May 2020 (The senior issue)

Class of 2020: Zooming out 1

Ms. Williams Leathers: Always find the beauty in life Clase de 2020,

Class of 2020, We entered the Pirates Ship in the fall of 2016 together, and I have marveled at your growth, perseverance, and positive spirit for the entire four years we have spent together at Riverside High School. I know your senior year was not what you or any of us expected. I do not think any of us could have predicted the scenario we are currently living---social distancing from each other for months, but that is one of the beautiful things about life, you can not predict what will happen.

This school year you experienced the loss of a classmate, false threats toward our school community, a trespasser on our campus, a tornado in our area, and a global pandemic that closed our school on March 13 for the remainder of the school year! I would say that each of those events caused stress and anxiety for most of you, but you used each other to process your thoughts and feelings and were able to move forward because of your growth, perseverance, and most of all, your positive spirit!

While you prepare for the next phase in our life, know that you will encounter unexpected challenges, but also know that you have been prepared by your experiences to tackle any challenges. As Amit Ray says so eloquently, “Life throws challenges and every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it.”

My wish for you is to always find the beauty in life regardless of the events surrounding you. Continue to grow, persevere, and display that positive spirit for the world to see! Light up the world, Class of 2020!!!!

With love and admiration, Your principal, Tonya Williams Leathers

Entramos juntos en el Barco de los Piratas en el otoño de 2016, y me he maravillado de su crecimiento, perseverancia y espíritu positivo durante los cuatro años que hemos pasado juntos en la escuela secundaria Riverside. Sé que tu último año no fue lo que tú o ninguno de nosotros esperaba. No creo que ninguno de nosotros haya podido predecir el escenario que estamos viviendo actualmente: distanciamiento social el uno del otro durante meses, pero esa es una de las cosas hermosas de la vida, no se puede predecir lo que sucederá. ¡Este año escolar experimentó la pérdida de un compañero de clase, amenazas falsas hacia nuestra comunidad escolar, un intruso en nuestro campus, un tornado en nuestra área y una pandemia global que cerró nuestra escuela el 13 de marzo por el resto del año escolar! Diría que cada uno de esos eventos causó estrés y ansiedad para la mayoría de ustedes, ¡pero se utilizaron mutuamente para procesar sus pensamientos y sentimientos y pudieron avanzar debido a su crecimiento, perseverancia y, sobre todo, a su espíritu positivo!

Mientras se preparan para la próxima fase de sus vidas, sepan que enfrentarán desafíos inesperados, pero también sepan que sus experiencias los ha preparado para enfrentar cualquier desafío. Como Amit Ray dice tan elocuentemente, "La vida arroja desafíos y cada desafío viene con arcoiris y luces para conquistarlo".

Mi deseo para ustedes es encontrar siempre la belleza en la vida, sin importar de los eventos que los rodean. ¡Continúen creciendo, perseverando y mostrando ese espíritu positivo para que el mundo lo vea! Iluminen el mundo, Clase de 2020 !!!!

Con amor y admiración, Su directora, Tonya Williams Leathers

2 The Pirates' Hook

A great run Cross country running is Transcendentalism. The 19th-century school of thought believed in reclaiming humanity’s connection with nature, and the greatness that could be found in the pure, independent human soul. After sitting in Riverside’s fluorescent lighting and stuffy air system for seven hours, running through wooded trails not one hundred feet away from the building was like entering a different world. When the only obstacles I faced were tree roots, rocks, and the physical limitations of my body, I had a chance to clear my mind of the problems of the school day and any worries that weighed on me.

In the summer before my freshman year, running was a big part of my life. I had just moved 3,000 miles across the country from Palo Alto, California, and knew almost no one in Durham.

Running didn’t require commitment, new equipment, or most importantly, a team.

But as the years went on, even as my circle of friends grew, I kept coming back to cross country. It was a de-stresser, a way to stay in shape, and an outlet to express my individuality. I made friends with my teammates, and we had great experiences together. But running is a solo sport, even when you’re surrounded by a team. When you’re braving hilly trails in the woods, or racing towards finish lines with dust in your lungs and sweat in your eyes, in the sweltering heat or numbing cold, you become closer to yourself than ever.

Starting high school in a new state, away from all the friends and places of my childhood, forced me to reassess who I was.

Riverside’s engineering program, which I reluctantly joined during my sophomore year, made me question my strengths and interests. And my friends’ jests at cross country being a fake sport certainly gave me second thoughts. But just like the Transcendentalists, whose best works emerged in response to the pressures they felt from the world around them, I’ve tried to embrace the challenges I’ve faced throughout high school. Cross country running requires ridiculous amounts of persistence.

There will always be another mile to run, a steeper hill to climb.

But each milestone makes the next one all the more attainable, and you become a better runner along the way.

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Elijah King

Finding balance The yin-yang symbol first emerged in 600 B.C. as part of the Asian relgion of Taoism, and it remains as relevant as ever today.

The symbol has a dark side and a bright side. Although the two halves are opposite, they represent balance, as the dark and light can't form a complete circle and exist without each other.

Before entering high school, I was taught to follow the crowd and adapt to the “norms” of society: join a club, get all A’s and be perfect, because if you aren’t you will never be successful.

So I immediately joined 10 clubs and did everything the other kids did, like taking an interest in sports, taking a line of AP and Honors courses.. I never made perfect grades, but I got close..

Everything was going smoothly until my family lost its house my sophomore year. As my mental health deteriorated and grades slipped I abandoned my responsibilities as a student, family member and big brother. That was my darkness.

Throughout my sophomore year and into junior year I found myself, who I was, and not what society expected. I cofounded the Durham Youth Environmental Justice Initiative, created

4 The Pirates' Hook

Youth NXT Consulting, held leadership positions with several community organizations, and became president of Riverside’s Black Student Union and Interact Club. These extracurriculars and many others have honestly been the highlight of my high school career. They are my light.

Although things were often hard, without them I wouldn’t be who I am now. I’m an 18-year-old African-American male, a member of one of the most targeted sub-groups in the country. I’ve experienced the horrors of housing disparity, broken access to transportation, and many other barriers to student success. And I’m using the lessons I learned from them as fuel to keep beating the odds myself and empower people and communities that don’t have the opportunities or voice that I do.

We all have both a yin and a yang that together reveal who we are. Throughout high school and soon college, it will be hard to find balance and establish who we truly are. Remember to write your own story, not what everyone is writing for you.

My car, my dream Keys turn and pedals hit the floor as we near the white line, then wait for the red light to turn green.

I daydream often most of the time inside my 2010 Dodge Challenger with only a v6 engine.

I watched the fast and furious saga growing up and I had always admired Dominic Toretto's 70’s dodge charger. So when I turned sixteen, I began working numerous hours in order to achieve that dream of mine.

Unfortunately the specific vehicle had become a rarity. After months of searching, a glimpse of hope emerged: a red dodge challenger with a similar body and simple interior resembling the drag racer’s charger from the movie.

Two years later, I had a couple modifications done but decided to keep the maroon paint and two black shoulder stripes. I was working at the local grocery store but I really didnt enjoy it, as I’ve always wanted to work on cars.

I finally decided to get a job dealing with auto parts. Advance Auto Parts offered me the auto part opportunity I was looking to pursue before college as the youngest salesman and only bilingual in the front.

As I prepare for wherever life takes me, I close this chapter in my life and anxiously flip back the pages looking back at every time I reached an ambitious dream of mine and how it all was worth it. Thank you to all who believed in this senior.

Javier Morales

Mi carro, mi sueño Las llaves giran y los pedales golpean el piso cuando nos acercamos a la línea blanca, luego esperamos que la luz roja se ponga verde.

Sueño despierto a menudo la mayor parte del tiempo dentro de mi Dodge Challenger 2010 con solo un motor v6.

Crecí viendo la saga Rápido y Furioso y siempre admiré el Dodge Charger de los 70s de Dominic Toretto. Entonces, cuando cumplí dieciséis, comencé a trabajar varias horas para lograr ese sueño mío. Lamentablemente, el vehículo específico se había convertido en una rareza. Después de meses de búsqueda, surgió una luz de esperanza: un Dodge Charger rojo con un cuerpo e interior simple que se parecía al Charger de la película.

Dos años después, le hice un par de modificaciones, pero decidí mantener la pintura granate y las dos rayas negras en los costados.

Estaba trabajando en el supermercado local, pero realmente no lo disfruté, como siempre he querido trabajar en autos. Finalmente decidí conseguir un trabajo en repuestos de automóviles. Advance Auto Parts me ofreció la oportunidad que estaba buscando antes de la universidad como el vendedor más joven y solo bilingüe en el frente.

Mientras me preparo para donde sea que me lleve la vida, cierro este capítulo en mi vida y ojeo ansiosamente las páginas mirando hacia atrás cada vez que alcancé uno de mis sueños ambiciosos, y lo mucho que valió la pena. Gracias a todos los que creyeron en este estudiante Senior.

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Sometimes quitters win

Braeden Hilliard To most, quitting is one of the worst things one could do.

But of all the things I’ve accomplished at Riverside, walking away from the sport I love was the best.

It seemed wrong at the time, to not play the sport that I had loved since I could walk. I still miss suiting up with a team and getting excited in the dugout whenever someone made a play or got a big hit.

But stopping was the best thing that has ever happened to me. My freshman year I knew that the coach (who is no longer at Riverside) was not my favorite. He seemed way more focused on the program reflecting his accomplishments rather than his players’ growth.

By the end of winter workouts sophomore year, he had taken my favorite game and drained all the joy from it. Anyone that knew me freshman and sophomore year knows that I hardly spoke, and when I did I was never confident in myself.

Leaving baseball changed that. I finally started to speak my mind and voice my opinions, something I had hardly done before.

Quitting baseball also opened up new opportunities, too.

During my junior year I started coaching at Brogden and earning volunteer hours. I continued this year as a paid DPS employee, but it was cut short by covid-19.

Coaching younger players, a lot of the time by myself, taught me so many things about myself.

I learned that I like teaching and am passionate about. I loved teaching them different techniques and ways to constantly improve their game. Some of the kids had hardly played before so I had to show them how to hold a bat and throw a ball properly. Others, who had been playing for years, needed help tweaking their pitching or hitting mechanics so they could get more power out of every motion.

When writing about their high school years, most people’s highlight would probably be something like graduating or a certain class that inspired them to choose what they want to do in college. However, my highlight was quitting baseball sophomore year.

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6 The Pirates' Hook

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Looking the part

Jarek Harris

One of my biggest fears while transitioning into high school was that I was going to be an outcast or a loner and be subject to another few years of bullying.

On the outside, I looked pretty ordinary. I had only one ear piercing, natural black hair, quiet and reserved . At first I really just hung around familiar faces from middle school, but I didn’t feel like I could call these people my friends. I felt alone while in a room full of people. I knew something had to change. I just wasn’t sure how to go about it.

Sophomore year I started coming out of my shell a little more and decided to make some bold moves. This was the first time I decided to dye my hair and make small talk with other introverts like myself. At first I kept everything pretty basic; the ends of my hair were blonde and I’d only talk to other classmates to compare answers.

As the year progressed, I can say I had three real friends, Michael, Ziyab, and Carlos. They all thought the hair dye was pretty cool, but I felt like I was still far from being content. I no longer felt alone, but I still had to find my own fashion and sense of self.

My junior year is when everything came together. I decided to change my look one last time. I started dying half of my hair these extreme colors, wearing chokers and just doing my own thing. Quite a few people at school would constantly give me negative feedback, critique me, call me out of my name, it was a mess at times. It didn’t bother me too much though because I finally felt content with myself.

Senior year was my best by far. I’m comfortable talking to anyone, I’ve established some friendships that are going to last for decades to come and I’ve developed a “If I’m happy with it, I don’t care about any negativity that is coming my way” mindset. I may have a few more piercings than everyone else at school, but I’m okay with that. Freshman year Jarek probably wouldn’t like the look of the current me because he had such a closed mind.

High school can really be a confusing time for a lot of people and it’s super easy to get caught up in the wrong crowd. I’m just happy I was able to not only find myself, but the right people to be around.

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Fayetteville State Carlos Rodriguez Carbajal Makayla Samuels Iyanna Williams Michael Woodley-Chapman Furman University Mimi Haase Noah Mofield Guilford College Hannah Lambeth Greensboro College Reggie Snowden Hampton University Miah Robertson Robertson University Aahmari Meeks Johnson and Wales University Jameyce Mack Johnson C Smith Diovion Doakes Lemere Jones Michelle Webb Livingstone College Joshua Alston Zaria Bullock Charles Ryals Mars Hill University Nathan Compton Rossember Merlos-Campos Middle Tennessee State U Owen Laughinghouse NC A&T Jaden Alston Sinclair Biles Chance Daye Diamond Gregory Elijah Harris Octavia Jones Terrence Martin Joshua Mccalla Keniya Richmond

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Sharonda Daniels N.C. State Goodnight Scholar

Four essays, an interview, and a months-long application process deliver a full ride.

By Jarek Harris

Sharonda Daniels is one of the many seniors graduating this year from Riverside and she has quite a few plans for the following years.

Daniels will attend North Carolina State University in the fall and she’s pretty excited.

“Ever since I moved to North Carolina four years ago, I’ve had my eyes on NC State,” she said.

Daniels is also part of NC State’s Goodnight Scholars program. The program focuses on the development of oneself, community service, and social networking.

Daniels said the process took a lot of time and effort, but ultimately, she got it done.

“I had four essays that I needed to complete and I recall one of them being 1,000 words,” she said. “Every time I wanted to quit, my dad would be right there to push me on.”

Daniels says that her father is one of her biggest influences.

He really pushes her and gives her that motivation she needs from time to time.

She hopes that she set a strong example for other students during her time at Riverside.

“I want to be remembered as a hard worker,” she said.

Daniels is interested in making her own company after college. She’s unsure about the type of business at the moment because she’d like to provide something the world would needs.

She would also like to work at a major tech company.

“If I could, I’d probably work for SAS or maybe even Google,” she said.

10 The Pirates' Hook

Sharonda Daniels

"Ever since I moved to North Carolina four years ago, I've had my eyes on N.C. State."

Rossember

Merlos-Campos Mars Hill University Lacrosse Commit

By Kaitlyn Busch & Maya Dulli-Ray

Rossember Merlos-Campos didn’t start playing lacrosse until his sophomore year of high school.

Next year, he’ll be a close defender at Mars Hill University.

Despite having started out “behind the curve,” Riverside head lacrosse coach Conner Bolen describes Merlos-Campos as not just naturally athletic, but Rossember Merlos-Campos also a natural leader.

He has run off-season Merlos-Campos had the opportuworkouts with teammates and taken nity to play summer travel ball with on a variety of positions on the field Hilltoppers Lacrosse Club last sumbased on the team’s needs, including mer. Bolen says that after he realized being the long stick midfielder, a posi- he had the chance to play in college, tion that Bolen says is one of the most Merlos-Campos gained a new sense challenging. of motivation in both school and “He’s always on the field,” Bolen says. lacrosse. He has continued to push

himself academically in order to be ready for college.

“I’d just like to say thank you to everybody in high school who shaped me into the guy I am today,” Merlos-Campos wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to the staff for helping me and my senior classmates with whatever resources we may have needed. After four years at Riverside High School I can say that I couldn’t have asked for a better high school experience.”

“I’m nothing but proud of him and happy for him,” Bolen says.

Left: Merlos-Campos sits with his parents in December after signing his National Letter of Intent to play for Mars Hill in Riverside's media center.

Right: Merlos-Campos with Riverside lacrosse coach Conner Bolen. He did not begin playing lacrosse until his sophomore year.

• PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROSSEMBER MERLOS-CAMPOS

Spotlights

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Senior Wills I, Andreeck Aguilar, hereby leave my 4x8 to Leo Smith. Run that anchor boy.

I, Jaden Alston, hereby leave my Teddy bear to Claudia and my Ellen DeGeneres shirt to Leticia.

I, Kelly Armstrong, hereby leave my parking spot to Katie and the swim team spirit to Annabelle, Maddie, Ariane, Katie and Megan!

I, Camryn Atkinson, hereby leave the mustard yellow Jersey to Maya Dulli-Ray. I, Jared Austin, hereby give Colton Douglas my American flag parking spot.

I, Felipe Betancur, hereby leave my half broken pencil and library pass to future seniors.

I, Haley Carpenter, hereby leave my smelly goalie gear to Molly and Genesis. Wear it well.

I, Nasir Chambers, hereby leave all my pieces and methods to Miguel.

I, Nathan Compton, hereby leave the number 3 soccer jersey to Reese Compton and my parking spot to Cael Laird.

I, Graham Curtis, hereby leave my parking spot painting of Dr Huber to Harper.

I, Ben Davis, hereby leave my dirtiest sliding challenges to Nate Gordon.

I, Marquise Davis, hereby leave the hourly trips to the Library to purposely nag the librarians.

I, Isaac Ebersviller, hereby leave my disappointment to Jadrien, Rudy, and Elijah. And I leave my student loans to Romina Solberg and Jossy Remirez-Muñoz.

I, Summayah El Azzioui, hereby leave my lunch group's picnic table to Yusuf Brebner.

I, Glenda Fuentes, hereby leave greetings to all.

I, Ahzaria Greene, hereby leave.

I, Jarek Harris, hereby leave to Michael my old rap notebook full of cringey quotes and my old dokkan account to Carlos.

I, Taylor Healy, hereby leave my 17 pairs of old running shoes to Henry.

I, Chi Infinito, hereby leave my left ACL to the Riverside football program.

I, Lemere Jones, leave my funniest jokes to Nas, Isaiah, and Brandon.

I, Samia Khan, hereby leave my parking space to Yusuf Brebner.

I, Hannah Lambeth, hereby leave swim cap for my best friend, Ben. I, Jordan Landis, hereby leave the cross country team and parking spot 159 to Kaitlyn Busch.

I, Niquan Lewis, hereby leave the best dressed title to whoever.

12 The Pirates' Hook

I, Abrianna Macklin, hereby leave my engineering sweatshirt to my sister, Ava, as well as my blood, sweat, and tears.

I, Jully Marban, hereby leave my stress to the underclassmen.

I, Andrew Marley, hereby leave my soccer jersey (#12) to Nate Gordon and my beautiful parking spot to Cael.

I, Will McClintock, hereby leave the open

parking spots behind the engineering hall to anyone who’s smart enough not to get caught.

Honestly tho, the student lots are too far away.

I, Moriah Mckenzie, hearby leave this blue toy car that I found in Mr.Meglin's room to Lyanna.

I, Noah Mofield, hereby leave my seat at the TA desk to Malik, the tenor section to Myles, and my pitch utility to whoever wants it.

I, Suan Murillo, hereby leave my rubber ducky bubbles that I found in the senior parking lot, to thy coolest underclassmen, Deborah.

I, Ben Neal, hereby leave my spot in the back of the soccer bus for Nate Gordon.

I, Jordyn Nelson, hereby leave absolutely

nothing, I need every single amazing memory.

I, Macey Owen, hereby leave my captain's band to Ashley Linden and my healthy lungs to Cael Laird.

I, Sydney Pearce, hereby leave my sweaty volleyball jersey to Ella Graham, and my bunnies to Maya Dulli-Ray. I, John Perjes, hereby leave my pain, loneliness, and misery to no one.

I, Chalisa Phoomsakha, hereby leave the fight to the remaining activism members.

I, Mackynzie Pickrell, hereby leave my lucky volleyball jerseys to Maya and my great tic tac toe skills to Ryan and Ben. I, Lizbeth Polanco, hereby leave my dance tights and leotard to Meg and Taylor.

I, Maico Puebla Guerrero, hereby leave my pencil in Ms. Heape's class to whoever finds it!

I, Sarah Royster-Williams, hereby leave my Captain Manager position on the men’s basketball team to Brianna.

I, Makayla Samuels, hereby leave my lunch table to Makayla McFadden.

I, Kenny Shibu, hereby leave my cafeteria seat where I used to sit to anyone else in the school.

I, Devin Smith, hereby leave my football locker to Isaiah Jones and my football gloves to Nasir Winston.

I, Kiyo Takahashi, hereby leave my pad of blank passes to Leiko, use them wisely.

I, Daisja Vance, hereby leave my chem notes to Iyanna to replace the ones she wants me to burn and my academic reputation to my bro, PJ. I, Krista Vann, hereby leave my laziness, procrastination, and tardiness to the class of 2021. Good Luck.

I, Alexander Velasquez, hereby leave my my backyardigans role play club to Sylvia and my illegal parking spot to Lucia Wert.

I, Kwiajah Void, hereby leave my fellow friends behind to be successful.

I, Matthew Wagner, hereby entrust the hallway infont of Mr. Mann's classroom to Michael Johnson to that he may continue to eat lunch with our friends. And the job of annoying Mr. Moore to my friend Zach.

I, Shamar Walcott, hereby leave my legacy for the future classes of Riverside to carry on.

I, Dasani Warner, hereby leave my epic gamer knowledge to Adi. I, Michelle Webb, hereby leave my comedic success to Norah and my patience to the TAs in chorus.

I, Iyanna Williams, hereby leave my whole book bag to Moriah, the memories should stay with both of us.

I, Candace Williams, hereby pass down the position of Chorus Choreographer to Auryell.

Quotes

Andreeck Aguilar: "No, I am not Indian. I'm just a very dark Latino."

Jaden Alston: "Be kind to one another."- Ellen DeGeneres Tyauna Alston: "You’ll succeed. Even if it takes time. You’ll make it."

Kat Anderson: "Corona? More like coRUNa! -Flyn" Kelly Armstrong: "From “Roll Pirates Roll” to “Roll Neers!!'"

Camryn Atkinson: “Don’t worry 'bout it, sweetheart.” -Brandon Jared Austin: "I spent $18,734 in the last 4 years on Supreme and big name brands, but no amount of money could buy and replace the friends I made here... well most of them."

Felipe Betancur: "Get yo money up!!!"

Donnell Blowe Jr: "Catch dubs, not feelings."

Haley Carpenter: “A thousand moments that I had just taken for granted- mostly because I had assumed that there would be a thousand more.“ - Morgan Matson Nasir Chambers: “Turned my textbook to a checkbook.”- Young M.A Nathan Compton: "I’m pressed for moves."

Graham Curtis: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t make.”

Isaac Ebersviller: If you know it’s going down might as well have a party about it."

Summayah El Azzioui:"There are no mistakes, just happy accidents." - Bob Ross Neli Fabian Hernandes: Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." - Dr.Seuss Jase Franks:“And I misspelled, in front of the entire school, the word ‘failure’.” - Dwight K. Schrute Glenda Fuentes: "I’m going to take my horse to the old town road."

Ahzaria Greene: "If I would've known that COVID-19 was going to ruin my senior year, then maybe I wouldn't have skipped so much."

Elijah Harris: “She belong to the streets”Future James Harris: "If you wait until the last minute, it only takes a minute." - Cyril Parkinson Jarek Harris: "It's Coolio."

Xavier Harris: "While your body may grow older, immaturity can last a life time."

Taylor Healy: "If your attitude has fallen;

there's a latitude that's calling." - Jimmy Buffett Chi Infinito: “Eeee errrr.” - Roddy Rich: The Box Lemere Jones: "Put your mind, heart, and soul into every little thing you do. That is the key to success."

Samia Khan: “2020? That’s not a real year.” John Mulaney.

Hannah Lambeth: I didn’t think I was going to miss school this much! #Covid-19" Jordan Landis: "That was not a pro baller move."

Niquan Lewis: "I'm out!!"

Abrianna Macklin: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get” - Forrest Gump/ Corona Virus Philip Madarang : “If outside-validation is your only source of nourishment, then you will hunger for the rest of your life.”

Jully Marban: "Your passion and career go hand-in-hand."

Andrew Marley: “I mean, nobody wants to admit they ate nine cans of ravioli.” - Ricky LaFleur (Trailer Park Boys) Joshua Mccalla: "Sometimes the right path is the hardest." - Yamtreeproductions Will McClintock: “I stopped caring a long time ago.” - Creed Bratton, The Office Moriah Mckenzie: “When everything is uncertain everything that matters becomes clear.” - Anne Davies Aahmari Meeks: "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else". - Albert Einstein Noah Mofield: "If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready." -BasicallyIDoWrk (Youtuber) Angel Moody: "COVID-19 ruined my senior year."

Javier Morales: “Gracias a to' el que creyó en mí, desde el primer día.“ - Bad Bunny Suan Murillo: “Live fast. Die young. Be wild.

Have fun.” - Lana Del Rey Ben Neal: "It is what it is."

Jordyn Nelson: "So this is the end; thanks for nothing."

Joshua Lee Theodore Nicholson: “Assumption is the lowest form of knowledge.”

Alonso Olivera: "I should have done better."

Macey Owen: "These are the good old days."

Hannah Lambeth: "I didn't think I was going to miss school this much! #Covid-19"

Sydney Pearce: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain."

John Perjes: “Nice guys always end up where they started.” - Drake Mackynzie Pickrell: "Sometimes I'll start a sentence and I don't even know where it's going. I just hope I find it along the way." - Michael Scott Osman Portillo-Bejarano: “Bird up.” - Eric Andre Levi Price: "And the Lord regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened." - Genesis 6:6 Maico Puebla Guerrero: "Fake it till you make it." - Michael Scott Anthony Quiovers: "I want you to try spelling "restaurant" without autocorrect. It's pretty hard, no cap."

Ruth Rodríguez: "I always hear that nobody is perfect, but here I am."

Sarah Royster-Williams: “I have more shoes than I have friends.” - Sayguccii Keilani Scanlan: “Cheaters never win, but I graduated didn't I? Kenny Shibu: "Being humane shouldn't be a person's best quality; it should be a basic quality." - some random movie I saw Devin Smith: “It’s not about how many hours you put in; it’s about what you put in the hours."

Angenette Stepney: “Before you quit, remember why you started.” - Angenette Stepney Kiyo Takahashi: "I should have graduated early." - Me & my family Quoron Thompson: "The worst fear in the world is the opinion of others. As soon as you overcome that fear, you are no longer a sheep; you're a lion. You will then feel a roar coming from your soul, and that's the roar of freedom."

Daisja Vance: "I had four years to think about this quote and I still have nothing adequate enough!!"

Krista Vann: "My Greatness Starts Here."

Alexander Velasquez: “Goodbye everyone!

I will remember you all in therapy.” - Plankton Kwiajah Void: "It was fun while it lasted."

Matthew Wagner: "It took us 4 years of work, with barely any sleep, but we're done... Wait, we have 4 more years of this. Dang," Connor Webster: “4 years at Riverside and my name was never spelled correctly.”

Iyanna Williams: "Cheers to the memories!

Now let’s make new ones."

Candace Williams: "Never thought I’d spend most of my senior year fighting for some toilet paper.

Roniyha Taborn: “2020 was supposed to be the year?! “

May 2020

13

Shout-outs Andreeck Aguilar: To the soccer coaches for not making the team as it made me choose a sport I thought I'd never love, XC and Track & Field.

Jaden Alston: To all the teachers and staff who are making a positive impact on our school!

Tyauna Alston: To Ms. Swain, for turning history into an adventure.

Kat Anderson: To "shaundog" for being the best coach ever!

Kelly Armstrong: To Mrs. Davidson and Mr. Davidson for Disney 2020! It was great!

Camryn Atkinson: To Ms. Janelle Williams for all the fun times in the office during 4th period!

Jared Austin: Shout out Ms. Steele because she was always there for me as a teacher and as a friend.

Felipe Betancur: To Ms. Mester, for holding the library down.

Amazing librarian, love her lots.

Donnell Blowe Jr: To Mr. Weiss for allowing me to be his lab rat since day one.

Haley Carpenter: To Mr. Harris for giving me some pretty good advice, and to Mr. Davidson for taking me on the two greatest field trips ever.

Nasir Chambers: To Ms. Mester for always looking out and helping me get through my classes.

Nathan Compton: To Mr.Meglin for always being a man of mystery.

Graham Curtis: To Mrs. Prater for being literally the funniest teacher I’ve ever had.

Sharonda Daniels: To Mr. Stallings and all of the engineering teachers really for always praising great work and motivating students!

Ben Davis: To Mr. O’Hara for teaching me about pain and suffering in a math class to make me a better person.

Marquise Davis: To Mr. Norman man.

The single most sarcastic and funniest teacher I’ve ever had. 10/10 teacher!

Anderson Drake: To Mr. Tharrington for helping me become a leader.

Isaac Ebersviller: To Ms. Knaub and Mr. Smith who actually made English not awful.

Summayah El Azzioui: To Ms. Prater for always making our English book discussions fun and entertaining!

Neli Fabian Hernandes: To Ms. Kiem & Ms. Jacobs for telling me that I got this.

Rayane Fahim: Shout out Ms. Swanson; the sarcasm will be missed.

Jase Franks: To Mr. Holley for allowing me to be myself and take leadership in the things I liked to do.

Glenda Fuentes: To Mr.Carlson for everything and all the other teachers for helping me with my education. I thank you from my heart.

I will miss you very much.

Ahzaria Greene: To Ms.Flowers for always being so sweet and funny!

You're an amazing person.

Elijah Harris: To Mrs.Webley; I came to class late everyday and still got no tardies.

Jarek Harris: To Dante Plantiko for not making my high school career a tragedy.

Xavier Harris: To Ms.Minnick/Tucker for being my school mom.

Taylor Healy: To Mr. Strand for always being at school early in the morning.

Lemere Jones: To Ms. Bell for making me feel comfortable, taking care of me, and making me feel treated well as well as my classmates.

Octavia Jones: To Mr. Kearns because I dont know what I would've done without him.

Samia Khan: To Mr. Nguyen; thank you for always letting us play music in the morning.

Hannah Lambeth: To my mom, Ms.

Moriah Mckenzie: Shout out to all the lunch staff that had to adjust to S.M.A.R.T lunch.

14 The Pirates' Hook

Tucker and my fav swim coach!

Jordan Landis: To "shaundog" (aka coachthompson) for always dealing with the xc shenanigans, my late appearances to team bus rides, and snatching my Papa’s Freezeria title.

Niquan Lewis: To "P. Dawg", Mr. Nevola, Mr. Turner, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Christopher.

Abrianna Macklin: To Mrs.Webley for being there for me through the toughest times and helping me realize my potential.

Philip Madarang: To Mr. O'Hara for being an amazing ray of maple syrup, and Mr. Norman for helping me critically analyze my future and finances.

Jully Marban: Shout to Mrs. Minnick, Mr. Paton, and Mr. Crowl for making my high school experience the best.

Andrew Marley: To Mr. Stallings for making me interested in electrical engineering.

Joshua Mccalla: To Mr. Thompson for making Earth science interesting and fun.

Moriah Mckenzie: To all the lunch staff that had to adjust to S.M.A.R.T lunch.

Rossember Merlos-Campos: To Mr. Bolen for dealing with my laziness for 3 years.

Noah Mofield: To Mr. Carlson for always reminding me to have a "great" class period.

Angel Moody: To Mr. Boykin, Mrs. Smoots, Ms.Roots, and my best friend Jameyce for being the most amazing people who help me get though school.

Ben Neal: To Mrs. Foster for giving me granola bars.

Sherri Nela: To Fried for being my bestie.

Joshua Lee Theodore Nicholson: To my counselor, Ms. Williams, for all the great talks.

Alonso Olivera: To Ms. Keim for always being supportive.

Macey Owen: To Coach Long for (almost) 4 great seasons, JBO for music theory tests, Ms. Prater for the undefeated impressions, and Mr. Norman for the funniest class ever.

Kat Anderson: Shout out to "Shaundog" for being the best coach ever!

Noah Mofield: Shout out to Mr. Carlson for always reminding me to have a "great" class period.

Sydney Pearce: To Officer Mills for always giving me a hard time no matter what I was doing.

John Perjes: To all of my teachers in the PLTW program for being kind, compassionate, and passionate people. Thank you for all of the teachers who were understanding of my illness. thank you to Ms. Johnson for helping me get through senior year.

Chalisa Phoomsakha: To Mr. Grant, Ms. Mester, and Ms. Allman for exactly what you think.

Mackynzie Pickrell: To Ms. Moreno for always having the best snacks whenever I was hungry.

Lizbeth Polanco: To Mrs. Duncan for bringing the best out of me and for making me somewhat flexible.

Ta n i s h a Po w e l l : To Ms.Willams, Ms. Johnson, Ms. B, Ms. Palmer & Mr.Owens for helping me through this year.

Levi Price: To Mr. Robinson for inspiring me to always try my hardest.

Maico Puebla Guerrero: To Ms. Bell for helping and making sure I do my college paperwork.

Anthony Quiovers: To Ms. Bell for making some awesome events for spirit week.

Miah Robertson: To Ms. Ruby for having such a good heart and being so nice.

Ruth Rodríguez: To Mrs.Farkas for always helping everyone out.

Sarah Royster-Williams: To Coach Bell and Coach Strick.

They’ve gave me an opportunity to do more things at Rriverside. They’ve pushed me to do better in school. I would like to thank Mrs.Boliek for being like my second mother in school. Last, but not least, I would like to thank Mr.Grant for helping me through this process.

Makayla Samuels: To Ms.Webley for always being there for me.

Keilani Scanlan: To the best administrators at Riverside! Ms. Stevens, Mr. Brown, and Mrs. Smoots.

K enny Shibu: To Ms.Allman for being the best teacher I have ever had!

Sabrina Shine: To Ms. Sebring for letting me come into your office to talk.

Devin Smith: To the Administration staff, Mr.Crowel, Mrs.Munshi, P-DAWG (Mr.Paton), and any other teacher that helped ease my transition into Riverside and actually gave me a chance and did

erythingggg!

Kiyo Takahashi: To Ms. Friedlander to tolerate my constant interruptions.

Quoron Thompson: To Ms. Holmes, for the extra help in Spanish.

Daisja Vance: To Ms.Steele for always believing in my writing skills and motivating me towards better education.

Krista Vann: To Mr.Crowl, I like math again because of you.

Alexander Velasquez: To Mr. Bolen for always finding a way to call me a problem child.

Kwiajah Void: To Mr. Turner for always being there and To coach Strickland for always pushing to do better and be better.

Matthew Wagner: To Jarek Harris for helping me keep my sanity for these 4 years.

Shamar Walcott: To Ms. Kurosu.

Dasani Warner: To Mr. Turner for letting me in his classroom during lunch and for just being an amazing teacher and person in general.

Connor Webster: To Mr. Harris for always discussing life issues and college life with me.

Iyanna Williams: Shout out to Mrs. Stone for welcoming me into Riverside and making me feel like a good student.

And to Mr. Crowl, who made my worst subject in school fun and for never making me feel dumb.

Candace Williams: To Mrs. Boliek for making this the best 4 years and To Mrs. Swain for being cool.

Danielle Winston: To Mrs. Moore for making me a better musician and a better person overall.

Raheim Young: To Mr. Smith (the G.O.A.T.) of teaching. If I could go to anybody about anything, I would for sure go to Mr. Smith. Whoever has his class is blessed. Also To Ms.Webley- definitely more like my mom than a teacher.

Sherri Nela: Shout out to Fried for being my bestie.

not give up on me.

Angenette Stepney: To Mr. Grant for getting me through a long college process and keeping me sane while doing it.

You’re the best!

Roniyha Taborn: To Ms. Roth, for always having a sarcasm saying for ev-

May 2020

15

Senior Superlatives Most likely to make an appearance on Barstool Sports: Devin Smith Most likely to go bankrupt after one night in Vegas: Kirtan Mehta

Most likely to become a soccer mom: Kelly Armstrong Most likely to develop a cure for COVID-19: Kiyo Takahashi

Most likely to become president: Elijah King Most likely to blow up on Soundcloud: Owen Laughinghouse

Most likely to carry on the mantle of Dr. Huber: Graham Curtis 16