Ava Cooper and Sabrina Dean: how Harbinger improved our friendship

Imagine being with the same person every day — same classes, activities and friends. From Second Best Coffee runs before school to evening study sessions, we spend a minimum of 50 hours a week together. You’d think that at this point, we’d hate each other. 

Our bond dates back to freshman year, where we became mutual friends through Lancer Dancers. When COVID-19 hit, our devoutly liberal parents enrolled us in 100% online school for sophomore year. By being a part of the few still at home, we spent every day on FaceTime, evolving our friendship through catching up on recent drama and finishing AP European History homework. Our similar try-hard school outlook led us to make an awful decision: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. 

After both receiving a D on our first IB math test, we knew we’d need each other as motivation to succeed. Our list of shared activities grew— we became Link Crew leaders, SHARE chairs and recreational soccer players. We really thought there wasn’t any more time in the day we could spend together — until Sabrina convinced Ava to join her only solo activity: Harbinger. 

As a rookie staffer, Ava was overwhelmed by the world of InDesign and story ideas. Sabrina introduced her to Harbinger norms, such as biweekly deadlines and the fact that Tate might never learn her name (he did, thankfully). From the J-Rave in Dallas to the miserable drive out to Olathe North to broadcast a basketball game, the chaos and hours spent in the J-room were a refreshing change in the course of our friendship. Granting us the chance to let loose and use our creativity in a school setting for the first time, we were provided a new perspective of high school. 

Though we have different positions on staff, we still always end up collaborating together. Anytime a quick mug is needed, Sabrina snaps it for Ava’s design. If Sabrina is struggling to navigate InDesign, Ava is right there to fix her mistakes. 

Harbinger forced us to see all sides of each other, even when Ava was stressed about finding photos for Sports Highlights or Sabrina’s lack of creative story ideas. By forcing Sabrina to come to every writer’s night or deadline, even though she didn’t have to, we grew close with each other and the rest of the staff.
Room 413B will always be a second home after spending hours in the back room rotting on the jouch. In three short months, our interactions will return to the COVID-era FaceTime calls. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again— even with 842 miles between us.