May 2024: The Senior Issue

LeJOURNAL Notre Dame de Sion High School | Volume 46 | May 2024

FEATURE: PAGE 09

OPINION: PAGE 14

FEATURE: PAGE 25

FRIENDS FROM CHILDHOOD TO SENIOR YEAR

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SAVING MONEY IN COLLEGE

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES VOTED ON BY THE CLASS OF 2024

what’s inside 04 - 05 Tangled In The Night

06-07 Senior Collage

Belonging to Both

08-09 One Last All Grown Up Conversation

10-11 The Essentials

12-13 Senior Stats

Growth and Tradition

New Message

14-15 A Financial Guide

Life In Transition

16-17 It’s Been Confessed

Sion 4 Life

18-19 As Your Big Sister

2024 Class Playlist

LeJOURNAL. 2023 | 2024 LE JOURNAL IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF NOTRE DAME DE SION HIGH SCHOOL 10631 WORNALL ROAD, KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64114 MEMBER Missouri Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association International Quill and Scroll Journalism Educators of Metropoliton Kansas City Missouri Journalism Education Association LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Le Journal accepts letters to the editors in response to published articles. Letters must be signed, verified, and no longer than 200 words.

Letters may be edited for length, grammar, spelling and content. Letters will not be printed if content is obscene, invasive, encouraging disruption of school and/or is libelous.

PRINTER Neal/Settle Printing, Grandview MO

STAFF EDITORIAL POLICY Le Journal is a student-run publication. Published staff editorials express the views of the Le Journal staff.

Signed columns published in Le Journal express the writer’s personal opinion. The content and opinions of Le Journal do not represent the student body, faculty or administration. Content other than editorials, columns, review pieces or personal opinions are written to inform the general public and should remain unbiased.

PRINT CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ella Alexander Arleth Guevara Lily Wilkin PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Claire Boma WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Genesis Martinez Porras A&E EDITOR Caroline Deacon

02 | LeJournal

Copy Editors Amelia Bedell Ella Satterwhite FEATURES EDITOR Bridget Bendorf NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR Addie Doyle OPINION & EDITORIALS EDITOR Lauren Haggerty REPORTERS MaryKate Lillis Greta Martin Gabriela Swindle

20-21 Take It To The Next Level

Roomate Goals

22-23 Timeless Traditions

In A Flash

24-25 Roomate Choosing

The Votes Performance Degrees Are In

26-27

Oh the Places you’ll Grow

Photo of the issue HERE COMES THE SUN Gazing up at the solar eclipse while wearing their glasses, freshmen Giselle Lopez, Addison Porter and Annmarie Wesley sit together in the courtyard April 8. Lopez was among the rest of the Sion student body as a special schedule was created, allotting time to enjoy the solar eclipse.“My favorite part about the eclipse was hanging out with my friends and getting to know them better,” Lopez said.

“It helped us create a more special bond.”

editors’ink D

ear class of 2024, You did it, you made it to the end of your highschool career! From our freshman year beanie ceremony and zoom classes to senior sunrise and graduation we have grown, laughed and cried together. These next few weeks will be full of bittersweet moments so make sure to soak up the last days of highschool.

This special issue of Le Journal was created to celebrate you and all your accomplishments.

All 74 members of the senior class are featured in individualized boxes detailing plans for the future and their favorite moments throughout these past four years.

As you flip through this issue looking at senior boxes go take a look at pages 12-13 to see some fun statistics from the senior class. While you’re there, turn to page 16-17 to read about senior’s anonymous confessions and read a feature about the class of 2024’s Complete Sionians.

Do you get fed up with

the amount of college emails flooding your inbox? Us too, flip to page 10-11 to read an email draft that will most likely never be sent detailing every upperclassman’s annoyance.

We are excited and sentimental to give you our last issue of Le Journal, and we hope you have enjoyed reading (or just looking at the designs) this year.

We have worked immensely hard, dedicating countless late nights and early mornings to bring you factual and intriguing stories enhanced by pages of intricate designs and we are so proud of all we have accomplished. Looking ahead we are so excited for the future of this publication with the leadership shown by the current juniors on staff.

We hope you take advantage of the warm spring weather to sit outside with your friends and flip through this issue of Le Journal Signing off, Lily, Ella and Arleth

SENIOR SEND-OFF

S

eniors Ella Alexander, Claire Boma, Arleth Guevara, Genesis Martinez Porras and Lily Wilkin have served on the Le Journal staff for two years.

While we must now sadly send them off to college, their impact and legacy will not be forgotten. From early mornings to late nights to lunchtime meetings, these five seniors have poured countless hours into Le Journal’s work and mission.

Their leadership has guided us through a rocky change into digital media while fostering our growth as reporters. In honor of all they have accomplished and will continue to work towards, we dedicate this Student Space to the amazing seniors who welcomed us and guided us along the difficult path of student journalism. We wish you all the best in college and will miss you dearly.

on the cover PHOTO | LILY WILKIN

keep up with us: @sionstudentmedia

PHOTO | SOPHIA GRANTHAM

Use camera to visit sionstudentmedia.com!

MAY 2024 | 03

NEWS .

Tangled

in the night

Juniors and seniors gathered together April 9 at Magnolia Event Space to celebrate prom.

G

BY A&E EDITOR CAROLINE DEACON honestly it wasn’t overly stressful, just exciting,” Prom Head Chair Addi Bowes said. “I loved seeing everything coming together because it turned out to be an amazing experience I can look back on for my first prom.”

A brief pause was taken at the start of the night to announce prom royalty.

Senior Grace Kiewiet was crowned prom queen, and seniors Elise Best and Noelle Bertrand were crowned prom attendees.

Following the crowning, students flooded the Magnolia floor to dance, lost in the music and heat of the night, tangling themselves in new memories, being some of the last memories made for Sion seniors.

“It was one of the last moments that my class can enjoy all together in the same spot,” senior Megan Burdge said.

“And you know, in a few weeks, we’re all going to be going our seperate ways, but soaking up those last moments when we’re all just dancing was a really fun experience.”

reen table runners hang from round tables, donned with vine-covered books, floral vases, and interwoven fairy lights as girls gather their gowns and step into the doors. Heels click softly against the floor as they enter through the white curtains, music floating into their ears, and the space begins to come to life.

Sion juniors and seniors celebrated prom Friday April 19 at Magnolia Event Space in Brookside. This was the first year prom has been at Magnolia, having taken place at Prairie Fire Museum for many years.

“This space was really well decorated and it made it have a more comfortable feel than a formal one, which was really nice,” senior Sophie Hampp said.

Contrasting to previous years, this event space had an outdoor area as well as the dance floor, decorated with pictures submitted by seniors and hanging lights, where cornhole sets were available for students to participate in.

At 9 p.m. students were released to leave

but some students stayed back and kept dancing.

“When most people are gone, and there’s just a couple groups left, you’re able to go up to the DJ and request songs,” Hampp said. “That’s really the best because you can dance to the songs that you want to dance to. I think those are the most memorable moments, the ones where you’re just dancing with your friends.”

This year’s theme was Tangled in Memories. The prom committee, consisting of 10 juniors, who spent every Tuesday and Friday from February to April as well as the whole week leading up to Prom, planning the decor, food, registration and invitations. In the end, Magnolia was filled with candles and lanterns lighting the space, pictures of the seniors throughout their four years at Sion strung across the walls, and eclectic mini vases stacked on top of books as centerpieces.

“I really liked being on the committee because I love being involved, and

ROYALS FOR A NIGHT

PEACE OUT

LOST IN MEMORIES

Posing for a photo with prom royalty, Elise Best and Noelle Bertrand, senior Grace Kiewet recalls rushing out from the bathroom right before names were called to hear who won. “It was very unexpected,” Kiewet said “And then Jane was just shoving me onstage, and Addi Bowes gave me my crown. It was super sweet.”

PHOTO | CLAIRE HENKE

Holding up a peace sign, junior Lily Krumm poses as her friend snaps a photo April 19 at Magnolia Event Space before leaving the dance for an afterparty. “It was an experience I’d been looking forward to for the past couple years,“ said Krumm. “All the decorations were really well done, and I like how they set up the lights.”

PHOTO | CLAIRE HENKE

Hugging her friends, senior Lily Dillon smiles for a photo with seniors Raegan Wesley and Delaney Reidy in front of the photobooth. “The best part of the night was just being with my friends. It was like one last time we all got to get together,” Dillon said. “It’s sentimental and I guess a little sad, all of us getting together to just party together one last time.”

PHOTO | MAEVE RILEY

04 | LeJournal

er

Socc

SPORTS

Tseason began with more losses than he soccer

victories, but districts in May may provide another chance for the team.

“I think the season has started off a little rough.

Because of Deep Dives and spring break we barely practiced as a full team before our first game,” soccer co-captain senior Grace Kiewiet said. “We finally are starting to get into the groove of the season and are PHOTO | SOPHIA THOMAS

Sophomore Mia Hebert battles a player from Pleasant Hill High School during a soccer game April 3.

Growth and Tradition

playing more like a team.”

The team has won five out of 11 games so far. While soccer has not changed as much as the other spring sports this year, classic traditions still promote teambonding.

The spring sports teams entered “My favorite moment in soccer is getting hype before the this season with new aspects and games,” Kiewiet said. “For away old traditions. games we blast music in the

BY ELLA SATTERWHITE vans and are all singing along.

COPY EDITOR For home games we have the music playing on the field while acrosse began this we warm up. It's so fun getting knowing season with numerous hyped up with my team so that that they are new elements to balance we can play our hardest in in great hands with including a new coach the games.” a bright future ahead for and new uniforms. These the program.” changes seem to Lacrosse team have led to success, PHOTO | ELLA SATTERWHITE traditions anchored as the team won players and allowed their first game and them to connect amidst currently have a five the changes. to four record.

“One of my favorite “I absolutely traditions is our Easter love coach egg hunt,” Smith said.

Broghan,” lacrosse “It’s important to keep co-captain senior sports fun and everyone Maylen Smith takes the annual egg hunt said. “Her love for pretty seriously. Our team lacrosse and our dinners are also really fun team is so evident. and allow us to bond off It helps leaving this the field.” special team behind,

ll a b t o o Flag F

Sophomore Lucy Gromowsky chases sophomore Mclean Williams in an attempt to get her flag at practice April 15.

se

L

Freshman Zoë Miller jumps for the ball at a home lacrosse game April 17.

Shively said. “We haven’t had any games but we’ve done lots of scrimmages. It’s fun ion’s brand-new to be competitive without the flag football team pressure of winning or losing.” began their competitive There are around 30 season April 27. Flag football students on the team, who offers a more flexible practice after school on the schedule than most sports, grass softball field. Most flag allowing those on the team to participate in another activity. football games will occur after the seniors’ last day of school.

“The season has gone “I am nervous to start really well,” senior Lucy playing in full PHOTO | ELLA SATTERWHITE games because I know it won’t be as laid back as the practices,” Shively said. “We will make mistakes, which is okay, but it will definitely give more pressure to the players on the field.”

S

Lacros

Track & Field PHOTO | LILY WILKIN

and field team include Nthetrack presence of pole vaulters ew developments on the

juniors Abbie Duethman, Ava Hoehn and Elizabeth Danda. Sion has never had a pole vaulter before, so this trio brings competition to an entire new discipline.

“It kind of started as a joke, but then we started liking it,” Duethman said.

“Our coach is certified for it, so she taught us the basics.

Junior Abbie Duethman competes in pole And then it's just one of those vaulting in the meet at Smithville High things that you really have to School March 28. figure out for yourself.”

The team also grew in participants this year, with many returnees, freshman and recruits from other sports.

“We have a large number of freshmen this year, which has me super excited for the future,” co-captain senior Sophie Saxton said. “We may be a young team, but they [the freshmen] are super talented already and have so much room to grow over the next three seasons.”

May 2024 | 05

COLLAGE.

Class of 2024

BY WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GENESIS MARTINEZ PORRAS

06 | LeJournal

FEATURE

Maddi Adkins

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CLASS? Anatomy because Mr. Knowles makes it awesome.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Timson throwing her phone in the pool.

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU AND WHY? Kram because he’s kind of a jack of all trades and could do my homework.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

Falling asleep and waking up with only Dr. Regan.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Ella Alexander

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? I loved Global Impacts and getting to travel to Kenya with my friends.

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU AND WHY?

Tina, she gives great advice and always brightens my day.

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION?

I love the publab. It’s cozy and I spend a lot of time there.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

I lost my calculator before my Calculus final.

TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Alex Alley

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SION MEMORY? AP U.S. History, Dr. Moore made it amazing.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

I showed up late and missed an AP test.

ANY ADVICE FOR YOUR FRESHMAN SELF? Stop taking French after sophomore year.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS? Doing French all four years.

TRAVEL GAP YEAR

Maggie Axtell

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK? Spanish, I do NOT understand, no matter how much I try.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

Eating lunch with my friends everyday.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

Bonnie Haghiarian holding Tucker up like he’s Simba to our zoom class.

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION?

Metal lunch table in the nook outside the Grande Salle by the circle drive.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

belonging to both

Senior Megan Burdge has spent her senior year as both a Sion student and a teacher at Raymore Elementary.

BY ELLA ALEXANDER CO PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

he average day for senior Megan Burdge breaks away from the typical high school scene. While her peers navigate the routine school schedule, Burdge is immersed in the LEAD Learning Center program as a student teacher at Raymore Elementary.

As a second-grade student teacher Burdge grades assignments and works with small groups of students to ensure each student is keeping up with the curriculum.

“I love it when my students learn something with me,” Burdge said.

“There was this girl who didn’t go to school last year so now I’m teaching her how to read and that’s been really cool.”

Burdge’s role as a student teacher transcends academics and involves nurturing and building relationships with the second-graders.

“There are some days when the kids can be unnecessarily overwhelmed,“ Burdge said. “My goal each day is to pull them out of the hole before I leave.”

Passionate about special education and behavior management, Burdge’s aspirations stem from personal experience, having witnessed her father’s battle with pancreatic cancer from the age of eight until he passed away three years ago.

“Growing up my dad was disabled so I helped care for him and even though he was sick he was my biggest inspiration,” Burdge said. “After he passed away I just felt like ‘what am I doing now,’ but now when I’m working with kids, I find what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Alongside her role as a student teacher Burdge continues her classes at Sion and takes online college courses. She is currently taking three Sion classes and three college courses that relate to her studies as a student teacher.

“It’s nice because these [college] classes are all outcome based, so I’m not necessarily getting tested for a grade. Instead, I make a lesson plan that I teach in order to prove that I know the material,” Burdge said. “So I have to make a lesson plan but I would use that anyway for teaching and it also counts as my homework.”

Burdge plans to continue teaching by majoring in special education and

elementary education at York University in Nebraska.

“I feel like this was one of the greatest ways to spend my senior year, even though having to miss out on a lot of senior traditions was hard,” Burdge said. “But I feel confident about what I’m doing going into college and confident in my major.

Looking back on my past experiences has shown me I’m passionate about teaching and I am so excited to learn more.”

MAY 2024 | 07

SENIORS .

One Last Conversation

The class of ‘24 write to the student body advice from their four years while the other grades send what they will miss most about this year’s senior class.

Noelle Bertrand

FAVORITE SION MEMORY? The musical and play my freshman year. I had been very shy and reserved for the majority of that year, but, through both the play and musical, I was able to branch out more and meet so many of my friends.

BY ARLETH GUEVARA CO PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

When Ms. Haghiarian was on zoom and she would leave the screen and grab Tucker.

3 30

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION? 24

27 25 26

Notre Dame de Sion

The south six/commons.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY

Elise Best

FINALS HORROR STORY? I didn’t know there was an oral report due for a french final and had to do it in front of the class and BOMBED.

27

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

We are really going to miss “how welcoming you are!”

Dr. Moore because she is a girls girls and me and her would listen to Taylor Swift all day.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY? “It all just goes by way too fast. Don’t wish any of it away, even when it gets stressful. I promise before you know it you’ll be sitting a desk with less than two months left of high school, wishing you had more time. Cherish every minute!”

I was throwing stones (paper) at Kram for a unit in his class.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Bailey Biggs

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SION?

26

Having lunch with my friends every day.

“Every single person in your class is so great to have around. Everyone has genuine positive energy and we will miss not having that energy radiating around Sion.”

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Appreciate the time you have at home with your pets.

WHAT ARE YOU MAJORING IN?

Anthropology and Archeology.

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? Visting the Louvre, taking a croissant class and going on a dinner cruise all in one day in France.

“Try not to let yourself become comfortable in the mindset of not completing things.”

UNDECIDED

25

We will miss “their energy and school spirit,” Sion won’t be the same without you!

Claire Boma

FINALS HORROR STORY?

“Never let a person, coach or grade define who you are or what you’re capable of.”

For APUSH, Schreiber gave us a study guide for final that IN NO WAY mentioned that we needed to know about the US presidents aside from the most important few... but then we had to match EVERY SINGLE president to something they did and I have never done worse on a final in my life.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

iMessage 08 | LeJournal

For the love of God part your hair down the middle and stop overestimating your ability to pass a Mid test.

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Megan Burdge

WHAT IS THE HARDEST CLASS YOU’VE TAKEN? Chemistry, I will never understand, I have no idea how I didn’t fail. Thank you ARod.

WHAT IS YOUR FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

I got one for having a hoodie on my lap because I was cold.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE PAST FOUR YEARS? I am most proud of the fact that I passed ARod’s chemistry class.

YORK UNIVERSITY

Daniela Castro-Carrera WHAT IS YOUR FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

My funniest memory is learning how to play cards from Clags during the last week of junior year.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ENGLISH BOOK YOU HAD TO READ FOR SCHOOL? The House on Mango Street.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE?

all grown up

Several seniors have grown up together, and now they are about to go their own ways to college.

BY LAUREN HAGGERTY REPORTER

Livvy Cavaliere

WHAT IS YOUR WORST FINALS HORROR STORY? I forgot my calculator for math.

It was for geometry, and I really needed it for SOH-CAH-TOA.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT SION?

I will miss the enviroment of being around all girls.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS?

Being on dance team all four years.

Seniors Noelle Bertrand and Lucy Wittek met in grade school at St. Anns. They have been in the same school since kindergarten, but their friendship really developed in first grade.

“Honestly, I wish we met each other in kindergarten because I feel like that would just be so fun to say,” Bertrand said.

WHAT IS THEIR EARLIEST MEMORY WITH EACH OTHER?

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE TO YOUR FRESHAMN SELF? Actually studying will help you, and you dont need everyone to like you.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ENGLISH BOOK YOU HAD TO READ FOR SCHOOL??

Great Gatsby.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE? Kram, because he is the best teacher and he is so funny and sweet. I am going to miss him!

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

...NOW

They would spend their recesses playing hide and seek and volleyball. They also loved searching for new trees to climb and going on excursions together.

“Our first ever picture together is us at the zoo with the aquarium behind us, and I love that photo to this day” Wittek said.

WHAT IS THEIR FAVORITE MEMORY TOGETHER?

A favorite memory the two share is playing pool together for an hour straight, without either of them getting a ball in.

“It was so funny because we tried everything possible, and not one of us could get those balls in, but honestly it made the game so much more enjoyable,” Bertrand said.

NOELLE AND LUCY THEN.....

HOW DID THEY MEET? Seniors Piper Riffe and Sophia Grantham met 10 years ago at Notre Dame de Sion Grade School when Grantham came in as a transfer student and “forced” Riffe to sit next to her.

“She [Grantham] looked right at me and told me to introduce her to Sion lower,” Riffe said.

WHAT IS THEIR EARLIEST MEMORY WITH EACH OTHER?

Both seniors recall spending recess together playing tag or swinging on the monkey bars in their early years as friends.

“I distinctly remember stressing out because I got us these rainbow friendship bracelets,” Grantham said. “ I was so scared she wasn’t going to take it but thankfully she did.”

...NOW

WHAT IS THEIR FAVORITE MEMORY TOGETHER?

As they got older, their memories together have multiplied, but both agree that their favorite memory together was their trip to New Jersey the summer before senior year.

“The beach was so beautiful, and there was no one else I would have wanted to spend that trip with,” Riffe said.

SOPHIA AND PIPER

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

DeeDee Cohen

THEN.....

HOW DID THEY MEET?

I would take Ms. Lai because she is the best listener and she always gives the best advice.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY

FEATURE

THEN.....

HOW DID THEY MEET? Seniors Gioia Serra and Violet Gowin have known each other since they were newborn babies who had to tag along on their older sisters play-dates to the park.

“We were practically born into a friendship,” Serra said.

WHAT IS THEIR EARLIEST MEMORY WITH EACH OTHER?

They would spend their free time when they were younger at Gowin’s house playing in her backyard, and going down the slide into a kiddie-pool. “We call our little group ‘the pod’ because our families became so close. We all were the only people we saw together during quarantine,” Serra said.

...NOW

WHAT IS THEIR FAVORITE MEMORY TOGETHER?

Both seniors love the late nights when Serra would show up unannounced at 11pm. with some baked goods she had concocted and they would just sit and talk about everything.

“We live like five minutes away from each other which is so nice because we can pop in anytime,” Gowin said.

GIOIA AND VIOLET MAY 2024 | 09

SENIORS .

The Essentials

A quick guide on where to begin when creating the perfect dormroom.

BY GABRIELA SWINDLE REPORTER

A

s you wander through the vibrant dormitories of a college campus, it’s easy to feel inspired by the stylish setups and creative themes. But where do you even begin when it comes to furnishing your own college dorm room? Pinterest serves as an excellent starting point for exploring themes and gathering ideas, yet knowing the essentials is key.

Typically, a standard college dorm comes equipped with basic

furniture—a twin bed, a modest closet, a desk and a chair. If you’re fortunate, you might find a minifridge and microwave tucked away somewhere. However, most dorm rooms sport bland cement walls and linoleum floors, providing a blank canvas for your personal touch.

Navigating within a budget and understanding the regulations regarding room decoration are crucial steps. Rules often prohibit drilling holes, painting walls or altering the room’s structure. Fortunately, online platforms like Amazon offer a plethora of functional and affordable items, ranging from furniture to stationery, to suit all your needs.

When it comes to essentials, consider practical solutions for dorm living. A backpack laundry basket simplifies trips to the laundry room, while command hooks offer versatile hanging options without damaging walls. With limited space, a door hanging organizer proves invaluable for maximizing storage. Additionally,

Imani Cutler

Marli Brown

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK?

investing in a water filter pitcher ensures access to clean drinking water, especially if tap water isn’t to your liking.

To infuse your dorm experience with personality, consider establishing a theme with your roommate or mates. While this may pose a challenge if you’re not well acquainted, it can be a rewarding undertaking to embark on together.

Many incoming students face the uncertainty of the “roommate lottery,” where room assignments are random. Nevertheless, embracing a personal theme can add cohesion and comfort to your living space, regardless of your roommate situation.

Izzy DeConink

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

Don’t try and be friends with everyone.

AP Pre-Calc with Mid... brand new AP course and Mid’s first time teaching an AP. Love him dearly but as far as I know this class has left no survivors.

My mom gave me a pink slip for having my nose ring in.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT SION?

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE?

Messing with the faculty and putting a smile on their face.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS?

Creating a movie with ARod and Emerson.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

I am most proud of finding myself and my confidence.

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY?

Señora McClung, she is the sweetest most wholesome woman ever. I’ve had three maison leaders in my time at Sion and she’s been my fav.

She’s a great person to ramble to and she’s always got good snacks.

My english class made a rolling chair train and down the hallways and then Mrs. Kotarba walked by and we thought we were in trouble but she just laughed at us.

FAVORITE ENGLISH BOOK YOU HAD TO READ FOR SCHOOL? The Hate U Give.

THE AMERICAN MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC ACADAMY

ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

New Message

Subject: A response to the many emails received by students from colleges.

BY COPY EDITOR ELLA SATTERWHITE

Dear Colleges, I am emailing to politely request you stop harassing me. I understand your need for outreach, but please also consider my need for a functional email inbox. I can hardly find emails from teachers,

10 | LeJournal

administrators and friends because of how swamped I am. Do you really need to send me multiple emails a day? Contrary to what you might think, I’m actually less likely to read the fifth email you send me than the first.

I am scared of how many college emails

I will receive next year. If I am already overwhelmed now, how much worse will it be during the year I need to actually make decisions? I also hear you don’t stop emailing even after decisions are made, which just seems incredibly rude. You have no monopoly on my time! How would

SENIORS

Angela DeFlorio

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? Chemistry because I fell in love with the subject and I figured out that I want to go into it.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY?

I walked away from my computer in the middle of a class and when I came back I was the only one left on zoom besides my teacher.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS?

Growing into a better version of myself and maturing a lot.

ELON UNIVERSITY

you feel if your every waking moment was disrupted by the incessant pinging of new emails arriving in your inbox?

As if our last years of high school aren’t stressful enough.

And yes, my contact information is correct. I just don’t want to be contacted by you. And no, I am not interested in your free guide. And no, putting my name in the subject line does not convince me a human sent the email. If I want more information about your college, a virtual campus tour, or any other event information I will go to your website. I might even ask you to send me emails. It’s not the emails that are the

Tillie DeVolder

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE? Good football and a good education.

I also loved the feeling of the town!

It felt very me.

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU AND WHY?

Mrs. Holmes because I tell her everything and she is like my school mom.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

You will make it through, ask for help and you will get better!

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

problem, it’s your unsolicited plethora of inbox-clogging correspondences.

Don’t pretend that there is value in this meaningless drain on both of our times. Though I suppose there is no time investment on your part, just an algorithm.

Still, what a waste of your computing power!

I won’t read the emails, they just get deleted instantly or left to rot in my spam folder.

At least give me a functional unsubscribe button. I have noticed that you take “stop emailing me” to mean “email me at a new email address.” Those are not synonymous. After I go to the effort of finding the tiny fine print at the bottom

Lily Dillon

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF? It’s ok to make mistakes and it’s ok to move on from people. Always be yourself and everything will work out. Everything happens for a reason.

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Mr. Knowles because he is hilarious and inspires me to learn everyday.

He keeps me engaged in class and doesn’t assign a ton of homework.

I feel like I actually learn things in his class.

THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

of the page and clicking through the whole survey on why I don’t want my tiny amounts of precious free time occupied by mashing the delete button, I am decidedly uninterested in receiving yet more news from you.

Thank you for all your time and attention, and I apologize if you found the content of this message offensive. Though maybe that is your problem. I sincerely hope your marketing team finds better strategies.

Wishing to never hear from you again, Every upperclassman

May 2024 | 11

four or less

50%

SENIORS .

SENIOR STATS

seven or more

BY AMELIA BEDELL COPY EDITOR

5%

14%

How well do you know the senior class? These are statistics about all 74 seniors.

six

ILLUSTRATIONS | AMELIA BEDELL

31%

five

55%

of seniors plan to study abroad

How many colleges did you apply to?

45%

of seniors played a sport all four years

Top lunch checkout spots

27%

of seniors were in a theater production 82% of seniors prefer the ACT Do you roll your 32% No skirt?

Chick-Fil-A

Chipotle

11%

of seniors polled said they forgot their sweater every dress uniform day

68% Yes

Always

ILL U STR AT

IN ION | GRETA MART

sometimes

never

50% 26% 24% do you wear your sion ring?

12 | LeJournal

55% of the class of 2024 will attend an out of state college

Panera

SENIORS

Do you prefer your pearl picture or your id picture?

Fiona Doolittle

FINALS HORROR STORY? Forgetting my calculator for the math final.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Just being around Sophia Grantham because she never fails to make me laugh.

36%

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY?

ID Picture

Study hall first hour so I get to sleep.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE?

Ginger Griffiths

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT SION? My amazing friends.

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? Global Impacts Microschool because I learned so much from it and it was unlike any other class I’ve taken.

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

AP Bio because it is so confusing, there’s lots of homework and the tests are hard.

It’s close to home and I’ve always had my mind set on it.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Anna Gillespie

64%

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY? When Mrs. Haghirian had to put herself on mute to talk to her dog walker and get her banana bread out of the oven.

Pearl Picture

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Soak up every moment because it goes by so fast.

62%

senior

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Kram, because I think he’d give me good advice.

30%

Junior

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

freshman

3%

5%

sophomore

What was your favorite year of high school?

32%

of the class of 2024 plans to join a sorority

Do you live in 47% missouri or live in kansas?

Missouri

Violet Gowin

FAVORITE ENGLISH BOOK YOU HAD TO READ FOR SCHOOL? The Haunting of Hill House.

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY? Freshman year math class with Mid because he threw markers at me.

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY?

Lifetime sports because we get to go bowling.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING IN THESE FOUR YEARS? Mediocre grades and a strong sense of self.

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE

Sophia Grantham

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY? Turning off my camera during English and falling asleep.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

Being able to go all four years with my best friend. And we have photos from each first day together and the progression is crazy!

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

Mr. Knowles! I feel like he would give really good advice that I might need during college.

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, COLORADO SPRINGS

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Ellie Gromowsky

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Señora Gonzalez because she’s so positive and funny.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Half of the World History final freshman year was on the computer because of COVID, but the site we were using wouldn’t work for me.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY?

Dr. Regan having her cats with her during every class.

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Arleth Guevara

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? I absolutely love anatomy. The class itself is super experiential and there is never a dull day.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

I really enjoyed my study hall junior year. I would spend the time chatting.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

I would just remind her how amazing she is, because while not a lot of people have told me throughout the years, she was always capable of everything.

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY

Penelope Guezuraga FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

Ms. Haghirian counting everyone absent who didn’t have their camera on.

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? Crime into Content; meeting the victims’ families was very emotional for me and gave me a better appreciation for life and my family.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Chemistry junior year when Timson facilitated her couch delivery in class.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

53% live in Kansas May 2024 | 13

OPINION/FEATURE.

1.

Make Your Own Coffee

A FINANCIAL GUIDE FOR THE COLLEGE BOUND

Aand easy to laugh at at first glance,

lthough this may seem insignificant

setting aside the money you spend for your Starbucks coffee every morning can save you a substantial sum of money. If you buy yourself a grande vanilla latte twice or even three times a week, that’s easily $12-$18 per week. Multiply that by four months, and you’ve spent roughly $240 on coffees for your first semester. With all the expenses you already have to pay, that $240 could be better spent somewhere else. Whether you find a cheap coffee shop near campus or keep some coffee in your dorm (or steal from a roommate), keeping an eye on the money you spend on simple items, such as coffee, can make a big difference.

E DEACON OR CAROLIN IT D E E & A BY

Caroline Hammett

Sophie Hampp

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? The entire Sonoran Desert trip

FAVORITE CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

Going to school with my sister.

WHO WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU AND WHY?

Sophomore year I got the flu the day before finals and went to school double masked to complete them.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SION?

My cat showed her butt on the camera in RIF.

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON MAJORING IN?

My best friends.

Chemistry.

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? Going to Guatemala, Best trip ever.

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

BUTLER UNIVERSITY

Grace Kiewiet

Cat Knopke

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Hebrew Scriptures because my class was tiny and I got to make fun slideshows.

Being team captain of both field hockey and soccer.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-CLASS MEMORY?

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

Constantly pretending I wasn’t there or the WiFi was down or my mic was broken.

When Señora Schendel was blasting music at 8 a.m. over the Zoom call.

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING IN HIGHSCHOOL?

Pil because she always makes me smile.

I got good grades... sometimes.

ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

LIFE

Seven students have transferred into Sion’s class of 2024 from schools all across Kansas City.

IN

BY GRETA MARTIN REPORTER Sion senior on graduation day, Tbutother they have very different stories ransfer students walk beside every

T R A NSITION 14 | LeJournal

AP Biology. No explanation needed.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-CLASS MEMORY?

Akata Witch.

Not Pictured: Lily Dillion

FAVORITE CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

FINALS HORROR STORY?

FAVORITE ENGLISH BOOK YOU HAD TO READ FOR SCHOOL?

Kram because he would keep me company and know ridiculous amount about nothing.

Aleena Khan

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

Meeting Bill the Journalist at the KC Comets game.

AP Chemistry, I loved timson and had so many friends.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

FAVORITE EXPERIENTAL EDUCATION MEMORY? FAVORITE CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

Chemistry junior year because it was just Lauryn and I hanging out with ARod.

Ellie Henson

Not Pictured: Lily Dillon

than most of their classmates.

Seniors Violet Gowin, Meghan Burdge, Lily Dillon, Raegan Wesley, Izzy DeConink, Ella Alexander, and Tillie DeVolder share the unique experience

ADVICE TO FRESHMAN SELF? Stop caring so much about what everyone thinks .

FUNNIEST ZOOM-CLASS MEMORY?

Being on Zoom in Ms. Lai’s class and a bunch of girls staying on 10 mins after to talk to her.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Mrs Holmes because she is so real and I love to talk to her. She listens and takes an interest in what I have to say.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

of being high school transfers.

Coming to Sion was different for each senior. Some of them transferred during their freshman year, while others came as late as their junior year. Students had the opportunity to tour or shadow gaining first-hand experience of Sion.

“My mom suggested I try Sion,” Wesley said. “So we went and did a tour and I loved it. It felt super comforting and like a second home.

Before I even did my shadow day I knew this was where I was going to be.”

Admissions Director Katie Glatz is involved with the transfer process from start to finish, and worked alongside

OPINION/FEATURE

2. 3. 4.

T

Rent Textbooks

extbooks can quickly become expensive as books usually cost roughly $300 each. Renting textbooks is a cost-effective option as you begin freshman year.

Websites such as Amazon, Cheggs or Campus Books all have resources for such rentals. Additionally, some campuses offer campus bookstores with rental options. Almost every college class has textbooks that can be found on these websites, rather than the initial websites that come at a much higher price. Utilizing these opportunities can greatly help your financial situation in college.

Maya Hernandez

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

B

Become An R.A.

ecoming a Resident Assistant is a great way to save money in college. Although generally you must have attended one year of university already to become an RA, it is a viable way for financial success as you enter into sophomore year. As an RA, room and board will be provided, saving you the roughly $13,000 cost at a state university, creating the opportunity to save a surplus of money. However, you must be willing to undertake the responsibilities and time commitments that becoming an RA involves. If you are able, the RA experience can be very beneficial, not just for your bank account, but also for your personal growth and leadership.

Lexi Huston

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Freshman year eating lunch outside every day with half of the grade.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU?

Don’t stress too much about fitting in and finding the right friends- it’ll happen naturally.

UNDECIDED

ADVICE TO FRESHMAN SELF? Don’t worry, you’ll survive high school (I promise) ;)

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

Any Mid class because his tests are extremely hard.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

When the softball field flooded and we went to Clags and he said “I don’t know, ask Pil” but she wasn’t at school, so he just left us to deal with the flooding by ourselves.

TENNESSEE TECH UNIVERSITY

Sion Counselors to ease the administrative difficulties students often face: transferring credits, scheduling, and navigating new teachers and curriculums.

“Since I transferred mid semester all the teachers were in the middle of lessons,” Dillon said. “But I remember they were really willing to work with me and they shortened their finals and only tested me on the information I learned and everyone was super helpful.”

The transfer process can feel daunting, especially when it comes to building new social connections. However, many of the senior transfers were able to find a group of friends before their first days of class.

Glatz organized summer lunches and coffee

first year. Keep a spreadsheet or even notes app of your income (if you have a job going into college), your need based costs and your extra/want based costs.

As you embark on your university journey, it’s wise to keep your ‘extra’ spending to a minimum. For example, it may have been easy in highschool to indulge in fast food, a movie or concert without a second thought, but those decisions can have larger repercussions in college. To combat this, contemplate setting a budget for the amount of money you’re willing to put towards your wants versus needs, which will vary depending on your financial situation.

Ellie Hutchin

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS ERA MEMORY?

Lighting my hand on fire or making soap in Chem.

The right people will find you eventually.

Algebra or Calculus or World History because all of them have so much information.

I wanted to be close to home and its a great school!

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

Junior Ring; I recieved the ring from my long time friend.

UNDECIDED

Hannah Lange

ake sure to diligently track your

Falling asleep on Zoom with Shrock.

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Mexpenses and savings throughout your

Hiding tiny puppets on Angela’s car with Gracie and Dr. Moore.

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY?

Kram, He seems to know everything there is to know in life and I feel like that would come in handy.

Budget, Budget, Budget

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE? WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT SION? The teachers.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Jane Lehmann

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY? MEMORY ?

When we were in a break out room and we all just started singing Kelly Clarkson instead of doing work.

Sarah Lillis

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION? Kram’s room because I love going there and talking to him about everything.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE AND WHY? WHY ?

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

I would take Dr. Moore because she is so real.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP? SLIP ?

I wore my Lightning McQueen crocs to school.

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

dates to introduce transfers to current Sion students, and she attempted to make the transition as smooth as possible.

“Coming into a class that’s already established can be hard,” Glatz said, “it can be difficult socially, but I always tell them, ‘It’s not always going to be easy, so just give it time. It will all eventually shake out.’”

The various schools students transferred from were often different environments from Sion. The allure of a fresh start, smaller class sizes, and intimate connections drew many students to the school.

“Coming from public school, I expected the academic change,” Burdge said, “what I wasn’t prepared for was meeting a new family. Sion allows you to grow into the

Riding Mid’s bike down the halls for math class.

I would take Madame Bono because she always knows what to say, is so fun, and super good at giving advice.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

person you want to be.”

Out of the seven transfer students in the senior class, not one of them regrets transferring to Sion. They built new friendships and gained connections through the community. Whatever their reasons for coming, the overall satisfaction with Sion was unanimous.

“The friendships I’ve made here, I don’t think I would have had those connections at Pembroke,” Dillon said, “I’ve become so close with some of the girls I’ve met here, and the teachers were great about making connections with me. I do not regret transferring one bit, I would do it a million times.”

May 2024 | 15

d e s s e Conf FEATURE .

it’s been

Grace Lockett

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY? On an Environmental Science field trip to a stream, one of my classmates fell in the stream and was in the water chest deep.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

The class of 2024’s confessions from their final year at Sion

I would like to take either Dr. Hersh with me, because I think her organization and notes would be very helpful, or Mr. Knowles because he teaches the classes I am most interested in and I like how much he seems to enjoy what he teaches.

BY LILY WILKIN CO PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

UNDECIDED

Once I may ha ve stolen Mulkey ’s chips preten and ded to be shocke d she fou when nd th missin em g.

I peed my pants a little once in the middle of nt performing in fro of the school for dance team at a pep assembly.

Alyssa Martinez

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? Environmental Science. Mr. Knowles is the best teacher I have ever had.

He makes every lesson interesting and interactive.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

The junior ring ceremony.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT SION? I will miss being able to smile at all my friends in the halls and just how easy it is to talk to everyone in our own grade and other grades.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

duck I brought a STA call to every . game

I have ran into the curb of the school entrance almost everyday.

Genesis Martinez Porras FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

Ms. Amy’s bio class. Grace, Caroline and I convinced her multiple times to let us watch Wild Kratts because it was the coolest show ever.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Have a backbone and self confidence. It will get you places.

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON MAJORING IN? Double major criminology and Spanish and minor in psych.

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

I am the sandwich thief, sorry volleyball girls....

I have loo up Quiz ked let for eve s VHL C ry e assign ntral ment I ever do ’ve ne.

Munira Mohamed

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY? Putting a hole through the floor in English junior year.

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS, WHY?

Anatomy because I love learning about how the body works together.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE LAST FOUR YEARS? Getting into college and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY

16 | LeJournal

Sion 4 Life FEATURE

Vikki Muchai

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO SCHOOL WITH YOU AND WHY? Señora Gonzalez because she has been there for me since my freshman year.

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK AND WHY?

Freshman year math class with Mid because he threw markers at us.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY?

Coming to class while in the middle of taking my braids out.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Lauryn Murphy

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? ARod, because he would probably be like my security guard or Kram because he is awesome and would give good advice.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY?

During summer school with mid, I was folding laundry while on the class and he called me out for it.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Forgetting my calculator junior year.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

Zoey Mwarey

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY? My chair broke and I fell out of my seat with the camera on.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

I accidentaly slept through my pre-calc final.

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

I accidentally called ARod Alex.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST ABOUT SION?

Wandering the halls with Emerson.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Maya Neenan

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? The fish we took care of in freshman biology in Mrs. Amy’s class.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Completely BOMBING my Spanish 3 final last year during winter finals and writing her a note at the bottom that said I’m sorry in advance.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Trust the process. It sounds so dumb and simple, but I promise it gets so much better.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

The class of 2024 has 11 Complete Sionians, which means they have attended Sion since kindergarten.

BY CLAIRE BOMA MANAGING EDITOR

M

ost students’ first day at Sion started freshman year, getting crowned into the community with beanies or laughing with new friends during the color throw. but for 11 girls in the class of 2024, they have been at Sion since first grade or earlier.

“It’s kind of strange being at the same school for 15 years,” senior Lilly Sutherlin said. “Sion lower was a lot smaller than the high school. The biggest our grade ever got was 36 kids, and it was mostly the same kids since I was in preschool. It was strange growing up with these people and then going to high school and having a completely different grade, but still going to the same school.”

Despite the differences between the size and environment of the two Sion schools, for Sutherlin and many of her peers the overall curriculum and values of Sion have remained the same.

“A huge thing that Sion promotes is interfaith dialogue, and that’s something that has been practiced throughout my time at Sion,” Sutherlin said. “In grade school for Rosh Hashanah we would learn about it and then eat challah and apples with honey. We also learned about Ramadan and other Muslim and Jewish traditions, which we still do at the high school.”

In addition to learning and growing up with a core set of values and traditions, Sion lower and high schools provide a solid foundational curriculum for their students.

“Sion’s curriculum, compared to the few years I left for public school, was much more rigorous than anything else I’d done with my education, and it made me genuinely better at learning,” senior Mary Margaret Perkins said. “Sion was also a really good jumping-off point for getting ahold of opportunities. I feel like the schools just serve you opportunities and I definitely did not have that when I left for a public school. I’ve been set up so well for success here.”

Perkins’ connection to Sion runs even deeper than many of her lifelong peers because her mother, principal Ellen Carmody, has worked at both the grade school and the high school throughout Perkins’ life.

“Since my mom works [at Sion], I just knew everybody and everybody knew me, basically since I was born,” Perkins said.

“I’ve built so many lifelong friendships, especially with kids whose parents also teach at the school like with Mrs. Riggs’ daughter Ellie Riggs.”

After spending over a decade of their lives at the same school, the Complete Sionians will leave the Sion community for the first time as they head to college.

“I’m really going to miss my mom and my friends,” Perkins said. “I’ve had the same core group since the grade school, and the friendships they foster last for a really long time. I’m really going to miss this loving community.”

looking back Smiling for the camera, Sion kindergarteners pose with letters and numbers, 12 years later 11 of those students are still attending Sion at the highschool. Front row, Penny Guezuraga, Ellie Riggs, Lily Dillion.

Second row, Sophie Saxton, Mary Margaret Perkins, Violet Gowin, Abby Pataenius.

Back row, Piper Riffe, Gioia Serra, Lilly Sutherlin. Not pictured, Aleena Khan.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ANNIE RIGGS

MAY 2024 | 17

FEATURE .

As Your Big Sister...

A personal narritive on the struggle of leaving younger siblings ‘behind.’

BY ARLETH GUEVARA CO PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

E

milio Recio, age nine, barged into my room with a pillow and blanket in hand.

“Get out!”

With a shrug of his shoulders, he responds, “I'm scared…”

“Of what?” I question.

Too embarrassed to admit what, he stays silent. I roll my eyes and turn around no longer facing him. He smiles knowingly as he jumps in, clinging to me.

I remember being his age. Being afraid. I think back to the innocence, the naivety of thinking the scariest things were in the dark.

The reality is, being in the light is so much scarier. Icarus would have been fine if he’d flown at night, in the dark. But out in the sun, in the light. You are seen. You are vulnerable. You are susceptible to failure.

It is that vulnerability that scares me now. allowing others to infiltrate my most intimate moments. My wins. My losses. My climbs. My falls.

But as your big sister I can not fall.

I know why he’s afraid of the dark.

I knew by the way he would always pick the most visible hiding spots, as if he hid too well I would never be able to find him, or worse… give up.

When it was his turn to count he would rush through the numbers, jumping from one to twenty in five counts, afraid that if he gave me too much time he would never be able to find me… that I would be too lost in the dark and forget to turn on the light.

The light, I always have the light on, facing me. It comes with being the oldest.

Sometimes I’m grateful to have his eyes on me… like when I earn the highest recognition of honor at school (Notre Mere Emmanuel Award), when I’ve maintained straight A’s my whole school career (Current GPA 4.62), when I worked my way up to Editor-

18 | LeJournal

in-Chief for the school magazine, Le Journal.

Yet at other times, I wish I could hide in the dark… like when I can’t grasp the new math concept quite yet and cry out in frustration, or when I’ve come home tired and sweating after softball practice, only to not be put in the game the following day.

With the light always on, I feel like the whole world is watching. Because it is. You are watching.

As your big sister, you are my world.

Five minutes later, a small figure bolts through the door. Emilio and I barely have time to look up. Just like lightning before thunder, Dario Recio, age four, is already in the bed, enveloped by the dark blue comforter.

He tosses and turns as he tries to find his comfort position. I grab him and pull him close to me, hugging him as if he were my three and a half foot tawny colored bear that dad got for mom at the carnival years before he or Emilio were born, (the bear that I evidently stole the next day.) His head finds a gap near my neck, and he drifts off to sleep. I stay still, feeling his small chest move… up and down… up and down…. up and

down, as he breathes in and out… in and out… in and out.

It is moments like these where I realize just how fragile he is. How they both are. How I am.

But as your big sister I can not be fragile.

Despite being the smallest, skinniest and youngest, Dario is the most reckless. Reckless when he screams and runs around the house not looking where he's going until he seemingly bumps into a wall, a chair, or even other people. He’s fragile in the fact that everything is against him for being the youngest, the most impressionable, and so easily lost in the big crowds.

The big crowds. I feel lost within the big crowds, they make me feel small, incapable, ordinary… fragile. I feel as if I will be stuck in the background of someone else’s story. How do I stand out, clear a path for myself, the path that you will eventually follow?

Because as your big sister, I need to be able to be extraordinary, recognizable within the crowd; just in case you ever do get lost… in the crowd… in the background… in the dark.

I, Arleth Guevara, age 18. Lay awake completely still, completely silent, scared if I make a sound or move an inch, I will wake either one of you. So I just lay.

It is nights like these when I am reminded that in just a few months I won’t be sleeping in my full-sized bed, the same bed I've had since fourth grade, the bed with dark blue comforter, and collection of stuffed animals collected through the years.

The bed where vulnerabilities are okay, where we lay in the dark with the hallway light on so we don’t get lost or forgotten, where our fragileness is held together by the dark blue comforter and arms hugging each other. Where there is no crowd, no background, we are our own main characters.

The bed that holds my entire world... my baby brothers.

I turn my head to face Emilio, his eyes flutter open. I whisper to him, to both of them.

“I’m scared.”

A&E

Kosi Okuagu

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE?

Kate Peters

FINALS HORROR STORY? One time I broke down crying because I thought I failed, but I ended up getting a B and my whole family makes fun of me for it to this day.

Ms. Lai because I feel like she would keep me in check.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

Watching “The Light Between Oceans” with Dr. Regan.

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

Having to take my finals a week before going to Nigeria.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY

When Shrock gave me one and didn’t even tell me!!

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Falling asleep on so many Zoom calls and being called out for it.

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK?

AP Biology because of the tests.

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS

Gracie Orf

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE?

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Delaney Reidy

The first and only pink slip I’ve ever gotten was when I accidentally cussed in ARod’s class. He said that instead of getting a pink slip I could wash chem dishes. He asked me if I wanted gloves and I accedentally cussed agian describing the state of my nails. So he gave me a pink slip for cussing the second time and I never ended up washing the chem dishes.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

The chapel because it smells good.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SION?

Spending every day with my friends.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Roller skating around school in my shoes with the pop out wheels.

Abby Pantaenius

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Piper Riffe

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY?

BY RASCAL FLATTS

I’M STILL STANDING

BY ELTON JOHN

NEVER GROW UP

BY TAYLOR SWIFT

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Knowles because he always makes you laugh, is super smart, and will keep you motivated.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY?

Pretending my wifi died when Señora Gonzalez called on me.

GOING, GOING, GONE

BY LUKE COMBS

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

Ellie Riggs

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY?

My own mom gave me the only one I’ve had so that’s amusing to me.

Running away from a raccoon on the Arkansas trip!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE PAST FOUR YEARS?

FIVE MORE MINUTES

BY SCOTTY McCREERY

WHICH TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE WITH YOU TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

Getting out of my shell a little and having a job/reaching out to new people and relationships.

Mr. Knowles, because he is hilarious and has lots of knowledge to share!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS?

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? Game drives and fire pits at the forest in Kenya.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY

Going to the Cadaver Lab for anatomy class.

Be picky about who you spend your time with and who is truly worth your energy. Do not be a people pleaser and try to change yourself for anyone because not everyone is going to like you and that’s okay. Quality will always matter more than quantity.

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

BY CLAIRE BOMA MANAGING EDITOR

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE PAST FOUR YEARS?

Mary Margaret Perkins

playlist

The top songs for senior year, reccomended by the class of 2024

The cheer girls accidentally ate all the volleyball food and had to buy more.

When my friends and I got two noise complaints in a hotel during the France Deep Dive because we couldn’t stop laughing.

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

class

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

Mr. Knowles because he is hilarious and he has a lot of knowledge to share.

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

2 0 2 4

Being a part of Green Team and putting on the Sustainable Fashion Show!

UNDECIDED

END OF BEGINNING

BY DJO

MAY 2024 | 19

FEATURE .

take it to the next level

Suzanne Sade

WHAT ARE YOU MAJORING IN? Political Science with a focus on International Relations.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE AND WHY?

This year seven seniors have committed to play their sports in college, continuing their academic and athletic careers.

I would take Ms. Lai zero hesitation.

I can always count on her for anything: a conversation great advice, or a laugh. I’m so grateful for her influence.

BY REPORTER MARYKATE LILLIS

T

his year a total of seven different Sion students from the class of 2024 have committed to college to continue their academic and athletic careers. They all share a common goal to play at the next level because of the passion and great memories playing their sport has brought them.

Senior Sophie Saxton is committed to continuing her volleyball career at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Volleyball has been a constant in her life for eight years and Saxton is counting down the days until she gets to play in college.

“Volleyball has been a sanctuary for me when everything else in life seemed to be overwhelming,” Saxton said.

“Playing volleyball allows me to make connections with people I love and come together for a common goal of playing the best we can.”

Connections made through sports lead to the creation of strong communities. For senior Maylen Smith, the community the lacrosse team at Benedictine College displayed made her fall in love with the college.

“I was instantly met with love and kindness by the team and the coaches,” Smith said. “I love the program so much because I can be competitive but also have a great community around me.”

Senior Megan Burdge shares the same passion for her new college’s coaching staff at York University in Nebraska.

“I wasn’t 100% on playing volleyball until I met the coach and the team,” Burdge said. “Once I knew that playing

T H E N

T H E N

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION? The music room.

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

Sophie Saxton

YOUR FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? AP French because there were four people in it and Madame is the BEST.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY? Junior Prom.

Advice to my freshman self?

Don’t stress about school, it literally doesn’t matter as much as you think it does.

ST. OLAF COLLEGE

Gracie Seiffert

YOUE FAVORITE CLASS AND WHY? Chemistry with ARod or Gov with Dr. Moore.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

Putting puppets on Angela’s car with Lexi and Dr. Moore

FINALS HORROR STORY?

When I didn’t have a calculator for my math final.

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY ?

ARod setting my hand on fire.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Gioia Serra

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

T H E N

When the Texas Deep Dive got caught in a wind storm and had to evacuate the camp sight at 3 a.m.

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION? The library.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS? Never getting a B on my transcript.

N O W 20 | LeJournal

at York would only encourage my love for the sport I was sold.”

Athletes continue playing their sport because it br ings themes positive energy and a great community. For senior Sophie Hampp her commitment to Denver University brings her hope to reunite her spark of love for her sport again.

“Sometimes you are physically tired so you are being hard on yourself and then on top of that you have people who make you hate yourself next to you,” Hampp said. “I decided to do gymnastics in college because I’m hoping it will be a better, more positive environment and I will be able to love the sport again.”

Senior Hannah Lange is continuing her love for her sport at Tennessee Tech, making her 10-year-old self proud by achieving her goal of going to a division one program.

“I always had the goal of going D1 and being the best of the best since I was about 10 years old,” Lange said. “ My spirits were lifted and when I got my D1 offer I knew I had done a good job and made my 10 year old self proud.”

As her highschool career come to an end, Smith shares one of her biggest pieces of advice to any highschool student athlete.

“I would definitely just live in the moment and have fun with it,” Smith said. “That sounds so cliché, but the main reason why I chose to play college is because time slipped away so fast, and I wasn’t quite ready to hang up my cleats yet.”

N O W

N O W

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

FEATURE

Emerson Shelton

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON MAJORING IN Criminology

FAVORITE EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION MEMORY? Going to see the KC Current Stadium on a deep dive.

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

Playing with my bouncy ball in chemistry

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE PAST FOUR YEARS? Maintaining a good GPA throughout all four years.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL MISSOURI

Maddie Shippley FINALS HORROR STORY?

Pino sprayed her concentrations spray at the start of jr year final and I had an allergy attack through the whole thing.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Don’t be scared to put yourself out there, it’s everyones first year.

What teacher would you take with you to college and why?

I would want to take Mrs HammerBeck because she is so supportive.

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY

Lucy Shively

HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK? Apush, I am really bad at history and literally never got higher than a 40% on a test.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY?

I walked into the wrong class on the first day of school freshman year and didn’t realize Ii was sitting with a bunch of sophomores until after attendance was sent

WHY DID YOU CHOSE YOUR COLLEGE?

I was in love with how it looked, it was perfect weather, and they had lots of amazing opportunities.

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

Marissa Smith

your favorite class and why?

Math with Ms. Deconink and history with Dr. Moore are always my favorite.

favorite sion memory?

Senior Assassin has been my favorite so far.

FAVORITE PLACE AT SION?

The lunch room, it’s always where I seem to be laughing the hardest and where the least schoolwork is done.

HENDRIX COLLEGE

Roomate Goals Seniors Marli Brown and Grace Kiewiet are committed to Illinois Wesleyan University as goalies in their respective sports, and roomates for their freshman year.

BY ADDIE DOYLE NEWS EDITOR

S

enior Grace Kiewiet is committed as a goalie for Illinois Wesleyan’s soccer team, and Marli Brown will be a goalie for their lacrosse team. Together they’ll go from high school athletics to college life as roommates.

Kiewiet visited [Illinois] Wesleyan first and loved it. She started thinking Brown would like the school, so she began to nudge it onto her list.

“I thought you, Marli, would really like the school, so I started talking it up,” Kiewiet said. “I thought about how great it would be to have Marli with me, so I talked about how awesome the training facility and school were to try and convince her.”

As college athletes, Brown and Kiewiet will spend much time with their teammates. This commitment extends not only to the sport but also within their social lives as they live a dorm with all the athletes.

“I’m excited about having a home base because Grace knows me outside of college. It will be nice to explore and try new things, but also have her as grounding connection to home,” Brown said.

The transition to college can be daunting because it means entering a completely new environment. When committing to a college for a sport, athletes have the opportunity to meet a group of people before the academic year begins.

“For me, I move in a little earlier which I think is super nice because I‘ll get to really meet my team before actual school starts,” Kiewiet said. “I also think it will be nice for Marli as a spring sport athlete because she will have the locker room and fall ball.”

After both of their visits, they knew they wanted to room together.

“We have had everything set since November,” Brown said. “She called me as soon as she committed, and we immediately decided, ‘Okay so we’re doing this and we’re rooming together.’”

They have been researching the area and events they can attend together to kick off their college lives.

“We have been googling restaurants to try near our dorm because we are foodies,” Kiewiet said. “We also have plans to attend Lollapalooza in Chicago to kick off the new school year.”

Besides planning for events and locations to check out, they have also been planning how to decorate their dorm.

“We have a shared Pinterest board already,” Brown said. “We’re also naming our dorm ‘The Cave’ because I love Batman.”

With all of this dorm planning, Brown and Kiewiet feel prepared, and are excited about different aspects and anticipate change and freedom.

“I am most excited for the new experiences and having a bit of freedom in my life,” Kiewiet said. “Also meeting new people. It can be scary, but I think it will be fun to meet people, and college is supposed to be the most fun so I might as well try new things.”

“I am excited for independence. We’ve been planning trips, and I am like, ‘Wow, we’re adults so we can actually do this without having to ask,’” Brown said. “I’m just excited to be in college because there are going to be so many new doors that are going to open.”

independence.”

APRIL 2024 | 21

polos

c he

senior

ior

timeless traditions

sen

Senior year is enriched with Sion traditions. Here are a few favorites from the class of 2024.

BY ELLA ALEXANDER CO PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Maylen Smith

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Natalie Stapp

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE?

The APUSH exam was a week after my ACL surgery I was on STRONG pain meds and don’t even remember taking the test.

I chose Wake Forest because they have strong academics, they have a good athletic program, I love North Carolina, and I wanted to go out-of-state.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SION?

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Going to school everyday with my best friends.

My freshman year I opened Mid’s Algebra 2 Honors final to the infamous matching-style first page and shed a tear.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF?

Enjoy the ride girl, it’s gonna go by quicker than you ever thought. Make memories, have fun, work hard, and take in every minute these next 4 years. You did it!

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SION?

The unique, tight-knit community.

BENEDICTINE COLLEGE

Mae Trotter

hat are you planning on majoring in?

WAKE FOREST UNIVERISTY

Caroline Vogt

Funniest Sion Memory?

Nursing

funniest pink slip?

Shrock told me he wouldn’t give me one for not having my sweater but then he did.

Advice to your freshman self?

Have fun with school, don’t get too stressed.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR COLLEGE?

Spanish 3 ACCP because Señora Schendel was hands down one of my favorite teachers.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

Going on the foreign exchanges.

Funniest zoom class-era memory?

Seeing everyone’s unfiltered reactions.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ACCOMPLISHING THESE FOUR YEARS? Getting an A in Mid’s PreCaculus class.

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

Raegan Wesley

FINALS HORROR STORY? I fell asleep during my AP exam and woke up with 30 minutes left. No, I did not pass.

What teacher would you take to college and why?

what teacher would you take to college and why?

Mrs. Amy would’ve been my number one choice. She was my school mom. She always knew how to make me laugh and make school fun.

Mrs. DeConinck because I am going to need help with math.

What are you planning on majoring in?

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

These seniors were voted by their class as having the biggest transformations throughout their four years at Sion.

22 | LeJournal

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CLASS?

Marine Sciences

Finance

IN A FLASH

BY ADDIE DOYLE NEWS EDITOR

Lilly Sutherlin

When Marli pulled out and hit Ava’s jeep right as we got back lunch checkout and we just kept laughing

what are you planning on majoring in?

Their school spirit, amazing nursing program and location TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

er

SENIORS .

FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY

senior

TAILGATE

S

N I S AS

SS A OR

SENIORS

SION OLYMPICS

I N E S

Lexi Teel

FAVORITE BOOK YOU READ IN ENGLISH? The Great Gatsby.

FUNNIEST SION MEMORY? Everyone asking me if I’m actually related to Mrs. Teel.

FINALS HORROR STORY?

Thinking I did fantastic and then ended up getting a 23%.

WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT SION?

Trista Tidrow

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST CLASS YOU TOOK? Algebra 2 honors because my Algebra 1 teacher went to prison half way through my 8th grade year so I didnt actually finish Algebra 1.

FUNNIEST ZOOM CLASS-ERA MEMORY?

I would always tell Shrock that my camera was broken so I didn’t need to turn it on.

The uniforms.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU AND WHY?

To see the good in all things.

Kram or Mr. Knowles because they are so dad.

ADVICE TO YOUR FRESHMAN SELF? JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Lily Wilkin

hardest class you took and why?

AP PreCalc, I think it’s self explanatory.

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP?

When I took the Tom Holland blanket to an assembly, no regrets it was cold.

Funniest zoom class-era memory?

When Mrs. Haghirian told us the story of when her fire alarm started going off in the middle of the night and she took the time to put Tucker’s coat on before going outside.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Lucy Wittek

favorite sion memory?

Ava Townsend

FUNNIEST PINK SLIP? Shrock gave me one for laughing.

FAVORITE SION MEMORY?

Meeting all my best friends.

WHAT TEACHER WOULD YOU TAKE TO COLLEGE WITH YOU? Kram because he would tell me everything I need to know.

FUNNIEST ZOOM-ERA MEMORY?

During Haghiarian’s class I was messing with my screen background and she thought I was going crazy.

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Kate Wren

advice to your freshman self?

When we played sardines at like 2 am at the choir lock in.

If you’re going to wear eyeliner…. perhaps watch a tutorial first.

They made me turn my camera on and I was actively rowing a boat on a pond.

When I got scared playing minecraft during math so I screamed in the middle of class and confused everyone.

funniest zoom class-era memory? funniest sion memory?

Shrock coming in to class with a raccoon costume on.

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

funniest sion memory?

Funniest Zoom class-era memory?

Accidentally swearing really loud to myself with my mic on and then leaving the zoom because i was so embarrassed.

RICE UNIVERSITY

APRIL 2024 | 23

Feature .

ROOMMATE CHOOSING

BY MARYKATE LILLIS REPORTER

For some students starting fresh means new friends and new roommates. For these Sion students they are choosing to bring a piece of Sion with them into their everyday lives.

SLily Dillon have been best chose to not go random eniors Delaney Reidy and

friends all four years of high school. They will both be attending the University of Kansas together as roommates starting in the fall.

“I am so excited to room with Lily because we realy enjoy each other’s

company,” Reidy said. “I because I wanted a roommate who would bring out the best in me, and that’s what Lily does.”

Both students wanted to room with someone they were comfortable with and could easily cohabit with on a daily basis. They thought that rooming with someone they were comfortable with would make the adjustment to college much easier and more comforting.

“I wanted to go into college with someone I can trust and have so much fun with,” Dillon said. “I can’t wait for our adventures together.

However Reidey says rooming with someone you know is not the best option for everyone.

“It is definetly a big decision because this is the person you are back to everyday,” Reidy said.

SAlyssa Martinez will both eniors Sarah Lillis and

be attending the University of Arkansas this coming fall. They have chosen to room together in a suite style dorm room.

“Sarah and I really blend well together and I wanted to be able to room with someone I knew and was comfortable with,” Martinez said. “I am super excited to live somewhere new and have an opportunity to meet new people outside of my roommate everyday but still go back to a comfortable space.”

Lillis also made the choice to not go random because she wanted a safe space to come back to after a long day of many new faces.

“I chose to room with Alyssa because she is my best friend and we work so well together,” Lillis said. “I am excited to strengthen our friendship and have a person I know I can trust when I walk into my room.”

Martinez agrees that rooming with someone you have complete trust in is something that was very important to her as well.

“Sarah is someone I am so comfortable around and able to be myself,” Martinez said. “That is someone I want to choose to be around every single day.”

Performing Arts Degrees

Three seniors from the class of 2024 answered the question: Why do you want to pursue a performing arts degree?

BY LAUREN HAGGERTY REPORTER

PENNY GUEZURAGA human biology and ballet

LUCY SHIVELY

musical theatre and communications

GIOIA SERRA

“There has been a ton of research on Parkinson’s and dance, but not a whole lot on neurodegeneration in dance associated with muscular dystrophy,” senior Penny Guezuraga said.

“I love to talk and I feel like my majors are going to help me use that talkitive side of me,” senior Lucy Shively said.

“Honestly one of my biggest goals is to become a director.”

“I mainly want to focus on both pop and theatre in college,” senior Gioia Serra said. “One of my main goals for my furture is definately to preform on Brodway.”

PHOTO SUBMITTED | PENNY GUEZURAGA

PHOTO SUBMITTED | LUCY SHIVELY

24 | LeJournal

musical theatre

PHOTO SUBMITTED | GIOIA SERRA

the votes are in...

SENIORS

Senior Superlatives voted for by the senior class.

DESIGN BY BRIDGET BENDORF FEATURES EDITOR

MOST LIKELY TO TRAVEL THE WORLD

MOST LIKELY TO WIN AN E.G.O.T.

Lucy Wittek

Noelle Bertrand

MOST LIKELY TO JOIN THE CIRCUS

Imani Cutler

MOST LIKELY TO CURE CANCER

MOST LIKELY TO BE YOUR BOSS

Kosi Okuagu

Natalie Stapp

MOST LIKELY TO BE LATE TO HER OWN WEDDING

Genesis Martinez Porras

MOST LIKELY TO BE AN INFLUENCER

Gioia Serra

MOST LIKELY TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY

Ella Alexander

MAY 2024 | 25

OH THE

PLACES YOU’LL

w o r G

See where the class of ‘24 is going to college and planting their roots.

BY CO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LILY WILKIN

Arleth Guevara Megan Burdge

Maggie Axtell Daniela CastroCarrera Ellie Hutchin Munira Mohamed Kosi Okuagu Emerson Shelton Maddie Shipley Ginger Griffiths Lauryn Murphy

NE

Golden Rod

Imani Cutler Lucy Wittek

CO

KS

Blue Columbine

CA

Piper Riffe Sophia Grantham Jane Lehmann Genesis Martinez Porras Sophie Hampp Abby Pantaenius

Wild Sunflower

California Poppy

Maddi Adkins Elise Best Livvy Cavaliere DeeDee Cohen Lily Dillon Fiona Doolittle Anna Gillespie Penny Guezuraga Aleena Khan Vikki Muchai Mary Margaret Perkins Kate Peters Delaney Reidy Gracie Seiffert Maylen Smith Trista Tidrow Ava Townsend Caroline Vogt Zoey Mwarey Lexi Teel

TX

Blue Bonnet

Ella Alexander Ellie Gromowsky Caroline Hammett Mae Trotter Kate Wren

26 | LeJournal

Sophie Saxton

WI

Showy Ladies Slippers

Gioia Serra Lily Wilkin

Claire Boma Marli Brown Grace Kiewett Lilly Sutherlin Suzanne Sade

Noelle Bertrand

Ellie Henson Gracie Orf

NY Rose

IL

OH

IN

Violet

PA

Moutain-Laurel

Carnation

Peony

MO

Hawthrone Blossom

Tillie DeVolder Violet Gowin Lucy Shively Angela DeFlorio Natalie Stapp

AK

TN

Apple Blossom

NC

Iris

Flowering Dogwood

Hannah Lange

Raegan Wesley

Cat Knopke Izzy DeConink Sarah Lillis Alyssa Martinez Maya Neenan Marisa Smith

FL

Orange Blossom

MAY 2024 | 27

Class of

2024