This feature story was co-written by Becca Teffeteller and Elyse Boyle.
High school is known for its stereotypical groups but what is really happening in these students’ lives? Do their lives match the generalizations we associate them with? Do you fit into these so-called cliques?
Some kids are in these “stereotypical groups” because of family tradition. For MAHS sophomore, Ethan Hendershot, work started on the dairy farm when he was 5 or 6.
“We’ve all dairy farmed, except my mom, from my grandfather to my dad to my sisters to me.”
On the farm, Ethan feeds, tends to, and milk cows, fixes equipment, takes care of babies, and cleans. His busiest season is summer.
Ethan is constantly working. He said, “My mom doesn’t like me working seven days a week but they [friends and family] don’t bother me with it, they say ‘good for you.’”
Besides the dairy farm, Ethan is involved in FFA, 4H, and Ag.
“I would love to own my dairy farm but if that doesn’t work out I’ll be a truck driver,” said Hendershot when asked about his future plans.
For MAHS freshman Isaiah Pepperman, work has also started at a young age. He said he’s been working “Since I could drive tractors, before that even.”
“My pap let me drive tractors alone two years ago for the first time, before that he’d just be on there to make sure I wasn’t screwing anything up,” said Pepperman.
On his farm, Pepperman grows potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and more. Like Hendershot, he is busiest during the summer and spring with plowing, planting, getting things ready, and maintenance. However, his work is a daily commitment.
Besides farming, Pepperman is involved in wood shop, Ag shop, FFA, and plans to be in metal shop. He gets support from his grandparents for all of his activities.
“My pap told me it would be a great idea to do it, my grandparents gave me the money to start FFA,” said Pepperman, “My pap bought a hat off me for the fundraiser.”
In the future, Pepperman said he plans to continue farming.
“I want to join the game commission and do some farming for them,” said Pepperman, “What they do, is they have a game farm, a pheasant farm, and they grow their own crops for the pheasants.”
Some people know even before high school, what kind of person they want to be. For MAHS junior Naomi Alexander, this is the case.
“I’d always come to see the high school musicals and plays and I just knew, when I saw that, I want to do that. I want to do that,” said Naomi Alexander.
Since Alexander’s childhood, she has participated in band, choir, cheer, and theater, theater being her favorite.
“I’d danced for probably ten years and I’ve been singing forever so doing the combination of both is probably what makes it my favorite,” said Alexander.
Theater is a huge time commitment and from January to March, Alexander is constantly busy, going from rehearsal to cheer practice non-stop.
“Last year around this time, it was harder for me but it gets easier,” said Alexander, “With time you find out how to make things easier and find times to do things like getting ready for school and homework.”
Even during the busy season, Alexander has support from family and friends, especially from her mom.
“My mom, when I danced, always came to everything. She’s always been there,” said Alexander.
“Theater is a hard thing to get people to join if you haven’t already done it but a lot of my friends from cheer have been super supportive,” said Alexander. “I even got some of my friends from cheer to join the musical this year”
In addition to inviting friends from cheer to do the musical Alexander also says, “Most of my friends come from the theater department.”
Looking into the future, Alexander plans on pursuing cheer or theater in college.
Almost every student has been to a high school sporting event, as a player or a fan. For junior Shaw Simpson, his life is full of attending games.
Simpson is involved in soccer, basketball, track, and football. His busiest season is during the start of the school year with soccer and summer preseason.
It isn’t often that Simpson isn’t practicing after school for two hours,” he said, “There are certain times when we’ll be on break for a week or so.”
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Am I a… Take this quiz to find out what stereotypical student you are When do you get up in the morning?
What kind of clothes do you wear?
What’s your favorite class?
What activities do you participate in?
What kind of music do you listen to?
What do you do in your free time?
Who is your role model?
If you answered… Mostly 1- Ag student Mostly 2- Arts Student Mostly 3- Student Athlete |
Featured Image (above): Three students from each stereotype pose for a picture. Ethan Hendershot (left), Naomi Alexander (middle), and Shaw Simpson (right) were interviewed for their stereotypes.
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