Powder Puff

For most Juniors and Seniors, Powder Puff is one of the most exciting events of the year. It is an opportunity for the roles to be switched, girls play football and guys cheer. Unfortunately, there were no cheerleaders this year, but the experience was all the same.

Practice was early and I regretted getting almost every time, but as soon as I got there, the girls made it worth it. Having the juniors practice at the same time as us only increased the already heated rivalry. I can hear the coaches laughing about how disorganized the other team was. Despite this, we practiced like the juniors were the defending Super Bowl Champions.

Each practice consisted of the same routine. Put your flags on, passing lines, flag pulling, and then running plays. Running plays often got tiresome, having to run the same one over and over again until we got it right. Looking back, I guess this worked in favor for us.

With gameday soon approaching, practices seemed to get more and more intense. Then, it was the night of the game and everybody was anxious to get underway. The warm up felt incredibly long and everybody was counting down the minutes, even seconds, until 7:30 hit. After captains went up and the coin toss finished, the juniors and seniors took the field. The announcers came over the speakers, welcoming everyone to the game and wishing each team good luck. After the first drive, the rest of the game felt like a blur. It was a rush of red and white, running up and down the field. Despite the blur of the actual game, the score is still fresh in my mind: 36-3, seniors won.


It is so weird to think that in a short 8 months, I will be surrounded by thousands of people that have no idea who I am. College is quite intimidating when you think about it that way. Granted, there may be some people from your high school that choose the same college as you, but basically you are starting all over. You are going to a new town or maybe even a new state and it is up to you to make new friends. For me, I know that change is difficult. I like my routine, I like knowing what is going to happen, and I like being in control, but I know that change is good. Change allows for new people to enter your life. Change allows for a new passion to be discovered. Change allows for people to step outside their comfort zone. College will be an opportunity to challenge myself to accept such change. I know that as soon as I step foot on that campus on June 25th that my entire life will change. Not only will I be surrounded by new people, but I will be out of control. There will be people telling me what I can and cannot do and there will be rules that I must follow. Despite all of this, there is the reward that comes with change. So, looking forward, I know that change will be hard, but it is something that is necessary to life. It will teach me life lessons. It will push me to try new things. Most importantly, it will allow for new opportunities that otherwise would be missed.

A Life Well Lived, Yautia Malanga

Burt, the Yautia Malanga, lived an eventful life. He was born in Ecuador, where he lived for only a short time. The warm climate and soil made it a perfect home for him and his family. Nevertheless, as a little Malanga, Burt was shipped to the United States. The journey was long and had many bumps along the way. The box that Burt was placed in was cold and dark, nothing like the climate of his home. This abrupt change was very difficult for Burt and it is safe to say that Burt was feeling some homesickness along this journey. Despite this, the adventure that awaited him was enough to keep his hopes up. So, after what felt like an eternity in this cold, dark box, light entered. The light entered so abruptly that it put Burt into a state of shock. Although the journey was not over for Burt yet. He was sent to Leesburg, Virginia, and placed on the produce shelves at a local Wegmans. There he sat. Waiting patiently and hoping that some family would choose him to take home with them. This time soon came as a teenage girl picked him up, looked at him curiously, and took him home. Burt was ecstatic, after all this time, someone had picked him! Burt was taken back to this girl’s house and then a new adventure began. He was taken to and from this mysterious place, set on a table for 20 min, then back into the confinements of a dark bag. After multiple trips back and forth, the toll was starting to set on Burt. He started feeling sick. Green spots started appearing on his skin and soon they took over his entire body. Burt eventually gave way to natural decomposition, living a life full of adventure.