Kenzie Stephens Senior Val

Never take the little things for granted, because in a matter of

seconds it could be taken away from you. Love uncondition-

ally, laugh regularly, and live to the fullest. Be the best person

you can possibly be. Looking back on my past I am happy

with the decisions I’ve made and because of that I am the

person I am today.

LIVE WITH NO REGRETS

“Live life to the fullest.” -Ernest Hemingway

5/21/13

Volume 1, Issue 1

Special points of interest:

Top 10 TV Shows on page

3

Special stories on

influential people, great

memories, and

achievements

What’s going on in the

world? Check out page 8

and 9

Kenzie Stephens

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Inside this issue:

Meaning of Life 2

Top Ten 3

Memories 4

Time Capsule 5

People 6

Achievements 7

News Articles 8

Magazine Articles 9

Art 1 10

Art 2 11

“Life isn’t about

finding yourself.

It’s about creating

yourself.”

-Unknown

Page 2 Kenzie Stephens Volume 1, I ssue 1

The Meaning of Life No matter how hard life gets, never give up. Times can get rough along

the way, but all it takes is one second to turn it all around. The meaning

of life is different for everyone, but I strongly believe you should accept

change and embrace happiness. Life is too short to be anything but

happy and the people that surround you have a strong influence on

that. Surround yourself with people who care about you and you will

find happiness in the little things. Family and friends are the people that

have your back through thick and thin and it is important to value those

relationships because in the end it is all you’ll ever need. Life goes by so

fast that sometimes we may take those relationships for granted, but in

the end they are always there, waiting. Happiness is the key to success

and it isn’t about money, or popularity. It’s about having a good time

with the people you care about most.

Top Ten TV Shows


1. Walking Dead

A zombie apocalypse is spreading throughout the world and

survivors are fighting to survive. I like the element of surprise in

this television show as characters die and more drama occurs.

2. Criminal Minds

The FBI get called out on many different assignments to catch

serial killers all over the U.S. Each person has a specific job to up-

hold. I like this show because I’m interested in criminal justice.

3. The Mentalist

Patrick Jane works for the CBI and helps solve murders with his

physic ability. Years ago, Jane’s family was murdered by the serial

killer Red John which started his career on the CBI.

4. Bates Motel

Norma and Norman try to live a normal life, but the new town

they have moved to is filled with many suspicious people.

Murder, drugs, and scandal are all factors in this brand new show.

5. Hawaii 5-0

This show is another crime show, based in Hawaii. 5-0 tracks

down murderers while also trying to live their lives, but many

secrets hit the surface, making their jobs more difficult.

6. The Voice

Since I cannot sing, I like to watch shows where other people

know how to sing. Singers fight for their safety week by week as

their coaches can save or eliminate the contestants.

7. Bones

Bones is yet again another crime show, but only Booth is the

FBI agent, while his assistant helps him solve cases by looking at

bones to find new information on victims.

8. Awkward

This show describes my life perfectly. Jenna has things happen to

her that wouldn’t happen to anyone else, making her life

extremely awkward for herself and the others around her.

9. Pretty Little

Liars

This drama-filled

TV show involves

four girls trying to

protect their top

secrets from the

rest of the world.

Their good friend,

Allie, was killed but

there is reason to

believe that she still

may be alive.

10. House

Since I am consider-

ing the medical field

I enjoy watching

House. House is

about a group of

doctors that try to

solve and cure pa-

tients with illnesses

that are unusual to

many doctors.

Change Over Time


Throughout many years of my

high school career, numerous

things have changed since my

beginning year as a young fresh-

man. As a senior I look back on

my life through photograph. Not

only has my personality and

looks changed, but I’ve noticed a

huge shift in my friend groups.

Although friends have come and

gone, I’ve enjoyed every moment

in high school. Things pop up

and arguments hit the surface,

but that’s the life of a teenager.

Looking back, I miss a lot of my

previous friends that I used to be

extremely close to. I could walk

past one of them in the halls,

and we pretend to ignore each

other, forgetting our friendship

ever existed. Being an older sen-

ior in my grade I tend to be-

come friends with people a

grade older than myself. There-

fore, most of my friends have

already packed up and been sent

off to college. Not all of my

friends have changed through-

out the years. I’ve managed to

maintain strong friendships with

girls I met in junior high and

during soccer seasons. I’m hap-

py with my current friend group

my senior year and even though

I will be leaving soon, I hope to

keep long-lasting friendships.

(202)

Years from now, many former

students from Fishers High

School will be living different

lives than what they do now. I

don’t know what the future holds,

but I want my previous teachers

and classmates to remember me

in a positive way. Throughout my

high school career, I participated

in soccer and cross country. Play-

ing sports is a huge part of my

life, but in order to be committed

to a sport, I had to work the hard-

est I ever had. I want my coaches,

teammates, and friends to think

of me as a hard worker, always

striving to be better. The 100 de-

gree weather, early morning

practices and dedication has

made me into a stronger ath-

lete and person. I want this

image of myself to pass onto

my teachers. I made sure to

turn work in on time, and to

follow directions carefully.

High school is preparing eve-

ryone for college and now

that it is getting closer to my

senior year ending I am

thankful for all of my hard

work. My reflection on oth-

ers is important, and I want

to be reminisced for making

a difference in the lives of all

of my classmates, teammates,

and teachers. (199)

Lasting Impressions


Time Capsule 1. Strawberry Lemonade Calypso

Strawberry Lemonade is something I drink every day especially

when I go out to eat. My favorite type of strawberry lemonade is

Calypso’s. Almost once a week I drive all the way down to the BP

gas station to purchase a Calypso and add to my collection of

empty bottles. This drink has become extremely popular this past

year which is why it is included in my time capsule.

2. Soccer Cleats

Soccer has been a huge part of my life since I was five years old. I would

prefer wearing soccer cleats over high heels any day. Throughout the

years I have gone through multiple pairs of cleats, but they always stay the

same brand; Nike Tiempo. My cleats will be included because they

provide many memories I will never forget.

3. Nineteen Minutes

In today’s society, most books are read electronically. I do not

prefer this way, I like going to the book store and purchasing my

own copy to read. My favorite book is Nineteen Minutes so that

is why it will be included in my time capsule because eventually

books will not be in paper back..

4. iPhone

As time goes on, technology grows. I have had my collection of broken

phones, but my favorite is the iPhone. It has all my photos, notes, games,

and social media on one device. I decided to put this into my time capsule

because as time goes on the iPhone keeps improving and I think it would

be cool to look back at my first iPhones.

5. The Band Perry CD

The Band Perry is my favorite country group, even though I’m

not a huge fan of country. There music is very relatable and I

think it would be cool to put in the time capsule because less

and less people use CD’s anymore.

Today, I can thank my father for

turning me into the adult I am,

helping me through all of life’s ups

and downs on a regular basis. He

continues to help me grow and

achieve more than I could ever

think possible. Though we may not

see eye to eye all the time, I know I

can count on him to be there for

me through it all. As a young soccer

player, my father was always on the

sidelines cheering me on, giving me

the strength I needed. At times I

wanted to give up, but he gave me

the motivation to keep pushing on.

This lesson has stuck with me ever

since I was young and will stay with

me for the rest of my life. My dad

has always tells me the honest truth

even when I don’t want to hear it,

but need to. He has shown me

strength, integrity, and determination

and will do absolutely anything for

the ones he loves. My dad has

brought me up to become a spitting

image of him and I couldn’t ask for a

better role model or father. (190)

Through the fights I continue to care

and that will never change. They all

have had an influence on my life,

some good and sometimes bad, but I

wouldn’t trade those moments for

anything. As college is approaching

we have made a pact to continue to

remain friends no matter how hard

life gets. I can thank each and every

close I’ve had through high school

for making me the person I am

today. Sometimes I don’t appreciate

how much they truly do for me, but I

know I would do the same for them

anytime. (203)

My friends have had a huge

impact on my life and I couldn’t

imagine living without them. They

have supported me through

anything and everything. Friends

love each other even after

knowing everything about one

another. My friends are the most

trusting people I know and will help

me no matter what the cost. Tears

of happiness and sadness have fallen

from my eyes and my friends are the

first to keep me going. After

spending a lot of time with them, I

tend to pick up on their

personalities and behaviors. Each

person is an individual and I will do

anything to be there for them.

Most Influential

Friendships


What the Future Holds

Acceptance Letter

me, I want to play on the intermural

soccer team and work as hard as I

can. Soccer is a big part of my life

and I do not want to give up on

something that has made me the

person I am today. This will also

assist me in making me life-long

friends. Even though I am leaving

some of my best friends for college,

I hope to remain in touch and hang

out every possible chance. My

overall future goal is to try extremely

hard to be the best in what I strive

to become. (213)

As time goes, I get closer to

accomplishing my future goals. I may

not be able to make up my mind all

the time, but my main goal is to stay

true to what I believe in. I aspire to be

a physical therapist when I’m older

and I will be attending Purdue this fall

in order to accomplish this dream.

Physical therapy is a difficult major to

stay with. Good grades, high GPA,

and late nights studying will be my life

in college. Even though my entire

college life will be working hard, I

want to maintain my health, which

means eating right and finding time

out of my day to work out. To help

now. I pulled all nighters to com-

plete projects, and worked hard

than I ever have this year because

I knew that if I gave up early my

dream of Purdue may come to a

short end. I currently have straight

A’s and I plan to keep it that way

even throughout college. It may

be difficult but I have the ability

to prove myself wrong. I learned

to never give up no matter what

life throws at me because I am

capable of overcoming it.

My greatest moment of triumph is

when I received my acceptance letter

in the mail from Purdue University.

Thinking about college was an ex-

tremely stressful moment in my life

because of all the applications and

paperwork that came along with it. I

stuck with it and hoped that I would

be lucky enough to attend my dream

college in the fall. When I opened the

letter, tears of joy almost filled my

eyes. I never gave up during high

school even when I wanted to, just

for this one moment. If there is one

thing I learned it is that hard work

truly pays off. I kept going through

the hard times to get to where I am

“I learned to never give

up no matter what life

throws at me because I

am capable of

overcoming it. “


Sandy Hook School Shooting

Devastating Day

People all around the world were

affected by the shooting of

elementary students and staff in

Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza

opened fire into a school full of

young children, killing 26. Teachers

and students rushed to safe areas,

quietly avoiding the shooter. Inside,

teachers quickly hid students all

around rooms in cabinets and under

desks. Janet Vollmer read to her

group of kindergarten students to

ease the emotions. Cries were heard

and the Sandy Hook shooting became

known as the second-deadliest school

shooting.

This event has personally affected my

life. I work with children as young as

three as their soccer coach. It is a

responsibility of mine to keep all

children from harm, and I cannot

imagine what the teachers and staff

had to go through to protect their

students. Some even risked their

own lives in order to save the

young. It is truly sad to know that

someone out there could do this

much harm, especially to children

no older than kindergarten.

Children bring so much joy that it’s

hard to understand how Lanza

could harm such innocent lives.

Hearts were shattered that Friday

morning at Sandy Hook

Elementary, leaving many

questions that still have yet to be

answered. (202)

runners and witnesses had to get a

limb amputated, that would affect

their lives forever. The news and

pictures spread across the United

States very quickly. Pictures of peo-

ple being hauled off in stretchers

with missing limbs or blood covering

their body were posted all over the

internet while some were extremely

graphic. It was soon classified as a

terrorist attack, which caused Massa-

chusetts to be on lockdown. The

men responsible were found while

prayers went out to those in need.

(207)

The Boston Marathon is an exciting day

for runners everywhere; it is a time to

show their true potential in a long race

to the finish line. But this year, things

took a turn for the worst. Near the fin-

ish line of the marathon, two bombs

were placed and set off. Immediately

people were running for their lives and

far away from the finish line. Many wit-

nesses stated that it felt like a huge can-

non had gone off and swept them off

their feel. Ambulances were called in to

the scene to take and care for the in-

jured. Some people even stopped to

help out the injured. A total of three

died, but over 144 people were injured

and in critical condition. A total of 10


http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2012/12/us/sandy-hook-timeline/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/us/b

oston-marathon-explosions

Instagram

Death of a Superstar

Imagine a world without

electronics. My generation’s entire

life has been the focus of obtain-

ing new phones, gaming stations,

apps, etc. One specific app,

available on phones, has made a

big impact for many ages.

Instagram is where anyone can

post a picture of whatever they

want so the world can see. A

feature on the app is the ability to

tag your family and friends so

they are aware they are in the

photo. Also, you can follow other

people on Instagram so their

photos pop up on your news feed

and that way you have the ability

to “like” their picture. This means

that you double click on the

picture so it pops up with your

name underneath the photo.

Teenagers everywhere have their

eyes glued to their screens inside

and outside of school, which causes

a big distraction during school and

work. Instagram has become a new

way of communicating for some

students. The app keeps people

informed about the lives of their

peers and it is an entertaining way

to pass the time. Even celebrities

are using the app to keep their fans

updated about current events. With

this new technology, more and

more people are becoming more

reliable on their electronics. (206)

seat of my friend’s car when the

radio came on and every single

station we went to was informing us

of his death. At first, it was

impossible to believe, but as time

went on the grieving become worse

for some people. Tears filled the air

on that day, but in honor of his

influential life, his music still play on

every radio. I was too young to

understand what was completely

going on, but on June 25, the world

lost a fantastic pop star. (204)

June 25, 2009 is a day many people will

remember. Michael Jackson, the king of

pop, suffered from a cardiac arrest in his

home in Los Angeles. He was

pronounced dead by the time he arrived

to the Medical Center. Jackson had

overdosed and rumors spread that

Jackson’s doctor had prescribed him the

wrongful amount of medication, which

lead to his sentence to 4 years in prison.

Before his death he was scheduled to

host concerts around America. During

his lifetime he has had many successful

songs and influenced the lives of many.

For me, I remember the moment I heard

the terrible news of his death. I was too

young to drive and was riding in the back


http://instagram.com/about/faq/#

http://crime.about.com/od/curren

t/a/jackson_death.htm

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=oaGjR4DyS8rI3M&tbnid=wRJlyifRotcg3M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fasburyandasbury.typepad.com%2Fblog%2F2012%2F12%2Finstagram-didnt-get-the-tone-wrong.html&ei=UK6ZUfPqMq

Family, friends, and soccer are the

three most important things in my life.

Lauren and Lauren (pictured above)

have been through all the ups and

downs with me. I cannot imagine my

life without them in it. Sometimes we

go through rough times, but soccer is

the one thing that brings us together.

We have all seen the best and worst of

each other and last year the three of us

finally got to play on a soccer team.

We played back to back games, cheer-

ing everyone on and trying until we

won. “Win or die” has been our motto

from the beginning. This picture is

probably my favorite one of us be-

cause it shows our unique personalities

and it happened to be right after one

of our tournament games, which

we won. Soccer is a competitive

sport and requires a lot of team-

work on everyone’s part. We en-

joyed being together on soccer

days and because of our winning

streak, we would leave the field

happy. It’s sad knowing I won’t

play on a team with them again,

but that doesn’t mean I won’t still

see them every other day. I have

the best friends I could possibly

ask for and I wouldn’t have it any

other way. (207)


I picked this quote because it has stayed with me throughout the years, especially in

high school. Italian Job is by far my favorite movie even though it is an older one.

The movie is about a robbery that takes place in Venice. Once they steal the gold one

of their “friends” turns on them and takes all the gold for himself. I like the idea it

brings and it shows that even though you may know someone they can turn out to be

the exact opposite. I trust many people, but at the same time I know my limits. This

movie in a way can be related to a moment in my life when a friend did something to

hurt me instead of help. I don’t hold grudges, but this quote is something that helped

me. My friend didn’t mean to hurt me because sometimes we don’t truly know why

we do the things we do. Even though this quote is not popular and when I say it no

one knows what I am talking about, it has shown me that sometimes you have to put

your guard up in order to protect yourself. (195)


“I trust everyone; it’s

the devil inside them I

don’t trust.”

-Italian Job

Special thanks to my friends and family who have made me into who I

am today and supporting me every step of the way. I don’t know what I

would do without them.

Bucket List for Summer 2013

Hamilton Southeastern Schools

Try every Calypso flavor and keep the bottles

Go to the zoo and pet an elephant

Go to at least 5 concerts

Buy more Purdue shirts

Go on a shopping spree

Get out of Indiana for a week

Visit my best friend in Colorado

Try something new

Save up for college

HAVE FUN

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Kenzie Stephens Senior Val