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O u r S p o n s o r s  Zoe Lafferty Parents/guardians: Tiffany Leslie Yellow Springs has taught me a lot about who I want to be as a person and what I value in life. Though Yellow Springs isn’t where I grew up, it’s where I went to school since the first grade. I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, which is about 25 minutes away from Yellow Springs. Growing up in two different areas taught me a lot about how different people are based on how they’ve grown up. YS has always felt like another home to me because it’s where all my friends lived and it’s where everyone hung out. I am grateful that I was given the chance to have this experience. When COVID-19 occurred and we all knew things wouldn’t be the same, I was completely devastated. I had so many questions for the world, and it made me feel as if we have nothing to show for our hard work. I’ve been upset and angry about the things I knew I wasn’t going to experience. I missed many opportunities that I was so excited to start and become a part of. Our school work is all online. I don’t get to see my friends and family that I used to see all the time and I don’t get to play the sports that I’ve been playing my whole high school career. When I graduate, I will be staying close to home, and going to community college. I will hopefully transfer to a four-year university, hopefully in Boston, Mass., or in some other wonderful city. One of the things that I was looking forward to after graduation was that I was going to travel as much as I could. Since we don’t know when we will be safe enough to travel again, I’m not sure when I will. I will hopefully work a lot and save more money, so I can travel after college instead. Ten years from now, I do feel like I’m going to be at a good place in life. I do not know if it will be what I imagined, but I think I will be at a satisfied point with my life and my current situations. I hope that I will be in a career that I love because as of right now, I have not settled on one. I will be grateful for things that I will have learned and would have grown from. I plan on still fighting for what I believe, doing my part to hopefully make the world a little better and be constantly accomplishing what I have always wanted. Even if it’s not the way I might’ve expected. Zachary Leggett Parents/guardians: Stacy Leggett I moved to Yellow Springs in the fifth grade. My mom says it was the best thing that happened for me and my education. The schools are amazing for kids who need extra help. The teachers and kids are all very friendly. I felt very welcomed. Because of living in a small commu- nity with our amazing downtown, almost everything being in walking distance and with the Glen being so close, YS students have been given many different opportu- nities and ways of learning. I think the community is also very involved in our schools. They come to our programs and project nights. That is a great thing when the community sup- ports the kids. I have been going to Greene County Career Center. I will be a “Super Senior” next year at the Career Center to continue my learning. #Bulldogs2020. Mason Lindsey Parents/guardians: Troy Lindsey, Julie Moore Q: “Whatcha gonna do when you get outta jail?” A: “I’m gonna have some fun!” Q: “What do you consider fun?” A: “Fun, natural fun!” This year was traumatic in many, many ways for myself and many others. It may even somehow get worse from here, but I know deep down that things will get better eventually! I am glad to have grown up in such a strong community who helps each other during these ter- rible times. It’s sort of surreal, though, that school somehow got worse when we all got to stay home. Big shout-out to my Dungeons and Dragons group for legitimately keeping me sane and providing me with many an ugly laugh. I don’t have anything else to say, because in reality, my 2020 has been nothing but cabin fever, extreme soul crushing anxiety, existential dread and general depression/emotional numb- ness. Going in-depth into that isn’t gonna help anyone and is going to lead to me ruminating further so I’m gonna end it here. Stay safe, everyone — wash ya hands. Tyler Linkhart Parents/guardians: Chris and Greg Linkhart As I look back on the year, I know it’s not how my classmates and I would have wanted. It makes me sad to think about all the things we will be missing out on: prom, graduation, senior clap-out, etc. But it’s not only my senior year that will be affected. My future plans are to attend Witten- berg University to continue my academic and athletic career in volleyball. It is not decided yet if we will have classes on campus in the fall. But Yellow Springs Schools have taught me how to deal with adversity when it arises and how to make the best of every situation. For me, Yellow Springs has been a wonderful place to grow up. It’s taught me how to accept and respect others and their viewpoints, but also gave me the courage to share mine. Yellow Springs has also taught me it’s important to learn and get good grades, but it’s just as important to be a good person while doing so. My favorite thing about YS Schools is the small class sizes that allow you to create a deeper relationship with teachers, as opposed to bigger schools. The teachers don’t want you to succeed so that they look good, they want you to succeed for yourself, and that is often- times hard to find. Next, I want to say “thank you” to everyone in the YS community who has helped shape me into the person I am today: my coaches, teachers and friends, but most of all my mom and dad, my brother and sister, Kasey and Jesse Linkhart, and grandparents, Mary and Keith Linkhart. Without the support and encouragement from these people, I would not be where I am today. Ten years from now, I’m not sure where I’ll be, but I’m grateful that I will always be able to call Yellow Springs home. Alexis Longshaw Parents/guardians: Trish and Chauncey Longshaw My whole life I have attended Yellow Springs schools, and in my third grade year I moved into town. Moving here was probably the most exciting milestone for my family and me as we got to live in a safe environment. At times I think I took going to school here for granted. I would always say that I wished I went to a bigger school so I could attend huge proms, football games, etc. But I truly think I took away from this school way more than I could get from anywhere else. I got to cross paths with some of the most down-to-earth people who became family. I’m very different from everyone I went to school with yet I felt I fit perfectly into the mix. Everyday I felt like I was a piece of what made the school what it is. If there was one thing I would change about my experience here, it would be to get to know more people than I did. There were so many beautiful souls and unique personalities in just one build- ing and I wish I would have acquainted myself a little bit more. And for those I did get to know, I am truly thankful. Personally, this pandemic didn’t really affect my senior year. I feel like every- thing happens for a reason and I’m still thankful for the time I got to spend at the school this year, although it has been a struggle trying to stay motivated to do online schooling. Without the support of my amazing parents, things would have been much harder. Regarding my future plans, I am not exactly sure, but I do know in the end I would like to be work- ing for myself doing something I love. In 10 years, I see myself as my own boss with my own brand. I believe the knowledge I have taken in from this school will get me to where I want to be. Yellow Springs High School  CLASS OF 2 0 2 0  A Special Section of the YEllow Springs News  |  May 28, 2020    7 MVECA Nipper’s Corner Re/Max Ultimate, Craig Mesure I am going to miss the amazing bonds I had with all my teachers, our principal and vice principal. And I know they’re going to miss my bold personality as well. Sadly, our time got cut short, but I am forever thankful. Abby McAnerney Parents/guardians: Kevin and Gigi McAnerney My plans after graduation are to attend Ohio University and major in nursing. My overall goal is to eventu- ally become a nurse anesthetist. I have always been fascinated by the medical field and the opportunity to make a posi- tive difference in someone’s life every single day. Growing up with many role models working in the healthcare field, such as my mother and many of my cous- ins, has further increased my passion for a similar career. This school year ended very abruptly, and unfortunately due to that, many of the most exciting aspects and traditions of senior year will not be experienced by the Class of 2020. This year has not been ideal, however, we still have many things to look forward to in our future. Robyn McCoy Parents/guardians: Malissa Johnson, Johnny McCoy I never grew up in Yellow Springs, but for the last three years, I attended school here. Those three years have been the best three years. When I first came to YSHS, I was nervous, but by the end of my sophomore year, I came out of my shell quite a bit. My senior year was good, but it was honestly such a drag at times. I somehow managed to get by with the help of my closest friends because they made it less troublesome. This pan- demic didn’t affect my senior year. Yeah, it’s a total bummer, but I’m happy that I still got to experience some of it and I always remind myself that it could be worse. I miss seeing my friends everyday and every other weekend, but I’m glad we still get to talk, y’know? Regarding my future plans and this pandemic, I don’t really know. I’m supposed to be attend- ing Antioch in the fall and hopefully that still happens. The best part about my YS experience is being able to meet a few people who