My brain starts to tune out the belt sander’s incessant whirring as I watch the bottom of a clumsily-constructed bandsaw box slowly dwindle through billowy waves of fine sawdust. It’s October 31, 2019, Halloween, and I’m still in the shop all alone, putting the finishing touches on my project before it’s due tomorrow. 

“Alright, you have 15 minutes to finish,” my teacher alerts me. My palms start sweating as I glance up at the clock. 5 p.m. A rushed frenzy of sanding renders a slightly better-looking box. Still not amazing, but it’ll have to be good enough. Relieved but not particularly satisfied, I hand him my project and leave, the flickery black wave of fluorescent lights shutting off leaving the shop where I labored for hours in cold darkness. 

Despite being an elective, Woodworking was probably the most stressful class I took at LASA. Unlike a lot of my classmates, I had no experience in the subject, and projects were graded under the assumption that we all did. For a grading period or two, it was by far my lowest grade. But out of all the classes I took during my time in high school, Woodworking had the greatest impact on me. 

Relics of this difficult but pivotal time, the hastily sanded bandsaw box, gently scuffed tasting spoon and unevenly layered bowl I made definitely aren’t perfect — maybe a nick or imperfection here and there — but they’re definitely useful. I think that, in a way, they symbolize my lasting memories of my high school years in general. My time at LASA was not without its bumps, but looking back on it will be a useful reminder to work hard but also to look up and enjoy the moment for a second, to relish in new, exciting experiences without letting stress related to work and grades take over.