Gigi Richardson, Ryan Van Kirk and Julie Gilbertsen

Julie Gilbertsen, Gigi Richardson and Ryan Van Kirk hanging out in the hallway.
Julie Gilbertsen, Gigi Richardson and Ryan Van Kirk hanging out in the hallway.

Junior Gigi Richardson is the kind of girl you want to be friends with. First of all, she has racked up tons of embarrassing childhood stories due to the fact that she has three older brothers and an older sister who teased her mercilessly. Secondly, she has some insane crowd-pleasing party tricks, including being able to cry just like baby and belly dancing. Third, and arguably most importantly, she has an adorable puppy named Eloise.

This is Richardson’s second year reporting, and she is such a great writer that she even earned an A in Winch’s notoriously difficult English class last year. Needless to say, The Sentry is lucky to have her as part of the staff. Her active involvement in school activities makes her an informed Patriot who can keep everyone up to date on the happenings of this school.

Richardson is making the most of her high school experience by participating in various sports and clubs. She plays field hockey and lacrosse along with participating in Model General Assembly, Young Democrats, Girl Up, and many other activities. It seems as though Richardson is doing it all, so it comes as no surprise that her perfect day would be full of rest and relaxation.

“I would wake up at 10 or later and [do] anything non-stressful. It would be rainy. I would probably play with my dog for a while because she’s really cute, [and] then I would probably hang out with my friends,” Richardson said.

She has no shame when admitting that she is a “die hard” One Direction fan. However, her music taste goes beyond catchy pop hits, as her favorite song is the neo-folk classic, “In Spite of Ourselves” by John Prime and Iris Dement.

“I used to play it in my house a lot and I think it’s really funny because no one knows what it is. It’s terrible but it’s great,” Richardson said.

Though Richardson is well traveled, having been to London, Jamaica, St. Thomas and all over Spain, she hopes to continue exploring the world, as there are a couple places she is just dying to visit.

“I really want to go to Africa. I think that would be really cool. I’ve never been to Paris, so that I guess that would be a first stop,” Richardson said.

In a few years time, Richardson just may be traveling around the world with Eloise by her side. Her humor, motivation, and involvement in her community are, quite literally, going to take her places in life.

 

 

Picture this: Shaquille O’Neal running down a mile stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. The only thing missing in this scene is sophomore Ryan Van Kirk on Shaq’s back. This was Van Kirk’s answer to who and where he would want to receive a piggy back ride from. Van Kirk’s amazing answer is only a glimpse into the basketball star and Notre Dame fanatic’s life.

Van Kirk is a new staff member this year after his friends convinced him to join The Sentry. His friends love the freshman English and Sentry teacher Chrissy Weidemann (like who does not?) and thought he would be a great fit for the class with his writing skills. And they were right.

If it was not obvious enough, one of Van Kirk’s passions is the sport of basketball. He played for the junior varsity team last year and this winter he hopes to join his senior brother, Connor, on the varsity court. Not only does he like to shoot hoops, but he also loves to watch basketball. He named Kobe Bryant and Reggie Miller as his favorite players.

“They are winners. They always come up in the big moments and I respect that,” Van Kirk said.

Outside of athletics, Van Kirk is a standup-cheeseburger loving guy. Phrases such as “well rounded” and “a good person” are what Van Kirk used to describe his inspiration, his father. These adjectives definitely also apply to Van Kirk himself. Van Kirk also has another thing in common with his dad, his love for Notre Dame University. His whole family went there and it is a staple in his plans for the future. Van Kirk has plans for college lined up and now his theoretical food plans are in place as well.

“I would say Pineapple because it is somewhat healthy, it being a fruit, but it also tastes good.” Van Kirk said on what food item he would choose to eat exclusively for the rest of his life.

If Van Kirk could go back in time and be the first person to do something that has already been done, he would choose to be the first to fly. His answers to these odd questions show Van Kirk has seriously cool fantasies. I mean Hollywood Boulevard, Shaq, flying? Sounds pretty cool to me.

Van Kirk said his best memory of 2016 so far was attending a family reunion in Minnesota over the summer. The reunion is special to him because it only happens once a year and spending time with his older cousins for a whole week is totally worth the wait.

Sadly Van Kirk did not know his Zodiac sign, but according to his September 5 birthday, he is a Virgo. Attention to detail is what the sign is best known for and Van Kirk embodies this trait in a very good way.

“Probably yes or no because it answers most questions.” Van Kirk said on what two words he would pick to say for the rest of his life. So to conclude in the words of Van Kirk:

Is The Sentry extremely lucky and happy to have the smart, nice and talented Van Kirk on their staff?

Yes.

 

Entering her second and final year as a member of The Sentry, Julie Gilbertsen hopes to make her mark in the program as the News Editor. Gilbertsen is a senior, who embodies a well-rounded and intelligent student.   

Gilbertsen’s favorite core class is English because she loves to read and write, both good qualities for a Sentry editor, so it is not surprising to learn that her favorite class is Journalism. On top of being a part of The Sentry, Gilbertsen is the co-President of Habitat for Humanity and a member of the National Honor Society. She has also been a part of many different clubs during her four years at school.

As if being a very active student was not enough, Gilbertsen also volunteers at the Children’s Hospital in her free time. She is inspired by her mom, who also works at the Children’s Hospital, one of many reasons she looks up to her mother

“I have always admired her kindness,” Gilbertsen said.

At home, Gilbertsen has two dogs and two cats, all of which she cares for very much. Interestingly, she prefers puppies over kittens, and grown cats over grown dogs.

If Gilbertsen could travel to any place in the world, she would go to Australia because “they have cool looking instagram profiles.” She also believes being on the beach would be an enjoyable trip.

On the other hand, Gilbertsen’s dream house would be a lake house, preferably somewhere cold. The size of the house is not important to Gilbertsen, as long as she has her friends, family, and of course, her pets.

“I want it to be really cozy,” Gilbertsen said.

With one million dollars, Gilbertsen would save most of it and give some to her family. Her main goal would be to spend the money wisely, not waste any of it unnecessarily.

Lastly, and with much thought, if Gilbertsen could be any animal she would be a bird. Like many others, she thinks it would be very fun to have the ability to fly.

In her final year as a staff member Gilbertsen will help make sure the year runs smoothly, and with her skillset, the year is sure to be a breeze. The Sentry is very lucky to have such a skilled and qualified editor on staff, and she will surely be missed when she graduates at the end of this year.

 

 

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