Gallery • 3 Photos

Photo by Hannah Ollier

It’s a Monday morning and the sunlight illuminates the football field with a yellow glow. A soft wind blows through the trees, carrying the band’s music through the air. The songs are repeated, but each time they get better.

This is the field where sophomore Aidan Thieme practices his bass clarinet every weekday morning from 6:30 to 8:00 am.

“My sister’s friend from her softball team played the bass clarinet and on the first day of school when they ask you which instrument you want to play, that’s the first thing that popped into my head,” Thieme has been in band since sixth grade and has continued because he likes to play and learn new music. However, for this band student, there is more than meets the eye. In his spare time, Thieme devotes himself to playing video games.

“I like adventure and story-type games,” Thieme said.

Some video games that he likes to play are Beyond: Two Souls and Life is Strange.

Another activity Thieme does is skateboarding, which he has been doing since fifth grade. Thieme has always been interested in skateboarding.

He had previously been gifted a skateboard when he was younger for Christmas and had discovered a Youtube channel called Braille Skateboarding that produces tutorials related to skateboarding. Ever since, Thieme has been getting better and better at skateboarding tricks. “Once you try for so long and you can actually land one it’s just really cool,” Thieme said.

When asked about what he thought Thieme was passionate about, his friend sophomore Blake Kitchen simply had one thing to say: “Skateboarding.”

During the day, Thieme spends time taking photos for Yearbook, where the students assign themselves to events and proceed to take pictures.

“I like to get onto the other side of the picture just to see what the photographer’s view is,” Thieme said.

His favorite picture that he’s taken was of a student last year around this time.

“I remember I took a picture last year during Homecoming of the fence decorations and one of the students was putting a cup through the fence while I took a picture from the other side.”

Thieme got into photography when his sister recommended it to him.

“Aidan is a really great student.” Yearbook teacher Jamie Gumina said. “He always signs up for assignments and gets his work done. He’s very friendly and he’s very helpful to the other students. That really helps in PhotoJay because you have to interact with a lot of people.”

Thieme hasn’t thought about what he’d like to do after high school yet, but when he graduates from LHS he’ll miss the friendships he’s had over the years.

“He’s not afraid to say things and he takes everything as a joke,” Kitchen said.

Gumina agrees.

“He can always go up and talk to new people,” Gumina said. “He makes it really fun and inviting for everyone who wants to be a part of Yearbook.”