By Carrie Finn

Sentry Reporter

K-pop fan and soccer enthusiast Lillian Keith is ready for her senior year. After spending her junior year online, she is looking forward to attending in-person classes, especially The Sentry.

“I was never actually here in-person, so I never really got that full Sentry experience which I’m really looking forward to this year,” Keith said.

Despite the virtual year, she still has plenty of experience writing articles. Opinion and style are her favorite sections.

“I like opinion [writing] because I’m kind of an introvert, so going on interviews scares me, especially if they are someone I’m not comfortable speaking to. Style is also fun because it is just something quirky or miscellaneous that you can be more creative with,” Keith said.

When not writing articles for The Sentry, Keith can be found on a soccer field.  Like many others, her parents signed her up for numerous recreational sports. After attempting both swimming and gymnastics, Keith decided to stick with soccer and has called the field home ever since. 

“I started in first grade-ish and I just kept with it and went through the progression of rec. And then you go into travel, and then you decide to stick in travel and work your way up,” Keith said.

Her love of playing the game developed into a love of watching the game. 

“At the time I started to watch soccer, my dad’s favorite team was Liverpool, so those were the games that were on. I started to understand players and their style, and I guess that’s how it started,” Keith said.

Apart from soccer, much of Keith’s time is spent listening to her favorite music, K-pop. During the early phases of the pandemic, Keith began listening to different artists and exploring the genre. 

“I can’t process how much time has passed following K-pop groups and waiting for their comebacks. Before I got into it I didn’t really understand how people could be so obsessed, but now that I’m into it it’s definitely an obsession,” Keith said.

Her discovery of K-pop sparked Keith’s exploration of her Korean heritage.

“A lot of that time for me was spent exploring Korean culture, especially Korean television and music. I’ve been able to get to know the Korean side of me better which is something I’ve enjoyed doing,” Keith said.

Although Keith dedicates a lot of time to her different interests, she makes sure to keep her academics her main priority. Like many high school seniors, she is in the midst of the college application process. While many students are unsure of what they want to study, Keith knows what she wants to pursue. 

“I’m into civil engineering, so I think trying to develop infrastructure in less developed countries would be cool,” Keith said. 

Keith’s high school years are coming to a close and if one thing is certain, it is that she has a bright future ahead. The Sentry is lucky to have such a talented individual on staff.

By Lillian Keith

Co-Copy Editor

Memories of zooming around on plastic scooters and chasing friends around playgrounds resurface as junior and new reporter Carrie Finn describes the grade she misses most: kindergarten. She misses her teacher, the lack of work and, above all, the fun.

“You’re six years old, life is easy and you don’t have to worry about anything,” Finn said.

Despite the increased difficulty that comes with growing older, Finn is enjoying her high school experience. In addition to swimming for our school’s swim team, which she describes as one of her favorite times of the year, Finn likes nearly every class and subject she takes.

“I really enjoy all of my classes right now, so I’m actually looking forward to school and just being here, which is surprising,” Finn said.

Even a year of virtual learning could not diminish her positive attitude toward school.

“I loved online learning. I got to do school in bed — that was the best,” Finn said.

However, as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift, Finn is happy to have the opportunity to see people and meet her teachers face-to-face. She is also hoping to have the chance to travel to Italy.

“My family was supposed to go on a trip there over spring break in 2020, but obviously that didn’t happen. [I want to visit because of] the food, and I think the history is really interesting,” Finn said.

While in Italy, Finn is likely to indulge in gelato, which is only a small step away from ice-cream: her favorite food. Another one of Finn’s favorites is the Harry Potter series. Like many members of the fandom, Finn used to take quizzes to discover her house (Gryffindor) and patronus (an otter). This playful animal is a perfect representation of Finn, who describes herself as an outgoing person who likes to be in groups and speak to different people. She’s constantly searching for new excitement and fun, something reflected in her choice of music. Although she loves both Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, Finn prefers their faster, more upbeat songs.

“I think there were a couple songs [in Olivia Rodrigo’s album “Sour”] that were a little slow. I wish she had more songs like ‘good 4 u’. I’m forgetting their names, but I just feel like a lot of them were really slow and kind of boring,” Finn said.

Even if given the opportunity to learn any skill in an instant, Finn would go for an exciting trick over anything else.

“I wish I could juggle. I feel like it’s a good party trick to just pull out,” Finn said.

Coming in as a new reporter, there is plenty of fun in store for Finn as she joins The Sentry family. In fact, that was part of the reason she chose to apply in the first place. With two older brothers who have been on staff, Finn heard high praise about The Sentry before she even stepped foot in the classroom.

“They really encouraged me to join because they had loved the class so much, and they loved [Sentry teacher advisor Chrissy] Wiedemann so much,” Finn said. 

The Sentry is just as happy to have Finn enter their ranks this year as she is to join, and cannot wait to see everything she will do this year.