By Maggie Dickerson
The bell rings, signaling crowded halls and a quick trip to the bathroom before class. Students enter Room 249 and Room 250, the classes that hold the hallowed traditions of meme presentations and the infamous water essay. For Scarlett Gray, these classes have become a thought constantly in the back of her mind. When asked what her Roman Empire is, Gray had a unique take:
“Wiedemann’s class freshman year—I feel like everything just always comes back to this class,” Gray said.
English teacher Chrissy Wiedemann’s class isn’t the only thing on her mind. Between preparing for college and holding the esteemed position of Head Editor for The Sentry, Gray is either baking or swimming. Swimming has been a passion for Gray the past eight years, but a torn shoulder has taken her away from the sport these last few months. However, Gray did receive some hopeful news.
“I’m technically cleared to swim in January, so I may be able to hit the tailend of the season,” Gray said.
Although this unfortunate incident has kept Gray away from dominating the swimming lanes, it allows for more sleep. Swimming requires a rigorous schedule, waking up early to swim or lift weights before school. While being a morning person doesn’t exactly fit into Gray’s persona, neither does the lifestyle of a night owl.
“I used to wake up at 4:30 a.m. for swim practice, and I could definitely do it, but I’d hate it. And then I always try to be a night person, but I fall asleep by 10 p.m.,” Gray said.
As a student athlete, Gray displays her dedication to the sport by waking up early to train, even though it’s easy to hit snooze on an alarm. Hopefully, our school will see Gray and her motivated attitude back in the pool toward the end of the season.
Although Gray is unable to swim right now, she would hit the beach for some waves and sand if it was her last day on earth. And a perfect last day wouldn’t be complete without Meryl Streep. Gray would spend the day watching her favorite childhood movies, including the timeless music and iconic mother daughter bond of Mamma Mia.
The magical movie of Mamma Mia is set in Greece, a place where most people can only imagine the foreign but beautiful setting. But while some people have never lived outside of Arlington or even left the country, Gray is no stranger to the outside world.
“I moved to Arlington in sixth grade, and before that I grew up military, so I’ve lived all over,” Gray said.
From living in Hawaii to Japan, she’s had a diverse global experience from a young age. Since this, Gray has built an amazing community for herself at our school with swim and The Sentry.
But if there was one thing that Gray would go back and advise her younger self, it would be that everything will work out.
“To my younger self, I would be like, ‘don’t stress out, you don’t need to take everything so seriously,’” Gray mentioned.
Amidst college preparations and busy social and academic lives, we should all take Gray’s advice to heart. Clearly this reminder holds true for Gray, her successes displayed through the years of writing for The Sentry.
As Gray enters her last year on The Sentry, it is clear that her leadership and passion will guide new reporters. Although she will be missed, The Sentry can’t wait to see what Gray has in store for this final year.
By Scarlett Gray
Sophomore and first year reporter Maggie Dickerson is unpredictable. Having played a variety of sports growing up, she joined our school’s field hockey team her freshman year.
“I really love it … [and] it’s been growing on me,” Dickerson said.
Fueling this “going with the flow” spirit was her time spent in freshman history teacher, Beau Obetts, class last year.
“We did random stuff in history class and I feel like it was really fun… everyday you didn’t know what Obetts was gonna be doing,” Dickerson said.
And while her day to day life might be a spur of the moment, she’s carefully crafted her idea of a perfect day.
“First, I’d get a lot of sleep [and] sleep in late. Then I would hang out with my sisters. They’re both in college … so I don’t get to see them a lot. Hangout with them, and go to coffee shops or bookstores,” Dickerson said
For her coffee, she would make sure to stop at Good Company Doughnuts, but mostly for their delicious donuts. And as a coffee fanatic, she makes sure to avoid stopping at Starbucks.
“I think [it’s] overrated. I like the aesthetic of it, but it’s just way too much for coffee,” Dickerson said.
What’s not overrated, however, is country music. As a new Zach Bryan fan, Dickerson’s unpredictableness even shocked herself.
“I [used to be] like, ‘I would never listen to country music,’ but now, here I am, listening to country music,” Dickerson said.
With her favorite show and movie being Gilmore Girls and The Parent Trap, she feels her entertainment choices are “basic.” However, it’s the little things that bring light into Dickerson’s life. This is certainly true about her dog, Ella.
“We think she’s a hound-lab mix. I’m not sure because we rescued her. She’s really cute and she’s getting old. She’s almost 10, which is crazy,” Dickerson said.
While her dog’s aging is surprising, Dickerson’s excited for her new freedom in only a few years. Once she turns 18, she is already planning a tattoo with her sisters. While she’s not set on a specific design, she wants a connecting tattoo, so she’ll always be with them. Another one of her dreams, while significantly less painful, revolves around the kitchen.
“I’ve been watching a lot of the Great British Baking Show and I kinda wanna have dinner with Paul [Hollywood]. I think we should make bread because he’s a bread expert. And then I could judge his bread,” Dickinson said.
While Dickinson’s journey on The Sentry is just beginning, she has high hopes for this upcoming year. Between getting experience from older writers to merely meeting new people, Dickerson is excited to start tackling articles. We are so excited to see all she accomplishes this year!
