October is slowly creeping its way, the hot summer weather will soon be cold and chilly. Stores, movies, and special events are slowly opening their festive items to the public. We are excited about what is to come for October, with many spirit events, fundraisers, and more! But a query comes to mind…what are you afraid of? What is your biggest fear? Students and staff were questioned about this topic, and the answers were sure interesting!
Campus Aide Desirae VanWinkle is afraid of spiders, she had this phobia for as long as she can remember. It bothers her the most when they are near her, or crawling around her house. Mrs. VanWinkle said, “Every time I see them, I run away in fear.”
Teacher Alfred Pratt has a fear of heights, he developed this phobia as a young child. He would have dreams of being on a tall building/balcony with no railing, which was very vivid for him. Pratt said, “It’s a recurring fear that is triggered whenever I’m on a tall building or other tall structure over 100 feet.”
Teacher Rebecca Simmons has a phobia of tiny insects and spiders. She had this phobia ever since she was a little girl. She developed this because of the many bad experiences that she had growing up, being bitten/attacked. It bothers her all the time, and when there’s a bug around her, she’d prefer if someone killed it for her. Simmons said, “I get goosebumps all over, panic, and can’t relax if they are near me.”
English Teacher Leah Setmire has a fear of wolves with black coats and yellow eyes. She developed this phobia when she was only three years old. Her mom used to read her stories such as the “Three Little Pigs” and realized that she was terrified of the wolf. She also saw an old Russian cartoon, “Peter and the Wolf” which also continued to fuel that fear. This fear bothers her the most when she’s alone at night, she’ll turn off the lights and jump into bed, so it doesn’t get her toes. Setmire said, “This is totally an irrational fear, which started when I was a kid, and I just haven’t gotten over it.” Setmire also does not like it when they howl, she described that her heart races and her palms get sweaty whenever she sees a black wolf, she physically feels fear. Setmire said, “I know rationally that this is super rare, but I can’t seem to stop being afraid of black wolves (especially ones with yellow eyes).”
Principal Michael Hall, has a huge fear of earthquakes. He developed this phobia in sixth grade when the Northridge Earthquake struck in 1994. He had no clue what was going on at the time, all he felt was fear and confusion. This fear doesn’t bother him as much, it only triggers when earthquakes occur. Hall said, “They just come all of a sudden, and it really disorients me.”
Senior Jenis O-Sodth’s biggest fear is losing someone or something. Growing up, she was taught a lot and how to be a better person, and that nothing comes for free, but at a price. O-Sodth said, “I can’t deny that I don’t want to lose anything that I have or own, but I can’t be a better person if I don’t learn how to let go.” When Senior O-Sodth was in middle school, she lost her grandmother who was very dear to her. After this incident, she had to give up her high school life in Thailand with her friends, for a better education and future in the United States. O-Sodth said, “The hardest part about leaving Thailand was leaving my cat behind. I have had her since she was just a kitten.” O-Sodth hates missing someone or something because it gives her the worst feeling imaginable. O-Sodth also added, “You could feel anger, loneliness, sadness, and happiness when you miss something or somebody. All the memories you have with them, flash at you. Just like a movie.”
Senior Marysabel Dominguez is afraid of the unknown. She developed this fear at the end of middle school during career day. She described that she was researching, and looking into schools or careers for the future. Dominguez said, “I figured that getting into veterinary school was hard and that you have to take a science classes. I wasn’t a huge fan of science, so I threw away that dream career. This led me to the fear of my own future as well as overthinking decisions, predicting what could happen so that I make choices whether I know than what I don’t.”
