By Eva Smith

Staff Reporter

Junior photographer Lauren Fatouros has begun her second year on staff with great determination and grit. Outside of school, Fatouros makes sure to stay busy by dedicating her time to multiple sports. 

“I swim year round for Arlington Aquatic Club and I also swim for Yorktown. This year I started doing cross country just kind of for fun,” Fatouros said. 

In addition to cross country practice almost every day, Fatouros is at the pool nearly 24/7. 

“Swimming is hard. I feel like it’s draining, mentally and physically…. I have to wake up at 4:30 every day before school,” Fatouros said. 

While 4:30 AM practice is not ideal for most students, Fatouros is grateful for her teammates who make the exhaustion worth it. 

“I really like the teammates because we’re all so close. We spend so much time together, so it just makes it more enjoyable,” Fatouros said. 

Despite all her hours in the pool and on the track, if Fatouros ever got to go to the Olympics she would love to be a gymnast.

“I feel like it would be really cool to be a gymnast and do gymnastics in the Olympics because it’s so impressive,” Fatouros said. 

While she does not have time for gymnastics at the moment, she does receive a break every now and then. Whether it’s taking her dog for a walk or napping, she enjoys whatever leisure time she has. Even when she’s not running or swimming, Fatouros still enjoys exercising. 

“I actually go to the beach a lot so whenever I go to the beach I always do yoga classes in the morning. It’s super fun,” Fatouros said. 

Fatouros has enjoyed traveling her whole life. Out of all the places she has been able to go, her favorite was Hawaii. 

“I really liked [Hawaii] because you got to get both types of vacations. We got to go hiking and got to go to the beach,” Fatouros said. 

The long flight and wait at the airport did not bother Fatouros either, as she enjoys flying.

“I would prefer taking a plane because I love airports, they’re so fun,” Fatouros said. 

Not only does Fatouros enjoy traveling, living abroad is a dream of hers as well. She would love to set up residence overseas after college. 

“[Paris is] so pretty, and there are so many opportunities. There’s really cute restaurants, and there’s a lot of job opportunities,” Fatouros said. 

Paris seems like a perfect place for Fatouros and her dream job. She intends to major in business in college and dreams of becoming a manager for a fitness brand. This combines Fatouros’ love for sports and her entrepreneurial interests. 

Whether she’s out on the track, in the pool, or at school, we are excited to see what Fatouros’ second year on The Sentry has in store. 

By Lauren Fatouros

Staff Photographer

Former Williamsburg WOLF-TV star turned head editor, Ryan Cole, is excited to enter his fourth and final year on staff. Cole originally joined The Sentry because of his interest in sports journalism, as seen in his hit show, For Cryan’ Out Loud, but has since developed an appreciation for journalism as a whole. 

“Originally, I wanted to be a sports journalist since I love sports, but it has kind of grown into more of a passion for journalism in general,” Cole said.

This summer you could find Cole watching numerous sports, especially baseball, being a hardcore Washington Nationals fan. Though the team went through many hardships this season, Cole remains optimistic for the future of the team.

“At some point, you have success with a team and then they fall off and there’s nothing you can do about it. That’s the way the sport goes. They had to sell-off. If they didn’t sell off they would be like the Phillies, perpetually mediocre, so I think it was the right move,” Cole said.

Though the Nationals roster experienced significant changes this past season, Cole’s hatred of former Nationals star turned Philly, Bryce Harper, has remained the same. 

“I hate that guy. He’s the worst,” Cole said.

Harper is not the only thing Cole hates. As a former copy editor, he has seen and edited many articles, meaning he was required to memorize The Sentry style guide like the back of his hand. There is little to no hesitation in Cole’s reply when questioned about his biggest pet peeve in numerous Sentry articles. 

“Misformatting quotes, easily misformatting quotes,” Cole said.

This year Cole is stepping away from his role as copy editor and taking on a new role as head editor. With this newly acquired power and responsibility, Cole was tasked with the challenge of grading the renowned Sentry Bootcamp tests.

Despite being tasked with rigorous assignments year after year while on staff, Cole’s appreciation for journalism has only grown.

“I joined because I want to be a journalist and I keep coming back every year because of the community. It’s no longer just about that dream for me,” Cole said.

As Cole’s passion for journalism continues to evolve, his eyes are still set on turning his childhood dream into a reality. Being on The Sentry has allowed Cole to become more inquisitive and discover a new passion in investigative reporting, which he hopes to continue professionally.

“I’d love to go study at some college that has a good journalism program whether that be Northwestern or Syracuse; we’ll see if that happens. But regardless, I know I want to work in the field,” Cole said.

With Cole’s driven personality and enthusiasm for journalism, he is sure to make an impact as head editor this year. As his time as a Patriot slowly comes to a close, he hopes to continue his journalism career as either a Wildcat or an Orange.

By Ryan Cole

Head Editor

Junior Eva Smith does not use the atrium stairs. As a junior at our school and a second-year reporter for The Sentry, she has been around the block. She knows it is not the best use of her time to stand in traffic and dodge idiots walking the wrong way.

At our school, the atrium stairs are a fantastic gauge for who excels in time management — who values efficiency, and who does not. Smith clearly does. 

It is a skill she will assuredly apply to her reporting this year, but it is not the only talent Smith possesses. As an avid horseback rider, Smith is far from a one-trick pony. 

“I’ve been riding horses for nine years. I have a horse named Fuego, and I ride a horse named Bonaire,” Smith said.

In addition to her own riding, Smith takes time out of her schedule to teach the next generation of horse enthusiasts to take the reins and gallop away.

“My barn that I ride at has a lesson program where we teach kids how to ride, so I work there every week. I enjoy working with kids, but it’s a lot of work. Horses take up most of my time,” Smith said.

But horses are not Smith’s only passion. She also enjoys getting lost in virtually any cinematic universe.

“I’m really into movies. Some of my favorites are Dunkirk, the Social Network, the Lego Movie and My Lone Private Idaho. I enjoy all movies though,” Smith said.

When Smith isn’t riding a horse or watching a movie, she’s probably engrossed in a history textbook.

“I really enjoy history. I actually enjoy taking AP classes for history…. You can learn from the past,” Smith said.

As a history buff, it only makes sense that she has ties to one of the most historically significant cities in America: Philadelphia. However, this means that Smith, despite her friendly demeanor and cheery attitude, is a Philly fan.

To her credit, Smith is willing to admit that some of her fellow Eagles, Flyers, Phillies and 76er fans can be rowdy at times.

“Philly fans are a little bit crazy, but we don’t have that much luck with our teams, so give us a break,” Smith said.

The Sentry is confident that Smith is one of the good Philly faithful. Our vetting process is thorough enough to turn away the street light climbers and expletive users who frequent stadiums in the city of brotherly love.

Smith, Philly fandom and all, will be welcomed back to The Sentry with open arms this year, and we cannot wait to see her grow as a writer and a journalist. She will be invaluable to our team as we strive to keep our school up to date on the happenings within our community.