Roni Miller: "A Super Smart Introvert"

A pretty great selfie if I do says so myself.
Photo courtesy of Roni Miller.

Roni Miller is quite the fascinating individual. There is always a unique aura that surrounds her. Roni's biggest inspiration is her best friend who has the beautiful name of Fiona. Roni states that she is her biggest inspiration because Fiona always knows what to do when something happens and she can make anyone feel better (that sounds like a pretty grade A friend to me, I don't know about you).

One of Roni's favorite activities is listening to her fav music. Roni listens to a gargantuan variety of genres and artists. But she says that if she absolutely had to choose her favorite, she would pick Eminem. This is because his lyrics have such an in-depth meaning and he isn't really that cliche, as she puts it. I personally don't enjoy rap music, but I do know that Eminem's lyrics are just so extremely inspirational and just simply beautiful.

Roni says that when she's older she would love to go into cardiothoracic surgery. That is one weird spelling and it comes up as misspelled when I type it, but I looked it up and it's legit. Roni says that that this type of surgery is mainly focused on the heart and lungs plus the other miscellaneous organs in the chest. And my goodness is Roni ambitious. She wants to get a PHD and a doctoral degree. Gosh, I do not have enough patience to go to school for that long. So I give props to you Roni! 

So this next part is not a typical response on my blog. When Roni is older she wants to stay in Park City. Usually people say somewhere exotic and uber fancy. But I would absolutely love to stay here. I mean the nature is just so wondrous and the people here are actually pretty chill. 

Is it okay to quote in blog posts? Well I sure don’t know but I’m going to just put this next story in quotes because it’s perfect the way it’s written. Well I’ll just change it a little bit I guess. So Roni’s favorite memory is, “When she was with her cousins one late night, and they were trying to jump over on their beds (they're small beds). When her older cousin jumped she caught her foot on the side of the mattress and pulled it off the bed, but she had already started running across the small room so she had to jump OVER the mattress and somehow landed under her leg trapping Roni while she laid in a clothes basket. Roni’s younger cousin jumped with Roni so she fell on the other side of her older cousin trapping her. So they ended up in an unintentional human knot with Roni stomach down against a vertical mattress and everyone else trapped by something.” That is quite some story.

If Roni had to use one word to describe herself she would choose introverted. She says that this is because she can never trust anyone and she’s lost deep in thought a lot. This is a perfect word for Roni. It does almost always feel as if she’s thinking about some hardcore stuff. So Roni is an ultra smart introvert. I think that that is a pretty awesome description.

Tate Hoefler: "A Running/Nordic Skiing Rockstar"

How would I explain Tate Hoefler in five hundred words? Well I'd start with that he is a fantastic skier and he also runs as a side sport. But other than his sports Tate is a wondrous person. A Vermont native with extreme pride for his state. Like if you bring up anything involving the Patriots, maple syrup, and Vermont in general, he will go into a harangue of why the Northeast is the best part of the United States. Once Tate is older he would love to live in his hometown. That town is Williston, Vermont. When Tate is older he would like to go into one of two things. Either sales or engineering. I think that Tate would succeed pretty well in either one. 

Also another thing about him is that he is overly obsessed with the Patriots. I think he wears a Patriot's jersey two out of five days each week. He knows everything there is to know about the Patriots. It's cray cray.

Tate's biggest inspiration isn't a person. It's and idea. The idea that everything is possible. It's quite an inspiring idea. And I think that Tate follows this philosophy pretty well. Like he has these eccentric ideas about the craziest things. Like once he proposed to me the ideal candy bar. And it honestly sounded pretty life changing. So stay ahead of your time Tate!

Tate’s really proud of the kind of music that he likes. He mainly listens to classic rock or just rock in general. Occasionally he’ll pick up some now pop song that he likes but other than that he just listens to music from the eighties. His all-time fav band is Guns and Roses (btw there’s a Lana Del Rey song called Guns and Roses, I’ll link it).

Tate also hates loud noises. Like he really despises and glares at the tiniest thought of it. I also have a hatred towards random loud noises. Like if I’m casually sitting and the piercing loud fire alarm goes off, I’ll jump and scream in my seat.

One last word that Tate would describe himself with is an individual. And he is quite the individual. He doesn't follow the hypothetical law of status quo and breaks free from societies so called “rules”. He has amazing ideas that could someday change the way that we humans think about out world. It’s kind of inspiring. So Tate keep skiing/running and always keep your head up. Don’t listen to what the haters have to say and charge through life with an independent and confident spirit.

A selfie of Tate. Picture courtesy of Tate Hoefler.

Dillon McClelland: "A Wondrous Soon To Be Pilot"

First, I need to address something,
Dillon, I am so sorry that I can never spell your last name right. I always spell it like Mcleland or whatever and I am extremely sorry (just had to get that out there).  Trust me, with a last name like Beling pronounced like Baeling. I too endure the constant confusion of having a hard name to pronounce.

Dillon being majestic. Photo Curtesy: Dillon McClelland.

Anyways, Dillon is really cool. He has a sweet vibe and a flare of fierceness. He’s spectacularly smart and incredibly responsible. Trust me, the only reason that I got a good grade in science last year was because he kept me on top of things.

Dillon’s biggest inspiration is his mom. He states that it’s, “because of what she has accomplished and shown me what I can accomplish.” That is truly the nicest statement that a son could say about his mother.

Dillon’s favorite memory is the time that he went to Bear Lake. He went there with his family and played volleyball to his heart’s desire. I’ve never actually been to Bear Lake but my dog is from there and everyone says that it’s gorgeous. Someday, I would love to go to Bear Lake. But for now, I’m stuck with Lake Jordanelle.

Okay, Dillon’s favorite bands are Panic at the Disco and The Cab. Panic at the Disco is honestly one of my all-time favorite bands as well. His favorite song of theirs is I Write Sins Not Tragedies. The blend of indie and punk rock is just beautiful in that song. I've never actually heard of The Cab but based on the one song that I just listened to, they're pretty amazing.

Dillon is obsessed with traveling thus making him want to become a pilot. I think that Dillon is level headed, a little strict, but also bundles of fun. So, he would be a fantastic pilot! I personally couldn’t agree me more with his love of travel. I just love discovering new and exotic places while immersing myself with the culture. Going to new cities and national parks puts me into my true happy place.

When Dillon is no longer youthful and is planning to move away he wants to live in either one of these places: Park City or London. Park City is beautiful and the skiings great but the town itself is pretty tine. London is filled with a rich history and has unique people but is dirty and gross. For me, it’s a tie breaker. I honestly don’t even know which city that I would choose. So, I can see why Dillon would want to move to either one of these places.

Finally, a word that Dillon would use to describe himself is preppy. He wear clothing that reflects this description and also acts in a smart kid kind of way. This is a near perfect description for Dillon and I love it!

Lastly, Dillon is an amazing individual who is, incredibly smart, extremely cool, and exponentially talented. He’s a wondrous friend that helps keep me in shape for school.

Jacky Brian: "The Individualistic Artist"

A photo of Jacky. Photo courtesy of
Faith Staley.

Oh my goodness, it’s Jacky Brian. A dear friend of mine who I’ve shared many experiences with. Like the time we went to the beach! Okay it was a flooded baseball field, but it was still a blast! Anyway, Jacky is a fantastic person to be around and will fill you with laughter.

In Jacky’s free time she partakes in the following: writing in her ever so large journal, drawing awe-inspiring sketches, painting magnificent pictures, and of course listening to her endless music collection. She loves to express herself through many variations. And of course (like every other teenager these days) she watches Orange is the New Black regularly. She simply states that it’s basically her life.

Relating back to listening to music, Jacky’s biggest inspiration is the lead singer for one of our favorite bands: Green Day. She says that she loves how Billy Joe Armstrong is abnormally big on individuality and not conforming to society's ideals. She believes that is most likely the coolest thing ever and a fantastic lesson for life.

Jacky’s favorite memory (and also mine) is when we celebrated our friend Faith’s birthday. It was a day full of surprises that will last in my mind forever. I believe that we started at Jacky’s house and made piping hot cocoa and put the toasty liquid in a thermos. Then we walked the short distance to City Park and found a well-deserving spot next to Poison Creek and drank our hot chocolate with huge grins. Then Faith and I (being the hippies that we are) saw cans of beer in the creek. We both were determined to “save” the cans and recycle them. The first can was easy to reach in and frantically grab. But the second one was a different story. So in this particular spot there was a tree in the center of creek with very little land surrounding it. And right below that tree was where the disastrous can was located. So we came up with this innovative plan to hang on to the tree and reach for the can. I went first, but since I had no success Faith went next. Now remember that this was her birthday. She hung precariously from the tree and extended as far as she could. And then terror struck. She basically plummeted into the bone-chilling water. There is an ever so embarrassing video on Jacky’s Instagram if you want to check that out. Happy Birthday Faith!

Jacky is terrified of the future and has no clue about what she wants to be when she’s older. But she does know where she wants to live, Michigan. I don’t know much about Michigan but I hear that they have breathtaking cross country skiing. Lastly a word that Jacky would use to describe herself is individualistic. And let me tell you she is quite the individual. I have never seen Jacky cave into the status quo here at TMJH. She is truly unique and you won’t regret becoming friends with her.

An "artsy" photo of Jacky in a library hallway. Photo Courtesy of Faith Staley.

Faith Staley: "Give Peace a Chance"

Image Courtesy: Faith Staley

Ah Faith Staley, the hippie feminist. A friend of mine who has a unique persona. We met in seventh grade in our social studies class. We had a teacher named Mr. Sanderson who made us do a mormon pioneer project. Well Faith took charge and invited our group to her humble abode and made me act as a girl for the project. We basically got an A+ on that project. 

This last summer Faith and I decided to spend one of the last days of summer throwing vegetables off of a mountain. So that’s what we did. We started from Faith’s house and rode to the grocery store to buy vegetables. I believe we bought an eggplant, two tomatoes, candy, and some peace tea. We then biked to PC hill and hiked to the top where we experienced some soaring hang gliders. We then started dancing to the Beatles and began to throw the organics. First we splattered some tomatoes which was quite satisfying. And then Faith viscously ripped open the eggplant and we threw it off. It was a pretty spot on day. 

A picture I took from the day we threw
vegetables off of PC Hill.

She uses coconut oil for everything and is a sucker for ballet. Faith is a Harry Potter fanatic and listens to the Beatles religiously. An interesting fact about Faith is that she has tea parties on roofs. Yes we have climbed onto her roof with tea and water bottles and danced to Wavin' Flag while waving to her neighbors. She attends environmental movie festivals and has even gone to congress with a petition against fracking. All in all, she is exponentially determined to get what she wants and will not stop at a simple no. Faith also started a blog about the sexist dress code at our school. Check it out here: Dresscoded.

Faith also has a weird fascination with ice skating. Like once we were just sitting around and all of a sudden she had an outburst about how badly she needed to go ice skating. This went on for weeks on end until she finally went ice skating. Let’s just say that she was way too happy.

Faith partakes in the Park City Dance Academy and was recently given the role of Raggedy Andy in their version of the Nutcracker. So go Faith! But seriously though, she is an awe-inspiring dancer and is truly amazing. I personally can not wait until I can go see Faith kill it in the Nutcracker.

My final story for Faith is the time that we got stuck in a ball. It was a sunny afternoon near the end of eighth grade and we were at Faith’s house with two other friends. We were having a blast having a tea party until the tea ran out and we ran around her house. I walked into Faith’s garage and saw a deflated hamster ball type thingy. It looked like this: hamster ball. Anyways, someone had the brilliant idea to get inside of it. So one person got in and we eventually all squished up inside of it. Let me tell you that it was super painful and uncomfortable. But we still laughed our heads off. No matter what, you will always have a blast with Faith.

Jeff Pack: "Cher's Ultimate Fan"

Jeff and his sister. Photo courtesy of Jeff.

I recently interviewed one of my closest friends: Jeff Pack. I have known Jeff for an extremely long time. I'm talking like at least twelve years. We basically grew up with each other. I vividly remember having playdates at his house watching Scooby Doo and the Lochness Monster. I also have a memory where he came to my house and we got into an epic controversy about a puzzle and whether or not the picture was of a tractor or a dumpster. Or the time when I tried my first diet coke at his house and we both spat it out.

But a couple of years of ago we wanted to watch Jaws. Being the multi-taskers that we are we also had to make Ghirardelli chocolate brownies. On the box it asked for one and 1/3 teaspoons of water. Well being the idiots that we were we thought that it was eleven thirds teaspoons of water. So we put eleven teaspoons into the mix. It became incredibly watery and we asked Jeff’s mom about it and she just bursted into laughter. I guess you could say that that is the reason why we have to take a math class everyday.

Jeff really loves Cher. I mean he really loves Cher. He is so obsessed with her that when ever I go to his house we listen to his endless Cher CDs or we watch his DVD copy of Cher's Farewell Tour. I also am convinced that he knows the lyrics to every Cher song ever. Here is one of our conversations earlier. I asked him: so why do you love Cher so much? His response: "She is the greatest singer and actress in the history of the world! I mean obviously." That was literally his exact response.

But besides for Cher, Jeff actually does karate and is currently two belts away from a black belt. He loves a double double at In-n-Out Burger and a cold diet coke. An interesting fact about Jeff is that he is friends with Mr. Macias. Yep the burly math teacher that we have all come to love. I have personally heard Jeff and Mr. Macias talking about me and other fellow classmates. They kind of have a strange relationship. Like how Mr. Macias will tell Jeff all about his upcoming jokes that he will tell in class. (weird right.) Jeff loves to talk about Cher. But no matter what you do, do not think that he is talking about Cher Lloyd. I have personally made that terrifying mistake.

Cher. Photo courtesy of Jeff.

Isabelle Fernandez: "Best Spartan In The World"

Image courtesy of: Isabelle Fernandez

This is Isabelle Fernandez: the girl who was born to live in a desert. Isabelle is a friend of mine who is an experienced warrior. I met her in seventh grade in math. We had a free period (mainly because we had a substitute) and she was playing a game called Duck Life. I asked her what it was and she explained it to me and we've been friends ever since.

 She is also kind of extremely obsessed with the Spartan Army and the United States Military. To be more specific, the Navy. Isabelle owns a sweatshirt that has "Navy" on it, and won't let anyone touch it without her permission. She will most likely be in the armed forces when she's older. Being apart of the Navy is her true ambition in life and is also the only reason why she joined cross country running.

She participates on the Park City High School team and absolutely loves it. One of her favorite things to do on the distance runs is to stop by Starbucks and get a quick Pumpkin Spice Latte. Here are some of the most recent races from the cross country team: Results.

Isabelle is also very good at drawing cats. Warrior cats to be more specific. She is actually unbelievably good at her drawings, even though she says she's bad at them. Whenever we go to cross country races she brings her sketch book along and draws profusely. Occasionally I will glance over and see what she’s working and I’m always impressed.

Isabelle is also a fan of the band The Wanted, but also listen to what she calls, "Angry Viking Music." I know it sounds weird but after a while it might actually sound kind of okay. (At least after you get used to the classic irish/screamo mashup)

A sport that Isabelle does is horse back riding. Last year she even went to a bull riding camp in Idaho. She also loves a brisk mountain bike ride. Plus a fun run with friends always helps as a stress reliever.  

One of her best qualities is that she is a very protective and loving friend. Isabelle makes sure that her friends are always included in conversation and activities. She is also focused on achieving her life time goal, "the overlord of the world", as she puts it. But Isabelle is a very well rounded individual who will most likely rule over all of us in the near future.

A picture of one of her drawings. Courtesy of Isabelle Fernandez