Hannah Chaya, Editor-in-Chief

“Do not spend your life searching for a place to call home. Make the bones in your skeleton the only structure you need.”  -Haley Hendrick

High school. Probably the best and the worst experience of my life. As time went on, everything seemed to get harder; maintaining grades, relationships…pretty much everything. But I have to say, the friendships that I’ve developed over the years are ones that will last a lifetime.
A lot of people will tell you that junior year is the hardest year of high school, but it’s not. Senior year is definitely the most difficult year. You’ll find yourself stressing about college applications while trying to maintain your borderline grades (just to get your exemptions). But you probably won’t have any motivation to do any of those things. Yeah, senioritis is a real thing. You may think that you have senioritis now but just wait until senior year…
Although it’s been a stressful school year, the best part was getting college acceptance letters and rejection letters. Yes, rejection letters. Although an acceptance letter validates your entire high school career, a rejection letter gives you something to learn from; something to work towards. You’ll find that even though you’ve been rejected from your dream school, ultimately, you can flourish anywhere you go. The possibilities for success are endless; they are not bounded by rejection.
Overall, high school is a learning experience. You’ll make mistakes – a lot of them – but always keep in mind that your mistakes don’t define you. I think the most important thing about high school is to surround yourself with good people. People that will accept you, love you and care for you no matter the circumstances – those are the people that really matter. Eventually, everyone will go their separate ways so it’s important to make the most of your time together while you can.
Now that high school is almost over and reality is slowly setting in, it’s been difficult to imagine the immense change that’s going to happen. Although it’s hard to imagine how much is going to change, I couldn’t be more excited to start the rest of my life. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Hats off to the class of 2016, we made it!

Jillian Kerzner, Copy Editor 

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Within the next few days, I will take my last steps in the halls of Wakefield High School as a student. I am not one of those sappy people that will cry or be sad about it all actually. I am excited because saying goodbye also means saying hello, to new opportunities and adventures that await me.

New beginnings await me in the small dorms of Granville Towers at the University of North Carolina and I am excited to take on all of the challenges college has to offer. High school was certainly four years I will always remember, but I was also limited in my experiences in high school. In college, there are opportunities to stand out, make a change, and be involved every corner you turn. In high school, you are often stuck in a repetitive schedule with limited free time and few opportunities.

High school was a learning experience for me in many ways and it has certainly prepared me for college. If I could advise current and rising high school students of one thing, it would be to always do your best. Create habits that you will practice throughout all of your endeavors. High school is not easy academically nor socially, but every low point will rise and make you a stronger person than you were before. Learning valuable life lessons at a young age is imperative to your growth as an individual. I can honestly say I have found a part of myself in Wakefield High School. I have learned my dislikes, likes, strengths, and weaknesses through my experiences, but I still have a lot more to learn and experience.

I’d like to say this is a bitter sweet goodbye, but it is just sweet. High school, you will not be missed, but I must say thank you. Thank you for helping me develop into the person I am today, thank you for beginning my journey that will become the rest of my life, and thank you for teaching me the importance of hard work and dedication.

Kate Meikle, Copy Editor

 “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” –Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

It’s Monday May 16 at 1:19 p.m. and there are nine days left of school. Nine days. Nine days out of the however many hundreds of days we have spent in high school for the past four years. When you think about it through that perspective, nine days is nothing. Although it really is nothing, nine days feels like years away.

I wish I could say I don’t want to see these days go by, but I can’t help but be excited for what’s next. Don’t misunderstand; I have enjoyed high school, but my eagerness for the future trumps my desire to stay here. These past four years have taught me more than I could have ever imagined and have introduced me to some people that I hope to know forty years from now, but it’s time for something new. When I look back at my freshman self whose only care was making sure I had a group to stand with at football games, I can’t help but laugh at the simplicity high school began with.

Throughout high school, you learn what’s really important. You balance out the options. You make sacrifices. At first, it’s very simple. Do I go out, or do I stay home? Do I study or hope for the best on that upcoming test? Do I stand my ground or follow the crowd? At what point do I have to start dealing with hardships, heartbreaks, and the inevitable let downs of teenage angst?

Not to sound melodramatic, but although high school was full of its fun times, it was also just as equally upsetting. I have met the most interesting and amazing people these past few years, but as friendships came and went, I was reminded of just how easily people fall out of contact and how easily differences cause divides.

Balancing challenging classes and part-time jobs was also a struggle, but a valuable lesson as well. I have matured dramatically because of the responsibility I took on at this age, and I can honestly say that because of it I feel more prepared and mature than I would have been without the experience.

Although the late nights filled with stress and the unexpected disappointments that took place from time to time brought me down, the little things that I know think I took for granted steadied my mind. The parties, bonfires, lunches, and miscellaneous get togethers throughout the years with my friends reminded me that we’re all in this together, and we all have each other’s backs.

Now that we are all soon going our own way, it’s upsetting and sort of unreal to think that everything I know now is going to change in a few months. Although this time is kind of scary and nerve-wracking, I choose to find the silver lining.

High school was my first time for so many aspects of my life, and I can’t forget that. I traveled abroad, got my license, started dating my first real boyfriend, and took on loads of responsibilities. But now that this chapter is ending, I’m ready for the next first times that lay ahead as I venture into a whole new world.

Overall, high school morphed me, more for better than for worse. High school is just the beginning when it comes to life as a whole, and I think once I realized that, I was able to choose my battles and remind myself that whatever the situation may be, it’s all temporary.

Juliana Merzigian, Student Life Editor 

As I look back over the past four years of my life, I am overwhelmed by all that I have been through. Everyone always tells you about how high school is the greatest four years of your life, but they don’t tell you about how hard it will be. Though I have struggled through some things, I can honestly say there is nothing I regret. Of course there are things I could have done better or differently, but every mistake or hard time I have learned from. To me, that is what high school is all about– learning from your mistakes.

I think just about any graduating senior could agree with me when I say this all doesn’t seem real. Your graduation is something you always imagine happening as a kid, putting on the cap and gown and walking across the stage. Now that I am about two weeks away from that, I feel younger than I did when I imagined it. The realization that I am going to be leaving high school and moving on with my life brings tears to my eyes. It’s like waiting for a roller coaster to go; you sit in your chair all buckled up and seemingly ready, but once they start the countdown you realize you are not in any way ready for what is about to come.

With everything that is about to change in the next upcoming months, it warms my heart to know I have been blessed with such an amazing past four years. The endless amounts of homework and sleepless nights followed by early mornings were all worth it. My advice to my peers would be to take advantage of every moment, and hopefully I can follow that same advice in my next adventures. One quote I live by is from one of my favorite shows, The Office, and it is “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.” There have been times over the past four years where I am living in a moment that I know I am going to look back on and miss–as bizarre as that sounds. I am entirely thankful for the friends and memories I have made here. While it is tough to move on and let go, I am excited to embark on my next journey and make new memories.

Will Clark, Sports Editor

“Be a rainbow in somebody’s cloud”–Maya Angelou

It is very hard to put a word on the feeling I have about graduating high school. It is definitely exciting and many people say that it is bittersweet. There is a mix of both of those for me.

Wakefield has meant a lot to me over the course of my high school career. It was a place to get out of my comfort zone when I transferred from a small private school after my freshmen year. It was a place for me to get to know new people. It was a place for me to make great friends. It was a place for me to improve my grades. It was a place to be part of a community.

I will miss these things about Wakefield but I won’t dwell on them. High school is a stepping stone to college and I have used its opportunities and resources to get into my dream school. That is the sweet part about graduating since I know that a succeeded in the primary phase of my schooling.

The bitter part is leaving these people that I have met and grown close to. There is going to be some nostalgia when I’m at college and I’m thinking about what would’ve been a Moe’s Monday run. Getting ready for a South Carolina football game is going to remind me of being in the stands with the Wackos. Also, what they say about meeting the best people at the end of your senior year really is true, so that’s the bitter part.

The exciting part is that I am going to my dream school! I set my goal in sophomore year to bring my grades up to get into the University of South Carolina and I did it. That is a feeling of accomplishment that I can’t describe. I am going to study business at a well respected school that will likely do me wonders down the road as an adult. I’m going to a place that has everything I wanted in a college: southern, great business school, lots of students, and SEC football. I always used to be nervous about leaving home for college but I think the fact that that feeling has been replaced with eagerness is a sign that I am truly excited.

I have so much to be thankful for when it comes to what Wakefield has provided me. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I had not come here and I will always consider myself a Wolverine.

Cameron Osiecki, Photography Editor

“Reality is wrong. Dreams are for real.” – Tupac Shakur

As high school comes to an end, I think of all the great memories from the past four years. From walking into high school for the first time, to playing my first varsity basketball game, I will always cherish the memories that high school gave to me.

After spending the first three years of high-school at Sanderson, I had to move to Wakefield High School to complete my senior year. The move caused me to face the adversity of making new friends and meeting all new teachers. I continued to be successful in the classroom maintaining the grades to earn myself admission to my dream school: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

More importantly, I would also like to share the most valuable characteristic that I learned in high-school. That characteristic is resiliency, meaning the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. This idea of being quick to recover from any difficulty is key to reaching your goals in high-school and also in life. Every time that I did not believe in my ability to do something in high school, I immediately dropped the idea from my mind. Instead of growing anxious and stressed out at the loads of AP work I had to complete, I continued to push harder and remained resilient. I can not stress enough how important that one characteristic turned out to be. From being a “C” student in middle school, to finishing high-school with a 4.79 GPA and many honors such as having been a Junior Marshall, it definitely worked.

I am now ready to move on to the next stage of my life and to move on from high-school. I intend to be a business major at the University of North Carolina, and hope to spend the next four years in Chapel Hill.

It’s all about the W

Kennedy Little, Business Editor

Paulo Coelho, one of my favorite authors, once said, “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”  This quote really stood out to me as I came across it in my last semester of high school.  It is a scary feeling, knowing I will soon be on my own, however I know that there are better opportunities out there for me.

I would love for this to be an incredibly inspirational recollection of my high school memories, but to be completely honest, I didn’t have the best time in high school.  Some people say that high school is supposed to be the best time of our lives, and to that I say they’re wrong.

High school should not be the most important time because at age 18 there is still so much of the world I have yet to explore and so much knowledge I have yet to learn.  Don’t get me wrong, I am exceptionally grateful to my time spent here at Wakefield.  I will always be able to look back at this as the place where I was able to learn one of the greatest lessons I will have the chance of experiencing in my life: cherish the people who care about you while they’re there, they won’t always be.

Peace out, high school.  I’m off to bigger and brighter opportunities.

Alexa Cook, Community Editor 

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”–Dr. Seuss 

High school is the best four years of your life a wonderful scholar once said. It is the time for wild midnight parties, speeding to school every morning, changing the password to power schools so your mom can’t see your grades, and pretending to be friends with everyone just to please the crowd. One’s best moments can be traced back to their high school years. Oh wait! Just kidding. High school is stressful. Making real friends is monotonous. Realizing who you are underneath all of the lily and vineyard vine prints is what high school really teaches you.

I discovered my senior year that it doesn’t matter what people think about you. It’s the moments when you laugh until you cry as your friend falls down the hall stairs, when you beat the late bell by mere seconds into class every morning and everyone claps for you, when you get your first boyfriend and realize relationships aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. It’s these small things that make high school “great”. In reality, being who you want to be is the best you can be. Not being afraid to jam out in your car blasting your favorite 80s jams, skipping down the halls with your friends and not caring what anyone thinks, studying because you actually care about your grades- these are the most important things about high school.

My advice to rising high schoolers is to remember that your biggest fans are your parents, not your friends. Don’t be “fake” and attempt to be liked by everyone because no one is universally known. Don’t use the bathrooms on the third floor and take advantage of the library. Get involved with clubs and extracurricular activities. Drink lots of water and don’t attempt to go without lunch all day. Be friendly with your teachers and peers- but most of all be nice to yourself- there’s only one you.

Jenni Goldstein, Features Editor

“When you’re not concerned with succeeding, you can work with complete freedom.” -Larry David

Looking back on my entire high school experience as a second semester senior, I realize how much my life has changed and how much time has truly passed. I’ve had an especially difficult time this semester as I prepare to graduate because everyone I’ve grown so close to will be leaving, and so will I.

It’s unbelievable how fast life moves, and how difficult it is to keep up with all of the craziness around us. I never would have thought it would be so hard for me to cope with the idea of moving on to the next chapter in my life. I definitely never realized how much, despite how much I “hated” high school and couldn’t wait to get out of here, I’d miss the way things are right now and how fearful I am of the changes that are to come. Of course, I am excited that a new chapter is about to open up to me.

There are so many opportunities that await and I plan on taking advantage of all of them. However, especially since I’m moving back up to Long Island, New York, where I’m originally from, it’s been really stressful as I’ve had to deal with the fact that I’m leaving a place where I’ve established so much. As a freshman, I couldn’t wait to pack my things and be anywhere but Raleigh, North Carolina. But I’ve realized over the course of four years at Wakefield High School that there are both wonderful and terrible people anywhere you go. Not every change in life means that something or someone you love and cherish has to go away or end. There’s so much we can hold on to, sustain, and continue to keep thriving even though our situations may have been altered. Our loved ones will always be near if they are truly people that are meant to be a part of our lives. There’s absolutely no reason that a new chapter means every other one has to be closed. All the memories I’ve made in high school will last me a lifetime. And though I may not remember every moment of it, the little things that shaped me over time will remain evident.

I’ve been told often that I think far too much. That I worry so much about my future and everything that’s to come that I’m unable to enjoy the now. That statement definitely rings true in many situations I’ve been faced with in my senior year. I’ve learned that tomorrow may rain, and that I just need to focus on the beauty and sunshine that surrounds me today. Without all of the amazing people who have been a part of my life, I wouldn’t be half the person I am today. And at the same time, all of the terrible people and unfortunate situations I have faced have made me even stronger. I’m still alive, and that proves that I can persevere even in the darker of times. One of the most important lesson that I have learned as a senior is that I need to stop caring and worrying about what tomorrow brings, because I can make it through no matter what life throws my way because things tend to eventually work out for the best. I know that I at least always have a few very important people in my life that will always be there to support and encourage me, and I have so many more people and experiences to encounter as the future becomes my present.

Life is too short to worry about the next step. Be happy and have confidence that you, the decider of your own fate, know what’s best for you and that everything will be just fine.

Austin White, Staff Writer

“Dream as if you will live forever, live as if you will die today.”–James Dean

Wakefield will always hold a special place in my heart. The football games where you left without a voice from cheering so much, going off campus for lunch with your friends, winning against your rivals senior year. All of the memories that make you smile and wish you could somehow go back and re-live them again, the only problem is…. You can’t. My time here at Wakefield has come to an end, but all I can say is thank you to the school and people in it that have made these four years awesome. I have been in newspaper for only a year, but I have made new friends and learned so much about creative writing and journalism. I highly suggest this class to everyone.

To all of the underclassmen, I highly recommend that you always take advantage of the day and to make the most of high school because it will fly by so fast. Go to every sporting event you can, hang out with your friends as much as you can, go to prom even if you think it’s stupid, and just have fun being a kid. The most import thing is to do well in school and try different electives, expand your horizon and learn as much as you can. Also, make sure not to care too much about what people think about you, do your thing and just be yourself.

This fall I will be attending ECU which will be an interesting time for me. I am very excited to start fresh and continue my education. I love college football and ECU’s football games will be such a great time, no doubt I’m going to have the time of my life. The most important thing for me is to keep focus, balance having a good time, and studying.

Overall, high school was a great experience for me. I made friends with people I will never forget  and learned a lot lessons throughout my four years. Going into freshman year I was sad about leaving my friends who were going to millbrook and I tried to transfer. My first week here was rough but after a while, I realized that Wakefield was a school with some cool people and would make these four years really fun. Wherever I go in life I will always remember to PROTECT THE W.

Laurie Diggett, Staff Writer

“You should never make fun of something a person can’t change about themselves.” -Phil Lester

Being a senior this year is bittersweet, because it means I have to part with a place that holds so many memories and experiences. In my four years here, I have definitely learned a lot about what to expect both in college and later in life. Throughout my time at Wakefield High, I have come to understand much more about relationships, time-management, organization, studying and community involvement. That being said, the thing I have actually learned the most about in my time at Wakefield is myself. I’ve had the opportunity to figure out what I want to do, who I want to be and where I want to go in life. I’ve come to understand that I should find certain things that I am interested in rather than force myself to show interest in something.

My best advice to any underclassmen would be to take as many opportunities as possible to take any class that seems interesting. It is ideal for anyone to try new things in high school in order to have a better idea of what to pursue in college. Don’t take a class just because your friend is in it. Take a class because you want to learn more about the topic at hand and, although it sounds cliché, be yourself.

Lastly, allow others to inspire you. As Phil Lester, one of my biggest inspirations once said, “You should never make fun of something a person can’t change about themselves.” This is absolutely true, because everyone you meet in high school and beyond will be unique to themselves. Stay true to yourself and your uniqueness and you will go far. Allow yourself to be inspired by others daring to be different. If you allow your individuality to shine through, you will go far in life and impress people with your extraordinary personality. I’m going to miss all of the amazing people I have met and experiences I have had at Wakefield High, but I will never forget them.

Yasine Mirmozaffari, Staff Writer

 “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” – Ernest Henley

“Sorry your request for Sanderson High School has been denied and so has your secondary choice of Millbrook. You’ve been assigned to attend Wakefield High School.”

The news left me distraught. I had just moved to Raleigh the day before and now I was going to a school that I knew absolutely no one, but four years later I wouldn’t have wanted to have been anywhere else. From the Moe’s Monday lunch runs to the Friday night tailgates it’s safe to say that the last four years were nothing less than a blast.

With the buzz of graduation looming and glimpses of summer approaching, it’s not hard to feel nostalgic realizing that there is a last to everything… even high school. It’s best to take it all in before it’s gone because as a freshmen you might feel like senior year is decades away but, as a senior I could’ve sworn I was just a freshmen yesterday.

I’ve made some memories that I’ll never forget. The ecstatic bus rides back from our soccer games were anything but uneventful. It was a great four years playing for Wakefield and I’m proud to have been part of the team that beat Sanderson for the first time in our school’s history. I wish the best of luck to all my brothers on the future Wakefield Soccer Teams.

Though all the sad endings in high school, I am very excited for what the future holds for me at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington this Fall. I’m thankful I’m blessed to be able to rep the “W” for another four years.

Jordon Myers, Staff Writer 

“The richest man is not the who has the most, but he who needs the least” – Unknown

When I first started high school at Wakefield, I had no idea what to expect. I transferred from a small charter school (Franklin Academy) at the beginning of sophomore year; I didn’t really expect much coming here. I had been going there my whole life, but I felt like I had been missing out on “normal” high school, so I was excited to see what all of the hype was about. I was pretty happy with my decision.

High school went by way faster than I thought it would; it really is crazy how quickly it has gone by. I have grown a lot as a person here, and I’m really excited to take what I have learned and begin real life. At the end of the day I do wish I would have relaxed and had a little bit more fun, because as long as you have good grades none of this really matters. I wish I had enjoyed the process a little bit more, but overall, there isn’t much that I would change.