June 10, 2015 Volume II, Edition 6mihsislander.org

PAID

CLASS OF

2015Parting words from Senior Class President Benji Holen

Friends, students, Island-ers, lend me your ears. To say that I have learned a lot this year would be a flagrant un-derstatement. For starters, I learned that I can’t be too proud to ask for help. I used to think that I could man-age well on my own, with just the Internet as my con-sultant, but that is not the case. Even though I am an expert Internet spelunker, sometimes a little old-school conversation is just the right medicine. I have also learned that I am done living by oth-ers’ morals. I will carve my own path, regardless of soci-etal pressure. I don’t plan on perusing higher education because my parents told me to or because it’s “just what Islanders ought to do,” but rather because I am follow-ing my own curiosity. Ponder this: “Successful people don’t make the right decision. Rather, successful people make their decision right.” It is a sudo carpe diem, mean-ing that you shouldn’t regret what could or couldn’t be, but rather that you should focus on what is. Going to

university or not, both are the right choice as long as it is your choice.

It was a big surprise when I was elected as an officer; I didn’t expect to have as much confidence as my peers gave me. It has meant a lot to me that my friends respect and trust me, and I would like to thank them for it. This experience has helped me grow in many ways. I have no doubt that my peers will go on to do incredible things. They will spread out to ev-ery corner of the world and teach others the same thing they taught me: You have to examine yourself before you can make a change in the

world. I can’t imagine where I will be in 10 years, and I don’t think I am alone in that sentiment. I know some of my friends think they know, but I imagine that 10 years out they will say they never thought they would be where they are. And that’s okay because many trails and tribulations will show up along the way to chal-lenge our resolve and make us rethink our strategy.

When I was a freshman, I was so naive. I couldn’t even tell you who our own nation’s president was. That was a blissful time. Responsibility was a novel concept, and was usually optional. I had not

yet discovered the magic of caffeine or having a driver’s license. My recreational activities mostly consisted of video games and other things you would struggle to call mentally stimulating. As I matured, I started getting more involved in hobbies and arts. This helped me to take responsibility for my education. I am convinced that there comes a point for everyone where they want their education, not because their parents want it for them, but because they want it for themselves.

I will conclude by saying that I couldn’t get where I am now if it weren’t for ev-eryone who helped me along the way. From friends to parents, many people have given me support and al-lowed me the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I am very thankful for this, and hope that I can help others in the same way. I have dis-covered how great it feels to celebrate my peers’ accom-plishments and am excited to see what they can accom-plish in the years to come.

After you’ve finished enjoying this paper, please recycle it!

2 Senior Wills mihsislander.orgI, Nam Giang Dang-Luong, do hereby bequeath the following: a turtle by the name of Speedy to Rachel Orehek. May you and the turtle live a long life full of superworms and bananas. If you wish to pass off the turtle to another owner,

message me, as I have a full-paged Google document regarding rudimentary directions and care advice for the prospective owner. I love you, Mom.

I, Josh Lee, of scattered mind and tall body, do hereby bequeath the following: To the next unfortunate soul who acquires band locker 328, good luck in your band life, the struggle of a bottom locker next to the water fountain is

yours now.

I, Elizabeth Bellitto, of revolutionary mind and vertically challenged body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Anna Maria Perryman and Kitty Chen, a never ending supply of McDonald’s fries and the patience necessary to deal with rude customers. To

Esther Kerns, pizazz, musicality, and all the froyo your heart desires. To Madeleine Smallwood, the Casket of Ancient Winters. To Joanna Sheppard, convictions. And most importantly, to the returning members of Drama 2, the memory of DJ Shadow.

I, Nick Hanson, of distracted mind and distracting body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ezekiel Larson, I relieve the title of “Avatar the last Airbender.” Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Never

forget the teachings of Captain Planet. Good luck with all your future endeavors.

I, Evan “The Hurricane” Condon, of apt mind and graceful body, do hereby bequeath the following: My wisdom surrounding the art of ballet to thine humble princess of 2018, Nooni!

I, Chris Wang, of flowing mind and nonexistent body, do hereby bequeath the following: answer keys to all the tests to whomever finds them. They are hidden in a secret hiding spot, thats definitely not in the library meeting rooms.

I, Sean Bender, of concussed mind and creatine’d body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ella Green, my supportive charm and never ending love. To Eric Dreyer, my speed and stubbornness which will carry you through life. To Scott

Ramseyer, my creatine, may it help you grow into the man I know you are. To Ricky, Cherkoly, Ardvark, and Macy ‘The Destroyer’ Mounger, my hops, may they let you soar over the dodge balls of life. To everyone that ‘loaned’ me $2, my moral compass, though you may never see that money again, know that is it in a better place. To Richard Chess, my boyish charm, sense of humor, and copy of “Benjamin Button.” May it serve as your guide and autobiography. And finally, to Christopher Twombley, my eternal gratefulness, respect, love, and admiration. From the day you said, “Cheese Curds make my butt look fat” till the day we finally part ways, know that you helped me grow from the boy I was, into the man I hope to be.

I, Jack Flint the Stuntman, of beautiful mind and even more beautiful body, do hereby bequeath the following: my skills and talent to my younger brother Grant Hubbard, my beach club membership to Ned Hunt, and my collection

of Oregon swag and apparel to Jack Stefanchik to be received with our customary handshake. I also bequeath my 2001 red jeep grand Cherokee to whomever can best me in a back-flip contest.

I, Taylan Yuasa, of indecisive mind and war-torn body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Jonah Andrews, I give the neon pink headband I wore to wrestling tournaments. To Erin Barbara, I give status of honorary Asian, use

cautiously. To Chloe Gage, I give the bro tank off my back; wear something underneath. To Maxwell Weinberg and J-Dash, keep up the work I didn’t do in Video, sorry, good luck. Gladys Tenchavez and Isabelle Gahard, I bestow to you both limited use of our hat we always argued over last summer. To Grant Callahan, I give infinite amounts of my water, whenever we work out. Natalia Amirfaiz and Brandon Fotheringill, split a vanilla milkshake, my treat. Grace Bethards, to you, a game of tennis, beat me if you can. To Mia Rotunna, my high school sweetheart, thank you for the memories; I give you a bottle of my cologne, the one you love.

I, Kiernan Coles, of psychopathic mind and delectable body, do hereby bequeath the following: I leave my beautiful flow that cascades off my head like a rushing waterfall to Kire Bjornestad. I also leave her that one painting that she likes. To

Bernie I leave my heart and soul, carry on my legacy young one. To Charlie and Johnny I leave my uncanny ability to make the best jokes ever recorded, you’re welcome. Finally, to Noonie I leave my vast and seemingly endless knowledge of ballet and a free dance lesson.<3<3 Kiernan <3<3

I, Hannah Lee, of motherly mind and body, do hereby bequeath the following: The boys soccer team to another soccer mom.

I, Luke Mounger, of purple mind and gold body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Bligh Bjarnason and Drew Christofferson I give the role of biggest Husky fans on the golf team. Don’t let the flame die out. Make Ryan Nguyen and

me proud. To Ian Martin I give the sports broadcasting program. Take the program to new heights.

I, Matt Manner, of powerful mind and heavenly body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Jackson Caputo, sole possession of the 200 hall bathroom, where I see you every day. To Isabel Hernandez, position of Wind Ensemble Clarinet

Supreme Leader, and the responsibility of carrying on mine and Jack’s tradition of making weird faces at someone across the room. To Ben Vandenbosch, my copy of “Triángulo.” To Malachi Morgan and Teague Frazier, every single javelin in the throwers’ shed. And finally, to DB Nguyen, the crown of MIHS Alpha Male. You are now (still) the coolest kid in school.

I, Eric Dubofsky, of dynamic mind and sleek body, do hereby bequeath 3D printed sea lions to Garrett Dubofsky, Hiro Saito and Mr. Bixby. They are powerful pieces of Pinniped power, please use them prudently.

I, Dylan Lesko, of enlightened mind and perfect body, hereby bequeath the following: To Cole Johnson, strike 3 and the stick of truth, may it guide you on your journey. To Matt Hershkawitz, my

entire legacy and namesake.To Ben Stoops and Nathan Benson, all of my knowledge and drive, and to Samantha Kirlin, my courage and heart.

I, Ju Hyeong Han, of positive mind and enthusiastic body, do hereby bequeath the following: to the incoming seniors, all of the hard works and the pressures of becoming a senior. May you overcome and enjoy your last year

of high school. Remember, time passes quickly, manage it efficiently. GOOK LUCK SENIORS!

I, Sam French, of punny mind and uneven body,do hereby bequeath the following: to Bridges group #1 (aka the best Bridges) I hope you continue sailing the seven seas playing pirate and figuring out what is wrong with each

other while playing psychiatrist. To Shae Trunk, Hadley Michaels, Lilly Blakey and Kendra Watson, I leave you all the sand in the jump pit. To Jacque Li, I leave you the knowledge that Sub-Zero is always closed on Sundays. To Helena Shield, I leave you the broken flask that you totally didn’t break coughcough. To Jackson Borek, I give you my collection of rare pepe’s. Finally to Sophie Lindheimer, I give you the right to enlighten people of Nate’s Wings and Waffles even though people have no clue what a chicken a waffle is.

I, Eric Westergard, of happy-go-lucky mind and band-fit body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Daniel Gest, the full title of Euphonious Iridescence; to Carlin Lee, the piano batteries for years to come; to Kendra Watson, the sunglasses

embodying my passion for band; and to the newest drum majors, the responsibilities and honors of representing the pride of the island.

I, Jennifer Fu, of full mind and Canadian body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Jillian Quinn, my dear young flesh of a brother, Jeffery Tian, to ask you to both sophomore homecoming and senior prom. To my beautiful darlings,

Helena Shield and Mark Lamin, I leave you with an infinite supply of my love and adoration. And finally, to my —quote, unquote—beloved, Edouard Skinner, I leave XO.

I, Ben Elliott, of calm mind and magnificent body do hereby bequeath the following: Lindsey Reitinger shall receive the utmost honor of being my little brother’s-Chris Elliott-mentor; to Isaac Kipust I give access to my common app essays-cause

God knows you’re going to ask anyway; and to Artemis Zafari I give the one and only Sneavile.

I, Michael C. Smith, of fatigued mind and exhausted body, do hereby bequeath the following: my high fives to Coltan Lake, the third seat back on the left of the bus to Nathan Wacker, and baritone leadership to Kate Panza.

I, Peter Battisti, of sound mind and musical body, do hereby bequeath the following: position of bass clarinet section leader to Drake Willard. Use the power wisely.

I, Parker Andre, of sound mind and fat body, do hereby bequeath the following: A stainless steel ring to Rose Weiker. My love to Drake Willard.

I, Kylie Quinn, of reluctant mind and possessed body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Jillian Quinn I leave my car so that you may chauffeur your friends everywhere as I have. Do not wreck it as it has served me well. I will miss our car rides together.

I, Sofija Raisys, of spirited mind and chlorinated body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Audrey Hixon and Maeve Murdoch, the spirit and traditions of MIHS Girls Swive. Keep up the hard work of lane two! To Erik

Raisys, I leave my precious Honda, be careful with it and remember that I get first dibs on it when I’m home!

I, Alexander Chung, of active mind and wiggly body, do hereby bequeath the following to Lucas Meek, Freddy Kleeman, and Matt Leprowse. I would like to give Freddy a t-shirt for when he takes his shirt off. I want to give Matt my toy heart

monitor for when his heart is beating too fast so he stays perfect forever. I want to give Lucas my creatine for whenever he wants to play football again. I wish you lads the best of luck in KingCo next year.

I, Jack Alexander McGillivray, of pretzel-folded mind and alarmingly, increasingly furry body, do hereby bequeath the following: To the soon-to-be senior class of Mercer Island High School, I leave 401 copies of Linkin Park’s

album Hybrid Theory. You guys should check out the totally killer rock-a-thon “In the End,” I think that you’d get a real kick out of it! To the soon-to-be junior class of Mercer Island High School, I leave 334 copies of Linkin Park’s album Hybrid Theory. You guys should check out the emotionally-performed “In the End,” you won’t regret it! To the soon-to-be sophomore class of Mercer Island High School, I leave 347 copies of Linkin Park’s album Hybrid Theory. You guys should check out the radical track “In the End,” it’ll hit the spot! To the incoming freshmen of Mercer Island High School, I leave 364 copies of Linkin Park’s album Hybrid Theory. You guys should check out the super-cool tune “In the End,” it’s pretty darn neat!

I, Kela Harrington, of curious mind and typical body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Eliana Grosof and Tomek Prussak, the captainship of the Knowledge Bowl Team. Lead the next generation to victory. To

Sammy Vladimirovich and Rin Sunahari, I grant the captainship of the Troll Team (you guys know who you are)! To Esther Kerns and Madeleine Smallwood, I grant you guys the helicarrier. You guys are now Avengers. Go save the world! To Matthew Whyte, I grant the power of the Stetson Hat of Might. To Bri Town and Allison O’Young, I pass the almighty scepter of Fight Club (may the Force of the Claricorns be forever with you both). To Matthew Moattar, I grant the Skating Dangerously Award of Awesome. And to Jennifer Kang, I grant the magic of the Yellow Submarine. To Paloma White, I grant the power of Kurt Cobain’s ghost- may he protect you on all your fantastic musical adventures. To Daniel Kang, I give the power of the Rolls Royce. To Colton Lake, I grant you the blessing of the Jedi, salaam alaikum- peace to you, bro. And to Annaliese Hui, I grant the $wag award. I will miss you guys so much! You guys are amazing and I will never forget you guys! You guys rock!

3Senior WillsJune 10, 2015

I, Henry Asmus, of nerdy mind and hella skinny body, do hereby bequeath the following: The title of “Wizard of Drama II” to Rachel Ayzenberg. Jesus Christ to Lily Froio. Chef Kirby to Sean Meehan.

I, Zoë Lewis, of inquisitive mind and bodacious body, do herby bequeath the following: To Ezekiel Larson, I leave membership to the ZL team and my maroon band camp bandana. To Lindsey Reitinger, I leave you with

years of memories from across the world and my maroon spirit converse. To Kyle Bailey, I leave my senior babes sweatshirt. Keep an eye on Brian for me while looking fabulous. To Emily Wang, I leave the fluties and piccolo. Also, a friendship bracelet that I think I owe in exchange for a shrinky dink. We have a symbiotic relationship. To Kari Anderson, I leave my senior headband. Be sure to pass on the legacy and pass yours to a freshman when it is time. Lastly, to the Band I leave all of my MI spirit, pride, and love (well, not quite all of it). Keep up the hardwork, I love you all.

I, Meghan Hershkowitz, of beautiful mind and rocking body do hereby bequeath the following: To Meghan Frisch I leave the nickname of Sassy Meg and the honor of drumline babe. May you carry this

nickname and this title with the pride and sass they deserve. To Matthew Hershkowitz I leave the legacy of the Hershkowitz name. May you never bring shame upon our family. To Bailey Groh I leave the legacy of Bridges 47. Please continue the tradition of building relationships in diverse groups of students and staff. To Mrs. Schjelderup and Ms. Adsit I leave my unending gratitude for making me love math. To DB Nguyen I leave my Australian plush koala, so that he’ll have one more koala friend. Finally, To Cole Johnson and Devon Hayes I leave a single pair of drumsticks. May you use these for your various drumming needs.

I, Shaarika Kaul, of open mind and healthy body, do hereby bequeath the following: Leadership of the MI Orchestra Program passes to the Dorkestra Class of 2016. Folks, take responsibility for the orchestra, and maintain

loyalty and faith in each other and the program. The “New Shaarika” of route 891 is Matteo Corneto. Arjun Misra will henceforth uphold the Desi legacy at MIHS. Lastly, some advice: Don’t blindly follow the crowd. Pave your own path. You will make plenty of mistakes on your journey, some bigger than others, but the most important thing is to learn from them. I personally wouldn’t change any part of my past because it made me who I am today- and honestly, I wouldn’t rather be anyone else :). So work hard, be unique, be confident, and everything will fall into place. Go MI!

I, Derek Sims, of athletic mind and unathletic body, do hereby bequeath the following: My house to Ricky Rosenstein, Cherkoly Melick and Matt Loprowse. You will probably make better use of it than Dave will.

I, Katie Hendrickson, of restless mind and pale body, do hereby bequeath the following: The radio station to Sam Hibbert and Josie Blakeslee. Take good care of the station and make sure to respect Charlie. Josie, don’t let any of the boys be mean to you

and Sam, keep all the jokes at least semi respectful. Miji Suhr, I leave you all of my Spanish knowledge. Make the group proud next year. Cole Hendrickson, I leave you my room if you so insist. Take good care of Mom, Dad, and Rexie!

I, Jack Larkin, of funky mind and spirited body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Conner Vacca and Ford Witman, the reigns of the water polo and swim teams. To DB Ngww`uyen and Ben Stoops, the adventurous

events within room 30FUN. To Hunter Peshkin, a potato and the starting goalie position. And to Drake Willard, total control of the bass clarinet section. And to Henry Mansfield, the belongings of Man who Walks by BirdWoman.

I, Teddy Larkin, of fluffy mind and shredded body, do hereby bequeath the following: For Benjamin “Ben Stoops” Stoops I pass on the management of Lane 2 along with my pin studded 92-29 Islander Track bag. May you use these items wisely

and not abuse their power. For Emil “Lime” Talerman I pass on the invincible sousaphone Superman. May you take advantage of his strength and stay in band.For Benjamin “Plop” Vandenbosch I pass on my shortest of short running shorts so you may lead the team not only by speed but by style. For Brandon “DB” Nguyen I pass on my cactus and much $W3G so you may continue to party and take your style and spirit to the next level.

I, Ian Caldwell, of magical mind and steamy body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Kyle Bailey I give the full property of lane six. Please take good care of it and make sure the dark magic and quidditch is kept to a minimum.

I, Anika Christofferson, of synesthetic mind and oddly tan-lined body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ali Rosenman my copy of Give Us This Day and a Qdoba napkin for sectional attendance. To Max Waller, the authority to

tell Tynan, Braden, and Jackson to put their phones away during band class. To Madelyn Quickstad, my trombone horn cover; don it with pride. To Samantha Shin, the Bridges 43 bagel order. To Cara Schneiderman, my MBC lanyard and the carpool; do not go a day without lows and highs. To Paige Deguchi, the stick for all of your superstitions. To Alexis Agoado, the “ratchet” CD. To Holly, my favorite Disney CD and my baker hat. To Isabelle and Alice, my #yolo and rubix cube boat shirts. And to Charlotte and Izzy, my love, luck, and assurance that conference room prom and Jason’s graduation ceremony is 10x better anyways.

I, Nola Peshkin, of spontaneous mind and adventure -weathered body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Zphfowbe Larson I give the role of leadership detail queen - sacrifice anything to keep on schedule! To Hunter I leave the family

name, do us proud! I love you, be nice to the parentals, and may your stick shift skills flourish. To my ba(e)bies Stoops & Deebs, I give 42,069 pancakes from Summit Pancake House. Always strive for average and achieve mediocrity. To Tess Ritcey, I leave my eternal love and adoration (weaved into my fleecy spirit blanket). To my baby Annie Ritcey I leave my name, my love, my life, and my legacy. To Ralphie and T.Winnie, I leave all my shampoos and conditioners, keep stealing them in Oregon. To Ryan Jones I leave the title of “that kid who joined band senior year”, embrace every second because it’s unbelievable!

I, Danielle Katsman, of stressed mind and broken body, do hereby bequeath my impeccable turns, finger toes, everlasting food baby, and flawless somersaults to Lizzy Sagerson and Riley Thompson

I, Jordan Turner, of stubborn mind and band toned body, do hereby bequeath the following: Riley Fang gets my canopy because he dared me last year and claimed I wouldn’t do it. You also shall inherit

the maroon sax neck strap. To Patrick Nuckolls, Riley Fang, Cameron Cummings, and Avery Smith I bestow the responsibility of looking after my little brother when he is in high school next year. Be his friend, advisor, or whatever role you need to fit. I pass on the role of Bari player in wind ensemble to whoever will play it next. As Bari player it is your duty to correct Drake Willard, cover up the out of tune bassoons, and unlock the badassery that is bari. You will be knighted on my final day of wind ensemble. Patrick Nuckolls will be the next sax mom.

I, Hailey Kirlin, of babbling mind and bodacious body, do hereby bequeath Riley Fang the Wind Ensemble Sax Section and the mystical treasury of scales past down from my benefactor to me.

I, Essie Franco, of sane mind and tangible body, do hereby bequeath the following: I wish to have all freshman read Sylvia Plath as required reading.

I, Theodore Chandler, of unconscious mind and floating body, do hereby bequeath the following advice: Don’t be a victim to social hierarchy. Be an individual.

I, Ebo Lin, of excellent mind and splendid body, do hereby bequeath the following: The endangered Baritone Saxophone section to Dylan Majewski and my dashing good looks to Hiro Saito.

I, Stephanie Lee, of manatee mind and tiny body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Jarod Wong, Amy Lepp, and Sungmin Na, the leadership of Green Team. May you achieve the new Green Schools Level.To Leah Raissis, Sofia-Noor Ardekani, and Cole

Galando, the leftover snacks from Club of Rock. Eat them before they get stale.To Damon Wyatt: A wonderful collection of all our shared emails. I hope they remind you of all the good times we had. To the entire counseling department, an adopted manatee named Squeaky, the paperwork should come soon if not already.

I, Cyrena Johnson, of agitated mind and tired body, do hereby bequeath the following: To my sister, Theadora Johnson, the honor of carrying the family name at MIHS for the next four years. To Tina Zhang and Sam Pugel, the privilege (and burden) of

having a house next to the high school. To Hannah Lewis, Patrick Nuckolls, and the rest of the new junior and senior class, the right to mope through AP classes for the rest of your high school career. Good luck!

I, Trevor Gullstad, of boundless mind and sculpted body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Aidan Wang, I leave DI Club; may it nicely compliment the assortment of other clubs you run. To my baby brother, the final and most glorious Gullstad

(Leify-poo), I leave the Camry and the big bedroom, which Ranger does occasionally sleep in. Don’t do anything that could disgrace the family name, and you absolutely must attend a large public university with colors of the sun and the ocean.

I, Calvin Lee, dedicate this will to my only son Will Oaks. My son Oaks, it has been remarkable seeing you grow up these past few years. Jack and I are so proud of you, from P.E. to chillin’, we’ve had great memories. I hope to see you excel above the call of duty next year,

hmu if you’re ever in need of my wisdom. Now for the actual will part, there’s really nothing I can give you. My car? No, but hey I’m sure you’ll do just fine.

I, Jason McRuer, of exuberant mind and exquisite body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ben Chase, an antique collection of Mr. Wanzer’s animal band t-shirts, which date back as far as 1998. One year from today, you must add your freshman year animal

band t-shirt (as I have done so myself), and pass the collection down with these instructions to a new worthy junior.

I, Emily Menz, of big mind and small body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Lindsey Reitinger my XC/gym/water polo bag that once belonged to Charlemagne — use it well this fall! To Cece Belady and Jamie Vanderwall, poster making supplies, ribbon, and the gymnastics

team - keep up the dance parties at practice next year ;) To Ben Stoops a sweatshirt. And to next year’s drum majors, my love.

I, Anaïs Gralpois, of sexy mind and brilliant body, do bequeath the following:The role of Drama Mama to Claire Moore- take care of those thespians! I bequeath the banana to Henry Mansfield. To Garrett and Adam, I bequeath each a horcrux.

Finally Lily Froio, I bequeath waffles!

I, Devin Nelson, of disc-oriented mind and body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Damian Saelee, Addison Scarff, and Rajan Parikh, I leave the MI TRIBE. They are in your hands. To Adam Tucker, I leave gear

worthy of only the most spirited Trumpet enthusiasts.And to Zeke Larson, I leave a maroon trumpet, as it was left to me by Sean Quinn, and left to him by Jared Thomas. With it I charge you to become the embodiment of trumpet-spirit. Wield it well, bro.

I, Jessica Li, of simple mind and short body, bequeath the following: Hard work and good memories to my cute little sister, Qui, in her last year of high school.

I, Brian Hou, of sound mind and sound body, do hereby bequeath the following: One untouched AP Chinese Review book to Jake Bethards and one worn-out pair of size 8 Asics tennis shoes to Ben Bethards. Let’s Go MI!!

I, Jay Dolla$ign Rosenstein, of prodigal mind and soft body, do hereby and henceforth bequeath the drama II letterman jacket to SAMUEL J. PIRIE. To my darling little sister ickle-Annie-kins I donate my college sweatshirts, let

them guide you in these tumultuous years.

I, Morgan Peyou, of quick mind and nimble body, do hereby bequeath the following: to Rory Murphy, the privilege of choosing the music playlist for softball. To Camryn Steiner, the responsibility

of making hilarious jokes and puns during softball practice. To Kayla Varney, making sure that certain banned words stay banned from team vocabulary.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1)Fisk, Leah

St. John’s College (1)Taylor-Manning, Colman

Brigham Young University (1)Vassau, Jack

University of Arizona (1)Brummer, Laura

Arizona State University (2)Miller, IsaacRoer, Madeline

Carleton College (1)Dietz, NatashaSt. Olaf College (1)Roberston, Kaya

Indiana University (2)Meade, JuliaSchneiderman, IanPurdue University (1)Kakubal, BhavanaRose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1)Lacrampe, AlexanderUniversity of Notre Dame (1)Seifert, Catherine

Loyola University Chicago (2)Silke, StephanieVersnel, AnnieNorth Park University (1)Leach, QuinnNorthwestern University (1)Kelsay, Shea

University of Montana (2)Bell, CarlDugan, William

Oregon College of Art and Craft (1)Kingston, Delano

Oregon State University (1)Opoku, Kwame

Pacific University (1)Yan, Brenden

University of Oregon (2)Costa, JonathanFlint, Jack

University of Portland (1)Nguyen, Jeffrey

Bellevue College (4)Arterderry, WilsonHsu, KyleLee, StephanieRhodes, MariahCentral Washington University (1)Barbara, MeganCornish College of the Arts (1)Lim, NikkiEastern Washington University (3)Asmus, HenryLarimer, ElizabethLin, AlbertEvergreen State College (1)Franco, EssieGonzaga University (11)Allenbaugh, PeterBaber, KatrinaBell, AlexClark, DelaneyAllenbaugh, PeterFaucher, SebastienMounger, JamieNoonan, DanniPallis, ThemioWalters, SarahWhite, MollySeattle Central College (3)Callow, FrancesMcGillivray, JackMomma, DaichaSeattle Pacific University (1)Yuasa, TaylanSeattle University (3)French, SamGonzalez-Posada, RafaelSchaeffer, KelciSt. Martin’s University (1)Simpson, RileyThe Art Institute of Seattle (1)Mocke, SashaUniversity of Puget Sound (1)Blumenstein, JuliaUniversity of Washington (60)Bannister, ParkerBantle, MichaelBarratt, OscarBattisti, PeterCahill, ChandlerCaldwell, IanCasper, AllieChoi, Han KyouDuchaine, StevenDugan, AlecFu, JenniferFukuoka, KishoGallagher, LaurenGraham, EmmaGralpois, AnaïsHanson, NickHoffman, AlexHou, BrianHuang, VivianKaul, ShaarikaKwan, AshleyLee, CalvinLee, CandiceLee, HannahLee, JanetLee, JoshLi, JessicaLewis, ZoëMai, GawinManner, Matt

University of California, Los Angeles (1)Cavanaugh, ShannonUniversity of California, San Diego (1)Lee, MelanieUniversity of California, San Barbara (1)McGlasson, KyleUniversity of Redlands (1)Bohlinger, LukeUniversity of San Diego (2)Kovar, RachaelTurner, JordanUniversity of San Francisco (1)Hicks, RachelGalando, Sydney

Whitman College (4)Hayes, NelsonKirlin, HaileyLarkin, TeddyWoolston, StevenWhitworth University (2)Bender, SeanHendricks, David

Western Washington University (7)Davidson, RayneJohnston, CyrenaMantchev, JessicaLook, Matthew

McLellan, EmilyMenz, EmilyMoonka, SaraMoore, NaomiMounger, LukeNelson, DevinNg, FeliciaNguyen, RyanPeshkin, NolaPlatou, IanRaisys, SonfijaReid, AshlynReisman, ChaseScanlan, KjerstinShen, OliviaSimontov, BenSnell, OliviaSo, GinoSun, AshleySylvetsky, CharlesTsai, AlexTsang, AmandaWestergard, EricWise, HannahWold, KatherineXing, YaxuYou, MichelleZhang, YiZhu, Angela

Washington State University (8)Angulo Gomez , DanielaAntilla, JoelleBoucaud, GabeKarrer, LexiKrebs, MichaelMortimer, SarahScott, DerekWood, Ryan

Perterson, DannySmith, MichaelSnellenberg-Fraser, Carlos

Class of 2015 Destinations

Pepperdine University (2)Hummel, KatieMelin, KristinePomona College (1)Gallatin, NathanSan Diego State University (1)Sheehan, MargaretSanta Clara University (6)Counihan, JackDobson, KayleighGlant, BryanKissel, JuneLarkin, JackPallis, GeorgeSanta Monica College (1)Chung, AlexanderStanford University (5)Christofferson, AnikaHsue, LaurenMcRuer, JasonOttinger, RyanSeaton, MargaretShasta Community College (1)Matzke, ColtonUniversity of California, Davis (1)Li, William

Azusa Pacific University (2)Jewett, RachelLing, BethanyCalifornia Polytechnic State University (5)Dubofsky, EricGoldstein, NatalieGonzalez, Luis AlfonsoRogers, JacobStickney, MitchChapman University (2)Himstead, TrevorSalvino, MaddiClaremont McKenna College (2)Thieme, MeredithWilliams, PeterHarvey Mudd (1)Montague, ScottHumbolt State University (1)Weltyk, GraysonLoyola Marymount University (3)Barenborg, HenrikLawler, BrandonNevin, SeanMarymount California University (1)Galante, RayOccidental College (5)Coe, CameronFink, KatelynLacrampe, ChristopherMansfield, WilliamNordal, Alicia

University of Nevada, Reno (1)Hong, Megan

Southwestern UniversityHarris, KatrinaTexas Christian UniversityKeller, CameronUniversity of Texas at AustinKoksu, Emily

The University of Miami (1)Conn, Trinity

Colby College (2)Venditti, GabrielaVenditti, Lydia

Dartmouth College (1)Emanuels, David

Babson College (2)Bottomley, BrettToda, StuartBoston College (1)Katie HendricksonBoston University (3)Katsman, DanielleKierstead, MollyTuttle-Roache, MarissaBrandeis University (1)Rosenstein, Nathan

Clark University (1)Fu, AilinNortheastern University (1)Keller, ChloeSmith College (1)Harrington, KelaTufts University (3)Holen, BenjiPaborsky, HannaSims, Derek

Brown University (3)Chuck, CarlinHershkowitz, MeghanPeterson, Gretchen

Bard College (2)Rosenstein, JayWang, ChrisBarnard College (1)Lindheimer, MiaCornell University (1)Cartwright, JuliaFordham University (1)Bellitto, ElizabethMarymount Manhattan College (1)Maxwell, AdeleNew York University (1)Dang-Luong, Nam

Connecticut College (1)Williams, CharlesYale University (1)Lesko, Dylan

University of Delaware (1)Mogil, Noah

Georgetown UniversityChanen, MichaelUniversity of Maryland (1)Peyou, Morgan

Hampton University (1)Tate, JolieVirginia Tech (1)Quinn, Kylie

Duke University (1)Cao, Yu

Drexel University (1)Nielson, PatrickHaverford College (1)Hill, RyanUniversity of Pennsylvania (1)Behrbaum, Brooke

University of Michigan (1)Gullstad, Trevor

Indiana University (2)Meade, JuliaSchneiderman, IanPurdue University (1)Kakubal, BhavanaRose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1)Lacrampe, AlexanderUniversity of Notre Dame (1)Seifert, Catherine

University of Kentucky (1)Jemley, Abigail

Rhodes College (1)Martinez, Tanner

Colorado School of Mines (1)Erikson, AlexUniversity of Colorado Boulder (1)Kavesh SabrinaUniversity of Denver (1)Langston, Annie

Out of The Country

Canada: University of British Columbia (2)Eckert, HenryHolmes, RhiannonJradi, AmyLam, LouisQuest University (1)Shanafelt, BenItaly: Bocconi University (1)Galer, AdrianJapan: Temple University (1)Hughes, OliviaKorea: Korea University (1)Han, Ju hyeongScotland: University of St Andrews (1)Nimmo, Madison

Military Service

United States Military Academy (1)Condon, Evan

Gap Year (5)Chandler, TheodoreColes, KiernanKurland, NoamPaz, LucianaVoss, Jeremy

University of California, Los Angeles (1)Cavanaugh, ShannonUniversity of California, San Diego (1)Lee, MelanieUniversity of California, San Barbara (1)McGlasson, KyleUniversity of Redlands (1)Bohlinger, LukeUniversity of San Diego (2)Kovar, RachaelTurner, JordanUniversity of San Francisco (1)Hicks, RachelGalando, Sydney

Class of 2015 DestinationsBeloit College (1)Theodore, JonathonUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison (2)Lee, ScottWang, Michael

College of Charleston (1)Pearson, Whitley

Westmont College (2)Johnston, SophiaCampbell, Jason

University of Southern California (9)Devine, KellyDiamond, MeganElliott, BenLake, MichaelPedreira, AnthonyPhillips, KirbiSedlik, DavidSuhm, AdrienneTaylor, NickolasWootton, Meredith

MIHS Transition Program (1)Luckevich, Steven

Culinary School (1)Andre, Parker

6 Senior ARticle mihsislander.org

I, Nick Taylor, of flowing mind and sanctuary body, do hereby bequeath the following: The Rock to the Class of 2016. DO US PROUD.

We, the Islander Girls of 2015, of vivacious minds and exquisite bodies, hereby bequeath our letters and MI spirit to the following fabulous ladies:G- Anna ChandlerO- Annie Mildeberger* - Meredith BeckmanI- Leah AkinsS- Piper CaseyL- Kire BjornestadA- Julie BakerN- Sabrina StamnesD- Ragen PlummerE- Miji SuhrR- Jessica BlakesleeS- Makenna Moscatel

I, Yaxu Xing, of cheerful mind and charming body, do hereby bequeath the following: To the rest of my family and friends, although I may be gone, I will always be here for every single one of you. Whether it be, a

shoulder to cry on or to have a good time. I also leave a word of advice to the freshmen, never build your life around one individual thing, but never regret what once made you smile. And last but not least, I leave my school spirit to Mercer Island High School.

I, Alfonso Gonzalez, of intellectual mind and Mexican body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Pedro Lopes: Juan egg quesadilla with the special ingredient. To Blake Swanson: may you continue to uphold the highest standard of

American living.

I, Steven Duchaine, of youthful mind and skinny body, do hereby bequeath the following: My catching ability and knowledge of the game to Eric Kim, who has already surpassed me anyway.

My muscles and creatine to Cole Northrop, along with plenty of hair gel to maintain his good looks. The last thing, possibly the most important in order to be successful in life is my understanding of mathematics, which I leave to Matt LeProwse.

I, Ian Schneiderman, of pensive mind and titillating body, do hereby bequeath the following: To Ben Chase, the maroon and white spirit kippah. To be worn on all Mercer Island spirit days with the confidence of a newly bar-mitzvahed boy and

the urbane attitude and physique of all who have possessed the kippah before you. Bobby pin it with pride.

I, Allie Casper, of sarcastic mind and lanky body, hereby bequeath the following: To Riley Fang I leave the $exy$axy twitter account. May you out-sass the trombones every time. To Christian Nicoll I leave my “MI”

saxophone bell cover in hopes that he will pass it down to a worthy freshman his senior year. I leave the future of the cow saxes to the fab juniors: Sophie Chang, Patrick Nuckolls, Evan Lopez-Forkey, and Dylan Majewski. I pray that you continue to dominate the can drive. Finally, to Samantha Kirlin I leave the niche of spunky flannel mess. May your beanies always be perfectly placed and your comments be filled with dry wit.

I, William Dugan, of tired mind and shabby body, do hereby bequeath the following: my best wishes to all. I’m keeping my stuff, not giving it away!

As I depart this storied facility of higher edu-cation and learning I wish to leave its students with the gathered wisdom I have accumulated over my four years. However, before I divulge my greatest secrets I would like to personally thank all of my teachers, who, throughout the years have contributed to the man I am today.

My freshman year I sustained three con-cussions and coincidentally my grade point average was in the 2.4 range for the year. My sophomore year I struggled with self-identi-ty and balancing my life. My junior year, not unlike most high school students, was stress-ful and cluttered with an insane amount of college preparation and anxiety. And my se-nior year, though I told myself I would not be a second semester senior, then ended up adopting the traits of the very rare, every semester senior. On top of that I was a high school delinquent who continually sought dif-ferent ways to assert himself, mostly by dis-tracting classes or standing up to teachers.

Through all of this, my teachers have looked out for me and genuinely cared for me. To these teachers; Don Carlos, Brian Hampsch, Don Papsadaro, David Willecke, Michele Hayes, Mark Shafer, Curtis Johnston, Tyson Peters, Brett Ogata, Sra. Jimenez, Margaret Aguilar, Dino Annest, Mrs. DeBroux, Diane Nielsen, Charlie Hilen, Gavin Cree, Mr. Sags, Julia Se-idman, Tom Cox, and Chris-toph Twombley. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Don Carlos, you taught me that no matter how terrible you may be at Spanish there is always room for improve-ment. I remember every stern talk you gave me, call-ing me on my poor attitude and making sure I would grow into a respectable adult (one day). Voy a echar de menos y siempre te recuerdo.

Mr. Hampsch, even though I was terrible at Physics you never gave up on me, while at the same time teaching me the value and necessity of patience. I always admired how quiet-spo-ken you were, wishing I could be the same way.

Paps, you were always a goofball while at the same time respecting the rules. You taught me the balance between the two, even though I was sent out of class most of the time.

Mr. Willecke, I could never tell whether or not you liked me, but you treated me with respect that I most likely didn’t deserve. I will always remember you for that…and for coming in the day before the semester ended my freshman year and pulling my grade from an F to a C from all of those extra credit movies and books.

Mrs. Hayes, our freshman year together could be summed up in three words: rivalry to under-standing. From the first day when I crushed that Arizona tea can and was sent to the prin-cipal’s office, to the end of junior year when we finally understood each other and could laugh about it. We’ve had a very interesting jour-ney, and I wouldn’t have changed anything.

Mr. Shafer, though I may have only had you for my senior year it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time, most likely due to the amount of stress we’ve put each other under. I learned from you the importance of discipline, which will help me as I move on through life.

Mr. Johnston, your hatred for the South and determination to get students to read Faulkner is truly inspiring. I have al-ways admired your love of literature and through that you have taught me the val-ue of loving what you do, no matter what that may be. Even if that’s literature.

Mr. Peters, every day I took those hand writ-ten notes was a day I wished I had skipped. As it turns out, taking hand-written notes is still the only way I can memorize, and I have solely you to thank for that. I still have all of my PowerPoint presentations, which are among my proudest academic creations.

Mr. Ogata, as my BRIDGES leader for four

years you know how loud and obnoxious I can be. With all of my energy however, you man-aged to maintain a calm demeanor and con-tinued to teach me all the BRIDGES lessons.

Sra. Jimenez, there aren’t enough words in the English or Spanish dictionary to describe how amazing you are. You are loving, under-standing, caring, and supportive. Those were the words I thought of in the first three sec-onds, but there are so many more. Every class we had was filled with laughter, learning, and memories. If even a little of your personality rubbed off on me I would be incredibly lucky.

Sra. Aguilar, you taught me how to stay grounded. You always understood that I had boundless energy and you worked tire-lessly to help me focus that towards learn-ing. You laughed at my jokes, but taught me when the appropriate times were to tell them. Though my energy is still lim-itless I can now focus it towards my aca-demics and for that I sincerely thank you.

Dino, the reason I feel comfortable calling you by your first name is because of the amaz-ing environment you create around yourself. You keep all the students around you laughing and relaxed while at the same time teaching them import-ant lessons, which they’ll use throughout their life. Every class period I learned something new. Whether that be of the governmental politics in a foreign country, or how there are undercov-er corrupt narcs in Mexico. The most important thing I learned from you was how to be a honest man, and for that I thank you.

Mrs. DeBroux, your mild-mannered tone and soft voice always focused me. I believe your class was the only one throughout high school where I wasn’t sent out. You under-stood that I was gone a lot for soccer so when I turned in assignments late you always graded them strictly for content. If you weren’t so nice I would have never passed your class. Thank you for understanding and supporting me.

Mrs. Nielsen, we have had a lot of fun times together. Every day in your UWESS class went by quickly because you made the content fun and relatable. On the days where the content wasn’t enjoyable we always had a fun project or movie. I thank you for kindering my interest of science, which I intend to be my field of study in col-lege. And for putting up with me, which is no easy task.

Mr. Hilen, radio broad-casting was one of the most entertaining and reward-ing classes I have taken in my life. Your class focused

around individual responsibility and leader-ship, which are two traits that I am in dire need of. You always gave me the responsibility and space needed to succeed and in return I always exceeded your expectations. Charlie, you are a soft-spoken man with a huge heart and I hope we will be friends for a long time.

Mr. Cree, health with you was an interest-ing experience. The many vid-eos we watched attempted to teach us about puberty and the world we live in. However, you were the one that really taught the class that puberty is fleeting and to just be yourself. I always ‘do’ me and you’re a huge reason I’m confident enough to do that.

Mr. Sagerson, I can honestly say you are the most interest-ing man in the world. Geome-try is about shapes and objects, but the way you taught it, it seemed as if it was the mean-ing of life. There is little I can say about you because I’m too busy being in awe. One day I hope to be as genuine of a man as you are, and I thank you for being my role model, even if you didn’t know it.

Mrs. Seidman, how in the world did you put up with my English Honors 10 class? Putting up with our shared shenanigans required a great sense of humor and the patience of Buddha. On top of that, you were always sympathetic and empathetic with every student. As someone who used to be completely self-absorbed, seeing that from you really changed the way I viewed how I should treat the people around me.

Mr. Cox, with the amount of issues we’ve faced this year you would almost think we’re family. Every day there was a new challenge, whether that be a new song, or my attitude. But through every challenge we communicated and always

Bender’s Game: Sean Bender, Sports Editorfigured it out. Your kindness and passion for music is truly inspirational. We both have that passion, and though that passion is what made us butt heads at times, it is also what assures me that we will be lifelong friends.

Webster’s dictionary defines Twombley as…As Gandhi once said about Twombley…There is no proper way to introduce you Twomb-ley, because you never need to be introduced. Twomb is Twomb and there isn’t a damn thing anyone can do about it. Now I could thank you for being my mentor, friend, and confi-dant but I know you already started to tear up after reading my senior will. So to spare you the water works I will be simple, straight forward, and clear. You are, and always will be, one of the greatest role models and friends that I have gotten to know even better than myself. You pick me up when I fall and knock me down when I’m too high. Thank you.

Now to the part that every MIHS student has been anxiously waiting for, Bender’s advice. I’ve always loved lists and I’ve always loved me, so to cap off my final good bye we’ll end with Bender’s top ten list of what every MIHS

student should know. Everyone will have his or her own opinion of most important to least important so the advice is in no particular order.

1. The lunch ladies are the nicest people in the school, hands down. Al-ways make sure to thank them. Every thank you means a lot to them, and, on that day when you’re negative, they’ll let you go a little more negative.

2. If you are concerned about not being in a Homecoming, Tolo, or Prom group there is a simple fix. Be the leader of one, form it and take charge. It may take some effort but the memories you’ll make will be priceless.

3. Get to know your counselor, whatev-er that means to you. It could just be an ex-tra “Hi” in the hallways, or a scheduled sit down just to catch up. The counselors are amazing human beings, who also write your college rec, and getting to know them has been a highlight of my high school career.

4. Most MIHS students are under a su-per human amount of stress. If you ever feel like it is too much to handle go to the nurse’s office and take a nap. The nurse, or anyone subbing in for the nurse, is al-ways empathetic/sympathetic and will let you take one. Just try not to do it every day.

5. Get to know your teachers and admin. I won’t say anything more because I’m sure you are all sick of reading about them. But trust me, every teacher and admin at MIHS is amazing.

6. Go to all the sporting events. Even if you are a quiet and sheltered person, the sport-ing events are fun. You meet new people and are surrounded by a fantastic atmosphere. Also, MI always wins so you’ll never be dis-appointed. 5 State Championships, baby!!!!!

7. Never hold grudges. It’s high school, these years can be the best of your life no matter who you are so don’t let some minor beef with a friend take up any part of your day. Communicate that whatever they did bothered you and move on.

8. Be responsible. To be clear I am not say-ing don’t have fun. I am saying that if you are in a particular situation, always keep in mind

that one DUI or MIP can screw up your life. I’m not go-ing to say it would ruin your life because in all honesty it won’t. However, it is a major roadblock that will stay with you for the rest of your life, so be careful and stay safe.

9. Yogurt parfaits are the truth. I started eating them about one year ago and I am never going back. Every par-fait is touched by Midas and kissed by Aphrodite. Only re-gret is that I can’t buy in bulk.

10. It may sound cli-ché, it may sound corny, but every word is true. High school at times is unbearable. You may fight with your parents, a friend, or even your teachers. You may not be the most out going, the most athletic, or the most artistic. But you are the only you in the world and should spend every day enjoy-ing that. After all, you’re in Bender’s Game, and that’s the happiest place in the world.

It has been a honor serving as the Sports Edi-tor of the Islander and it has been a privilege at-tending MIHS. I firmly believe that you should leave a place better than when you arrived, and hopefully I’ve accomplished that over the last four years. Goodbye and good luck. Bender out.

7A FAREWELL TO OURDEPARTING STAFF June 10, 2015

Ji Sider, beloved French teacher and recent-ly an unfortunate pants ripper, is leaving MIHS after working here since 1998. Stu-dents laugh as they remember her not only as a neat freak who cleans her home meticu-lously after finding a single flea, but also as a hilarious storyteller who interrupts her class to tell them about a particularly funny inci-dent from her past. She is leaving her future plans wide open for any interesting opportu-nities and “to spend more time with my fam-ily and helping others in need.” She fondly recalls certain individuals and unforgetta-ble memories, calling out to “[her] students whom will be dearly missed, Jan Sayers who was the matchmaker for my husband and I, cheering with Don Carlos and Erica Hill and singing with Mr. Cox in the Staff Assemblies, dancing the “Single Ladies” song with Mr. Cooke and Mr. Sue at a Home-coming Assembly, and Mr. Twombley who dropped me on my head during a Homecoming Assembly because he was threatened by my awesomeness.” As for advice to leave to the rest of us, she said, “Don’t take your family, friends and privilege for granted. Being kind, compassionate and giving to those in need is a huge part of being ‘successful.’”

Don Carlos, the eccentric Spanish teacher known for coaching every sport and owning the dodgeball tournament this year, is leaving MIHS after 19 years. With his longtime friend, Dave Lovely, who shares his love for adventure, Don Carlos plans on traveling the world starting in Europe and Russia this summer. Dave Lovely has already traveled around the world the last couple years and invited Don Carlos to join his next adventure. Don Carlos and Dave Lovely think they’ll be visiting around 150 countries in the next year. Then, in the spring of 2016, the two will return to Spain, grab motorcycles, and ride through the Mid-dle East to Asia, Turkey, Iran, and beyond. Despite his excite-ment and enthusiasm for the trip, Don Carlos appreciates and will greatly miss the amazing environment at MIHS with all the wonderful students and staff. One of his favorite memories from

MIHS includes dressing up as a cheer dude and performing a skit at a faculty meeting. Hopefully, Don Carlos will return to MIHS one day and share his incredible journey with future students.

Marc Compton began teaching at MIHS two years ago when he came here after teaching for seven years in Michigan. After this year is completed, Compton plans to go into construction management with a job as a project engineer that works with quality control and developing reports to keep work progressing on a job site. With his teaching career coming to an end, Compton will miss not having an unpredictable day. “I like the fact that there is no normal when you’re teaching. Every day is new and different and the energy students inject into your life is always really exciting. It might sometimes feel annoying but then you reflect back and think that it’s totally awesome how some people are excited about some of the small things in life.”

Susan Jobe started teaching in the personalized learning program at the time it was called the self contained program in 1999, so she has been here 16 years, and worked with a variety of students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities. She will miss working with students and their par-ents. She really enjoyed getting to know students and helping them to grow and mature. For years, she worked with the 14-21 year olds, but now the Special Education Department have a separate program for 18-21 year olds. She likes education, and did a monthly parent education meeting to try and teach the parents what will happen after their children leave high school. She will miss working with her co-workers in this department. “They have become like a family. [The students at MIHS] should continue to work hard and to try to understand that we all can con-tribute. We all have purpose, we are here for a reason, we all fill a role in society and so even if you don’t think you fit exactly in to the role you think you should, that there’s always something you can do as well as anybody else. Just continue to try, and to continue to work hard! Remember high school is not the end of life.” In July, she is going to move to Mount Vernon, Washington. Her husband is also retiring so they are going to move up there, and she would really like to work up in the tulip fields, something with hor-ticulture, gardening, or nurseries.

Bob Sagerson’s background at MIHS includes two stints of teaching. He did student teaching here in 1991-92 before teaching math for two years as his first job out of college. He also had the pleasure of coaching basketball for three years under the legendary Ed Pepple and boys golf for two years. His latest tenure at MIHS has been for seven years teaching math. Sagerson’s advice for the school, since he was asked, is to always follow the golden rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated. Sagerson will miss every moment of working with kids. His favorite times at MIHS were helping students who had struggled to understand concepts to achieve their goals in his class. He wishes the profes-sion would allow him to spend more of his time to this end. Sagerson’s plans for the future are unsettled at the moment. Right now his focus is on spending the summer with family and taking advantage of time with his three children who are getting older way too fast.

After teaching at MIHS for about 20 years, Carol Wiseley is leaving the school this year to take some time to become more healthy, play golf, swim, spend more time on the water, and to work with a couple nonprofit organizations for volunteering. Wiseley is going to miss all the wonderful people she has gotten to know. Her favorite memory was an International Economic summit in Honolulu in which 20 DECA students attended.

Jean Field, our beloved retiring secretary, plans on mak-ing a trip to Europe in her newly freed up schedule. “I would like to go to Italy. I’ve always wanted to see Italy and maybe Spain and France.” She also looks forward to spending more quality time with her family. “[I] will probably spend some time in Delaware because that’s where my daughter is and I have three grandchildren there…my other children live here so I’ll just stay around town so, I’ll do that kind of trav-eling and then come back and stay for a while.” When asked for a favorite memory, she had trouble coming up with a sin-gle moment in the plethora of good memories during her time here at MIHS. “I wish I could think of one,” she said, “but, just getting to know everybody and just [making] friends, who will most likely be life-long friends, and the students and that’s basically my best memory.” She leaves the rest of us with the sage advice to “treat everybody like you would like to be treated. That makes for cheerful seventeen year olds!”

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Summaries compiled by Sean Bender, Richard Chess, Lily Clugston, Mithril Hugunin, Helena Shield, Jessica Waller, and Corinne Wheeler

Damon Wyatt has been a counselor at MIHS for three years. He will be joining his wife in Baltimore and intends to continue his counseling career. Although, he is interested in offering his services in the form of his own private business. Wyatt will miss the spirit at MIHS. He recounts the times when he would walk out of the counseling department and watch the pa-rade of students walk by before an assembly. As parting words, Wyatt said, “I say to students, be passionate about something no matter how odd it is. Even if it isn’t something that’s going to make you money, it makes you happy. Two, make sure you laugh as much as possible, and surround yourself with people that make you happy.” Finally, “you should be able to be excit-ed about something without worrying what someone else is going to say.” Wyatt’s uplifting attitude at MIHS will be missed.

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Editors in Chief: Richard Chess Isabella Murillo

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I will remember their kindness of heart, their goodness toward each other, their earnestness in pursuit of answers, and their willingness to laugh and learn from their mistakes.

I am so impressed with this year's seniors - for starters, they are so much smart-er than I am (admittedly, that may not be saying much), and they work way harder than I did in high school! (or college, or even now, for that matter! The only time I think I've worked harder was at summer camp and when my kids were little - "work" was literally 24 hours a day)! And somehow they manage to stay cheerful and have fun - I don't know where they get their energy, but if one of them could figure out a way to bottle it, they'd make a fortune. I wish our seniors the very best, and hope they will return at least once to visit us and let us know how they are doing.

What is your parting impression of the Class of 2015?

I think that this senior class has unlimited potential and is one of the most centered groups we’ve ever seen.

Twombley

Bencivengo

Dino

So I’ve actually had this years Seniors for four consecutaive years, so there are multiple students grad-uating this year who i had for three years out of their high school careers. I think that this year more than any other year graduation feels bittersweet to me because i still think of many of these seniors as little freshman and they’re like my babies. But at the same time I think that I have maybe even more perspective on how much they’ve grown and changed over the years because I have been there all the way through. It was actually kind of fun writing recommendation letters this year because I got to think about all the experiences I have had with them. My impressions of them as a group is that they are really good friends, there seems to be a really big sense of togetherness with this senior class, which is cool and I hope it can serve as a model for other classes. They seem generally pretty support-ive of each other.

Seidman

They are fun, smart, kind, hardworking, little monkeys. We’ll miss them.

Bixby