Time Capsule.

Freshman year: A Derby Day Story

By CharlieLaMountain

Picturethis: you?reafreshmancircaAugust 2019 It?sDerby Day You?reexcited toparticipateina classicSt Mary?stradition, spendtimewithyour friendsandconnect morewithyour senior Youarea littlenaiveabout what Derby Day isactuallylike yes but what morecantherebetoit thansomesilly competitionsandgettingsmearedwithchocolatesauce?What youdon? t know ishow woefully unpreparedyouarefor what thegraduatingclassof 2020hasinstorefor you

After acoupleof hoursof competitions embarrassingly cringerapbattlelyrics(WEARETHEEGG YOLKS!) andslip?n?slides, thetimecomes Themoment you?veall been waitingfor: tobeplayfully coveredinchocolateand icecream But, hark! What?sthat smell, youask?It?salittle? savory A little? oily Oh, no Youlook toyour left andseeasenior SPRINTINGat youwithawater gun, and beforeyoucaneventhink about what ishappening youareCOVERED inwarm greasy canolaoil

Beforeyoucanfully react tothebarrageof sun-heatedcookingoil, fromyour right comesasenior you don? t evenknow withabrownbottle Toyour dismay, it?snot chocolatesauce It?snot whippedcream

It?snot icecream No It?safull plasticbottleof Sweet Baby Ray?sAward WinningBarbecueSauce

Withinafew minutes youandyour entiregradehavebeen turnedintoninth-grader-sized brisketsready for aslow roast Tothisday, thesmell of barbecuesaucestill makesyoualittlenauseous

It issaidthat theClassof 2023still can't washout theterriblesmell of theconcoctionof barbecue, ice creamandcanolaoil after multipleshowers, hopingtomakeit intimetothefirst MUSfootball gameof theseason

Junior year: More homework?????

Sorry, weweretoobusy withthishomework towriteanything:

Sophomore year: A Pandemic Surprise

By GraysonFinks

I think that wheneveryoneheard thewords, 'Your spring break hasbeenextendedtwo weeks' our initial reactionswereall positiveones However whentwo weeksturnedinto two semesters, my feelingschanged I wasalwaysthekindof person that hatedbreaking habits I liketowakeupat thesametimeinthemorning, takethesameroutetoschool andeat thesamefoodfrom thesaladbar inthecafeteria So when my new norm becamestayingat home, I hadnodesiretobreak that habit likeeveryoneelsedidby comingback tothecorner of Perkinsintwocohortsandmasked I completedmy entire sophomoreyear from home andif I?m beinghonest I?ddoanythingtotakeit back Althoughthat timeat homegavemeachancetofocusonmy own interestsandimprove my mental healthwhen it cametothestressof academicperformance, I really missed youall I missedmy morningsinthecommons andmy afternoonswalkingtothe parking lot I missedchoosingwhichsweatshirt towear withmy uniformskirt and seeing my artwork hanginthehalls I missedeverythingthat wasandstill isSt Mary's AndI am not prepared for how muchI?mgoingtomissit whenit?sgonefor goodnext year

Senior year: Full Circle

By CamHart

What isSt Mary?sif not thetraditions?First graderscarry thebluetotebag, second andthirdgradersareintheChristmaspageant, fifthgradersgotoJA Biztown, andsoon until youreachaday just likeBlack Friday or Baccalaureate or graduation But my personal favoriteinmy 12yearsheredefinitely hastobetheChristmasPageant Below issomethingI wrotefor Meaningof Lifefirst semester of senior year, reflecting onthis tradition:

?Last night at theChristmaspageant, I laiddownontheground of thechurchand listenedtothevoicesof thesecond andthirdgraders I closedmy eyesandremembered beingthem I remember ecstatically singingto?JesusChild?andtearing upduring ?LongTimeAgo?I couldstill remember thefeelingof theheat of thelightsandthe anticipationof themoment And, onelast time, I waspart of it againafter nineyears

Last night, I begantorealizethefinitenessthat wearelivingin I wasmouthingalongto thesongs, and I lookedaroundat my peers, whoI'veknownfor solong, their mouths moving, too Weall weretakenby thispowerful moment Wewerethosegirlsonthe stands, but 10yearslater Weweretheseniorswehadlookedupto What abeautifully bittersweet full circle?

That day, I had thought about how quickly timewent by Suddenly, therearen? t any traditionsleft tolook forwardto, except thefinal ones Beingasenior issomuchabout sayinggoodbyetotheplacewelove, andthetraditionof theChristmaspageant wasjust that: thebeginningof goodbyes

Blast from the Past

Story andphotosby HannahKerlan

Didthey ever findthosetwo missingcomputersor, onasimilar note, Ms Carsten?sAppleTV remote?Doesdry-eraseStanley liveinadifferent, morepermanent dimension?Couldwestart a Stanley revolutionif werevivedhisInstagramaccount? If wewerefrom New York wouldwehavedeemed theweather inDC warm?And finally wasMr Throckmortonreally rollingonthe floor laughing?Iconicmemoriesfrom nothingshort of aniconicclass?but whoarewetothink that wecouldhaveformedthesememoriesonour own (giveor takeafew influential antsand bedbugs)?So, therefore, thisbegsonemorequestion WherearethefallenTurkeysof theClassof 2023?Whiletheir namesmight bepainted over inpurple, let their wordsbe?read?

Marshall McGahey

Gwendolyn McGuire

Introduction:

I mMarshall McGahey I left St Marysafter eighthgradetogotoboardingschool " Hobbies, extracurricularsor future aspirations:

"I docommunity serviceevery day after school wherewegoandtutor kidsagedkindergarten throughtwelfthgrade I malsoaneditor of the ArtsandLiteraturemagazine"

Favorite SMS memory:

Literally, just my entireeighthgradescience class Itssuchacorememory of mine Ms Karol, I just remember her classsowell How have you changed since SMS?

SinceI didnt leaveSt Marysandgotoa different school inMemphis, boardingschool ingeneral haschangedmealot I definitely think I hadtobecomeway moreindependent I vejust hadtogrow upreally fast Like, I learnedreally how tobudget "

Thoughts on the" Fallen Turkeys" wall in the senior den where you were featured?

"I'mgladthat my memory asaturkey liveson I think that'ssofunny I missSt Mary'sso much I alwayssay that I didn't leaveSt Mary's toleaveSt Mary's I left to doboarding school It wasn't becauseI wasunhappy I still loveit alot andI missall of y'all dearly"

Introduction:

"My nameisGwenMcGuire I went to St Marysfromsixthgradetoeighthgrade In middleschool, I didModel UN andtrack and crosscountry I still dotrack andcrosscountry"

Favorite SMS memory:

"Probably theDCtrip that wasagoodtime I turned14onthat trip [Theclasssang"Happy Birthday"] ontheCapitol "

How have you changed since SMS?

"St Mary'sreally islikeabubble I goto publicschool now It'salot bigger whichI think isgoodandbad I just think it hasforced me youknow not that I wasever apushover but youreally need tobeloud andmakeyourself standout amongall thepeople"

Thoughts on the " Fallen Turkeys" wall in the senior den where you were featured?

"WhenI wasinmiddleschool, therewerealot of thingsthat I waslookingforwardtothat obviously I havent gottentoparticipatein, and soitskindof likeI did participatein painting thosecinder blocks"

Anything you want to say to the Class of 2023: I misseveryone Wedefinitely werekindof a dramaticclassinmiddleschool at least But, I feel likeeveryonehaslearnedhow tousetheir powersof chaosfor good Don't squashthat semi-chaoticpart of yourselves"

Introduction:

"I'm BellaYant I went toSt Mary's I guessI camekindof right inthemiddleof pre-k andwasthereuntil secondgrade Hobbies, extracurriculars or future aspirations: "Right now, I'mtheeditor of our literary magazine I mthinking accounting, but I m not 100%sure"

Favorite SMS memory:

"I think my favoritewouldbeFelicity Day I loveddressingupasher I remember wecross-stitched theornaments andI still havemine"

Thoughts on the " Fallen Turkeys" wall in the senior den where you were featured?

"I feel alittlespecial but I don't know I think that'sfun"

Anything you want to say to the Class of 2023:

" Fromtheperspectiveof someonewho hasbeeninboth situations, likegoing to schoolswith all girlsandthenwithboys andgirls, itsnot asuper big transition I feel liketheresmoregoing on, I guess, drama-wisewithboysandgirls, which soundsfunny But, I dont know, itsnot a big deal

Emme Rutherford

Introduction:

"I'mEmmeRutherford andI went to St Mary's upuntil eighthgrade Hobbies, extracurriculars, or future aspirations:

"I usedto dorunningin middleschool, andI hatedit I actually runnow for funevery day I did ahalf marathonin January I likegraphicdesign I want todothat in college"

How have you changed sinceSMS?

"I think in middleschool ?I talk about thisso muchwith my friends[inTexas] ?I usedtobe super shy Movingchangedthat so muchfor me I kind of hadto reachout to peoplemyself so it madememoreoutgoing"

Thoughts on the " Fallen Turkeys" wall in the senior den whereyou were featured?

"I'mreally honoredthat I wasonthewall because I feel likeI talk about St Mary'sto my friends hereso muchbecauseI wastherefor so long That really makesmy day

Anything you want to say to the Class of 2023: "I realize, lookingback, that it wasreally nicethat wehadasmall gradebecauseit felt likewewere all really closetoeachother Lookingat yall now fromanoutsideperspective, I cantell that you guysareall super closeandreally support each other I really hopethat youguyscontinuetodo that "