By Katelynn Cox
Staff Reporter
To the average high schooler, the word “spoon” may not evoke any particular meaning, aside from being a useful tool for enjoying soup, bisque or possibly, most controversially, macaroni and cheese. However, for music-loving junior Harper Kois, the word Spoon is the name of one of her favorite bands.
One lyric that Kois identifies with is: “Your New York kiss/Now it’s just another place/A place your memory owns.” She explains that the idea of places representing memories with loved ones is familiar to her, especially because of her experience in international travel.
“My dad is a journalist and writer, and in 2017 he took a little bit of time off work to write a book. The book was about parenting around the world, so for 2017 we lived abroad in four different places,” Kois said.
Among the places she has traveled—including Costa Rica, Europe, Kansas and New York—New Zealand stands out as the most memorable. During the four months that she lived there with her family, the friendships she made were the key to unforgettable memories.
“When I lived there it was just the most amazing experience. I was only 9 years old, but I actually went back last summer and that was amazing, too. I made so many good friends and, also, the place itself was just so beautiful,” Kois said.
In addition to a love for travel and the band Spoon, Kois seemingly inherited a talent and keen interest in journalism from her father. She likes to let her creativity shine through in her journalistic writing.
“I like Newspaper a lot because I am able to mold my writing in a way that I can’t do it in English. English is five paragraphs, intro, body paragraphs, conclusion, and I feel very restricted,” Kois said.
Kois’ go-with-the-flow personality is one reason she identified her spirit animal as a panda. Kois admitted that when she has spare time, she likes to relax in a cozy spot.
“I just wanna lay in bed, and if I was a panda I would just lay in a bed of grass and eat bamboo all day,” Kois said.
Rest is especially hard to come by during the school year. Kois is a head co-chair for the Arlington Teen Network Board, which addresses drug prevention, consent, and jobs and internships for youth.
“I think that it’s a good work experience for me, especially, if I don’t decide to pursue journalism. I feel like that’s another field that I could do really well in” Kois said.
Softball and Volleyball are another big part of Kois’ life. She has played on the Yorktown softball team for two consecutive years. Between the fall and spring softball season, she plays in a volleyball league.
“Softball is my main sport, but I like having something athletic to do in the winter because I do not want to play winter softball. It’s so cold, so I enjoy playing volleyball then,” Kois said.
Stepping up to the plate for her second year as a reporter for The Sentry, Kois anticipates another memorable year on staff.
By Harper Kois
Staff Reporter
It’s a beautiful summer day in Washington, D.C. The Potomac river glistens in the sunlight and tourists enjoy ice cream cones in the shade. Nearby, crowds are swarming around a lone oak tree. Within it, a majestic American eagle rests on a warm branch. Washingtonians, Americans and even Europeans are in awe at this American beauty, except for one. Senior Katelynn Cox, stands a safe distance, with a petrified look on her face resulting from her number one fear: birds.
“As long as [birds] don’t have a violent look in their eye, we are good,” Cox said.
Rather than spending time outdoors facing the threat of flying animals, Cox prefers indoor activities, like the refreshing task of cleaning her room.
“I feel like a clean space is best. It best represents where my mind should be,” Cox said.
Cox also spends her free time trying to meet new people. As a senior, she has embraced her high school goal of going out of her comfort zone and becoming a more outgoing person.
“Something that I’m super proud of is branching out and finding community in many different areas. Outside of school, I am connected with my church and many different groups that have allowed me to branch out and meet new people which has improved my leadership skills,” Cox said.
On the topic of community and spending time outside of school, one of Cox’s favorite TV shows is none other than Community.
“It’s so basic but I love anything funny. I can always rewatch it and just laugh at it over and over again,” Cox said.
Although a Buzzfeed quiz, Which Community Character are You? revealed Cox to be the goofy, childlike Troy Barnes, she thinks of herself quite differently. According to Cox, Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice is the perfect setting, and bears the perfect character, Elizabeth Bennet.
“I am such a Jane Austen girl. I love all of her books and that time period is so cool to me. I know I would probably not be able to survive it, but I love the idea of the fancy dresses and a castle and the statues,” Cox said.
Aside from her love for the late 18th century lifestyle, Cox feels influenced by her faith. She spends every week at her church’s youth group and is a leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at our school.
Cox’s dedication doesn’t stop there. She has spent the last four years devoted to the journalism field.
“I took journalism in eighth grade, and then in my sophomore year of high school, I took The Dailies. I’ve always enjoyed English, writing and the talking to people that comes with that. So [joining The Yorktown Sentry] was a natural choice for me,” Cox said.
As Cox enters her first year on staff, we are so lucky to have her. With her dedication for journalism and bubbly personality, Cox will certainly be an excellent addition to The Yorktown Sentry.
