Oh, The Places They’ll Go

BY: GABBIE K.

West Jefferson’s Seussical Senior members took the time to sit down and answer a few questions about their high school careers and futures in general. These four members are full of joy, humor, and, if you ask one of them--Loraine Stone--flat out talent. While we will miss them and the laughter and friendships each and every one of them brought us here at this high school, it’s only right to at least acknowledge them and their accomplishments, all while getting to know a little more about them.

Listed below are a handful of questions answered by each member themselves. It is very evident to see that this group is definitely one to remember. And while you read each comment and answer, make sure to remember and never forget the impact these four amazing individuals had on our school and community.

What was your most memorable moment in high school?

Loraine: “I am very passionate about acting and singing, so you might think that my most memorable moment would be, you know, having my Senior musical and how well it went, or when I made it to the Mock Trial States. But honestly, my most memorable moment was at the end of the musical when Wesley Miller let me give him two kisses. It was consensual, it was consensual.”

Nathaniel: “My most memorable moment was when we were in a Physics lab and part of our Physics lab had to do with displacement and stuff like that. Like, how far did they go? What were their x and y coordinates? And stuff like that. So, we were supposed to take a plastic bat and then spin around on it ten times and then run away. If you fall down, you have to do it again. You have to go ten steps. So, Michael [Catapano] spins around the bat, he just falls within two steps. So he couldn’t even make it to the tenth spin before he goes his ten steps. And eventually, we were all like, “Oh, we’ll just try to help him out.” So I tried to hold him up and he just keeps on falling. Well then eventually, he ends up getting his ten steps in but then I trip him so he has to do it again.”

Nicole: “My favorite memory would probably be my last solo in the musical. It was just very emotional and I started crying because it brought back so many memories of how much fun I had and how much it means to me. It’s just very emotional because I had such good memories with everyone and I’m going to miss everyone very much.”

Michael: “For me, it would probably be something from the musical, like this recent musical, Seussical. Not only was the performance really--the performance exceeded all of my expectations, but just like being so stupid in the dressing rooms… We broke every single hanger. We broke every single plastic hanger in the boys’ dressing room and just threw it against the wall, broke it. It was called “Kangaroo Hunting”. It was a tradition for the past few years. It’s basically, someone comes out with an Australian accent and you just scream, “There’s a kangaroo in here, boys,” and you just throw a hanger.”

What are your plans after graduation? After that into the future?

Loraine: “I will be attending Capital University on a full-tuition scholarship that I received for academic excellence, and simply being outstanding. I will then use my education and receive a law degree. Then I will become a criminal prosecuting attorney and be richer than all of my friends, and more successful. And I will take Nicole on shopping sprees.”

Nathaniel: “I’m going to be going to college for Engineering. I plan on going four, maybe five years. It depends on if I’m going to dual concentrate or not, and then if I get another minor or not. And then, just go into the workforce. I mean, I plan to live back in West Jeff, I kinda like it. I haven’t declared yet, but it’s looking like Mount Vernon [Nazarene College].”

Nicole: “My plan is to go to college and either do, well I’m actually probably going to do both, music education and music therapy just because I really like music and it gives me an opportunity to perform in the future. And after that, hopefully, I’ll find a nice husband that loves me and cherishes me.”

Michael: “I plan to go to Ohio Dominican University and major in, I think it’s called ‘Integrated Social Studies Education’ majors, like being a History teacher. Basically, a lot of people in my family have been teachers, like my grandma, my great-grandma, and just a bunch of people. So I was like, “Why not?” It’s something I’d be good at so it’s just something that I’m going to do.”

What was your toughest challenge in high school

and how did you overcome it?

Loraine: “I think that everyone in high school faces very unique challenges specific to their own personality. Mine, that I couldn’t quite understand, was how I could never get a boyfriend throughout high school. I feel like I was very out there, very charismatic. Maybe it’s the fact that I can’t drive. I would say that I’m attractive enough, successful enough. And truthfully, the way I overcame it was I started dating boys from London because I figured that that was just everyone else’s problem, not my own. That was an everyone else kind of thing.”

Nathaniel: “My toughest thing would probably be when I came here Freshman year, new to the district and new to the high school. So, I came from Cypress and Cypress was a Christian school. And this change from Christian to public school was a big change over. Also, when you don’t know anyone--So basically, I had to rely on all of Grant’s friends, he’s my older brother and he was a Senior, so I had to be friends with a bunch of the Seniors and they graduated. And then I made friends with a lot of people in the class ahead of me. Well, they just graduated so I had to relearn my whole class this year.”

Nicole: “Let’s just say, “Math.” I am very, very, very bad at Math and that has been such a challenge in my life and just in academics with Math, it’s not good. It’s not very good. I overcame it by Loraine tutoring me.”

Michael: “Probably the hardest thing for me was adjusting to the whole high school thing, because throughout all of your education, you think immature is okay, especially in middle school. And then when you get to high school, it’s kinda like, “Oh, I have to grow up now,” so the adjustment from middle school to high school was probably the most challenging thing for me.”

What is one thing you want to be remembered for, and why?

Loraine: “Okay, I have three things, I can’t simply choose one. My icon fashion, my outstanding talent, and all of my noticeable successes. I do believe that the most notable thing about me is how successful I am in every situation. I believe that I thrive under pressure, without pressure, and by creating pressure. But if you would like to sum it up without the three, all of my successes...and talent and beauty.”

Nathaniel: “For me, I would want to be remembered as kind. “Love thy neighbor as thy self.” Treat everyone with respect, and people will most likely respect you. Yeah, just basically treat others like you would want to be treated.

Nicole: “What do I want to be remembered for? Probably the same as Nathaniel, just for being kind to everyone. I feel like kindness is a very good trait to have and it’s good to spread the love around and be known for being nice to everyone. Because in high school, you really need that.”

Michael: “So, this is also kind of generic, but just like being nice to each other. Because life is too short to just worry about drama and worry about, “Oh, you know, what is she doing? What is he doing?”. And if you just focus on yourself, everything is going to turn out better. And I would also like to go down as more talented than Loraine.”

Loraine, Nicole, Michael, and Nathaniel, you all will be missed very dearly and each and every one of us here at West Jefferson High School wishes you nothing but the best and success beyond measure. Go out there, do great things, and continue to make every one of us proud!