The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

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The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

The Student News Site of the Latin School of Chicago

The Forum

The True Meaning of Being a “Lifer”

Cameron Cozzi, Summer Crown, and Siena Craigie (Note: Class of 2019) At Latin, being a “Lifer” (somebody who has been at Latin since JK and will graduate from Latin as a Senior) is a title that students pride themselves on. With the 2015-16 school year almost halfway over, we decided to reflect on our experiences from the past 10 ½ years and on what being a “Lifer” means to us. The beginning of a Lifer’s journey at Latin starts on their very first day of Junior Kindergarten, one of the only times in their life that they will be new to a school. From that point on, kids and friendships will come and go, but the bond that the lifers share will never be broken. For us, there is something very special about being Lifers because not many people are able to say that they have gone to school with the same group of  people since they were 4 years old. In our opinion, the reason why so many grades at Latin (particularly the Class of 2019)  have such strong bonds is because of how many of the kids in these grades have known each other for almost their entire lives. In spending 14 years with many of the same people, you get to know them on a level that many kids never have the chance to with their classmates. Spending the past 10 ½ years with many of the same people has allowed us to create connections with each other that are much deeper than the average friendship, one of the reasons being Lifers at Latin has been such an incredible experience.. When it comes time for freshman year, it is a difficult transition for many of the students, specifically some of the Lifers. The transition into high school is difficult in many ways, but one of the largest obstacles is  accepting the fact that some of your fellow classmates will be leaving to continue school elsewhere. Having gone to school with many of these people for 10 years makes it hard to imagine Latin without them. With that said, every rising freshman cannot wait to welcome their new classmates. Although there are a certain memories that will always hold us Lifers together, from reminiscing over our JK groups and the carefree lifestyle of a Lower-Schooler to looking forward to the trip to the Lower School playground during our senior year, by the time the first day of Freshman year came around we were all ready to welcome our new classmates into our small family and to begin creating memories with people outside of our Lifer community. With Freshman year almost half way over, it has been a wonderful experience so far to be able to branch out from the friend groups that carried us through Lower and Middle School and to get to know our new classmates. Although we now have 40+ new members of our Class of 2019 family, the bonds and memories that we have created with our fellow Lifers over the past 10 years are something that will never be forgotten. For us, being Lifers has allowed us to create friendships that will go far beyond our 14 years at Latin, something that we will forever be grateful for. ]]>

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The True Meaning of Being a “Lifer”