ Anytime you tell someone about a claw machine, they’re like, ‘You’re not gonna win.’ So, we ran down there, and miraculously, we won this tie dye stuffed bear, and it was a really nice stuffed bear. So we brought it back, and then we gave it to the drag queen as a gift. And she was so excited. I forget what she named it, but the pure look on Emily’s face when we won a bear in like, three tries was amazing. And there’s so many similar moments at Community where I don’t think this could happen in a different school. They’re just so unique.”

MCCORMICK FORUM

peters

“I was someone who adamantly hated math, like, with a passion, with a capital ‘P’, you know? But I think the first time that I started loving math was when I took Maneesha’s Algebra 2 class. She encouraged us to make mistakes, and that’s something that I had never heard of from a math teacher, so I was a little apprehensive at first. Then I started asking questions that I normally wouldn’t ask, and I started working with people I normally wouldn’t work with. I was open to making those mistakes and learning from them, and I think it really ignited a love for math that I never really had before because it was just something that I could experiment with. I’m still not the best at math, but I passed. All that matters is my love for math now. That’s why I’m going into a STEM field where I have to use a lot of data science and statistics to understand the world around me and apply the mathematics that I’ve learned. I learned that it is important to keep an open mind at CHS, and math was definitely a contributor to this.”

“I had a lot of fun in CET and Mock Trial and just hanging out in classes with fun teachers. I love gender studies, which I actually didn’t officially take, but I had too many other courses. Brian wouldn’t let me, but I just sat in on the class anyways, and the discussions were really fun. I got to learn about a lot of more specific history and philosophy stuff that I didn’t know before. Everyone was just nice and listened to each other. It’s nice how everyone sort of knows each other a little bit more. I don’t really know what other high school schools are like. I know, compared to U of M, there’s a lot more of a fun environment between students. Compared to U of M, the students are nicer to each other, not that like U of M students are mean or anything, but just that they kind of stay in their little friend groups and interact with you as if they expect to not see you again in another class because they probably won’t. So I like the smallness of it.”

mcnew

simwenyi

“My mom was the one who first discovered Community somewhere online and thought that I should give it a shot, so I did. I remember freshman year being one of my favorites because there were a few upperclassmen I was friends with that really brought school up for me. They made me feel welcomed and made school a fun place to be. I really like the freedom that teachers give you here, the open communication that you have with other students and how easy it is to make connections with your peers. A lot of the teachers here have given me a lot of good advice over the years and have really been there for me. Luciana was my forum leader for my first three years of high school, but then she took a leave, and Marcy is now my forum leader. Luciana was really nice, easy to talk to and always hoping to hear you out. Marcy is also very similar. The transition was not hard at all because Marcy tried sort of shaping the forum in the same way Luciana led it, without too much change that would affect the students. I think I was a bit of a loud student when I was an underclassman, but I’ve quieted down throughout my four years. I was a bit chaotic and jumpy, and I think I have become a lot more mature. Just watching my friends grow side by side with me and watching myself grow everyday has been amazing.”

o’connor

“My brother went here, and when I visited during a capsule night, I just knew. I came from a small private school — my class had 32 people in it, so coming here was just a better segue into high school. And, coming from a small private school, the idea of attending Skyline felt overwhelming. CHS, with its small student population and forum system, offered something more personal. The smaller size made the transition easier, and forum helped me build relationships. I would definitely say a lot of people in my forum made my experience here memorable. We all just got along really well. I also feel like I definitely became really close with Kate Groves. Kate and I bonded over family connections early on, and I know she’s someone I’ll keep in my life. A teacher who I had a close relationship with is Courtney Kiley. I have taken almost all my science classes with her, and she has been incredibly supportive. If I needed extra time or help, she always made sure I had what I needed. I want to go into dentistry. It’s strange, but I love it. I plan to attend WCC before transferring to Michigan’s dental school to become a dental hygienist. People think dentists are scary, but I want to change that. I can’t imagine having gone anywhere else. I’m so glad I went to CHS.”

walter

“I think what’s nice about it, though, is the amount of freedom that we can have here. At the other schools, they’re a lot more strict. I think with CHS, you have this, like, more one on one connection with the teachers. I feel like they’re more approachable here, which is really important for me because I’ve always had a hard time going up to teachers and asking for help. My freshman year, I was in Brett Kilgore’s geometry class. And I think that year, we moved around about three different times, like we moved classrooms three different times. I feel like that kind of just shows how things are constantly changing here. You could have one schedule one day, then you could have something totally different the next. I wanted that freedom and independence because I felt like that would help me transition better with going to college and the independence that I’ll have there. I have two orchestras on my schedule, and I still have a free hour, so I just go there a lot to be a TA to the orchestras, and I think that’s probably been the most influential experience I’ve had throughout high school because it’s part of what’s helped me shape what I want to do with my life. I would say just use the resources here to the best of your ability because they will help you excel. There’s nothing really holding you back.”

“Who you are as a person when you first step into high school will be vastly different from the person you become by the time you graduate. Without a doubt, the relationships you form and the experiences you are faced with throughout high school will change you. I think the biggest thing that has changed for me throughout high school is that I’m so much less reserved and so much more willing to accept failure now compared to how I was as a freshman. I think Community’s journalism program has formed a majority of my high school relationships and memories, as well as taught me the most life lessons. I joined journalism freshman year and have been in it ever since. I think being in multiple leadership positions throughout my time in journalism has made me less reserved because when you’re a leader you have to communicate with your peers if you want to be successful and get stuff done. Journalism has also taught me that sometimes you’re going to fail, and failures are okay. I’ve had countless times where articles didn’t turn out the way I wanted, I didn’t get an award or my page looked horrible. Even though I considered these times failures, you learn so much from failures. Things are really only failures if you don’t grow from them and don’t learn from your mistakes. As I head into college, I’ll carry these lessons I’ve learned with me. I love Community so much, but at the same time, I’m ready to graduate because graduation is what I’ve worked for all these years, and I’m just so excited to be able to finally lead my own life.”

maldonado

MOSHER FORUM

“I decided to come to Community because I really wanted the vibe of a smaller school. I didn’t want to be one of 2500, I felt like I would have just disappeared between the cracks in a school of that size. This past semester, I took a CR where I choreographed a jazz duet with my friend that we performed at winter recital, and I have been split enrolling all four years, so I can play in the Pioneer band program because band was not something I was willing to give up to pursue coming to Community. I feel like that’s an integral part of my experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Since I came in freshman year, I learned that the stupidest thing you can do is try to hide things about who you are, especially at Community. If you’re trying to fit in, you’re doing the wrong thing. I would say, take the classes that you want before the required ones because you’ll find that you have the requirements that you need to fill out. But also, when you get older, you might not be able to take the fun classes. So, take what you want when you want to take it. I feel like it’ll be a lot different going to college, just because it’s a lot bigger there, and there will be so many more people, but I hope to find my niche, find my people, just as I did here.”

farrell

“We were all so antisocial and awkward our freshman year, and it makes sense. You’re meeting new people, and it’s hard to learn how to socialize, which I think is a big aspect of Community. It really prepares people for going out in the real world, just knowing how to interact with other people. I met most of my best friends sophomore year. By being here at Community, I was my more authentic and less scared self around people, and then that just attracted more friends. And senior year, it goes back to not taking things for granted. I’ve met so many people that I’ve known these whole four years, but I never really got to know them closer. So for me, the reason why some of those friendships took time and are even still developing now within the last couple of months is just us being vulnerable. Those transitions, you’re just instinctually protecting yourself and trying to figure out your way, but once I got over that hump, now I know what I’m doing. You can just let your body relax. I can just be myself. I can be vulnerable. It’s funny how quickly into a conversation someone will be like, ‘You know, I’ve always wanted to talk to you.’ It takes vulnerability to say things like that. But I can see everyone here being friends with everybody. It just takes those first couple seconds of being like, ‘I’ve always wanted to talk to you, but I’ve been nervous,’ and then you both let your guard down. That’s where true friendships form.”

johnson

“I was born in Guatemala to a single mother, and she knew right away that she couldn’t support me. My biological father was just not in the picture at all, which is actually a pretty common thing in Guatemala. So, she took me to a foster care program when I was a baby. I was six months old when I came here to the United States. I came here in January, so it was very cold, and I’ve lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ever since — about 17 years. But I feel like being at Community, I’ve been able to learn more about myself and more about my culture. I’ve started to figure out who I am and learn more about Guatemalan culture, Latino culture, all of that. I began to do projects and learn more about Guatemalan people in multiple classes. One thing I really liked about coming to Community is that you’re able to do this. I think Latino culture is really represented in any school, and although Community is a predominantly white school, there is definitely diversity here. The Spanish program is also very good, so I like that a lot.”

steudle

“Truly I feel like Community is the place where I belong. I always knew I wanted to go to Community. I went to Open for middle school, and it was a very small school with not that many people in a class. It was probably under 100 for a graduating class, and CHS had a very good way of replicating that small class setting, which was good for me. Walking through the halls of CHS felt the same way. [When I applied to CHS], I got waitlisted, and I was number 57 on the list. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get in, so I started looking at other options. I have two siblings, and both of them went to Skyline, so my second choice would have been Skyline. After I got in over the summer, my friend Claire and I came to the school because it was during COVID, and we never got a tour of the building. We couldn’t go in, but we walked around the area to get a feel of what it was like. The first week of school was the worst week. I hadn’t had a new place, environment or people since my kindergarten year, so it was just a shock to me, and I very much debated leaving. But I’m more grateful than anybody could ever know that I stayed here. I truly feel like Community is the place where I belong. CET has been such a huge part of my high school experience. I started in sophomore year and instantly felt like I belonged. Being on the student board has taught me so much about leadership, and just being able to perform and create has been amazing. Outside of CET, fashion has always been my thing. I’ve been sewing since I was little, and now I’m really excited to pursue fashion design after high school. I feel like CET and my time at Community have helped me build the confidence I need to chase my dreams and make them happen.”

myler

“I was deciding if I just wanted to go to Skyline. My aunt and uncle have both gone here, I have a bunch of family that’s been to Community, so I looked at it a little bit and thought I might as well go into the lottery. If I get in, I can look at it a little bit more. Then I got in the lottery. I don’t like normal school, so maybe this alternative idea will be better. I’m happy [I picked Community]. In middle school, I hated school. I couldn’t do it, but now I actually enjoy doing school and learning. I think I have gone into high school with a different mindset. I think COVID-19 messed up my middle school life. So I think I could just reset from there. I could start from scratch. And also you’re much closer with teachers, I came to Community not knowing anyone. I didn’t talk to anyone from my middle school. So, I knew the people that were here, but I wasn’t close with them or anything."

takacs

“My favorite moments from high school have been all the Interlochens, all the CET shows and all my friends. During ‘Cabaret,’ it felt like everybody was really supporting each other during the whole thing. And it was just this beautiful moment because we had a lot of people from the Jewish community doing the play, and we kind of grabbed a greater understanding of World War II and the Nazis. I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it, but we learned so much from that play, and it was one of the instances that made CET really stand out because there’s not a lot of theater groups that focus on really big issues and do them in a respectful way. I entered the lottery, and I didn’t get in initially, but I was kind of close to the required number. I only ended up getting in in August. So, for the whole summer between middle school and high school, I thought I was going to Skyline. Then August hit, and I was like, ‘Oh, never mind, I guess I’m going to Community.’ I think what ended up making me stay was ultimately the people at Community, like my old friend group, which I’m not really that involved with anymore. I realized that up until that point with middle school, I didn’t really have what felt like real friends. I finally felt connected to everybody at Community, and I found my people. Taking orchestra at Huron was tedious, but I loved it. I wouldn’t trade that for the world. Now I’m here, and I mean, senior year is kind of rough, but I’m glad I stuck with what I did.”

wang

“You never really know what will happen five years later. There’s just so much uncertainty going into the future, with government, college, financial aid and many other things. And to be honest, I’m very scared of it. But at the same time, I’m kind of looking forward to those obstacles. I see a lot of obstacles as something that you kind of have to go through because I’d rather go through them early than later. I think for me, times have been getting better, going in the upper trend. Middle school sucked, high school only got better and better. There was a moment when we went to Boston and rowed on the Charles River. We crossed the finish line, and at that moment, I felt like, ‘Oh wow, I did something in high school.’ It was the first time that I worked hard for a few months and a result came to me. Making that finish line is a result — the result of you working hard, and I want to achieve as many things as possible. So, everything changes, but for now, I want to carry this sort of mindset into the future. And I think by continuing to do what I want, I’ll be able to achieve things that I want to.”

beydoun

“Many women in my life have always worn a hijab — my mom, my best friends and all my friends in Dearborn. I’ve always been surrounded by it, and it’s made me understand how important and significant it is to my religion. I never felt pressured to wear it, though. It always felt more like an inspiration. The summer before my senior year, I decided to start wearing my hijab. My decision was for multiple reasons, but one part was that I realized the purpose of the hijab and the protection it gives to women. Every time I put it on, I felt very pretty in it, and I felt like my genuine self. It took a lot of courage and bravery because I was nervous about what people at school would think. I remember walking into school on the first day of my senior year, I was thinking, ‘What if somebody mentions it?’ or ‘What if someone gives me a look for it?’ But the first person who saw me at school didn’t even mention it, they just smiled and waved at me. I felt relieved, and it felt like my decision was completely worth it. But it also made me realize that I wasn’t wearing a hijab for anyone else, I was wearing it for myself. Putting on my hijab has built up my personality and strength a lot. My hijab allows me to express myself, and I take pride in that.”

fainter

“If I were giving advice to ninth-grade Lucas, I would tell him to live life for himself — don’t care about other people’s judgment so much. As a freshman, I was so insecure, especially while readjusting to school after COVID. I would tend to shy away from stuff if it wasn’t really in my comfort zone, and that just kind of felt natural at the time. But now, looking back, I would tell myself to break out of that comfort zone a little bit. It’s not where you grow. He’d be so surprised at how much I’ve changed. From the little things like the way I dress and how my style has evolved throughout high school to the bigger shifts like my mindset and just the way that I perceive the world now. I think in freshman year, I was — in one way or another — surrounded by insecurity. Whether I was acting out of insecurity or just having insecure thoughts, it was sort of a constant in my life. I’m not really sure what changed. To be honest, I think it was a big culmination of experiences and mistakes. My best mistakes have taught me so much about myself and how to find a balance in my life. So has Community. After the pandemic, I had gone so long without socialization, and I just remember being so nervous about starting school. But honestly, it feels like community is what taught me how to be human again. Now, every social interaction is meaningful, whether it’s getting to be there for a close friend or just making small talk to someone in the hallway. That’s what’s so special about Community and what I would tell ninth-grade Lucas to seek out.”

RICHMOND FORUM

komorek

“My dad actually told me about Community, about how back in the day there would be these really long lines outside of people wanting to register, and that was always really cool to me. I always thought I’d kind of benefit from a school like that. I was sad at first because my friends were going to other schools, but I ended up staying for the whole time, and looking back, I’m really happy with that decision. I did have doubts freshman year though; Community is way more independent than other high schools, and I didn’t think I was able to really handle that type of stuff. But I did it, and I’m okay now. Freshman year Field Day stands out — doing the Tug of War was really, really crazy, and I think that was the best year for our forum, we had the best roster of people we could ever have. I really miss them, but I was really shy back then and wish I’d been more open. Taking Speech and Communications with Becky was really good too; she’s a really good teacher, and her class kind of made me a bit more confident, not just speaking in front of people, but also communicating emotionally and being more aware. I feel like I’ve learned a lot of things from people here; they’re teaching me how to be okay even when things feel like they went by way too fast, almost like one swift blur. Honestly, I’m probably gonna cry when I graduate, just thinking about all the people here, all my teachers and all my friends, and Forum especially.”

feinberg

“Well, I heard that Community was a lottery school, so I decided I might as well apply. There was actually a lot of discouragement from my peers, but I decided to anyway, partly because I went to a very small school originally, and I felt like adjusting to Huron would be definitely a challenge. And looking back? Oh yeah, 100%, it was the right choice. I just feel like the environment that’s fostered here is a lot better and has really accommodated for me, you know, when I wasn’t doing the best in school. And most of that is definitely the teachers, first of all, and how everyone knows each other in each grade. There was one time Marcy just gave me an extension and repurposed an assignment for me when I was sick, which was super nice of her. And Luciana wrote an amazing recommendation for me for college. I don’t know why she did it because I was not a good student in her class. But really, everyone here is very nice. So yeah, I’ll miss Community. I’m definitely gonna miss the people and teachers I met here, and the smaller classes, the more attention that people get.”

swerdlow

“There are a few feelings that only Community kids would understand, like tug of war. That feeling on field day when you’re getting ready for a match against a rival forum and you feel that school spirit so intensely. Sitting in a circle with your forum doing dynamic stretches, getting warmed up, getting everyone hyped and going out there and doing your absolute best. Other schools just don’t have that or free blocks. Getting to go to Kerrytown or No Thai and just existing outside the school building. I’ve spent a lot of hours in Ginny’s Corner by Kerrytown. A lot of my best memories are of eating lunch there with my friends. I remember sitting there, and we were trying to throw oranges to get them to land on the little brick arch that’s over there. I think we might have knocked a dead bird off. But those memories are still Community memories because Kerrytown is just a part of school when you’re a student here. I think that’s something that other people just wouldn’t understand. Community also made me more friendly. And I know that’s kind of a broad word, but when I was in middle school, I pretty much kept to myself, like a small group of friends were the only people I talked to. I never really reached out to anybody. Then I came to Community, and it felt like that’s not really an option here. You have to reach out, you have to make friends with people and nobody’s gonna judge you.”

ROOT FORUM

“My favorite memory was probably my third forum day. I was at one of my seniors’ houses, and his name’s Joey. His house was super cool and big, and there were speakers on the ceiling. It was insane. We just played all these little forum games. We were in the basement, and then we went outside and we were taking photos. We were playing tag and everything, but it was just a lot of fun. I think it’s my favorite memory because I really like my forum. In the beginning, I did not like my forum just because I didn’t like forum in general, but it started growing on me. Now, it’s just like a great thing that I love to go to now. Sometimes I miss forum, which is crazy, but being with them and interacting and hanging out with other people in my forum is super fun.”

kutcher

“I think if I had been at another school, I could have easily fallen into a different toxic crowd, but I think that I fell into a very pleasant crowd at Community. I especially feel so much closer to my teachers here than I ever did at any other school I’ve been to. I think that that’s really beautiful, and it’s really helped me learn better, because I feel so much more comfortable talking to my teachers. Chloe Root is my go-to. She’s the most kind, understanding person. I remember my freshman year was really hard for me. I was really going through it, and I was not doing good in school. At the end of the year, I was like ‘help,’ and she just hugged me, and I cried, and it was beautiful. She just said, ‘It’s gonna be okay. No matter what happens, you’re gonna be okay.’ And ever since then, I think we just got so close. I remember one time I was interviewing her and we started the interview at like 3 p.m., and we were talking until 5:30. It started as an interview, and then we just started devolving. She told me about all of her high school relationships, I was telling her about my high school relationships, she was giving me advice. I really don’t know what it is, but we have a very strong connection, and I’m gonna miss her so much.”

castilho

ellison-batt

“I chose to go to Community because of its kind of alternative nature and, you know, calling teachers by their first name. I went to Ann Arbor Open so I was used to that kind of environment in school. I saw a lot of similarities between Open and Community. Something I really appreciate about our school is that it’s very flexible in every sense. I also think that there are a lot of really good teachers here. They’re always going out of their way to help and offering office hours. There’s a good system set up here where I don’t always feel like it’s my fault when I’m struggling. Throughout my time here I’ve grown closest to Maneesha Mankad, Sean Eldon and Ryan Silvester. I think they just have challenging classes but they always make sure that you’re able and have the resources to solve any problems you receive in their class. I’ve also enjoyed my time in the TableTop Role Playing club. It was honestly just a group chat that some friends turned into a club but I ended up running a campaign for it. I really like the small friend group I have inside the club.”

“Community is a very artistic school, which I really appreciate. I consider us to be more accepting of diversity and people’s differences, which has really helped me, especially freshman year, to feel like this was the place for me. We really embrace our differences and that’s helped me develop my identity and who I am as a person. I mean that in a healthy way, instead of trying to conform to a norm or looking a certain way. I definitely feel like if I went somewhere else, I’d be more judgmental, honestly, and less accepting of both other people and myself. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable being cringy but free. I think if I went to a different school, because the other schools are a lot bigger, my social anxiety would be worse. I feel like being in a smaller school, there are definitely fewer people to meet, and I don’t want to feel too comfortable. For college, I definitely wanted to go somewhere bigger than Community, so that I could work on my social anxiety with lots of people.”

SILVESTER FORUM

james

“When I was a sophomore, my goal was to win a round of tug of war before I graduate. And then [the seniors] were like, ‘That’s what we said, too. We’re graduating and we never won.’ So I kind of gave up on that for a little while. But my junior year, my forum got really hype about Field Day and stuff like that. We were really into it. But we went in being like, ‘Okay we probably are going to lose.’ So we decided to just full-send it anyway, and Ryan was giving his whole hockey captain speech. He was telling us that it didn’t matter what anyone else said — that we were just gonna go out there and that it didn’t really matter what happened because we were there together, as a forum. And he was like, ‘Let’s go win!’ So we got there and totally dominated them in like 10 seconds. We were all so excited. Everyone was jumping around and stuff. There’s a really awesome photo of Ryan Silvester fully in the air, just so excited. I think that moment is a really good representation of our forum’s togetherness and the appreciation I have for those people.”

“My first memory from Community is on the lawn [during] freshman year. I think like that first day, I was really nervous and scared about going to Community and just being in a huge group of people, especially after COVID. I knew two people, and we met in our forum, and this girl that I was friends with in elementary school went, ‘Hey Izzy,’ and it was Vara. So it was pretty crazy that my best friend from elementary school went to the same school as me and was in my forum. That created a beautiful friendship. I think the whole first day turned out to be amazing, though, because I finally felt a sense of community at Community. That day has stayed my favorite because even though it was scary and everything was new, I made it through, and I found a new place to call home for the next four years. I found some really good friends that I’ll value forever.”

“I think [CHS] has given me some good experiences, and I’ve certainly learned a lot. I think [CHS has] kind of molded me into the person I am through all the different experiences, with people and teachers and all the people who work here. I think the way CHS allows you to interact with your teachers and really establish relationships, I don’t think I would have that at other schools. I think that’s really helped me throughout my classes and kind of pushed me to where I am in my life. I’ve become much more mature as a person. I think I’ve really figured out starting conversations and being more confident — not mellowing, but maturing as a person and being less chaotic. I think it was sophomore year in Spanish, and I knocked over a metal bookshelf in the middle of class, the whole thing. I think that learning from that, just being more aware of my surroundings, and realizing that when you’re in class, making sure that you’re paying attention and actually learning is something that I’ve definitely grown through my time here. I think especially in my freshman year, I was kind of stressed about everything. Being able to relax a little bit is something that I found really helpful.”

“My most memorable memory at Community is when Kevin locked me in a supply closet. This was my freshman year, I was missing class, Algebra 1. I’ve always had a bad experience in math. This was the first semester, and I was doing pretty poorly in the class, I was pretty tired of it. I was trying to avoid it because I didn’t do the homework that day. And I guess Kevin came up behind me. The supply closet was open, and he just pushed me in the closet, closed the door and locked it. Kevin is definitely a memorable part of Community. BSU, which I joined at the beginning of junior year, like I said, I had a lot of fun experiences with Kevin. You have Janelle in there too. Kevin really had to push me for the past two years to join BSU and I really regret that now, because BSU is totally such a fun experience. We do a lot of fundraising, a lot of activism, but BSU is kind of a family. We do a lot of fun games, and we do field trips. On one of those field trips specifically last year was to Charles H Wright Black History Museum in Detroit, and we had a guided tour, of course, but we had a tour that was also given by Kevin. Kevin had such a funny way of explaining things. I think one of the exhibits was this Rosa Parks bus, and he said, ‘Imagine if I get on the bus and just back it up out of here.’ Just crazy things like that. BSU has been memorable and definitely a defining part of my experience at Community.”

“My time here just felt short. I guess any high school experience would feel short, but still. After four years, you get used to it and time just flies by. I’m kind of gonna miss this place. But I’ve got plans, I will go to University of Michigan for culinary school. I go to Huron now for cooking classes. I’ve split enrolled for a while, and it’s alright, but I have to take buses a lot. Sometimes I miss lunch, and I can’t go to forum at all. Splitting is nice though, because Huron is very different. The students and the budget are probably the biggest differences. The culinary program at Huron has a huge budget because the chef who runs it knows a lot of bank owners and businessmen and all that kind of stuff, so that’s pretty cool. But over there, they have two or three fights every other day, and there’s so many people that even when you just walk in the hallway you have to be trying to be ahead of people on your way to class. To be honest, this is probably the best high school I could have ever gone to. I know there’s not a lot of stuff here in terms of programs and budget, but everyone here is great. You get to interact with your teachers more than other schools, and the teachers seem more invested in your learning.”

STARKEY FORUM

“I believe that over the course of the four years, I’ve definitely become a lot more open to thinking about things. Compared to where I started in freshman year, I’ve become a lot more considerate of everything. Throughout my time, I’ve associated with a lot of the upper grades rather than people of my same age group. When I was a freshman, that meant I was having experiences talking with juniors, seniors, those types of people, and I believe that for the most part, that was a boon to my brain. Being older, being so much wiser and heading into college, in every class that I’m in, I’ve tried to get to the minimum of excellence, and I believe I’m going to continue doing that, but it’s hard to put into words. I started with Christia as my forum leader, but now it’s Kevin, and throughout those, we basically did terribly in any sort of forum competition. And then last year, we won tug of war against all expectations on that field day, and it seems that the trend is definitely going up with the vibes or the accomplishments of myself and this [forum] group and presumably other people in the school. [That was a] monumentous occasion that sort of changed how I thought about myself and others in this forum group.”

walters

“I don’t think I really had a plan freshman year or an idea of how I’d turn out. I think looking back, I’d be happy with how I turned out. I’ve definitely grown a lot in terms of the complexity of my worldview. I got really into philosophy junior year, and so I think I’m a lot more educated. I think a lot of independence and interdependence is probably the most important thing [that I’ve been taught]. Like, you have a lot more freedom at Community, but you also need to utilize a lot of resources that this one has that aren’t just necessarily given to you, you have to seek them out. I think it was kind of difficult at first, but that’s mainly because I never had to really seek things out before. I really like taking the photography classes because you just kind of explore all of downtown with people and try to take photos of things. I think that the setting that our school has being downtown is really unique. I do photography as a hobby quite often now, and I wouldn’t have thought I’d get into that until I took the class. Going to college, it’s a bit overwhelming. I do think that taking college classes helps a lot because it doesn’t feel as concerning. I think there’s always going to be an aspect of uncertainty when you graduate because you really just don’t know what’s going to come next.”

STERN FORUM

gergics

"I’ve changed a lot over these past four years, and it’s changes that I’m very grateful for. I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned a lot of new skills I never thought I would really learn like coding or scenic design, and yet here we are. I’ve had so many opportunities that I’m eternally grateful for, and I’ve met so many wonderful people, and I think I’ve really matured and improved for the better, and I’m very grateful for that. A big thing I’m going to take with me from Community is asking questions. I feel like I’ve always been someone who asks a lot of questions about things and wants to make sure that I’ve understood things correctly, and Community has really welcomed me to doing that, and I think had it not been for that, I wouldn’t be as confident in the knowledge that I have and the knowledge that I’ve gained. George Lancaster, I’ve taken one of his classes every single semester I’ve been here except for one, and every time, I’ve always felt like he’s very willing to answer all my questions. I’ve learned a lot from him, and feel like the way that he teaches is very, very good for the way that I learn. I’ve learned a lot not only in practical skills, but also how to ask questions in constructive ways and how to think in a way that gets things done.”

forgey

“I’ve surrounded myself with people who are largely interested in academics in their future and who are passionate about learning, and for me, being around that is very inspiring and helps me want it more for myself. Without being surrounded by such smart people who are devoted to their academics, I myself would be less motivated to pursue whatever it may be. As time has gone on in high school I’ve strayed away from the thought that other people’s perceptions make up the person who I am, and therefore I’ve begun — especially senior year — to care so much less about my image in other people’s eyes. I’ve been much more authentic in what I want to do and who I want to talk to and the relationships I want to pursue which has put me in an interesting place my senior year because I don’t feel any pressure to be a part of groups or to be friends with certain people. I think that shaped my social world this year in a very interesting way. Like I said, I’m surrounded by very intelligent people, which is something I created for myself. I’m naturally a very curious person. I love to learn and be around people who are the same because that energy ricochets. It bounces off and bounces back and amplifies itself and echoes. I think I tried to set myself up for this limbo, this transitionary period between childhood and adulthood alongside people who I could learn the most from and who I would have the most fun going through this process and metamorphosis with, who would hopefully, show me healthy patterns and habits and important lessons. I don’t think I was fully conscious about creating that, but it happened.”

“Looking back on it now, I’ve definitely become more confident. I’ve become more open to new people. [Community has] definitely helped me become a more academic person, a more social person and just do a lot more things with confidence and really become a leader. I went to France sophomore year. It was a crazy experience. I definitely improved my French a lot because it was just a whole different environment where you’re forced to speak a different language to communicate. Marci Harris, I’ve had her all four years, she’s like a school mom to me, she’s so bright and bubbly. She always has the energy. She’s always bringing her all. Freshman year we were a crazy class, and so watching her handle that and still come every single day with an incredible attitude was so fun. I feel like you don’t find teachers like this at any other school. They’re so into the entire concept of having a small school. You can really tell that they love their jobs by the way they interact and talk to everyone. They have relationships within the school. They’re not distant from their work. They’re always looking to help you and push you forward and be a part of your journey. I’m super excited [for college], but it’s not going to be anything like this. I’ve been in this place for so long that it’s kind of my home.”

“When I found out that I got into Community, I was pretty excited. On my first day of freshman year, I remember being really excited for high school and going to Community. I feel like being at Community allowed me to expand my creativity, make connections with other kids and teachers and feel more independent. I feel like my time at Community has allowed me to experience things that I don’t think I would’ve experienced before, like having an opening ceremony for the first day, collecting the Communicator magazines, going to Commstock after school and seeing the documentary of Community. Community has allowed me to have experience with having classes with a mix of grades and having free time built into my schedule. I’m so grateful and glad that I went to Community.”

“My favorite moments of CET are when you kind of get to do your own stuff. I joined because I was watching YouTubers just try out theater and animation. I was like, ‘Wait, I should probably try it out.’ I don’t have a singular favorite musical, but I loved both “The Visit” and “Museum.” CET has taught me that there are things that are worth your time, and if it’s worth your time, then definitely go for it. Go fully into it. It has helped me interact with other people and step out of my comfort zone.”

VIAL FORUM

“I want to explore the world. My most memorable experience was backpacking in Alaska for a month after my sophomore year. I had never backpacked before, and I went without a phone. It was a challenge — both physically and mentally. I had just had knee surgery, and I wasn’t sure how my knee would hold up. Being in the wilderness with no service, no familiar faces pushed me out of my comfort zone. Traveling like this has given me confidence that I can survive in the real world. I trust that I can take care of myself and navigate challenges on my own. I can put myself out there and handle a lot of different situations. Freshman-year me would shut down whenever something hard came up — I’d avoid it. But now, I’ve realized you can’t just back away from challenges. You have to deal with it. Traveling has helped me learn how to navigate tough situations, and it also gave me independence, and that’s something I’ve needed in recent years. I think I have a broader perspective on the world. I’ve seen different cultures and ways of life, especially when I spent a week in a small village in Costa Rica. That experience made me realize how fortunate I am and appreciate what I have. I’m going to Grand Valley for four years to study wildlife biology. I hope to study abroad and eventually find a career that lets me travel and work with animals.”

bentley

“I think it’s good to be active and stay healthy. I’m going to major in nutrition or occupational therapy at Grand Valley. I’ve always been interested in going into something medical, and when I figured out I could put my love for food and my love for medicine together, I wanted to try it. I feel like if my teachers hadn’t cared, hadn’t helped me or kept wanting me to explore or ask questions like in a bigger school, I wouldn’t have found this original love for nutrition. Liz Stern and Marcy McCormick have really helped me want to stay in science and kept me motivated and curious. I’m not scared of school anymore, and I feel a lot more comfortable. In that comfortability, I’m also a lot different from the person I was. I just trust that things happen for a reason, and every experience I’ve had will help me grow in some way or another.”

bower

“I would describe Community as unique in just one word. Community helped me develop in many aspects, yet moving from Pioneer to Community proved to be a major transition. Being part of Community required me to mature more quickly. The open campus structure makes it simple to lose focus unless you maintain strong self-discipline. Community allows its students to make their own decisions about how much they care. Learning responsibility became the best lesson I picked up during my time at Community. During my initial weeks, forum seemed to mirror a typical homeroom session without anything remarkable. But over time, that changed. It transformed into a space where we could simply exist while chatting and laughing as though we were a small family unit. During my time here, I discovered my passion for photography, which I plan to continue pursuing after graduation. I have several amazing yet random memories, such as our visit to Traver Creek during Courtney Kiley’s science class. After graduation, I just want to work, save up and take some time to figure things out. I’m not rushing anything. Community gave me the space to grow and learn who I am and what I care about. I’m walking away with more confidence in myself, some good memories and people who’ve had my back. That’s what matters.”

“Well, I wanted a pigeon for ecology. We had to do a project, and I wanted a pigeon. I have five pigeons right now, and four other birds. I started getting pigeons during the pandemic. I was on Craigslist shopping for pets, and I saw a posting for pigeons. If people do research and know what to expect, birds are good pets. They’re not like a hamster. We brought a pigeon named Fart, and we raised him as a school project. Courtney was excited, but it was a little confusing. She seemed very surprised every time I told her Fart was still alive. I want to go into animal sciences, and maybe be a vet. Or [work at] a pigeon rescue. In Ecology, we also learned about fish and birds and trees. We made a 3D food web out of air-dry clay. Courtney loved it. It’s fun to learn about fish. I like goblin sharks. They’re silly. In CET, I made a donkey head. And we put our handprints on the wall. Oh, when we go to Pinball Pete’s, we buy stuff. Like ducks and dinosaurs. The pterodactyl looks cool. Make cool stuff, really try hard, and dedicate yourself to your craft.”

authier

[Advice for freshman] In terms of not feeling like you don’t have a choice, or that you don’t have any idea what you want to do, just try things that you like. You don’t have to stick to what you’re comfortable with even though it's what you might be comfortable with. You might not want to move on from there, I get that, I’ve been there, but just try new things out. Try to meet new people, don’t be so closed minded, because in the end you’re going to be leaving the school, you’re not going to be stuck with all these people for the rest of your life. You're going to end up regretting not doing as much as you could’ve with the opportunities you were given. Do stuff because even if you think you don’t like it, at the end of the day you're going to be happy you tried it. It occurred to me it was because one of my friends, Rowan, decided we would join CET together during our sophomore year, and we just had no clue whatso-ever what we wanted to do. We just kind of showed up because we wanted to do so we went to the mass meeting for The Visit, and I was torn between lights or sound, but I had heard that sound did have enough people so I just joined. I actually started really enjoying it and now I am the sound person for most things at CHS and it never occurred to me that theatre was something I would even be interested in. I told Rowan the other day ‘Hey, you’re the reason that I know what I want to do with my life, which is crazy cause it all started by joining CET.’”

barney

grover

“I think CHS has been a really supportive place for me. It’s definitely been hectic, but there’s been a lot of love too. Every teacher is so different in how they welcome students into their classrooms. Sometimes it gets a little chaotic, especially with stuff like random fire drills, but at the end of the day, they all care in their own way. I don’t think I would’ve gotten that same experience anywhere else. I’ve grown a lot. I started dual enrolling at Pioneer [this year], which was a big shift. At first, the buses and the schedules were daunting, but I figured it out. I think that process helped me realize I can handle big changes on my own. I also learned how to navigate new spaces and stay grounded in who I am. I’ve really found myself here. Being part of the hygiene drive for the Safe House, working with my Girl Scout troop to make meals for the homeless, dressing up in 1800s clothes to volunteer at Cobblestone Farm— those are things that showed me how much I care about helping others. I don’t think I would’ve started something like the hygiene drive if I hadn’t learned about the power of community here. CHS helped me realize that I love supporting people and that I can be a leader in that.”

busse

“My older sister went to Community and really loved it, and my mom thought it would be a truly good fit for me. Even though I was unsure at first, after just one semester here, I realized, yeah, okay, I did like this a lot. It definitely feels like I made the right choice. There were great classes, like Philo Lit. That class was so good, such a funny class. It was sophomore year, and I didn’t really have a lot of experiences to give to the class then, but it was still great discussions every time. And our forum with Vial, well, he started here the same year we did as freshmen, so we’ve really been with him all four years, and we’ve all grown together a little bit which feels special. I really think I turned out differently because I came here. You know, we’re made through our experiences, and just being around these different people and having the independence you don’t find elsewhere really shaped me. So yeah, I think I’ll miss high school, this place, but I know it’ll be filled with college next — while I might think, ‘Oh, I kind of miss high school,’ I’ll be busy doing something new.”

WHITESIDE FORUM

kerfoot

“Crazy poofy hair, in a corner, didn’t put myself out there — I was the shyest freshman ever. But after seeing the [CET] play, I was like, ‘Hmm, do I join? Do I not?’ It was just this indecisive moment for me. I joined the props crew, and I kind of fell in love with props. That’s really the moment that brought me out of my bubble and made me the person I am today. Now I’m colorful. I’m vibrant. I’m bright, and I’m out there. That opportunity in CET has led me to so many other leadership opportunities and so much more confidence in myself. I am currently teaching science with Marcy, I’m the co-president of the art club. I feel like that leadership, I carry it out to senior year. I don’t think I would have ever done it if I didn’t have the ‘just go for it, just try this out’ mentality.”

“I am the biggest fan of Community. I don’t think it could be a better place to be for high school. I love it so, so much. Me and my mom kind of broke into the school during the COVID year in eighth grade. The door was open, and there was just one person, maybe it was Carl, working and walking around. I wasn’t going to go here because I didn’t think it was cool, but walking in the halls and feeling that positive energy I was like, ‘Wow, this is an awesome place, and it’s beautiful.’ Everyone’s super positive here and has a good attitude, and you can feel that as you’re walking through the halls. My connection with my forum leader, Jessika Whiteside, is also super strong, and room 303 has been a home base for me at school, I can sit between classes and just be in a safe space. [In my time at Community], I got more comfortable around people and more confident in expressing how appreciative I am of things. I thought it would be lame to be happy and excited about things around me and people and how much I appreciate them. I didn’t want to show that before, but now I’m like, ‘Why wouldn’t I want to tell people how amazing they are?’ I think because of that positive energy at Community, it’s not seen as uncool. It’s actually encouraged.”

berki

“My high school experience was varied. Varied classes, emotions, varied everything. It was such a moment of embarrassing myself but also for the sake of friendship: a karaoke rap battle with Autumn — burned in my brain forever — galloping into a class with Grieta, deep bonding moments, being cringe but being free. Meeting my best friend, Grieta, changed my life. I feel like who I am today is based on the relationships I’ve made. I’ve become more confident, sociable and going from full hobbit mode to being brave. I learned to set boundaries and self-respect, and I’ve gotten more Zen, a lot just doesn’t phase me now. I’ve learned I’m an introvert. I actually prefer spending time alone. I learned self-love. Robert, Beth and Hannah helped me with my skills, and teachers here made me care so much about learning. I was in so many clubs — Fashion Club, Space Club VP, SWAK, Lolita Club, costumes for CET. They taught me that friendship is magic. My message to underclassmen would be don’t have a fear of missing out. Focus on yourself. I hope people remember me as cool, awesome, fashionable, funny, hilarious and beautiful. I’ve always wanted to graduate since I first went to kindergarten, and I did.”

alicea

larios

“I think that Community, while it’s pushed me to become an artist and given me the space to step into the fine arts and get to know myself as an artist, it’s also kind of let me do my own thing. This school has a really unique approach to art, and being so encouraged to create and being surrounded by people who are just passionate and understand the culture of what it means to be an artist, I think it’s hard not to be an artist. We have so much freedom with what we want to do, there’s room for everyone to find their niche, so people find their niches. And none of my teachers have ever tried to push a cookie cutter agenda for art on me, and that’s one of the most important things for someone discovering who they are as an artist. I think that in order to have an environment where everybody is creating meaningful art, there has to be criticism and encouraged reflection. I think it took coming to Community and being in that environment to create things that were my own. I’m just going to need to take art with me wherever I go, and I’m not really sure what that looks like, but in a way, it’s like taking Community with me wherever I go.”

boggy

“I think for me one of my favorite memories from Community was last year when my forum decided to go camping. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go because I hadn’t really had a good experience with camping before that forum day. It started off ok, it was rainy, and when we got to the cabins, it was muddy. I didn’t have super high expectations, but later in the night, my forum and I started talking and playing games and laughing, and I think it was just a really good night. It made me realize even if you’re not close to them outside of forum, it really can bring people together and put you in situations where you can have fun when you don’t even think you’re going to. I think it was a good night. We stayed up in the bunkbeds talking about stuff after playing games. I wouldn’t say I’m super close to anyone in my forum outside of forum, but it was a good bonding situation. We also got to have good food and s’mores, it was really nice. Even though I usually don’t like camping, I think overnights in general give you the opportunity to get to know each other better.”

jung

“Forum was like the first place in Community where I actually felt the community, it got me really comfortable with the school, freshman year it was really overwhelming and scary to switch to a new school, especially a high school. Everyone in forum was always there for me, it just helped to make me feel comfortable. I think I’ve grown so much. Freshman and sophomore year, I was so closed off. I didn’t let any of my personality or my humor show. But starting junior year, and especially this year, I think I’ve really been able to expand who I talk to and who I hang out with. Their support and everything has really shown me how it’s safe to like be who I am. I’m going to Island School again. I’m really excited. It falls on the last week of high school, which I’m a little bummed about. But I know my friends will be there for me, and we’ll still see each other afterward. A wise friend once told me, it was choosing between the end of my past and the beginning of my future. I chose the beginning of my future by going to Island School. At Community, people aren’t gonna be judging you, and if they are, they’re freaking losers just do what you want to do. It took me so long to figure that out. But once I did, I was so much happier, and I think the earlier you can figure that out, the more time you have to just be happy.”

shirato-white

“My mom made me come to Community, and I’m going to be so real, I didn’t really have any strong feelings about it. My mom went to Community, and she really liked it, so she wanted me to go when I got into the lottery. The best part of my high school experience has been getting to have great friends. I probably enjoyed science the most because I liked my teacher, and I especially liked the environment-based subjects like biology. I loved learning about plants, animals and ecology. What made Courtney stand out was that she was forgiving about assignment times because she understood that I have a life outside of school, and I just feel like Courtney actually made efforts to have an interactive class. One thing I wish I knew as a freshman was the friend group you go into freshman year probably won’t be the same later. Be open to all sorts of different people. I’d say a lot of people definitely disagree with me, but I’d say grades — I don’t think you should totally ignore them and skip class, but I also think that, like, especially in Ann Arbor, it’s so college crazy, but it’ll be okay. You have to prioritize being happy and having stable mental health, and I don’t really like the idea that, like, you have to struggle to be happy.”

“Over the past four years, it feels like I’m more of an adult now. Especially during 12th grade, I’ve taken a lot of good classes like Ecology and Indigenous Studies, and feel like I’ve learned more important stuff about the world. Indigenous Studies felt like the most meaningful class I’ve ever taken. Highly recommend it to people. As for the future, I’m going to WCC and maybe doing something with architecture. I’ve always liked designing things. The way I see it, out of all the problems in the world, everybody has their part to play. Solve the problems, and help the world out, right? And designing the way people live seems like a part that I could play. More specifically, landscape architecture, but I want to focus on sustainability. I don’t want to design big apartment complexes to just add to the concrete jungle. The way I was raised, my dad would always say, don’t throw that peanut butter jar away, take every last scrap out, you didn’t want to waste anything. And so the importance of sustainability was in my brain, and it hit me more during this year. One piece of advice I would give is to explore different things, and don’t limit yourself.”

steiner

YAGERFORUM

cooke

“Reflecting back to my freshman year, I definitely didn’t want to go to this school. I was resistant and unsure, and I didn’t think it would ever feel like home. But somewhere along the way, that changed. Now, I think it is pretty awesome here, and I appreciate it way more than I did when I was a freshman. In a way, I feel like Community makes you adapt. There are so many different groups of people here, and you kind of have to get used to that. In comparison to other schools, like Skyline, where you’d be chilling with one clique, even if you don’t feel like you fully belong in that group, and that’s just being fake to yourself. Community has really encouraged me to branch out because this is a school where you can be yourself, and you’re allowed to be yourself. I wouldn’t say it’s hard to say goodbye because it’s just like a time period in my life that I really appreciated, and now it’s over and I’m okay with that. I’m not trying to get stuck in the memories and all that. I’ve changed and grown so much. I am not the same person I was freshman year, and that’s a good thing. I’m ready to say goodbye to Community — not because I didn’t love it, but because it gave me what I needed.”

“Coming in, I didn’t really know anyone. That pushed me to be more independent and open-minded. Forum ended up being the place where things started to click. It was a fun environment from the beginning. I met new people and actually bonded with them. My favorite memory at CHS was our first Forum Day at my leader’s house. That’s when I got to really know everyone, and it ended up being such a good time. CHS gave me the space to just be myself. It’s open and creative, and the relationships I built with teachers really helped too. One thing that surprised me was track and field. I’ve always been good at it since freshman year, but I used to hate the idea of just running in circles, so I never wanted to try it. But once I finally did, I ended up in the top 10 in Pioneer history for the 100 and 200 meter dash — and now I’m the current captain. My favorite class at CHS was Principles of Engineering with George. I learned a lot in that class. I’m going to MSU for nursing. I’ve always helped a lot of people whether it was my family, friends or other people — I like to help as much as I can.”

simwenyi

the fear lies not in the arrival, Now, the fear lies not in the arrival, the fear lies not in the arrival, the fear lies not the fear lies not in the arrival,

but in the departure.

Looking back, The Communicator’s first four editions of the year each represent a different aspect of change. And of course, The Senior Edition you’re reading right now has overtones of growth, metamorphosis and saying goodbye.

October brought The Unknown Edition, a magazine whose creation involved as much uncertainty as the articles within it dealt with.

The Beauty Edition followed in December and felt like a true polished product; by then, we’d learned more about what works and what doesn’t — that issue’s good looks validated our trust fall into the daunting task of print journalism.

Taking significantly longer for us to produce — which is perhaps representative of some sort of complacency-induced sluggishness — The Comfort Edition was released in March.

And in a glaringly contrasting manner, The Power Edition felt like it was put together at the speed of light. It was distributed in April.

Each of these broad ideas (unknown, beauty, comfort and power) are factors in seniors’ equations right now. At their simplest, those equations equal inevitable change.

Four years of front lawn picnics and FOScar-winning projects and free block antics are coming to a grinding, sentimentality-laced halt. CHS and all its day-to-days and traditions that have made up so much of seniors’ worlds will soon be a replaced with multifarious unknowns. Some of our almost-graduates are headed across the country and world, while others will soon be navigating the Ann Arbor area as full-fledged adults.

There is incredible beauty in this era’s protean nature. Between the goodness of the past, the surmounting of the past’s challenges, the possibility of the present and the promise of what’s to come, there’s a whole lot to admire.

The fact of the matter is that we’re leaping away from this place and our childhoods, but that also means that we’re leaping towards something (a great many things, really): the future, adulthood, risks and rewards. The

evolution of it all is charming; it will be beautiful to watch the Class of 2025 speak on Hill Auditorium’s stage, and it will be just as beautiful to see and meet and greet the faces of the Class of 2029 on opening day this upcoming August.

But the aforementioned leaps and progressions aren’t devoid of growing pains — this is where the matter of comfort comes into play. These changes are challenging and awkward and even excruciating. The transition between here and there, the unfamiliarity of wherever there is and the finality of the end of high school is all uncharted and is all unsteady feeling.

Discomfort is a prerequisite to growth: it’s an inescapable part of being, and CHS prepares its students to traverse hurdles with flexibility and open minds. The freedom and faith bestowed upon us results in individuality and self-sufficiency — strengths that aren’t necessarily prioritized at traditional high schools, but are backbones to the CHS identity.

Our classroom goes so much further than the u-shaped building across from Kerrytown. Many rainbow zebras begin their careers with very few friends, but are very quickly pushed together and then pushed out into the world. Then together, we explore that world in bigger and bigger doses. Community Resource classes, our forums, school trips and so much more allow CHSers to experience life beyond high school as high schoolers.

The bulk of this edition is made up of senior quote stories. In a great many of them, our interviewees discuss the fear and apprehension they felt on their first days at CHS. But in many others, near-graduates detail the diverse features and experiences they will miss dearly about this school.

Now, the fear lies not in the arrival, but in the departure. So all this to say: sure, we’re at the edge of the unknown, but that’s a beautiful thing. And at the other side of our discomfort, there is comfort in constant progress — that’s powerful, and so are we. Congratulations, seniors. This one is for you.

STAFF EDITORIAL

The Unfairness of Standardized Tests

While the SAT is an important standard measure, it is not the most important part of a college application.

BY JANAKI NALLAMOTHU AND ELIJAH MAKMAN LEVINSON

For nearly a century, the SAT served as a standardized testing measure for high school students, helping college admissions officers determine who is best qualified for a spot in their first-year class. Applicants were immediately put on a scale based on how competitive their score was. This all changed in 2020.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, testing centers around the country were closed down, making standardized testing difficult. In light of this, many universities switched their admissions policies and became test-optional for the 2020-21 admissions cycle, meaning that applicants weren’t required to submit standardized test scores to apply.

Most colleges extended their test-optional policies beyond the pandemic: for the 202425 admissions cycle, over 2,000 colleges had test-optional policies in place. This shift from the pandemic made standardized test scores a less determinant part of an applicant’s profile, giving students the chance to focus on other aspects of their application, including extracurriculars and leadership positions.

Senior Leila Durrie took a semester abroad in Spain during her junior year and thus never took the SAT in school. Durrie believed the rest

of her application would strongly show her academic and social achievements, so Durrie applied to schools without submitting a score.

“If you’re not going to do standardized testing, you need to show colleges what you’ve accomplished in high school in other areas of your life,” Durrie said. “I had really good grades, good leadership positions and good extracurriculars, so I knew that I would be okay without the SAT. So I ultimately don’t think the SAT is necessary if you’re doing other things in your life that you’re clearly spending your time on.” Admission officers look at your

application as a whole, hoping to see a balance. They want a student who is right for their school and will be a valuable addition. Durrie believes her leadership positions were what made her a strong applicant, as colleges look for real-life leaders and people who will go a step further to make a change. However, there is a balance between grades and extracurricular activities; you won’t get into a school just because of your high GPA or the fact that you were in the debate club for four years or played varsity basketball — there’s no perfect way to get into a college, no formula or how-to guide.

ART BY GABE DEEDLER

Even though the fact that many colleges became test-optional after COVID-19 limited people’s ability to access to testing centers, many believe the SAT is starting to become more important. Some colleges that went test-optional in the 2020-21 admissions cycle, including Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, are returning to testrequired for the 2025-26 admissions season.

Every high school across the nation weighs GPA on a different scale, offers different classes and has a diverse set of extracurriculars available to students. Many schools that have returned to test-required

policies cite the goal of comparing all applicants on the same scale when making admissions decisions. However, this system, while having been around for a long time, is not without its faults.

There’s more to success in standardized tests than just knowing the material; you have to be a “good” test taker. Calming your nerves, feeling familiar with the format and being able to stare at a screen for two hours are skills that will help your mind stay focused throughout the test and make informed decisions. These test-taking strategies are skills that only come with practice.

“I wish it was a more perfect

system, I wish it was different,” said Missy Herskowitz, CHS counselor. “But the idea of getting a sense of where students are without grade inflation [gives you] more of an objective perspective.”

The SAT has turned into an unfair test; it’s trying to assess your level of intelligence in two hours. It has been a stressful and anxiety-producing part of many students’ applications.

“The SAT is not saying how good you are as a student or anything related to your value,” Herskowitz said. “Tests have been optional for a lot of universities, so it’s not a determinant, it’s just part of your application.

READERS WRITE

Short personal narratives written by our senior staff members

LYDIA DEBORD

Each connecting ligament, each bare tooth, all naked proof of what your oldest ancestors gave you. A starting ground, a skeleton.

Think of each tiny bone in all of its ancestral connections, all of its industrial strength, in its purest evolutionary form. Now turn into dust.

The Appalachian Mountains outlast bone formation, economy, kingdoms and seasons. They stood strong when we were no more than dust and, until we destroy the planet, will continue their lifeline long after.

These ancient landscapes and all their ghosts have been kind enough to house human beings. Towns like the ones my blood comes from have been constructed in man-made concepts of state britches. The DeBord family of Bledsoe County, Tennessee, has been one of those so blessed to reside in Appalachia.

These deep curling roots were not always ones I embraced with open arms but rather tried to slither with the perceptions of those around me. There is a mindset in the northernmost states that my mismatched instantaneous relations have settled in. One where these moun-

tains aren’t something to be proud of, but rather, a shaming point. One I exist in spite of, not because of, one in which my intelligence and capabilities are some great exception.

As I’ve grown, I have leaned both in and out of the stereotypes, eventually rejecting them altogether. There is something gravitational about the pulls of these masses, something not to be hithered by the occasional bad seed, as they all phase out eventually. The same people criticizing my family for their ignorance are not providing them resources to do so, a system to build education. And in my view, that makes them the unjust.

From the moment I met the outskirts of Athens, Ohio, I knew there were more than just piles of trees and dust in the mountain exterior. There was something, be it God, ghosts or the spirit of longevity itself, welcoming me as a millionth daughter, inviting me to join in the plains housing the world. It was where I knew I needed to be, it was the instinct of permanence everybody always talks about.

Perhaps my return to legacy was always to be, as next year I will call Appalachia my home in more than just ancestry.

CLAIRE LEWIS

I have never felt so grown-up. Sitting knee deep in the unexpected, as the whole school circled around me in an excited frenzy. The first day of freshman year passed through me like an untenable wind.

My freshman year, I was made up of the words people would tell me: pretty, sociable, humble girl. But I never really felt like those things, I just got bravery through the belief other people had in me. I never believed I was smart enough, pretty enough, cool enough.

I just decided to be the victim of my own insecurity, instead of the victim of someone else’s.

Growing up throughout high school was all about trust. I had to learn to let go of the distrust I had in myself. Little girl, innocence, inconvenience. All these labels I stapled to myself flew out the window, one after the other, until the girl I once knew faded into was just a distant memory.

Back when CHS felt like uncharted territory. This year, as I sit in the classrooms I’ve seen for what feels like a thousand years, I feel that same untenable wind I felt on that first day. But the unfamiliar faces that used to cause me anxiety and make my mind feel like a broken-down tape recorder now make me feel nothing but melancholy. As of today, I have 38 days of my senior year. Like days, days, not even just school days. I used to try to cut down as much time as possible, weekends didn’t count, or half days. But now I find myself trying to find time that doesn’t exist. I’m trying to find moments where the world slows down, and the little girl I once knew, I once was, could find me again. Could track me down with her untenable hair and heavy backpack. When the world I once knew could somehow find a way to reach my back pocket once again.

ISABELLA MALDONADO

I need out.

That is what I have been shouting from the rooftops for as long as I have been able to think about college. I have always wanted to leave my pretty college town, with its pretty people and pretty stores and pretty opportunities. I don’t want pretty, I want life.

I love my hometown, but I hate it. By the time I was eight, I knew my home wasn’t my forever. I had idealized every college that was at the very least 650 miles away from my house, the glittery Big Apple at the top of every list. New York, where my mom is from, where my dad’s first plane to the United States landed, where I have always craved more than food, more than water.

I have just a few months left in my hometown. I’m terrified. My bubble of a town will burst and I will no longer be protected by the overgrowing trees that line my neighborhood, the creek I played in as a child will no longer look shimmery and magical to my young eyes, my bike has been pushed into the back of our storage unit not to be seen for years

The town that swaddled me, gave me bubbles in hot summers and snowmen in the chilly winters. The town

that saw my dripping ice cream cones and the first days of school. The town that taught me how to ride a bike, how to fail and get back up again. The town that raised me is only that now, no longer my home but my past. Leaving feels like betrayal, but staying feels like surrendering to my dreams. I’ve spent my entire life building a ladder, one rung at a time — grades, dreams, part-time jobs, late-night essays, tears cried in my bedroom at 11:59 pm, the tantalizing challenge of college applications. I have climbed my way up towards my future that looks nothing like the one I was born into. And now that I’m at the top, I’m scared.

I need out — not because I hate where I come from, but because I love where I’m going. I want loud, messy, beautiful chaos. I want purpose. I want grit. I want strangers who become family, subway rides that feel like lifelines, late nights that fade into perfect sunrises.

So yes, I need out. And maybe in a few years, I’ll come back and look at my hometown with gentler eyes. Maybe it’ll still have the same creeks and snowmen and treelined streets. But I won’t be the same.

I need out. I’m finally ready.

JONATHAN CARTER

What is the meaning of life?

An often overlooked and vastly generalized phrase is anything but simple. It lingers in quiet moments. Behind hallway laughter, in shared glances and in the silence between one chapter ending and another beginning. It is a question that does not demand an immediate answer. It waits patiently. And when it shows up, it often appears in the stillness that follows a goodbye or in the moment when you feel completely understood.

At its core, the meaning of life is to live. Of course, it is also to connect. Connection gives our experiences meaning and definitely deepens our understanding of ourselves. It turns a simple day into an unforgettable memory. It is why we remember the people more than the places. It is why we cherish even the small moments of understanding when no words are necessary. It is not just about what happened. It is very much about who was there.

We talk about goals and futures, and those things are important. Of course, ambition and planning have their place. Yet at the end of the day, the most lasting part of our lives is who we shared them with. Who sat beside us in moments of triumph and sorrow. Who made us laugh when we thought we could not. Who helped us become the people we are today. These experiences, these connections, definitely color the tapestry of our lives.

It is not always easy to create or maintain connection. It carries risk. Not everyone stays. Some people leave for paths we cannot follow. Others change in ways that make the familiar seem new or distant. And so do we. But even these losses have value. To miss someone is to have experienced something worth missing. To feel the ache of change is proof that something definitely mattered.

We are often taught to chase after milestones. We set our sights on achievements, big announcements and recognition. But meaning frequently lives in the in-between. In the quiet car rides after a long day, in the notes passed in the back of class and in the looks that say more than any words ever could.

Perhaps meaning is not something we find at one definitive moment in a textbook or a graduation ceremony. Instead, it is built gradually, in the subtle transitions from one stage to another. It is found in the disappointment of letting go and in the joy of new beginnings. It is in the excitement of planning for a future that is not yet written, and in the calm acceptance of the past. The feeling is familiar even when you are stepping into the unknown, carrying with you the echoes of laughter and the support of those who helped you grow.

Senior Map 2025

The class of 2025 will be across the country and the globe, starting new chapters of their lives. Data for this map was collected from seniors and is accurate as of April 17.

Gap Year/Work

Claire Lewis

Eddie Mobilio Breck

Grieta Ham

Owen Bower

California

Pitzer College

Jasper Forgey

Lucia Page Sander

New York

Fordham University Lincoln Center

Isabella Maldonado

Vassar College

Eliza Braunschneider

Parsons School of Design

Ionie Steudle

Illinois

Northwestern University

Clara Freeth

University of Illinois

Chicago

Phoebe Parmer

New Jersey

Rutgers University

Elliot Mason

Massachusetts

Smith College

Iseul Park

Brandeis University

Kyra Kahana

Berklee College of Music

Zoey Cerniglia

Washington D.C.

American University

Maggie Beeson

Minnesota

St. Olaf University

John Gerdes

Florida

Eckerd College

Kinga Jung

South Carolina

College of Charlston

Klava Alicea

Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

Maia Genisio

Villanova University

Ofelia Ziegler

Washington

University of Washington

Miguel Larios

Ohio

Oberlin College

Lina Bailey

Ohio University

Lydia DeBord

Colorado

University of Denver

Ryn Waugh

Other

Saint Louis University

Madrid

Leila Durrie

Michigan

Kalamazoo College

Mathias Takacs

Michigan State University

Amani Simwenyi

Danny Komorek

Izzy Kraft

Max Johnson

Nina Tinney

Noah Walter

Sabi Simwenyi

Michigan Technological University

Jupiter Gergics

Kaylie Peters

Keenan Cooke

Max Glynn

University of Detroit Mercy

Adam Treib

University of Michigan

Adebabaye Rosczyk

Bee Whalen

Ben Mendez

Cadence Ludlam

Cameron Payne

Charlotte Quinn

Desmond Lorenz

Eliam Rosenberg

Elias Kirschenmann

Elle McCreadie

Jacqueline Boynton

Kamen Panayotov

Kyrie Garwood

Leo Castilho

Rebecca White

Ria Thomas

Sebastian Berenfeld

Zane Swerdlow

Washtenaw Community College

Aliya Shirato

Ari Steiner

Fina Kutcher

Isaiah Horton

Michigan

Grand

Carlos Finks

Aya Beydoun

Jonathan Carter

Lincoln Cooke

Max Lawton

Rowan Theeke

Sara Jo Grover

Western Michigan University

Allan Authier

Lilly Wren

Malia Weber

Quinn Hanner-Zawacki

SENIOR

M AWAROCK DS

High school superlatives for and by the class of 2025, as voted on by their peers.

BY LUCIA PAGE SANDER, DANIEL JACOB, ELEANOR FARRELL AND CLARA FREETH

Most Likely To Be A Billionaire

D1 Distractors

Deadliest Sporker

Sportiest Zebra

I see London, I see France, I see Elias’ underpants! Elias Kirschenmann is the funniest zebra of them all, cracking jokes left and right and up and down the hall. “I ain’t even really try to be funny for real, I just am,” Kirschenmann said. “Dr. Seuss, green eggs and ham.” *A word from a winner...

Zane Swerdlow

Class Clown*

Artsiest Zebras

Elias Kirschenmann Meghan Pillote and Bee Whalen

Ryan Grant and Elliot Mason

Sebastian Berenfeld (R.I.P. Max G. Johnson)

Kyrie Garwood

Always In Room 300

After an incredible four years of high school romance, Miguel Larios and Kinga Jung prepare to solidify their love in an over-the-top, blow out wedding at the end of the school year. Though marriage can be a rocky road, the two knew they were soulmates from the moment they landed in the Whiteside forum. “Yeah, I mean, it’s sort of a classic forumettes-by-chance-lovers-bychoice situation,” Larios said. “I’m just glad it was her, how could I not fall in love?” *A word from a winner...

Elle McCreadie and Clara Freeth

Dynamic Duo Kate Groves and Maura O’Connor

Calc Queens Lucia Page Sander and Jasper Forgey

Best Couple That Never Was*

Claire Lewis, Ionie Steudle and Jacqueline Boynton

Stars of CET Kinga Jung and Miguel Larios

Best Dressed Sumaya Berki

*A word from a winner...

A lot of people think Kevin is scary, but word on the street is that he’s really only scary if he doesn’t like you. Klava Alicea knows his kindness firsthand, as the two have become close over the course of the past year. While he may put up a tough front, he truly is a big ol teddy bear. “Kevin told me he voted for me for this, but I asked Jessika and she said he’s not allowed to vote,” Alicea said. “But I know he’d vote for me anyway.”

Kevin’s BFF* Klava Alicea

Sickest With Senioritis

Aidan Spadafore and Julien Wyngaard

Little Miss Sunshine Eleanor Farrell

Most Chalant Violet Knyal

Best Hair

Kinga Jung, Kyra Kahana and River Rountrey

Most Nonchalant

Amadou Kouyate and Eloise MacDougald

25 T HINGS...

Community High’s class of 2025 has gained lots of wisdom throughout their time in high school. Here’s the advice they’re leaving with them as they graduate.

BY ELLE MCCREADIE AND JACQUELINE BOYNTON

1 2 3 4 6 7 10 11 12 8 9 5

ARTIST PROFILE

MIGU

EL RLA IOS

BY ADDIE MCCREADIE

Looking over his high school experience, Miguel Larios has had a difficult time placing when exactly he began thinking of himself as an “artist.” Whether doodling in the margins of his math homework or just observing the world around him, Larios has always found ways to saturate his life with art. But when did that fondness for creation become something more than a simple hobby?

As he eased into the routine of high school, Larios quickly found Community to be a place where he could cultivate his artistry in compelling new ways.

“My sophomore year, I took art and design with Hannah, and that was the first time that I really had a space to explore what I wanted to do instead of cookie-cutter lessons,” Larios said.

After that, he went on to take just about every art class offered at CHS. Art and Design, Drawing, Painting Color Theory, Jazz and Open Studio have all urged Larios to develop not only his technique, but mental resilience as well. His artistic involvement serves as a testament that good things take time, because it wasn’t until senior year that Larios

met his newest love: clay.

“I didn’t know how much I would love it,” Larios said. “There’s just something about creating something physical and working with your hands to make a real object that is so attractive to me.”

In his first semester of ceramics, Larios crafted a flute. After hours spent hunched over the clay, working his hands to perfect each and every detail, the piece shattered in the kiln. Even the magic of superglue could not restore Larios’s original vision. Still, he saw the lesson in this loss, letting himself loosen his grip on perfectionism and tune in to what the process could teach him. After building his relationship with art these past four years, he began to consider the ways it could fit into his future.

“I’m going into neuroscience, and I’ve set myself up so completely to just be in that field,” Larios said. “I had this really terrifying thought the other week in the art room. I thought to myself, ‘Oh my god. I’m meant to do this for the rest of my life, and I have to go to art school and pursue this.’”

Juggling his many interests, Larios felt the pressure of needing to map

out what the next years of his life could look like. From settling on a school to attend to selecting a major, the responsibility that comes with senior year weighed heavy on his heart and mind.

“I’ve explored the idea of pursuing a minor in art,” Larios said. “I think upon reflection, I really feel like art needs to be a constant in my life, but I don’t know what that’ll look like yet.”

But no matter how art weaves itself into his studies, Larios knows it will always be just within his reach. Even now, as he sits in Maneesha Mankad’s classroom, assaulted by a page of unsolved numbers and letters, he finds art in the complex history that has brought calculus to his table. Looking ahead to his last days at Community High School has moved Larios to find art in the friendships he continues to pour into. He has discovered that you don’t need to do anything to earn art in your life. So long as you are willing to open your eyes a little wider, it will be waiting for you.

“Art is everywhere,” Larios said. “It will always be everywhere, and it’s worthwhile to look for it — it really is.”

Miguel Larios shares how he built his relationship with art at Community.

BEEE

W

HALEN

BY NINA TINNEY

Bee Whalen has always considered himself an “art kid.” Having several family members that are involved in the art world, he has grown up surrounded by creativity. Whether he’s making art in school or at home — it’s been an unwavering constant in his life.

When Whalen was younger, he was stricter with his art. He was the type of kid that loved to follow the rules — always coloring inside the lines or making sure to not mix the watercolors in his pallete. However, as he’s grown his style has greatly evolved.

“Now I think that I’m a lot more expressive and experimental with my art,” Whalen said.

In his time at CHS, Whalen has been able to do a lot of experimenting. Entering high school he quickly immersed himself in the art department by joining the art club as well as the art team for The Communicator. Over time, he has taken almost every art class that CHS has to offer. From Drawing and Painting to Film Photography, he has been able to make art in a variety of mediums.

Being so involved with the art department, creating art has become much more than a casual hobby for him. While creating art for art shows or the pages of the Communicator he’s had to learn how to balance his creative process with time limits and deadlines.

“I have definitely struggled with finishing art projects in the past,” Whalen said. “But slowly I’m getting better at having both flexibility

and structure in order to complete things.”

As a testament to his dedication, Whalen’s art has been recognized not only within CHS, but in the larger community. Recently his piece “Road Work” was selected to be the poster image of Ann Arbor Public School’s Youth Art Month. Done with acrylic and paint markers, the piece features a young boy with a traffic cone on his head, meant to symbolize burnout in school and what it means to be a work in progress. For the month of March, his piece was displayed all throughout Downtown Ann Arbor.

“It was funny because I didn’t even know that my teacher had submitted my piece to Youth Art Month,” Whalen said. “When I first found out I was pretty surprised but it’s a big honor and something that I’m really proud of.” Whalen was even asked to be featured in a short news segment on his piece. Proving to him that his art can grant him new opportunities.

“I think a lot of people have the misconception that there aren’t legitimate careers in art,” Whalen said. “But art is so important and now more than ever we need people to create new and unique things.”

After graduation, Whalen plans to study film, a field he believes combines several disciplines of art. With all the experience they have gained at CHS, he feels ready to move on to the next step. And no matter what happens, art will always be a part of him.

Bee Whalen on his love of art and its role in his future.

Desmond LORENZ

Marcel Proust’s questionnaire, created in 1890, featuring Desmond Lorenz.

BY ESH SCHADEN

WWhat is your idea of perfect happiness? I live life in a pretty nice flow state. When I’m going with the flow, that’s when I’m the happiest. Maybe I’m hanging on a beach watching a sunset surrounded by people I love. What’s your greatest fear? For a minute there it was heights, and then there was stage fright. But, you know, I moved past those. I’m really not a fan of bugs, like spiders. I know they do a good thing for us, but spiders are a little creepy. What is the trait you most admire or deplore in yourself? I think something that I really admire about myself is my ability to adapt and kind of deal with whatever situation with a pretty level head. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? Coming back to life as a cat or a dog or something would be pretty cool, because you don’t have to worry about anything. You just get to sit there and sleep. Or really do whatever you want. I’d be really good at playing fetch, but I’d also be really good at sleeping. If you could live anywhere, where would you most like to live? I feel like there’s a lot of places that would probably be fun. I went to Slovenia once for a couple days with a band tour, and the capital there, Lubiana,

was pretty sick. What is your most treasured possession? My parents saved this little stuffed animal that I had since I was a baby, and I have it somewhere in my basement. That’s pretty treasured. What do you regard as the lowest depths of misery? When you are completely isolated and don’t feel like you can reach out to other people. What is your most marked characteristic? Others would say blonde. What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty. Who are your favorite writers? I read Harry Potter as a kid, but that might be a bit of a controversial pick as a writer. I read all of the Greek mythology stuff. Because I also read that when I was younger, Greek philosophy books. Who is your hero of fiction? Elijah Lawler. Which historical figure do you most identify with? Harrison Ford. I just watched Indiana Jones and that was kind of cool. Who are your heroes in real life? My dad. He’s a really persistent person, and he’s someone that will never give up on something he wants to achieve. What are your favorite names? Desmond Lorenz What is it that you most dislike? A mouthful of jello feels weird. What is your greatest regret? I didn’t start playing jazz sooner.

FASHION WEEK

FASHION

WEEK

FASHION WEEK

Looking Back

BY FINA KUTCHER

add a song

I Will - The Beatles

Ribs - Lorde

White Ferrari - Frank Ocean

Where’d All the Time Go - Dr. Dog

These Days - Nico

Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl - Broken Social Scene

Kids - Current Joys

Do You Remember - Jack Johnson

Forever - Alex G

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? - Tyler, The Creator

Moving Forward

a song

The Spins - Mac Miller

My Future - Bille Eilish

Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine

Greenlight - Lorde

Unwritten - Natasha Beddingfeld

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi

After The Storm - Kali Uchis (Feat. Tyler, The Creator)

No Plan - Hozier

Hello Goodbye - Charli XCX

Out Loud.

Out Loud. Out Loud.

Three albums to hear now.

BY JAKE WILLIAMS

“Dead Channel Sky” by clipping.

In 2020, clipping released two of the best horror-core rap albums ever. Taking heavy influence from classic horror movies like “Halloween” and “Scream” as well as drawing influence from internet horror, these albums weren’t just great pieces of music, they were genuinely creepy. After an almost five-year hiatus, clipping is finally back with a completely different sound than they had when they left, focusing more on cyberpunk and digital themes both lyrically and sonically

The second track, “Dominator,” features bouncy synths, intricate percussion and a constant refrain of “I’m the one and only.” Diggs’ lyrics center around how technology has caused people to disconnect with the very things that make them human. He raps about how consumers are made to feel lesser than they actually are so that they are more easily influenced by the corporations that rule them. To punctuate this point, he tells the listener to kill themself, which in the context of the song is pretty dark, but I genuinely can’t hear the line without laughing Named for the cyberpunk genre’s signature clothing item, “Mirrorshades pt. 2” follows a more groovy style than most of the other tracks. The instrumental follows pulsing bass with glitchy, chopped vocals and simple drums. The lyrics are also a bit simpler than the other songs, with a slower pace and more obvious rhymes. On almost any other album, this would be a negative, but because you’ve already heard about 45 minutes of Diggs’ complicated and twisting lyrics and rhyme schemes, “Mirrorshades pt. 2” feels like a quick break of fresh air before the final stretch of the album.

On “Welcome Home Warrior,” Diggs explores digital spaces, the escapism they offer and why you would need that level of escapism. Aesop Rock, the best feature on the album, raps about building an online identity and how it can completely disconnect you from the real world. The atmospheric beat is a perfect match with the lyrics as they both feel somewhat sinister.

Though not quite on par with clipping’s last two near-perfect albums, “Dead Channel Sky” still features mindblowing production and lyricism throughout. However, above all else, this confirms that five years is way too long with no new clipping music and I sincerely hope we hear from this group sooner rather than later.

“Revengeseekerz” by Jane Remover

I feel like I can summarize the entirety of “Revengeseekerz” by letting you know that the only samples on this entire album are video game sound effects and Jane Remover’s own songs. Revengeseekerz is the closest an album can come to physically hurting its listener. The production is heavy, layered and loud, while the vocals are all distorted in some way, shape or form. It’s abrasive, fast and wholly addicting.

The second track, “Psychoboost,” is one of the simpler songs on the album and it would still probably send anyone over the age of 80 into anaphylactic shock. It sounds like something you’d hear at a rave with its high-pitched synths, constant bass and repetitive vocals. This song is also home to the only feature on this album from the incomparable Detroit native, Danny Brown. Brown is one of those rappers that could rap over quite literally anything, so naturally, he murders this beat.

“TURN UP OR DIE” is one of the most ridiculous songs I’ve ever talked about within an OutLoud. There are enough ideas within this song to carry an entire album but instead Jane opts to cram them all into a four minute runtime which results in one of the most intense and head-spinning tracks in her entire discography. Heavy bass, Zelda references, eerie horror movie-esque synths, breakbeat elements, metallic-sounding percussion and Jane’s absurd vocals make this one of the craziest songs she’s ever made.

The final track, “JRJRJR,” begins with a “Pharell fourcount” style opening of a text-to-speech bot repeating the letter “J.” This audio clip is reused constantly throughout the song, eventually sounding somewhat like a hi-hat. The other production elements are just as inspired and inventive with a “Neon Genesis Evangelion” sample, synth arpeggios and explosive percussion that at times sounds like gunshots. It’s really powerful to see that Jane had such a strong grasp on this new sound from the very beginning.

Jane Remover has been one the most exciting and interesting online-oriented musicians for four straight years now. Her constantly evolving style that never stays in one place for too long makes her an artist that you can get into at pretty much any time, and with an album this explosive and replayable, there isn’t a better time to start listening than right now.

“Forever Howlong” by Black Country, New Road

There are very few bands putting out as many high-quality albums as often as (BCNR) Black Country, New Road. Since the departure of the band’s former lead vocalist, Isaac Woods, the remaining members have been experimenting with their roles in the band. On their last album, “Live From Bush Hall,” they cycled through different lead vocalists, seemingly giving everyone a shot. Thankfully, that trend continues on this album. This rotation of lead vocalists not only makes for more diverse sounds but also lyrics as everyone writes their own songs.

The fourth track, “Salem Sisters,” is another track BCNR has been performing live for some time. Since its inception, it’s been reworked and even switched lead vocalists from Lewis Evans (Saxophone) to Tyler Hyde (Bass), who rewrote parts of the song to include imagery of being burned at the stake during a summer dinner party. Ever-changing time signatures, some truly beautiful piano and saxophone riffs and sweet backing vocals during the chorus make this one of many stand-out tracks within the album.

“For the Cold Country” begins slowly with a small a capella arrangement that is quickly replaced by saxophone and guitar. May Kershaw’s (keys) first appearance as the lead vocalist is absolutely stunning. Every line within the song flows into the next so smoothly that even if this song didn’t have killer instrumentation from all involved, it would still be a complete ear-worm of a track.

The final track, “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)” was a massive (and very welcomed) surprise. BCNR has been playing this piece live for almost three years now under the name “Geese.” So, finally hearing a studio version after all this time is mind-blowing. “Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)” is one of the best songs in the BCNR catalogue due to its soft acoustic guitar that slowly blossoms into a beautiful arrangement consisting of solid drum patterns, ear-grabbing saxophone riffs and Hyde’s gorgeous vocals. I can’t think of a better way they could’ve ended this album.

In the two albums since Isaac Woods’ departure, BCNR has proven that even without his idiosyncratic singing and songwriting, the band is still capable of putting out incredible pieces of music and with six possible writers and vocalists, I don’t think they’ll stop anytime soon.

MEGHAN PILLOTE SENIOR SOUNDTRACK

BY ISLA THARP AND SOFI DAS

freshman year

For Meghan Pillote, freshman year was filled with what she coins as “plain” and “pretty mainstream” music. Experimenting with genres and listening to music that made her uncomfortable wasn’t yet part of her life. The transition to finding music more out of her comfort zone started near the end of freshman year, when Pillote began to build her music foundation, discovering artists that are some of her favorites to this day. Even so, her top album of the year, “After Laughter” by Paramore, is one of the most pop-leaning albums by the band, despite them making more alternative music. She was also introduced to Clairo later in the year, a long-lasting favorite artist of hers. “Clairo is always an artist I listened to in the spring. So I think it just has a lot of good memories attached to it,” Pillote said.

sophomore year

Sophomore year, Pillote started to branch out and meet new people, and with that she discovered her love for music even more. She was introduced by her friends to artists like Frank Ocean, who was her top artist of the year, and Childish Gambino, another one of her favorites. She discovered a love for rap that she had previously hated and her top song of the year, “Skeletons” by Travis Scott, helped inspire her. “I just definitely have a place in my heart for rap that I did not have freshman year,” Pillote said. “I think it’s kind of crazy that I hated rap music when I was in middle school and when I first came to high school, and now that’s honestly the majority of what I listen to when I listen to music.” Overall, Pillote’s sophomore year motivated her to push herself out of her comfort zone both in her taste of music and in her life.

junior year

An emotionally turbulent year for Pillote, which was displayed in her listening habits. Lana Del Rey was an absolute “sad girl” staple, being her top artist, writer of her top album, and song. Exploring uncomfortable music had become more of a habit by now, and Pillote initially hated “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” finding it boring. However, it quickly became her top album of the year, and remains one of her favorite by the artist. The song “Norman f***ing Rockwell” really embodied this time in Pillote’s life and holds a special place in her heart, with the album poster hanging in her room. “I think that song is just so good, because it’s just her being like, You’re a stupid boy,” Pillote said. “And sometimes you just gotta hear that and remind yourself that, it ain’t that deep. They all be like stupid boys.”

senior year

Senior year for Pillote, her top album and top song belong to Kanye West. This year, with the stress of college applications and decisions building up, Pillote feels she can relate to Kanye, especially with his song “Late” in his Late Registration album. With the year coming to a close, as Pillote looks back on her music taste over the last four years, she can see the development and growth she’s had. Her music taste has evolved and changed so much, yet some of her favorite artists have been with her since freshman year. Clairo takes the spot for her senior album of the year being the perfect album to end her high school season. “I really love it. I think it is reflective and sad in some ways, but it’s also really nice in other ways,” Pillote said. “It makes you see that moving on has that kind of sadness in it, but it also feels happy in a way. I don’t know, I just I love her.”

JULIA HARRI SON SENIOR SOUNDTRACK

BY CLAIRE LEWIS

freshman year

Freshman year was hard for Julia Harrison. The transitions of life, emotions, and friendships had a big impact on Harrison’s music taste. While they listened to a lot of different types of music, the majority of their listening was dedicated to Indie music. Their favorite artist at the time was Alex G, whose music held the spots for both most listened to song and album of the year. The album “Race,” and song from the album “Let it go” was on repeat. With all the newness of freshman year, Harrison decided to dive into Rap as well. They started off with artists such as Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar. Harrison listened to a mix of different music that both reflected and deflected their emotions, songs that made them feel better as well as ones that made them feel heard.

sophomore year

Sophomore year is the year that Harrison moved away from Indie and really dove into the Rap genre. They were genuinely having a blast both inside and outside of school, and so the high energy of Rap felt fitting to the time. Sophomore year, Harrison also began to slowly get into Lana Del Rey. They felt that the somber, enchanting, energy of her music helped balance out their other top artists of the year. Their most listened to song was “Topanga” by Trippie Redd, and their favorite album of the year was “Deep Divine” by Pretty Sick. “I was listening to a lot of happy songs, music to pump you up sophomore year. I think that reflected my whole mentality sophomore year. I was pretty pumped up and excited in general,” Harrison said.

junior year

Junior year Harrison fell head first into Hyperpop. Although they had been interested in the genre in the past, artists such as 2hollis, Charlie XCX and Sophie really interested them junior year. Harrison was kind of bored their third year of high school. Hyperpop felt like change for Harrison, and helped them step outside their bubble when they felt like they were getting used to their life. “I was drawn to hyper pop music just because it’s pretty new and novel to me. I guess just because a lot of the sounds that I was hearing in hyper pop and stuff I wasn’t really used to and stuff, because it’s just a pretty unconventional sound,” Harrison said. Their favorite album of the year was 2 by 2hollis because of the novelty and newness felt from it.

senior year

Senior year was a hodgepodge of everything that Harrison had been listening to. As the end of high school looms, Harrison has been going back and forth between new music and old, reflecting on the past while also keeping it fresh. Their favorite genre of music senior year has been cloud rap, specifically drain gang, with artists such as Bladee and Yung Lean. They’ve also fallen into the Glee cast recordings of various songs, “I like how cloud rap is a combination of rap and sometimes hyper pop, and how it’s like rap, but slightly more melodic and less serious than a lot of other rap. There’s a lot more songs that I think are kind of funny almost, and I think I think that’s part of the appeal, not taking music too seriously and kind of just experimenting and seeing what you come out with.” Harrison said. Their favorite album of the year was “Gluee by Bladee.” They love the album because they feel it’s more ethereal and more like dream pop, than Bladee’s other music. Harrison switched to online school during senior year, so they have been home alone a lot more. “I’ve been liking music that takes the excitement of Hyperpop, but kind of makes it a little bit more melodic, which is what I’ve been listening to more this year, since my life has been a little bit slower and a little bit calmer,” Harrison said.

The End of an Era

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI AND WILLOW ROSENFELD

ACROSS

5 Spacebar’s neighbor; the type of school CHS is

7 Local community college that many CHS students take classes at

10 Where the heart is

12 A farewell

13 The two options in the type of question you ask a Magic 8 Ball

15 What the seniors are doing at commencement

17 The Midnight Sun captures this period of 365 days

18 A beautiful transition between night and day

20 Going to college might start a new one in your story

22 A brief message to share before receiving your diploma

24 A type of tube used in science experiments; something an unprepared student might try to avoid

26 What a light switch can be; the opposite of 31 Down

28 Snail mail; each student gets one of these from their counselor

30 A morning arena that you need a permit to battle in

32 An important place in Ancient Rome..and Community High School

33 An alternative to art; the name of our theater

34 With 2 Down, the number of cents in a quarter; the class of 20__

DOWN

1 One of the hosts of the forum bulletin; our mascot

2 With 34 Across, the number of cents in a quarter; the class of 20__

3 A disease that plagues many in the spring of their senior year of high school

4 A path you take to reach your destination and the name of the band that wrote 1981 hit song “Don’t Stop Believin’”

6 What you drop in a physics project for FOS III

7 A question pronounced like the 25th letter of the English alphabet

8 Say it to someone who has achieved something

9 A measurement of space consisting of 1/100 of a meter

11 “It’s the end of an ___.”

14 Neither the present nor the past; where Marty McFly is trying to get back to

16 The main color of this crossword puzzle

19 A utensil companion

21 You might sled down this in the winter; the name of the auditorium that graduation is held at

23 Not a door, but a way; something you walk through to get to class

25 An apple a day gets you on their good side

27 This year, the source of Cosmic Fever for juniors and seniors at CHS

29 Something you pass on; the centerpiece of every Olympic opening ceremony and one of Lady Liberty’s accessories

31 What a light switch can be; the opposite of 26 Across

BONUS SCRAMBLE

If you’re lucky, this is how you got to Community.

Goodbye

In the final installment of “The Adventures of Zeeb & Elby” for the 2024-2025 school year, our characters say goodbye.

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

HUMANS OF COMMUNITY

“What Wouldn’t You Have Gotten Through School Without?”

BY SOFI DAS, KIRRA MOLEK, & ISLA THARP

Max Johnson

Senior

“I wouldn’t have gotten through high school without baseball. My dad got me into baseball. I was about three or four years old, when I first started playing, and I had one of the big plastic bats and balls. I would go to my driveway, hit off a tee, and run around. I’ve played for 14 years now, and I’m very thankful for my last year, and my last high school game, which is the day after graduation. So I end high school and then I end baseball, because I’m not playing in college or over the summer, and it will be my last game possibly ever. I’ve been thinking about that recently and how it’s just kind of been a constant in my life. I’m very happy that I’ve had it these last four years, it’s definitely helped. Everyone talks about how high school sports teams help create connections and create friendships that will last, possibly after high school. Right now is a happy, but also sad moment, because it just shows the process of growing up and getting older. It makes you realize you have to be grateful for what you have.”

Klava Alicea

Senior

“My best friend, Fiona Curie, and I have been friends since first-grade. We went through school together until eighth grade, but then she moved away to Florida, and we stayed in contact this whole time. I was comfortable sharing everything with her without judgment, and it was just a mutual friendship. Now we’re actually going to the same college, and it’s just so crazy that it happened to work out that way, so I’m excited to continue that lifelong friendship. The distance between us made us appreciate the friendship more and put more effort into it. Who knows, maybe in high school we would have drifted apart, but we purposely didn’t because of the distance. I think I would say I’ve never had a best friend wherever I’ve gone except her. Since I didn’t have that one person at Community, it has made me branch out and be in a lot of different friend groups and meet a lot of different people, really, because I didn’t have someone to fall back on.”

Ryan Grant

Senior

““Mr. Sean Eldon, my English teacher. I’ve had him every semester since my sophomore year, and he’s been super influential in me gaining self-confidence and control of my emotions and stuff like that in a social setting. He’s also helped my conversation skills improve a ton when involving myself in large social debates, casual conversations, and group discussions. I think he does a really good job at taking people aside and helping you analyze, ‘What went right in this class, and what went wrong? How can we improve? What is the obstacle that we need to overcome?’ I found that to be really helpful with him taking that one-on-one time for people, specifically me, because I’m more of a oneon-one person, and I thought that was just super beneficial for my psyche. Because I have had him as a teacher, I see myself becoming an independent adult, and I’ve learned how I plan on carrying myself in the future as an adult. I don’t know how to describe it, but I think it was super beneficial to my emotional and mental maturity.”

Ivy Ball Senior

““I would 100% say my mother. I would consider her my best friend. She told me not to say that, she said it was weird, but my mom has been the most consistent person in my life. Throughout high school, relationships have changed within my family, but my mom is the one person who has always been there for me, and she supports me. She trusts me. We have a very respectful, mutual relationship and I value it a lot. I definitely couldn’t have gotten through high school if it were any different. I think I probably wouldn’t have gotten a lot of the experience I’ve gained through travel and doing things with friends. I would not have been able to do any of that. I think I would be a lot more stressed out with academics. Obviously, I care about my academics, but there’s not as big of a pressure, it just takes the stress off of it, so it’s a lot easier to do those things. She always asks ‘Hey, I notice you have a couple missing assignments, what can I do to help you? How can I support you?’ She’s always, always approached things in a very respectful way. She wants to hear my side of things.”

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Vietnamese Red Fried Rice

BY FINA KUTCHER AND NINA TINNEY

This fall, the two of us went to Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour in Detroit. Before heading to Little Caesars Arena we stopped at a small Vietnamese restaurant a couple blocks away. Quickly, our table became scattered with bowls of pho, banh mi sandwiches and dishes of savory rice. As we ate we shared our set list predictions, the songs we wanted to hear and visions of Billie Eilish on stage. And though this recipe may not be paired with the same pre-concert excitement that we had, we believe it is the perfect quick dish. Prepared in one pan, it can be ready in the matter of minutes. With both soy and fish sauce, it has a classic Vietnamese flavor. Additionally, the tomato paste gives the rice a striking red color. So whether you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe or a nice savory fix, this is the dish for you. Love, Fina & Nina

TIPS

Any type of rice can be used for this recipe such as white, brown or basmati. However, jasmine rice is truer to Vietnamese cuisine. Whatever type of rice you choose, we highly recommend using day-old cooked rice. Because it is drier and less sticky than freshly cooked rice, it is less likely to become mushy in the cooking process.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 cup diced ham

1 cup frozen peas

2 1/2 cups day-old rice

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. fish sauce

2 tsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. white sugar

2 eggs (whisked)

DIRECTIONS

1) In a large skillet over high heat, melt a tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and cook for about 10 seconds or until darker in color and fragrant.

2) Add the diced ham and frozen peas, stirring for 30 seconds after the addition of each ingredient.

3) Add the rice and tomato paste, and cook for two minutes, making sure to mix thoroughly so that all the rice gets coated with the paste. If the rice is pretty firm, try smashing it down and breaking up the clumps with the back of your spoon.

4) Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and white sugar, and cook for one minute to get some nice carmelization on the tomatoey rice.

5) Push all the rice to one side of the skillet. In the cleared space, melt a tablespoon of butter. Pour in the eggs and scramble just until set.

6) Toss the scrambled eggs with the rest of the rice and serve.

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OUR TURN

Lucia Page Sander

[Being an EIC] has made journalism and that room — Room 300 — like a home within a home. I feel so comfortable at school, and I feel especially comfortable in journalism, which I think is a special thing. I’ve invested so much time into making this magazine and running the Instagram last year. It’s brought me so many relationships that I don’t think I would have had otherwise. I'm so lucky to be close with a lot of last year’s seniors — I’m not a crier, but I was crying at graduation, and I wouldn’t have had them without The Communicator. It’s been a cycle of leadership, like, remembering how the people who came before me impacted me. They're passionate, excited about the world and I'm trying to continue that cycle. Just being excited about journalism, and about Community and about the future. Sometimes people will come to me and say they’re scared to try something, and I get to say, “I’ve been where you are, and I know that you can do this.” I think part of being a leader is knowing when to say, “No, you’ve got this. Try it. Do it. Then come back, and I’ll help you through it if you need it.”

Clara Freeth

Being in room 300 has helped me grow and shaped who I am as a person. I remember my first production. There was a senior editor, and she sat with me the whole night. She was so compassionate and didn’t make me feel stupid for not being able to do anything. ‘Why do you even care about me? You have no reason to do that, but you do anyway.’ So I try to do my best to prevent the younger kids from feeling overwhelmed. There’ve been a couple times I’ve sat with people through something that I could have done in five minutes, but together we did it in 45 and that was great because they were learning.

I don’t know if I’ll ever have the words to be able to fully vocalize how important this room has been for me. My time here is a reminder that most of your roadblocks are inside your head. You just gotta walk in, thug it out, try your best.

Kate Groves

I’ve gained so much from the experience of being a social media EIC, just in the sense of becoming more creative, but then also learning how to better communicate with others.

I think because there’s so much good work that’s happening [in room 300], the energy that the room gives off is so contagious in the best way possible, because there’s just a feeling of life and productivity that it really rubs off on me, and then so I’m able to be so much more productive and creative and collaborate with people.

I’ve grown so much as a person, and I’ve sort of found the ability to collaborate with others while also being a mentor. And I think that is something that I’ll never take for granted.

Senior staff members share about their time on the Communicator.

BY WALKER LEDBETTER

Leila Durrie

I followed the Communicator before I even went to Community. It was kind of what influenced me to go to Community, because I came from a smaller school. And I didn’t like it. I didn’t know about many high schools, and I thought Community High was so cool because of the Communicator and the Fashion Fridays and stuff like that that I would see [in the magazine].

So I knew I wanted to be on Communicator eventually. It’s been an impactful part of my high school experience. It helped me figure out what I want to do in life as well, and what I’m interested in. I just don’t think I had the same respect for journalism before, and now, I think it’s such a special art that is still very valuable in our society.

Anthony Wang

[Being an EIC] really gave me the idea that I can schedule something that impacts the school. We, my team and I, coordinate those articles to make sure they go on the website, and see those articles that might potentially have an impact on the lives of people at school. It is really meaningful to me.

When I was in a leadership role, I said, “Hey, how can I see how other people express their ideas, and how can I kind of coordinate them and publish them?” [Being an EIC] gave me the idea of seeing how other people write. You’re editing, so you’re essentially giving them feedback on how the article can be better, right? And just seeing that helped with my grammar. It also gave me this idea of how other people approach the same story. I can just talk to whoever I want. I can just say, “Hey, can I interview you?” And you can really get to know that person.

Jon Carter

I feel like this experience has taught me a lot about myself as a person. [Being an EIC] has changed the career that I was looking into going into because, originally, I wanted to be a lawyer. But sometime in the middle of this year, something just clicked for me. I just said to myself that I really want to continue with this work in some way. So now I’m into public relations, you know, social media manager, sports management.

I would say the most exciting thing I’m looking forward to is actually being able to communicate with people. That’s something that I would have hated to say last year, even, towards the beginning of this year, a few months ago. But it’s just something about being able to just connect with people in a way, and it doesn’t have to really be formal, like an interview. It can be like asking people different questions, or asking people about their day, or asking you about social questions. It’s just that social aspect that I really feel gratified by.