The Scattering

Oh yeah, them late night conversations.

The past two and half years had been some of the best in my entire university experience. Much of it had to do with the great people I was able to befriend and live with during that time. Like every great party, there has to be a conclusion, and the time has come for the Pinecone group (or Smash Saints) to disband. We are all at different stages in life. Some want change. Some want more financial stability. Some are graduated, etc.

The men I've come to know and love have taught me much about myself and those around me. Not to knock on my roommates before this dashing group, but these are truly some of the best friends I've made since living on my own. I want to share some great things about each and every one of them by order of appearance in my life.

Ammon Sarver: the man who started all. He was my first roommate when I first returned from my mission in 2010. He was the main driving force behind forming the group in 2012. The big brother figure in my life who has, time and again, dragged me out of my own mental maelstrom of self-doubt, loathe, and out of control wrath when under pressure. He made me realise that I'm not a bad person...just an idiot trying to figure things out.

Ammon is now married and striking out in the world with Julie. He is easily one of the best friends I've ever had.

Klint Metcalf: much like Ammon, this man has seen more sides of me than most people have in this life. My interactions with him included the man as a pre-missionary, on a mission, and post-mission. Throughout our communications, I learned that challenges can be overcome whether we notice that triumph or not. Moreover, our imperfections don't make us any less lovable.

Klint is now married as well (to Rachel). He's working on his nursing degree and hopefully advance in medicine in the future.

Our one of many frustrating Smash Bro games.

Dalin Russell: the co-driver behind the gathering of the group. He is the most laid-back person I know. True, I was constantly puzzled by many things he did, but he is a man of patience. I've never heard him say anything negative about anyone or anything. That's one of the most impressive feat I've yet to learn. I still lose it when enough buttons are pressed (which aren't that many).

Like most of my roommates, married (to Kris) and gone to the next adventure. In case no one knew, he is an engineer.

Jonathan Schuler: my "actual" half brother. A quirky and hilarious character with great intellect. Jon was a great listener. I can't remember how often I wind up having extended conversations with him about various topics until we finally hit the sack for the night. If it weren't for him, I don't think I would have come across many of the great classics in the world of arts and entertainment. Above all, nothing is impossible. Even though he's long gone, I still miss his guitar-playing and gadget building-days.

Jon is now in the Marines. He's pursuing the dream of working in aerospace related subjects he felt a physics degree at BYU couldn't provide.

Speaking of man of many talents...

John Connor: the man of many talents. A video game and anime aficionado. He may look like your stereotypical white guy who locks himself in his room and socially closed off (well, he can be like that), but he's like us, we couldn't be stuffed in one single stereotype. Aside from his obvious interests, he knows three languages as well as expertise in crafting, handiwork, and martial arts. Bet you didn't see that coming! John has always been the logical one in the group. It was not difficult to include him in a discussion or a "dilemma" you are having and he plainly talks you through what appeared to be a tricky situation. The lesson I learned from him is that I can have many talents if I choose to develop them. The real limiting factors are time and dedication.

John chose to delay graduation by one year so he could receive his masters in information systems at BYU. This guy will most definitely make more money than any of us for years to come.

Nick Ritter: was the "baby" of the group; simply because of his age. Nick has a passion for film and has chosen the path to become a director. We've watched him getting accepted into the BYU film program and even participated in a few of his productions through various contributions. Among his other notable achievements, his most brilliant decision was the Honey Badger. Now, that's a story for another time. This guy, with his many quirks, probably had the most patience out of all of us. I could scarcely believe anyone would take the crap I dish out from time to time and still manages to not hold grudges. And thus we see, we choose to take offense and we choose to love or forgive those who have done us wrong. It's a hard attribute to come by.

Nick got married to Amanda and is still finishing up his film degree. His future works can be known if you talk to him. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them involved sloths, a long-time running gag in our experience.

Tyler Potts (T.K.): the spontaneous decision-maker. Many people have asked why we call him T.K. You'll have to ask him about it, it's a fun story. As far as I could remember, T.K. came out of nowhere and he became one of us. Full of hopes and ideas, there were times we had to ground him to make sure he doesn't go way off the path of reasoning. We've witnessed good times and bad times, but he never gave up and kept on making the best of every situation. We have always had good conversations about various subjects and T.K. and I tend to speak candidly. On top of that, this man helped me through several key points in life such as getting my driver's license, etc. I learned that now is the time to explore possibilities before we are too set in our ways and brotherhood can exist between friends.

T.K. is studying neuroscience and hopes to go into the consulting side of the medical industry.

Another one of TK's stunts

Tyler Reese: my homie from back East. Tyler was one of the many "Tylers" that you could find in the IX. He found his way into the group thanks to Nick. He is a humble man. Being from the East Coast, it is easy for me to feel an affinity towards him. He is perhaps the easiest person to get along with due to his relaxed nature. He is, by no means, lazy because he works very hard to put himself through school, etc. The biggest lesson I think all of us could learn from him is that it's okay to question your faith and the methods we use to accomplish things. It is a necessary process to solidify who we are and what we do.

Tyler is deciding a path to go down in terms of his education. It's easy to have a major, but it's quite another to jump on a career.

Alex Teela: the car fanatic. This man is the living-proof of how you could change your life by the work of your two bare hands, with a little divine intervention, of course. Sure, our personalities clashed, but one would be foolish to think you'd never meet someone that fits that hat. He is also a hard worker who's got many options before him. Personally, I think he will succeed in whatever he pursues. The moral of Alex's life? The only thing that can keep you down in life is yourself. Once you have a different mindset and outlook, everything is awesome all of the sudden because the world is not out to get you (usually).

Good question, what is Alex's next step? That's for him to know and all of us to find out!

Yeah, I totally did not ask for permission with this photo.

In the end, The Smash Saints (Aug. 2012 - Dec. 2014).