Throughout the Bozeman School District one of the most beloved teachers is Lauren Covington, the College and Career Counselor for Gallatin High School. Her job is one of the hardest: spending her days communicating with colleges and helping students fill out applications and scholarships. She slaves away day and night reviewing essays for students, giving feedback with superhuman speed, and is constantly available for advice, night and day. This reporter happens to be one of the students who heavily relies on Ms. Covington and her response speed is legendary. If you send her an email at 9:00 o’clock you will have received a response before you go to bed. If you text her, expect immediate feedback. 

That is the next amazing thing about our CCC counselor, she gives out her phone number to all of the students who are in most regular contact with her. These are not the only responsibilities that she is burdened with though. On top of her CCC status Ms. Covington also takes on the teacher role for work experience classes, making sure all of her students turn in pay stubs on time, and manages the application process for all AP Classes making sure that all students who desire are registered to take their AP exam in the spring. Speaking of exams, she is also who students go to in order to register for standardized tests such as the Pre-SAT and the SAT. 

But what happens in the CCC when the doors are closed? Having spent many hours inside of the CCC bearing witness to the craziness that happens inside, it is clear that while the doors are open many students are constantly coming in and out of the area asking questions or using it as a social hangout in between classes. When the doors are closed is when things get really wild. 90% of the time I have observed the doors closing for the purpose of allowing the students to focus on their work without the distraction of the rest of the school. It's the 10% where things get interesting.

Students with social media such as Instagram or TikTok have likely seen the cinematic masterpieces that are the CCC clips starring several seniors and Ms. Covington. These are usually written as satire referencing different college and scholarship application situations. The filming is often accompanied by lots of laughter and several different takes after, in my opinion, not enough practice. But this is not the only non-academic activity that happens behind closed doors. Often, students in the CCC, when Ms. Covington is not present, host a gossip fest, in an attempt to procrastinate their work, that is so loud the teachers complain about the noise. This is of course no fault of Ms. Covington but the fault of the students who need to be more considerate of others around them in the school. 

Overall, the CCC is a place of great work and responsibility but also one of the most coveted senior hangout spots on campus. The CCC will stay with students throughout all of life's hardships, the memories getting them through the best and worst parts of senior year. When many of the students who applied to Ivy League schools were rejected, Mrs. Covington hosted a pancake breakfast to lessen the blow and make the devastation easier. She had a fan running in there for days trying to get rid of the bacon smell. This space and these people surely are a godsend to the seniors and the whole student body, a space that should be taken care of and cherished.