The Class of 2018 will officially say goodbye to Radnor High School on Wednesday evening, and this article is part of the senior edition of The Radnorite, which is meant to honor and congratulate the graduating seniors. In this issue, each senior staff member traditionally has the opportunity to reflect on their time at Radnor, share some words of wisdom, thank the people that matter to them most, and say their goodbyes in their final Radnorite pieces.

Goodbye…and Hello

Editor-in-Chief 2018
I find that there are few moments when everything comes together—past, present, and future. Much of high school has been about the future, figuring out how to get accepted into college and trying to place myself in a career. The lunch conversations, graduation parties, and senior ceremonies of my final few weeks of high school have been overflowing with the past as my friends and I have reminisced about our years together. When Wednesday night finally arrives, however, I’ll not only be celebrating with my friends and family in the moment as I toss my hat in the air—a final salute to the nearly two decades that have gone by—but I’ll also be reflecting on my high school experience and dreaming about the moments to come.  At graduation, past, present, and future will finally converge.
Sitting at my computer for the past few days and thinking about my time at Radnor, trying to collect my final, farewell thoughts has been a challenge, and not because it’s bringing me to tears or because it’s “too much for words” but because I can’t even believe it’s happening. Since kindergarten at Wayne Elementary when I learned that my computer password was 2018 because that was the year I was supposed to graduate, the fact that the event itself was in my imminent future never sunk in. Graduation was the end goal, and all of my studies and classes were leading up to it, but…what then?
It’s as if my whole life has been separated into two parts: before graduation and after graduation, the latter being substantially lengthier, complicated, and uncertain. The road had been set out for us seniors for the past 18 years. We may have gotten to pick our means of transportation and our pit stops, but, ultimately, we all knew where we were going. That wasn’t supposed to change. Now, all of a sudden, I realize I’m almost an adult, the road’s come to an end, and I get to make my own roadmap. This prospect of freedom and independence and the knowledge that now I’m in charge of creating my next dream is intimidating, but it’s also certainly thrilling. The moment’s almost here (as my hours of grueling graduation practice have reminded me), and, contrary to my expectations, it feels natural. I’m crossing over the boundary; this is the time when the rest of my life is about to begin. And I’m starting to anticipate it feeling like just another day.
I can’t deny that it will be difficult though. I’ve lost count of how many people have asked me how I feel about finally leaving high school and Radnor, and each time, my answer is ambivalent. I’ve seen cotton-candy flavored, marshmallow Cold Stone ice cream in Wayne and the wooden, iron-metal, forbidden playground at Wayne Elementary disappear. I’ve heard the same kids who once advocated for unlimited gym declare that physical education for athletes should be optional (funny how things change). I’ve returned to rest my hand easily on the playground monkey bars, wondering how I could have ever been so terrified to cross them (or so tiny, for that matter, that I had to jump to reach them). I’ve stared at the white-brick wall in the WES cafeteria and found myself observing a younger me win spring fair tickets through the glass that’s no longer there, and I still remember our grade-wide game of Shark and Minos on the RMS field. The deafening cheers or LM still reverberate in my ears, and the flickering lights of all our school dances flash in my eyes. After running into teachers who would barely recognize me in the same library where I summarized my summer reading back when they taught me, after saying goodbye to some friends while embracing new ones—after 13 years of memories from the same streets and hallways and of the comfort of constantly being surrounded by familiar people, it’s still hard to comprehend that we’re all about to scatter across the globe. I have grown up with so many of the individuals who will be sitting around me at graduation, so I can’t imagine no longer being able to begin a conversation when I start school next fall with Do you remember when…? Nevertheless, I’m eager to start fresh, and ten years from now, I hope to be able to turn to some of the people I have yet to meet and ask them the same question.
Underclassmen and fellow seniors (many soon to be freshmen again), one of the most overstated clichés of all times must be to try new things, but as I look behind and ahead, I recognize it as one of my favorites. In every beginning-of-the year assembly that I’ve sat through in high school and in the closing remarks of past elementary and middle school graduation ceremonies, I’ve constantly been reminded to go off and experiment, to meet new people and immerse myself in any new activities that catch my eye until I discover my passion. At the same time, however, there was always an opposing viewpoint looming overhead, especially once I reached high school: all of us should have figured out at least generally what excites us the most, and now was the time to pinpoint and focus on those few things. If I had solely followed the latter mindset, though, I wouldn’t be here sharing these thoughts with you today.
While I had delighted in writing ever since I was a child, when I came to Winterfest as an eighth grader, feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of a thousand booths and the ecstatic senior editors shoving print copies of The Radnorite into my hands that were already overflowing with brochures and chocolate, I wasn’t positive that journalism was for me. Upon starting of freshman-year writing with then-club-advisor Mrs. Lynum, however, I decided to give it a try. And then another. And then one more. And soon I found myself writing monthly. And what started off as just another extracurricular would transform into hours of lively conversations, investigations, and reflections over the next four years. Although I analyzed the worldwide Ebola epidemic for my first piece, I shifted my focus to Radnor Beat articles afterwards, and these, these were the ones that became my own little adventures, connecting me to my classmates, teachers, and administrators. Having an excuse to wander one more time through the green-glow of the Disney-themed LM hallways and pick apart every detail, learning more about my biology teacher and then soon-to-be assistant principal Mrs. Kevgas, finding a reason to go watch Moana with one of my best friends, chatting with the new superintendent Mr. Batchelor in the library, attempting to discover the origins of an unexpected ping pong ball invasion, taking an early morning stroll through the hidden roads of Wayne with Lena, Mr. Dunbar, and Mr. Payne—these are the moments behind the words and pages, the moments mixed into the ink, that I will always remember, even if I’ve already forgotten the writing that followed.
I also want to express my gratitude to my fellow writers and editors of The Radnorite who have added so much thoughtful discussion and hard work and yet so much laughter and excitement to our Monday meetings. From having an average turnout of five people sophomore year when the paper first went digital to walking into room 126 at the start of junior only to take a step back upon seeing every chair filled, I can’t believe how much our community has grown over the past few years thanks to all of you. Getting to write has been wonderful, but hearing your ideas and constantly learning something new or taking on a different perspective from reading your pieces has been an equally meaningful part of my experience. Lena, you’ve been my right-hand partner all year, which I can’t thank you enough for, and I can’t wait to see where all of you take the paper in years to come. Having the privilege of being a part of The Radnorite has been one of my highlights from high school, and looking back, I know I would have regretted it terribly if I had never chosen to write that first article. So, while not all of us Radnor students may need to “try new things” in our upcoming years of college, high school, or wherever else the future is taking us, having already discovered our comfy place, I would like to remember that it is never too late to find what you love to do, and it just may take you to where you never expected to go.
In conclusion, I absolutely yearn to make a list of all the people I want to thank for getting me to where I am today—my family, friends, teachers—but I can’t see any feasible way to do that without crashing our website. After 13 years, it’s hard not to think of at least one memory when I see most of my classmates. From my parents to all my other relatives, from the friends I’ve known since kindergarten to the ones I only met this year, from my teachers, instructors, and advisors inside and outside the classroom to the lecturers and individuals I may have only spoken to once, you have all left an impact on my life, shaping me into the individual I am today, and no amount of writing can suffice to explain how much I will miss you.
As a final note, congratulations Class of 2018! And I’d like to reiterate one of my favorite quotes from one of my most beloved films of all time that I first watched in health but embraced in Mrs. Peterson’s AP English class, The Dead Poets Society: “Carpe Diem, seize the day, make your lives extraordinary…”

A Salute to Radnor High

Fernando Castro
Sports Editor
Where to begin?
Giving my thanks seems appropriate. To my older brother, Colin, you have been a source of inspiration and a guide for me. I have based major parts of my life off of you. Four years of high school basketball, followed by four years of William and Mary, and of course, Radnorite. I feel no shame in following your footsteps throughout my early adult life. I am ready, however, to make my own inroads. Know that you are who I aspire to be as a person. I love you.
High school is truly what you make of it. Being a part of the marching band and boys basketball program, it’s difficult to find the values the programs share when the only overlap that exists between them is me. I’ve found, though, that they teach the same lessons through different mediums. The most fundamental lesson being importance of preparation and confidence. There was a misconception I had that preparation and confidence exist separately. Both boxes must be checked to be successful. In reality, the foundation of confidence is preparation. Whether it’s making a free throw or playing a solo, all the time spent preparing for that moment comes out at once. Understanding this has been an important lesson in my growth as a student, athlete, and person. Up there with that lesson is the importance of spirit. While people like to believe that who they are and how they perform is detached from feeling. It is not. Positive energy is not only beneficial to group dynamics, it is necessary. The idea of giving positive energy is hated by competitors because it seems trivial, and inherently devalues your ability in your field when you’re given the job to do what anyone else can. In reality, it is huge to be able to do that job, play that role, because you only mature as a person because of it. A true competitor does what is needed to be successful, swallowing his pride along the way. To Radnor Hoops and Radnor Band, I hope future students can enjoy and benefit from the combination that your programs give as much as I did. Thank you to Coach Monahan, Coach Chadwin, Coach Mirarchi, Mr. Drew and Maria Drew for making me the person I am today.
To the Radnorite- I know this wouldn’t have gotten published if I didn’t give you guys a separate paragraph. It was amazing to exercise and improve my writing abilities while writing about what I loved. Being there for the changes of leadership, style, and medium of distribution were purely by luck of timing, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The program continues to foster discussion, push boundaries, and improve its quality. With sports writers being few and far between this year, I enjoyed having a domain that was mine, even when I was busy. To Mr. Payne and Mr. Dunbar, thank you for creating an environment for great discussion in the meetings. I often found that the best meetings were the meetings I left with no ideas on what to write about. Philosophizing on Monday afternoons is a hole I will struggle to fill when I go to college.
To my closest friends. Drew, you brought out a side of me I never knew existed. Being able to joke with you and to find the humor in whatever situation I was in was extremely important in gaining a perspective on life and making me a happier person. Thank you for sharing laughter with me through the years. Bobby, you are the most loyal person I’ve ever met. You’re kind and I am lucky to have experienced that first hand. You will find success wherever you go, and the bond we formed these last seven years will last our lifetime. Thank you for being an amazing friend. It’s hard to say goodbye. The feelings I had after my last day of classes were startling. That afternoon was weighed with a heaviness in my chest. The best part of high school, or any experience you do in your life, is the people.
I have few regrets when it comes to the decisions I’ve made as a student, athlete, and friend during my time here. Growth and experience are invaluable, and for every lesson I took on the chin in high school, it will make me hold my head higher for the rest of my life. To the class of 2018, I advise you to do three things: appreciate where you have been, enjoy where you are, and be excited for where you will be. The beauty of life is that it goes too fast.

Now the most popular and anticipated edition of The Radnorite is back! 134 out of 268 seniors shared their post-graduation plans with us. Congratulations Class of 2018!
Meredith Adair – Elon University
Kyle Addis – Franklin & Marshall College
Jerrell Asbury – Harcum College
Luke Au – Kettering University; General Motors CO-OP
Chris Barkley – Pennsylvania State University
Grayson Begier – Lehigh University
Jack Bell – Lafayette College; studying civil engineering, and running Track
Catherine Belveal – University of California, Santa Barbara
Caroline Bohnenberger – Gap semester; Boston University in January of 2019
Evelyn Bond – University of Pennsylvania
Olivia Boris – Tulane University
Rowan Bradley – Montclair State University
Jared Breakiron – Florida Gulf Coast University
Mairead Brogan – University of Colorado
Claire Burton – Bucknell University
Addie Cairns – Grove City College
John Callaghan – Gap Year
Julia Cash – Parsons School of Design
Julian Castilleja – Ursinus College; playing lacrosse
Fernando Castro – College of William and Mary
Guillermo Castro – Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University
Neal Chan – Tufts University
Henry Chance – Elon University
Eric Chang – Case Western Reserve University
Emily Chen – University of Notre Dame
Ellisen Ching – University of Pittsburgh
Anna Choi – New York University
Elly Conklyn – Temple University Honors College; majoring in communications
Ryan Conklyn – Virginia Tech; majoring in industrial design
Bella Console – University of Delaware
Kamelle Copeland – Kutztown University; continuing employment with Starbucks
Lauren Coursey – University of Pittsburgh
Bryan Dao – University of Pittsburgh
Tallulah Darrach – University of South Carolina
Sydney d’Entremont – University of South Carolina
Alexa DiGiovanni – University of Alabama; studying musical theatre
Maya D’Mello – University of Pittsburgh
Layne Dodge – Drexel University
Jessie Doherty – University of Pittsburgh
Drew Doughan  – Vanderbilt University
Elena Duran – West Chester University
Claire Dustin – University of Richmond
Elizabeth Dustin – Boston University
Carolyn Eckstein – Macalester College
Nick Economides – Syracuse University; newspaper journalism
Ren Evans – Jean Madeline Aveda Institute
Connor Fisher – University of South Carolina
Joanna Flores – Two years at Delaware County Community College and then Florida Atlantic University
Jake Fortay – Tulane University
Addison Frazier – La Salle University
Robert Frigerio – College of William and Mary
Katie Frost – Lafayette College
Jake G – West Chester University
Margaux Games –  University of Pennsylvania
Sophie Geagan – Drexel University
Katie Gerber – Franklin & Marshall College
Vivianna Giangrasso – University of Pittsburgh
Chad Giardinelli – Pennsylvania State University
Rebecca Goldberg – King’s College
Carleigh Goldstein – Elon University
Grace Griffin – Wellesley College
Bela Hain – La Salle University
Sydney Hamilton – Pennsylvania State University
Julia Havertine – Boston College
Joaquin Hollero – University of Pittsburgh
Minji Hong – Thomas Jefferson University
Jack Horvath – Elon University
Hope Idiculla – Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University
Hannah Jones –  Clemson University
Miranda Jones-Davidis – Barnard College
Justin Kalan – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Kamran Kara-Pabani – Duke University
Chloe Kerpius – Gettysburg College
Eric Klein – Temple University
Becca Kopp – College of Charleston
Tessa Landry – University of Delaware
Grace Lane – West Chester University
Samantha Lee –  University of Pennsylvania
Alex Leonardi – Harvard University
Kathryn Lihota – University of Delaware
Andrew Lord – Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Ryan Low – University of Maryland, College Park
David Macpherson – Film college for gap year; afterwards, attending Franklin & Marshall College
Ainsley Macrone  – West Chester University
Fahad Manzoor – Temple University
Allyson Margolis – University of Pennsylvania
Chris Massaro – Drexel University
Scott Massey –  Washington University in St. Louis
George May – Villanova University
Brooke McCormick – Wake Forest University
Kate McCulloch – Temple University
Greg McNicholas – Pennsylvania State University Smeal College of Business
Mike McShea – The Catholic University of America
George Meltzer – University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Jason Nachman – University of Texas at Austin
Assal Nasir – Drexel University
Jane Norris – University of Delaware
Anthony Odum – Hampton University
Megs Packer – University of South Carolina
Katherine Pelton – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Beatrice Penot – University of Paris
Luke Pereira-Ogan – University of Rhode Island
Connor Pierce – University of Delaware
Macie Plotkin – Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University
Joseph Purcell – Purdue University
Sahil Purohit – Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Zach Quinn – George Washington University
Jake Rader – College of Charleston
Darien Rafatpanah – Temple University
Anne Randall – Boston University
Sade Reed – Gwynedd Mercy University
Catherine Remphrey – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Evan Rosenberg – University of Southern California
Chase Rufo – San Diego State University
Emilija Sagaityte – Brown University (Program in Liberal Medical Education)
Sophie Samaha – Northeastern University
Lauren Schulman – Temple University
Sam Schulz – Amherst College
Glenn Seibel – West Chester University
Grant Stephano – Boston college
Youssef Sultan  – West Chester University
Charlie Sutherby  – Amherst College
Aaron Tachau – McGill University
Lina Tewala – Johns Hopkins University
Libby Tewksbury – Colgate University
Quinn Tobias – Syracuse University
Sam Ullman – American University
Sean Van Trieste – Temple University
Grace Wakiyama  – Washington University in St. Louis
Julia Wi – Temple University
Lauren Wisehart – Utica College; majoring in animal behavior
Lynn Yang – Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Chaoyi Zha – Duke University
Sarah Ziegler – Vassar College