Piece of my Heart

I used to have a small gold ring that wrapped around a little bar of jade. A woman who was very influential to me when I was growing up gave it to me as a gift for my sixteenth birthday. With it, she wrote in the card, “Always find the strength to hold onto what you believe is beautiful.” It was just a ring but to me, it was a reminder and had become a part of who I was.

One of the most interesting things, to me, is the story behind why someone holds a particular item so precious in their hearts. Tokens as small as a penny or as big as a table often have a lot of meaning behind them.

We often forget about the little things in day-to-day life. Rings become just an accessory, the lucky penny sits alone in the wallet and the table sits in the corner of the room with books piled on top. We don’t get to talk about why to how they are there.

Name: Libby Keller, 20

What is the item? A small silver necklace with a star pendent with diamonds insets. It’s understated, subtle, often goes unnoticed.

What the history behind the item? “My mom give it to me just before my sixteenth birthday. I was in a hospital at the time, dealing with an eating disorder I developed. She gave it to me as a reminder that I had people who cared and I can make it though this hard time.”

Why does this item hold meaning to you? “It’s a reminder to me of the 10 days I was in the hospital. I was missing so much sitting there; hurting, and I knew I wanted to be around to see what was next. Having it reminds me, every time I’m thinking about relapsing, of that time of hurt and helps me push through. I wore it every day for 4 years until it became too worn and fragile. I know have a tattoo of the start to replace it.”

Name: Courtney Knox, 21

What is the item? A music box, shaped as a lighthouse on top of a hill with two snow globes on either side. One holds a dolphin and the other holds a whale The whole thing sits on a base of sculpted water. It’s calming, sweet, child-like.

What the history behind the item? “I’m from California, it’s where most of my family lives. When I moved up to Washington, my grandpa would send me a music box every year. This is the first one I got from him, when I was two.”

Why does this item hold meaning to you? “It’s just one of those things, you know? I wasn’t really close with my grandpa but it was the one connection I had to him. It was his way of telling me he loves me. Without fail, every year he would take the time to hand pick a music box to send me and that really just felt special. This one particularly just reminds me of my childhood. The look and sound so it nice to have on those days that get rough.”

Name: Ben Larson, 19

What is the item? A large wooden chess set. It’s heavy, sturdy, classic.

What the history behind the item? “My grandpa got this chess set when he was about 30 years old. He never really played chess but I love it and remember admiring it when I was younger. This is the one thing my grandma gave to when he died.”

Why does this item hold meaning to you? “It’s really nice and it feels great. I was never really close to my grandpa. I was really young, about eight or nine, when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and then died not long ago. So it was hard to get close to him. This chess set was the only real connection I had left to him. ”

Name: Dominique Coulet du Guard, 65

What is the item? A hand sewn, red leather bag with cream, blue and brown stitching on the front and a small pocket on the back. It’s a work of art.

What the history behind the item? “I’m from Morocco. While living there, my dad picked up a lot of different skills. He picked up leatherwork about late 1940s to 1950.  When I was really young, my family suddenly moved to New York. There my father sold these leather good on the streets to try and make any little bit of money he could. This is the only one of this leather good I have after he passed.

Why does this item hold meaning to you? “It’s the only one I have in my possession now. When we moved to the U.S. it was all he had. It reminds me the struggles he faced, moving us and trying to make money from creating act. It’s absolute beauty what he made of his life with this. From leaning the trade to selling them to live, it was, what I believe, a represention his life. Really remarkable. ”

Photo Dump: Old Pictures

These are portraits I took my senior year of high school. Just thought I would put them somewhere.

Aaron Stahl

Haley Underwood

Kalyn Ruland

Liz Zink

Mikayla Taylor

Spencer Ryno

Photo Story- From Humboldt to Sasquatch!

For our final assignment I photographed a group of girls I camped next to at Sasquatch! I tried to get a glimpse into their story and their time camping at Sasquatch! I would like to thank these five girls for allowing me to stick a camera in their face while they were trying to enjoy their time at Sasquatch! Hope you enjoy!

Sitting on top of a hill facing the main stage (from left to right) Maddi Null, 21, Colette Behen, 20, Elle Reid, 21 and Jordan Paulsen, 19, chat and enjoy the show at The Gorge Amphitheater for the annual Sasquatch! music festival over Memorial weekend. The girls all go to Humboldt State University in Arcadia, CA. They all met on Humboldt's women's soccer team and have become close friends and roommates. Maddi, who is originally from Seattle, introduced the other girls to the festival two years ago. "I feel like most people here know about Sasquatch! because of a Washington connection, “Elle says. Elle, Colette and Sarah Sidillo's (not pictured) hometown is in Southern California and Jordan is from Loveland, Colorado. "If Maddi never told us about it, we would never have this awesome opportunity." Elle says. The girls say they have made it a kind of like a tradition to drive up from Arcadia together to The Gorge for the festival weekend. It's Elle, Maddi, Colette and Sarah's second year up for Sasquatch! and Jordan is experiencing it all for the first time.

Jordan, front, and Colette sit in the back of their van, trying to stay out of the heat before they take the walk up to the Gorge for the day. "I 'm most excited for the relaxation and freedom," Colette says, “The Gorge is just a place to relax and really just have a good time." Pre-gaming with some beer and pretzels, the girls make sure to spend time together before potentially getting separated while seeing the various musical acts performing that day. “We spend so much time throughout our year planning and getting hyped for this so now that it’s here, we’re ready to party hard and enjoy it," Jordan said.

During the music festival, schedules where handed out as a tool for the people to plan out their day. Jordan circles the shows she's most interested and excited to see before she walks up to the Gorge. "There are so many good bands playing so I don't to miss an opportunity to see them even if it means  leaving one show early to run and catch another show I'm just as excited to see," Jordan says. This year was Jordan's first year at Sasquatch! and she plans on making the most of it. "I’m so happy I was invited into this tradition with the other girls," Jordan says.

 Sarah Sidillo, 20 and Elle, front, sit in the car prepping for last day at Sasquatch! "Putting on make-up in this small mirror is much easier by the third day," Sarah said. The girls take turns in the front seats of the van, applying their make-up and charging their phones before going to the Gorge for the day. They came prepared to this year with a portable generator to charge their phones. "Last year, our biggest problem was getting everyone's phone charged for the day," Elle said "We've learned and adapted this year."

 Hanging out at the camp site, Elle enjoys a beer and laughs as her friends dance around. "Camping with your friends is something everyone should experience in their lives," Elle says, "The memories you will create at Sasquatch! are some that you can look back at and smile for years, its really an amazing experience." This year is Elle's second year and she plans on continuing with the tradition for years to come.

Sarah, left, Colette, and Maddi talk about their day as they relax and unwind at their campsite. "I was most excited to see M.I.A. and she was amazing," Colette says, "She was better than my expectation!" Maddi loves the music but says Sasquatch! means much more to her. "They all put on such crazy shows that really get stuck in my mind at the end of it all but really my favorite part is simply the magic of Sasquatch! as a whole and the little community that sprouts in return," Maddi says. Sarah agrees that the camping community that emerges when meeting new people and playing games at the campsite is best part of it all.

On the morning of the last day, Jordan watches the other girls as they start to pack their things up. After the last show finishes up at Sasquatch!, the girls are coming back to camp site only to get in their van and leave at 2 A.M. Jordan and Sarah(not pictured) have to be at the airport for their 7 A.M. and 8 A.M. flights back to their hometowns. "It’s been the best weekend of my life and I hate to see it come to an end so quickly," Jordan said.