Hallway natural sounds

It’s a bustling Wednesday in a U-High hallway, as students frantically rush to arrive at their next classes on time. For one group of students, the Class of 2024, the next few weeks will be some of the last times they walk down these hallways.

For seniors who have been at Lab their entire lives, known as “lab lifers,” the end of the school year is most definitely bittersweet. High school is a time of immense

growth, both academically as well as personally, and many students have grown a sentimental attachment to the school over the years.

According to Senior Taylor Patterson, who has been at Lab all her entire academic life, Lab fosters a tight-knit community.

Taylor Patterson: I think because we’ve been with each other for so long, Lab grows so close as a community, so that creates a really comfortable learning environment and you’re just able to experiment in the classroom and ask questions and just feel comfortable truly learning and taking risks. … It’s hard because when you go to Lab your whole life, this is where you’ve been, this is your school and going to college is like a completely different transition (stop sharply at 1 min 22 secs)

Alma Francez, another member of the Class of 2024, explained that her German class has been one of the ways she has observed growth in both herself as well as her peers.

Alma Francez: I mean I guess one thing that has been very consistent throughout my time at Lab is my German class. You choose these classes in the 3rd grade and I’ve been with the same people in this class since then so that’s really been one place where I really can see people change and grow and like how I’ve grown throughout my time at Lab because you know we’ve known each other for so long but we’ve all changed so much but its still so fun to be in the class together.

This sentiment is also echoed by fellow senior Zetta Mzriek, another Lab lifer.

Zetta Mzriek: I feel like it’s been nice having like pretty much the same group of people for like most of my life, I feel like that makes me more comfortable with like my grade in general and I think that’s nice in classroom environments because I feel more comfortable to, you know, connect with my peers and just talk in classes because I feel like I know everyone to a certain level.

However, Zetta has mixed feelings about leaving Lab.

Zetta Mzreik: It’s going to be a big change because I’ve been at Lab my whole life. Things have been very constant for like a long time, and I am sad to leave people behind, but hopefully I’ll stay in touch with them. (stop sharply at 2 mins 15 secs)

Senior Myles Cobb says that one of the benefits of being a lab lifer is that you know almost everyone.

Myles Cobb: “You really get to know every single person. There might be 2 or maybe 3 people in my grade who I don’t know the names of, otherwise I know almost everyone’s name. I’ve gotten to know everyone so even though I have my one friend group, I can really go to any friend group because I know people in all the other friend groups.

As these Lab lifers explore new horizons, they leave these pieces of advice for students who still have a year or more to go at U-High. Taylor emphasizes prioritizing learning.

Taylor Patterson: “I would think that it’s just to really enjoy all the steps of it, I think some classes you really get caught up in like how difficult they might be, but it’s more important to prioritize the learning of even like learning from the mistakes you’re making in those classes and you’ll get to senior year and you’re, like, ‘You you know what, I actually really enjoy that class.’”

Like Taylor, Zetta has also learned how to get the most out of classes, mainly by verbally participating. Zetta used to be very hesitant to speak up in class, but over the course of high school, she has become more comfortable doing so.

Zetta Mzreik: I recommend if you’re afraid to talk in class, which I definitely understand, it’s important that you try to  put yourself out there, because I feel it’s made me enjoy school more in a way.

Myles says that popularity and being socially accepted becomes less and less important as you move through high school, and the important thing is seeing things through.

Myles Cobb: “Everything you do doesn’t need to be socially accepted. On your college transcript when you eventually get to that point people are going to know what you have done. If you have only done stuff that is socially acceptable, that means everyone’s done that. By standing out, even if you just try something for a year and you don’t like it, stick it through for that year and kind of see what the results may be whether you enjoy it. I’m going to be honest, freshman year I played baseball and at the start I hated it and I wanted to quit and now here I am 4 years later, still playing the same exact sport that I wanted to play as a freshman.”

For all the underclassmen listening, as you continue to grow and move through the challenges of high school, whether it’s keeping up with heavy coursework or navigating difficult social situations, remember you are not alone. Countless Lab students have also been through this process, and wish you the best of luck for the future.

Hallway sounds

Reporting for the U-High Midway, I’m Orlie Weitzman.