Vol. 60 Issue 1-October 2025 by Lake Central Comet

C ntents

Around the School Entertainment

8-9

14-15

On the cover, Kaylee Martus (12) and Danyel Cruz (12) are featured representing their musical interests. Martus brought her favorite album and Cruz posed with the bass he uses in his band. Music is a very important part of many individuals’ lives, shown on this issue’s cover.

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS

Zainab Mohiuddin & Katie Poncin

MEDIA CHIEF

Madelynne Bush

PHOTO EDITORS

Abigael Brennan

Ivan Carey

DESIGN EDITORS

Sky Simmons

Mia Legaspi

COPY EDITORS

Izabel Ontiveros

Madeline Ross

Josina Nye

ADVISER

STAFFERS

Josephine Amenta

Jocelyn Dunkerley

Isabella Magallanes

Lillian Hobbins

Claire Madon

Aubrey Walker

Sophie Lapointe

Piotr Zarozny

Jessica Salerno

Elaina Gromala

Carrie Wadycki-Cruz

Sports Lifestyle

18-19 20-21

24-25 26-27 College Bound

The Rhythm Within

Dear Freshmen Style Off the Grid

Edit rs’ Insight

Welcome to the first issue of the new school year!

We have a lot of content to share with you all. Each of us have been on staff for the last three years, and now for the first time in Comet Magazine history, there are now Co-Editors-in-Chief. This year, we would like to spotlight more individuals with unique stories to tell, such as the marching band who is featured on “The Rhythm Within” page. At the end of the day, the first responsibility of a magazine is to share important and interesting news that is relevant to the student body; both of which we plan on doing this year. Now, there is a lot more to what Comet and Publications is as a whole which you can find on the following pages. This past summer both of us attended the IU High School Journalism Institute workshop for fashion & lifestyle journalism. The two of us learned a lot of valuable techniques, including a new way of storytelling we would like to incorporate in the magazine this year. The purpose of this workshop was to show how topics in fashion and lifestyle are just as important as stories surrounding the school and sports, which is why we are putting such an emphasis on the entertainment and

lifestyle sections in the magazine in this volume including stories such as the “Style off the Grid”, “Beach Read to Binge Watching” and “In Tune With LC.” Also, this summer marked a lot of important events for the corporation as a whole. It was released that Lake Central had one of the highest SAT scores as a school in the state, and the highest in the Lake County region. There were also multiple teachers with high AP score pass rates. Find out more in the “Soaring Scores” section! We even have advice from the seniors which incoming freshmen will be able to find in the “Dear Freshmen.” Now, some athletes at the school have already committed to schools, and you can find out who is in “College Bound” section! While this is a busy time for students with school in full swing, we can’t wait for you to stop and read the first issue of the Comet! We are so proud of what our staffers and editors have completed for their first issue! Until next time…

Sincerely, Katie Poncin & Zainab Mohiuddin

aR Und School

Und THE l

At the first staff meeting of the year, eight teachers got their own AP Awards for having a pass rate of 90% or higher on the 2025 AP test. Mrs. Jenn Fandl (AP Precalculus) had a pass rate of 100% for the second year in a row. “Our Algebra II honors course prepares students very well for the AP Precalculus curriculum. AP style multiple choice questions and free response questions are incorporated throughout the year, so students have quite a bit of practice before the real AP exam,” Mrs. Fandl said.

Photo Provided by: Mrs. Erin Novak (Head Principal)

COMET PROCESS

Every staff member submits two story ideas that align with one of the sections of the magazine (Around the school, Entertainment, Sports or Lifestyle).

All of the ideas get compiled onto a google doc that is shared with the staff.

Staff votes on their favorite two ideas from each section to make into spreads.

Next, the staff gets assigned pages to complete.

Comet members get two to three class periods to complete all the interviews needed for their page.

Staff get an additional three class periods to work on stories, alt copies, design, etc.

Once pages are complete, members critique and revise any issues noted by editors or other staff members.

Once everything is fixed, the editor-in-chiefs download the spreads onto a pdf and send them to Mr. Jereme Rainwater (Career Technology Education) to get printed.

Once completely printed, staff members pass out the magazine during PtE.

ECHO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WHAT IS PUB?

COMETCO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS

Elaina Gromala (12)

“Echo is the name of our yearbook at Lake Central High School. We have a staff of 25 students and we work together to create a 296 page yearbook. We plan the entire yearbook, cover to cover, then design every single page. We try to include as many students as possible and record as many memories as possible," Elaina Gromala (12) said.

Zainab Mohiuddin (12) and Katie Poncin (12)

Comet Magazine is a student-ran publication covering school events, sports, clubs, pop culture and topics of general interest to the student body. In each issue, we conduct interviews, write stories, take photos and handle the entire design process from scratch. We have so many hardworking and dedicated students who strive for success. For me, Publications is an outlet to express my creativity and broadens my perspective on various topics. My all time favorite thing about the class is the people. I’ve met some of my closest friends through this program, and I’m forever grateful for the memories it has given me,” Zainab Mohiuddin (12) said.

LCTVCO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS

Kasey Kalwasinski (12) and Jessica Salerno (12)

”LCTV is a class where people with creativity and passion come together to create 21 unique episodes that keep our school updated every week. We cover events like sports, clubs or pep rallies and film other important events, such as Veterans Day and graduation. We work together on segments to produce great episodes and seasons as a whole,” Jessica Salerno (12) said.

PUB UNCOVERED

Shedding light on Publications misconceptions and overlooked aspects

Page by: Madelynne Bush, Claire Madon & Madeline Ross

Photos by: Madelynne Bush, Claire Madon & Ivan Carey

Design by: Zainab Mohiuddin & Mia Legaspi

“Some people may think that the Comet is very teacher guided, which is completely untrue. Comet is almost completely student ran with the exception-of the teacher checking to make sure the topics of our stories are school appropriate. We were planning the magazine the other day, and the only time Mrs. [Carrie] Wadycki-Cruz [Art] said something was when we asked her about one of the topic details,” Josephine Amenta (10) said.

“Pub is the entire group of people who create Echo, Comet, LCTV, Web and Social Media for the student-led part of Lake Central. We are sort of a collective voice for the students. Pub for me is this entire group of amazing people who joined together to create amazing things,” Piotr Zarozny (12) said.

“We attract student engagement through social media and by posting on TikTok and Instagram to get people to click on our work,” Maya Parks (11) said.

“There are a lot of steps when it comes to making the yearbook, but the main six are: planning, collecting content, designing the pages, editing, publishing and then handing them out. Even though this seems like a lot of work, everything is happening simultaneously,” Ariyannah Douglas (10) said.

“My favorite aspect of LCTV is the fact that we truly create a family. I have met two of my best friends from this class and I was fortunate enough to have my childhood best friend also in this class. When you get to share a passion like LCTV with your best friends it truly creates something special,” Sienna Swanson (11) said.

SOARING SCORES

Both SAT and AP Scores sky-rocket during the past school year, resulting in staff recognition across the building

Words by: Katie Poncin & Piotr Zarozny

Design by: Katie Poncin & Sky Simmons

OYourparagraphtext txethpargarapruoY

ver the summer, as the AP and SAT scores came out, the district was amazed to discover how highly the juniors scored on their tests. Overall, Lake Central had the highest SAT scores in the region and was the fourth highest school academically in the state. There were also eight teachers who had a passing rate of 90% or higher on the various AP tests. These important statistics show where Lake Central’s focus ultimately lies.

“We always put safety first. We have to. We want this building to be safe, secure and a good place to learn. That’s always the number one priority. The number two priority is top academics, making sure when kids come here and are applying for college and jobs, that when they [people reviewing applications] see the Lake Central diploma, they know this kid worked hard, this kid was challenged, they took good classes and had good teachers. They know a Lake Central Diploma is top-notch,” Mrs. Erin Novak (Head Principal) said. More specifically, the SAT scores over the last couple of years have had a linear increase of 7% from 2023-2024 to 2024-2025, which is a direct effect of changes in the classroom.

“A lot of schools have reached out to us, and they’ve asked What are you doing? What's your magic formula? And sure, it’s not something we did overnight, it's been years, and we’re just starting to finally see the results. You have a process, you have to work hard at it, you have changed habits, so we’ve had to change some of our habits in teaching, and some teachers have been teaching for many years.” Mrs. Novak said.

Math Coach, Mrs. Val Gardner explains what the school district did at its core to raise those scores through certain practices in the classroom.

“We’ve done a lot through PtE, because that was the perfect time since you have the whole school, and I feel very compelled to get students on tools to help them such as Khan Academy. Last year we used the Bluebook App in some classes. Just integrating that into tests you take in math class should reflect what

you take on the SAT. Students had computational type questions that they had never seen before. It's more of those thinking, problem solving questions. We’ve also made an effort to teach students how to really use the Demos graphing calculator because that can be a huge help. It's more useful than a 4-Function calculator, and it’s built into the SAT. We worked together as a department, and as a school to implement different things. It's just really grown over the last five years,” Mrs. Gardner said.

While students and teachers had success in the SAT test this past spring, AP scores were also at record-high passing scores with several teachers having impressive passing percentages, including Mrs. Kathryn Clark (English), who had above a 90% passing rate in both AP Language & Composition and AP Seminar.

“I was surprised and honored to win an award for my scores in both AP Language and AP Seminar. Historically, our school hasn't focused heavily on scores and pass rates for the AP tests. It was a wonderful surprise this year when there was recognition of excellent pass rates. It's also a huge honor to the school that every English-related AP course [AP Language, AP Literature, AP Seminar and AP Research] had above a 90% pass rate. Our English department is amazing,” Mrs. Clark said.

Even though the high scores are incredible to celebrate now, they still matter for years to come regarding the community.

“If they [families] are debating between other communities, yes a high school in another community might be a little smaller, but are they offering what we don’t have? Do they have as many opportunities? Are they scoring as high as us? All of this really represents those values. Our current students are going to grow up, go to college, start working or go serve our country. Then, they are going to come back and start their own life with their own families. If they end up in this area, we want them to come back and say ‘I had a great experience at LC and this is a great school to go to.’ This is a great community to be a part of. We want to see that continue for many years,” Mrs. Novak said.

TOP SCORING AP TEACHERS (ABOVE

90% PASS RATE)

In the math portion of the SAT, Lake Central beat Munster by 6%.

Then, Lake Central also beat Crown Point in the math section by 13%.

Overall, Lake Central beat their rival, Munster, for the first time ever in passing students by 6% on Math & English SAT.

12-13: beach read to binge watching

14-15: In tune with lc

Entertainment

Throughout film history, music has always played a vital role in a scene’s mood. The feeling music evokes can be interpreted in many different ways. “Music has a lot of emotion, and you can get so much story telling through lyrics and a certain idea. There is a feeling through the whole time from when you start listening to a song to the end,” Alexander Velazquez (11) said.

Photo By: Abigael Brennan (11)

Beach Read to Binge Watching

Exploring the differences and similarities between the book and show of “The Summer I Turned Pretty”

Page by: Abigael Brennan & Isabella Magallanes

Design by: Mia Legaspi & Sky Simmons

Jenny Han, #1 New York Best-Selling author released the first book of one of her most famous trilogies, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” in 2009. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” also known as TSITP was picked up by Prime Video for a TV show in 2022 and swept the internet with its lovable characters and well written plot, becoming more popular thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X. As popular as both the show and the books are, the question of which one is better comes up.

The novels and the TV show have their pros and cons, for example in the book it has more detail and the fact that Belly going to France fits her character more. In addition, in the show viewers are able to grasp messages and the story better when having a visual to rely on. However, the book also has its cons, such as it doesn’t focus on other characters other than Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah.

The show has faults of its own, for instance it can be overdramatized and it somewhat loses the characteristic of that simplicity that the book had in the first place. The show also ruins the character’s personality from the book such as portraying Jeremiah as incompetent and more selfish.

Continuing on, the show has brought in people of color (POC) characters such as Shayla who was Steven’s girlfriend in the first season and is forgotten further in the show. It seems as if every time there is a new love

interest for the main four (Belly, Jeremiah, Conrad and Steven) they are mainly POC characters and are pushed to the side, this goes for both the book and show. Another con of the show is the timeskip, in the show the skip is bigger and not even seen. As viewers, we can’t see the growth from being with Jeremiah and becoming her own person. Continuing on with the cons of the books, the novel’s pace is very slow and takes too long to get to the point a character is making. This has readers bored and waiting for something to actually happen in the chapters they are viewing. Additionally, in the book Belly is more male-centered and not as close with Taylor and they do not have that closeness and instead have jealousy for each other. Taylor, also in the novel, has feelings for Conrad leading to the frenemy status that the two girls have. Another thing about the novel is the family dynamic between Belly and John, her dad. In the show, Belly and John have a good father daughter relationship while in the novel their relationship is strained. As the book and show both have their own pleasant moments and can be their own separate things, readers who read the novels would want to expect a direct adaptation of the books. However, the show brings more depth into certain characters and even though it can be overdramatized, it covers more than the book could make the show more enjoyable than the novels.

Ending Opinions?

“My favorite thing about the episode is when Belly finally goes back to Cousins to see the house again after being in Paris. I think it was a good way to end the season. The ending felt slightly rushed but overall it was good,” Deidra Keelan (11) said.

“I think Conrad got what he deserved, he deserved Belly even though I don’t like her. However, I am glad that they are together now. I liked how Conrad went to Paris for her but I hated Jeremiah in this episode,” Larissa Krespo (10) said.

“I’m really glad that Belly is ending up with Conrad, Jeremiah wasn’t good for her. My favorite part of the episode was when Belly went up to Conrad on the train and said she chose him with her own free will,” Reagan Equihua (10) said.

Beach Read to Binge Watching

Book Show

Belly travels to Spain.

Belly travels to France. No mention of whether or not Jeremiah graduates.

No additional characters.

Adam tries to sell the summer house.

Same love triangle between Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah

Includes the key events, such as planning the wedding and pool scenes

Jeremiah does not graduate.

New characters, such as Cleveland, Skye, and Shayla

Julia tries to sell the summer house

Belly is honest and straight with Cameron about their relationship not working out Belly lets her and Cameron’s relationship fizzle out.

Jeremiah proposes with a ring.

Same nostaligic and emotional tone

Jeremiah does not propose with a ring Conrad and Belly are married at the end.

Not specifically said if Conrad and Belly get married at the end

106 Lake Central students were asked which brother they thought would end up with Belly

Team Conrad Team Jeremiah Team Conrad Team Jeremiah

TUNE

Lake Central students share their music tastes and how it influences them

In with L C

th nearly 2,900 students in Lake Central, every music taste has a place. From country to hip-hop, classical to metal and everything in between; Lake Central students have a wide variety of musical preferences weaving in with their fashion,

“Music can impact people’s lives in many ways. It could be used as a cure for boredom. Like when I have nothing to do, literally nothing, I will just sit in my room listening to music. It can also help as a coping mechanism. There’s so many different songs that appeal to so many different personal issues. So it could just help knowing that there’s someone else that’s experiencing the same thing as you. Music can also help to join people together, whether it be meeting new people through concerts or whatever. I know I’ve met so many people through just “Oh, you like this band too?’” Kaylee Martus (12) said.

Not only does music connect individuals to each other, but to their own rhythm, especially their own style. Whenever students walk through the halls of Lake Central, it’s not difficult to spot someone who is unapologetic in their style or their love for music.

“I mean, I kind of dress alternative, or alternatively compared to other people. I kind of feel like people think “That makes sense that you listen to metal or you listen to rock,’” Danyel Cruz (12) said.

definitely the best concert I’ve ever been to,” Sadie Salazar (11) said.

Although some individuals display a clear preference in music, for others there are more layers to uncover. No one fits into one neat box when it comes to their favorite artists or songs, and everyone’s style is just as unique as their playlists.

What’s Lake Central’s Favorite Genre?

Rock - 8.8%

Pop - 3.9%

- 6.9%

- 27.5%

“I’d say my favorite song right now is something from Mr. Capone-E. I’ve been listening to him a lot recently. My favorite genre is probably R&B. My top three artists are The Weekend, Brown Boy and Mr. Capone-E,” Alondra Jaime (12) said.

Polled

Battle of the Bands

“My favorite artist right now is probably Bad Bunny or Frank Sinatra. I guess my music taste is very diverse. I listen to a lot of genres, besides country, I don’t listen to country. I definitely feel like my music is diverse, and it comes from a lot of different groups of people. That’s why it’s so diverse,” Sadie Salazar (11) said.

Diversity in music today reflects countless genres, cultures and ideas, but to truly understand someone’s taste in music one must look at where it began.

“It started off with my parents, they would play music all of the time. They love music. Then in middle school I started picking up more music and diving into it more. It’s completely different from what I like now, but that’s what got me to explore more and dive deeper into different albums and stuff before that I didn’t know,” Martus said.

As time went on, those early influences grew into real opportunities to share music with others. For Michael Miller (11) one of the biggest turning points was stepping onto a stage and proving himself alongside his friends who are just as passionate.

“Our biggest accomplishment is definitely winning the Battle of the Bands. This place called Shovelheads in Chesterton hosted Battle of the Bands at Shenanigans and Forage, a bar. It was $100 entry fee and then a $1,000 prize if you won, plus some other things. We won that on top of another 15 bands that were there,” Miller said.

Underneath moody lighting, Justin Jacobs (12) plays the bass guitar with his cover band. Jacobs’ band had recently split up, but he continued to play with other musicians in Lake County.

“It’s a really cool experience to see how people react, especially to your own music, because you’re trying not to mess up and just have a nice time,” Jacobs said.

Playing bass guitar with his band, Michael Miller (11) rocks out at Shenanigan’s in Portage, Indiana. Miller’s band had recently had more success finding gigs to play for various venues. “My band’s name is Expulsion, we play alternative rock. We do cover songs right now because we’re working on our originals. We have about ten done and we’re working on our album recording right now. We’re planning on releasing it the second we have it done, so either the end of this year or early next year,” Miller said.

SP r

18-19: College Bound

20-21: The Rhythm Within

rts

Under the Friday night lights, a group of marching band members play their baratones to celebrate a touchdown. Once it reached halftime, the marching band and color guard performed their halftime show called “A Ray of Light.” “I’ve done two seasons and I prefer this year’s theme, about a solar eclipse. The band represents the moon, the guard represents the sun and then we cross paths,” Aaron Carlson (9), Section Leader, said.

Photo by: Zainab Mohiuddin (12)

COLLEGE BOUND

Lake Central student athletes have aspirations of taking their athletic ventures to the next level in their futures, but first, they should fulfill the task of pursuing their sport in college and making commitments.

When students make the commitment to play their sport for their aspired college, they’re celebrated by parents, friends, teammates and peers. However, it’s most meaningful to that athlete.

“Football is one of, if not the most important part of my life. It’s always had a special place in my heart. I love the sport itself, but I also love everything that comes with it. I love all my relationships with my friends and coaches that I’ve built because of football and I love how I always have something to look forward to and stay dedicated to throughout my life,” Cameron Reddick (12) said.

Reddick signed a commitment to the Air Force Academy in March. He has been playing football since he was seven years old, and believes that the sport has had a big impact on his life as a student athlete.

“The big goal is to just become the best I can, the best football player in general. It would be awesome to start in the future and just excel as a team. Football is a team sport, so whatever is best for the team, that is what I would hope for,” Reddick said.

Lake Central athletics is built on a strong foundation of student athletes who are not afraid to dream big and work towards their goals. Through their success, they inspire other student athletes to follow in their footsteps and make their sport part of their being.

“I have been playing softball my whole life, and it’s almost like a part of me. It’s just a part of who I am at this point. I love playing softball, I love all the people I have met through softball and I love the competitive nature of softball and everything about it. It has really shaped it and become an essential part of me,” Tegan Tripp (12), Virginia Tech commit, said.

Colleges look for athletes who are enthusiastic about their sport. Scouting agents actively seek out athletes who put in noticeable efforts to perform to the highest of their abilities while also showing the core values of their character outside of sport.

“They offered me a full ride, which is a huge deal because I wouldn’t have any debt coming out of college. They valued me as a

person rather than just a gymnast, which I take very seriously, and it’s something I look for. I also liked their coaching styles and team culture,” Libby Tobias (12), Kent State commit, said.

Each athlete has something that makes their sport special to them. Depending on the person, it can be one, or several different reasons.

“Something about the sport that is special to me is the relationships I created with it. I have some of my best friends that I have made throughout the sport. Also just learning a bunch of life lessons like how working hard pays off,” Madison Such (11), University of Kentucky commit, said.

Believe it or not, there is actually a system established by colleges looking for star athletes that help determine who is deserving of the commitment and the exceptional outside opportunities that follow.

In 2021, the NCAA expanded their horizons to allow student athletes to commit to colleges and make gains from their NIL.

“NIL” stands for name, image and likeness; all important factors in determining if a student athlete is college-commitment material.

“I hope to get NIL money, which is being able to get sponsors, reach out to companies and overall to have fun with it. Students can take an NIL class and they teach you how to reach out to companies and get connections through your sports,” Tobias said.

What is the Nil?

NIL stands for “name, image, likeness”, which is what most colleges look at in college athletes before they sign them. It is basically an athlete’s legal rights to control their image.

A combination of school policies and state law dictate what deals student athletes can make.

NIL athletes are given advisors, or professionals to help with marketing.

It is recommended that an athlete get business advice or business training before signing.

NIL is a newer concept, introduced in 2021.

Page by: Izabel Ontiveros, Sky Simmons & Lillian Hobbins Design by: Katie Poncin & Zainab Mohiuddin

TEGAN TRIPP (12)

Committed to: Virginia Tech

Madison Such (11)

Committed to: University of Kentucky

Photo provided by: Meredith Bickell

Cameron Reddick (12)

Committed to: Air Force Academy

Photo by: Ivan Carey (12)

Photo provided by: Meredith Bickell

Libby Tobias (12)

Committed to: Kent State

Photo provided by: Lauren Vasko/Kent State Athletics

“I got introduced to marching stuff my 8th grade year and followed with it my freshman year. I started with marching drum and then switched to snare.”

“I’ve done two seasons and I prefer this year's theme, about a solar eclipse. The band represents the moon, the guard represents the sun, and then we cross paths. It's called ‘Ray of Light.”

“[A strong section leader] finds a good balance between being super stern and knowing when it's time to lock in.”

“This year we have been doing a lot better than any of the previous years and that’s really rewarding for me. I know I try to push my section to overachieve and it really paid off this year.”

“When I’m trying to do sections, to learn our music or drill, instead of telling other members what to do, I ask for people’s input. It’s not just me teaching them because we are all working together to learn it.”

“I’m able to help members and assist them in learning how to play, and be a positive role model for good behavior.”

“We lead sectionals and attend leadership meetings. But in general, I think being a section leader is setting a good example. We should do what we want our section to emulate.”

“It’s your well-being that I care about, making sure that no matter what you’re putting in all the work as a marching band member and a regular band member. You gotta take care of yourself; bottom line.”

“The best part is getting to see first hand how my section is improving throughout the season. Especially the younger members getting to experience a win and genuinely wanting to improve more and more.”

SECTION LEADERS

Owen Minnich (12)

Aaron Carlson (9)

Veronica Simkus (12)

Ella Mathis (10)

Ava Lovel (12)

Autumn Funderlic (9)

Charlotte Monahu (12)

Ryan Stabler (11)

Avi Cruz (12)

LIFESTYLE

24-25: Style off the grid

26-27: Dear freshmen

QQ

Hiro Ramos (10) Hiro Ramos (10)

What bands do you listen to and how do they play a role in your subculture?

QQ

There’s this band called The Oozes. It’s British, and they’re a punk band, and a lot of their music centers around their views on politics. I feel like even though some bands might not explicitly state their political views, the goal with a lot of alternative music and fashion is to go against the grain, so I think that in itself is a political statement.

How did you get into the Alternative Style?

My mom was a really big fan of grunge and alternative music back in the 90s, and so I just kind of grew up around that style of music.

Lynn Velasco (11) Lynn Velasco (11)

QQ

How does your fashion reflect your beliefs/how you express yourself?

QQ

“I feel like I have always been anxious about how I express myself, but over the past few years I’ve tried to be more open to it, and I feel like it reflects me. I feel like I’m the opposite of how I look because a lot of people think I am intimidating, I have gotten those comments a few times. But once you get to know me I feel like you can talk to me about anything. I’m a pretty nice person, I’m not rude or anything,” How did you get into the Alternative Style?

DID YOU KNOW? DID YOU KNOW?

“I have always been into how people dress. I was very into goth women who have microbangs when I was little. I also like gauges a lot as well, I’ve always had those interests and liked those things. I’ve always had a fantasy about being unique, and I always wanted to be like them. I’ve always had that mindset as well. I wasn’t very extreme, but I always tried to experiment with different things,”

The gothic subculture surfaced in the 1980s, with a love for all things black and themes of death, mystery and the supernatural.

Punk/grunge style is known as a purposeful rejection of what is considered “mainstream” fashion, as a form of defiance.

The scene style is a sort of combination of emo, punk and pop culture. Self-proclaimed “scene kids” are seen wearing bright neon colors, tight clothing and side-part hairstyles.

Endless Summer Magazine

Dear Freshmen

Seniors share some advice they wish they knew when they were freshmen

Page by: Mia Legaspi & Josephine Amenta

Design by: Mia Legaspi & Katie Poncin

Photo by: Katie Poncin

Photo by: Jessica Salerno

FROM THETEACHE

“I think it’s that same kind of thing, where [the freshmen] are excited. They’re ready and they’re happy to be coming into the high school because now they’re older. They get to be treated more maturely, but they’re still very nervous. Then, I think it’s about this time of the year where we see that anxiety of, ‘Everything’s a little harder than I thought.’ or, ‘I used to always get A’s on my tests and now I’m getting C’s on my tests and I don’t understand why.’ That’s where I start to see some of the kids come to me and say, ‘I don’t understand. Why did I not do well on this? I’ve always done well,’ so I think that’s really the only thing. I think if we support them, which I believe the freshmen teachers do a good job with, that helps everybody to kind of build that confidence,”