When senior Lauren Roth invites others to her home, she always shows them the records that ornament her walls.
Ranging from Metallica to Billie Eilish, each one acts as more than just riveting decor; the records promote discussion for her and her friends to bond over as they listen to each album.
“I get to introduce [my friends] to new [artists] that they might have never heard of before,” Lauren said. “I can put on a record, and they think the music is cool, and they can go show their other friends.”
Music is one way Lauren has been working on strengthening her bonds with peers and old friends, but she has found many other ways to support this endeavor as well.
This year, Lauren pursued a friendship with foreign exchange student Cris Velasco by extending a lunch invitation to her, only for that simple act to blossom into a friendship budding with football games and fun.
“[Cris and I] always hung out every week, and seeing her experience new things was really fun to see,” Lauren said. “I’m really glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to invite her to our lunch table.”
While Lauren was able to connect with Cris due to their matching lunch periods, long-term extracurriculars, like soccer, have helped Lauren maintain existing friendships.
Lauren has been involved with soccer since she was seven, and since then, she has made countless friends within her team. She loves to strengthen these bonds on team outings, in which the players go to different stores when a tournament is finished.
“We all walk around and get food after our games, and we get to bond over non-soccer things when our coach isn’t around,” Lauren said. “Chick-fil-A is our main spot because we went there after our first tournament as a team.”
It was that very environment—one with cookies and cream milkshakes and chicken sandwiches, Lauren’s favorite order—that cultivated the bonds that have become long-lasting ties between Lauren and her friends.
Soccer isn’t the only sport that has helped Lauren build friendships. For two months of the year, Lauren is a scorekeeper for basketball and volleyball—and so is her friend, senior Madi Evans.
“Me and Madi always have things to talk about during scorekeeping,” Lauren said. “She always keeps me updated with her life, and it’s always a fun update every Monday.”
Scorekeeping provides Lauren and Madi an opportunity to stay up-to-date on each other’s lives, which is an important element of any successful friendship. Though the job can be disorienting, as parents sometimes yell at Lauren, the opportunity to bond seems to be worth it.
Even without her scorekeeping duties, due to her senior year schedule, Lauren is finding it increasingly accessible to reconnect with peers and old friends. She is becoming closer to people within her grade that she hadn’t been close to before, and Lauren believes this is something she’s experiencing in many of her classes.
“I used to have a bunch of friend groups and was never close with anyone,” Lauren said. “But, especially with the classes I have now, I get to see [people] more often and grow those relationships instead of just being classmates.”
Now, Lauren can confidently say that she has a group of friends that she has grown significantly close to. While her connections may have previously been more scattered, she now has a special link with six friends who help to motivate her to do things that may seem daunting or out-of-the-ordinary for Lauren.
No matter what, Lauren shows a gratefulness toward the friends she has and an appreciation for the friendships she’s continuing to create. For those who wish to strengthen their own bonds, she gives one piece of advice.
“When you find your friends, keep the ones that care about you close,” Lauren said. “They’ll always be there for you.”
