Student story-The feisty friends of Flint Hills

By Hannah Lujano

A girl dressed in a purple and white tank top prances on her tiptoes on the trek to the K-State Student Union a half hour early for class.

Then there’s Joanna Hlavacek and Nikki Wentling. About 20 minutes after the organized student walks to class, the disheveled late risers shove pop tarts down their throats while sprinting up the hill. They are special friends.

The pair met a year ago — a previous Flint Hills Publication Workshop — in a pristine hotel room each toting luggage and another staff member.

The greetings were kept short and sweet. However, their conversations following this meeting were anything but short and sweet. The rest is history; the pair can honestly not recall the time when they felt strange around each other.

“It is fun. She is fun. We laugh and giggle and have merry times,” Nikki said.

The duo has accumulated more than enough hilarious memories to last a lifetime.

“I remember last year we ordered pizza every night and dropped pasta on the floor and still ate it,” Joanna said.

The reason the girls say they were able to stay so close is that they are “goofy.” Their rare sense of humor, which tends to be abrasive, is the glue that bonds them together. Also similar, both are enrolled in accelerated classes and have good grades.

All spare time is spent together reminiscing and creating new memories. They spent Monday night “raving,” which consisted of painting their bodies and clothes with the florescent liquid inside glow sticks — sticks that bring a smell of latrine mingled with sour body odor. Computer monitors were set to a strobe light and Nutter Butter cookies were mixed with BBQ chips. The terrible stench coming from the room forced all involved to take a quick elevator ride down to the Guitar Hero contest. Bored at the scene, they returned to the stinky space.

“I love to eat meals with her and rave with her, obviously, and throw marshmallows at people at the camp dance,” Nikki said.

Joanna and Nikki plan to attend the University of Kansas next year and major in journalism. Maybe even room together.

“All thanks to FHPW,” Nikki said with a hint of her incessant sarcasm.

Hannah Lujano is a senior at McPherson High School and a student in the advanced writing class at the Flint Hills Publication Workshop.