Sammy and Jilly Rippon- On the Road Again

Now you see them, now you don't.

Samantha and Jillian Rippon, Jamesville-DeWitt High School juniors, are playing the disappearing act once again. Oxford, Miss. bound, the duo and their family are packing their bags this summer and returning to their old town. "Jilly, my mom, and I will live in Mississippi," says Sammy Rippon, "My dad, however, will stay in West Virginia for work." Christopher Rippon, the father of Sammy and Jilly, recently was employed as the defensive coordinator at Marshall University in West Virginia. "The town (Huntington, W. Va.) isn't safe," says Jilly Rippon, "We never sold our house in Mississippi so we're going to move back there – plus my brothers go to college there so it makes things easier also." Though the girls will be reconnecting with their brothers, they will be distancing themselves from their father.

In an interview the Rippon twins reflect on their year back at Syracuse, their reconnections with friends, the crucial transition on the swim team and, their other experiences at J-DHS.

Question: What does this move mean for you and your family?
Jilly: We get to be a part of football again. After my dad not coaching this past year we realized football is a huge part of our life and always will be. It also means we can all be together again-or at least closer to each other, which is always a good thing!

Q: What are your feelings about moving for the fourth time?
Sammy: I'm interested to see what this move has in store for us. I know it isn't going to be easy, especially because it'll be my senior year, but I'm looking at it as an adventure.
J: I'm kind of used to it now. I didn't really like Mississippi so I'm not overly excited but I have to do what I have to do. It's only one year then I'm off to college so hopefully it won't be too bad.

Q: How did your parents break the news to you and your sister? How did it go over?
S: I first found out that my dad was going for the interview in late December. So, I had time to prepare myself for whether he got the job or not. In January though he came back from the interview and told us he got the job and that we would be moving.
J: I found out from my sister. She came into school late and ran up to me in the hall and was like, "You'll never guess what just happened!" She told me my dad had been offered the job. Next thing I know, about two weeks later, my parents told us we were moving- either to Mississippi or West Virginia.

Q: What was your initial reaction upon hearing the news?
S: I was excited for my dad, but I had a lot of other emotions too. I was nervous about moving, sad about leaving, yet curious about what West Virginia was like.
J: It was a shock. My parents told us we would definitely not move our senior year and I told them I bet we do. Needless to say it was crazy that it actually happened. It upset me because no one likes to move, of course, but it was also exciting because it offered new opportunities and adventures.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about being in Syracuse again?
S: My favorite thing has been feeling home again. This is where I grew up, so I have a lot of memories and friends. It was fun to reconnect with some friends while at the same time making new friends. I can't forget Wegmans either; definitely a highlight.
J: My favorite thing about being back has been seeing my childhood friends. When I left we were all so close so seeing how everyone has changed yet remembering the past is really cool. It's been nice to finally be around familiar people and familiar places. I feel like I know my way around so being the new kid has been an easier transition. And let's not forget Wegmans, the best place on earth.

Q: How do you feel about leaving Syracuse for the second time?
S: I'm sad to be leaving again, but I know I'll come visit and be back up here again. It has definitely been easier for the second time around.
J: Leaving Syracuse again is bittersweet. It will always be my home; I grew up here and have ties here that will always bring me back, and I love it. At the same time, leaving is not the worst thing because now I know I will keep in touch with my friends and visit. Moving is always exciting, I just wish it could be somewhere cool for once like Hawaii.

Q: How did J-DHS compare to your other schools?
S: J-DHS has been the biggest high school we've been to so far, so it definitely gave us a new experience. It's also more diverse than our other two high schools in Mississippi and New Jersey. Compared to our other two schools, students at J-DHS are definitely a lot more focused and competitive academically. In New Jersey and Mississippi, the school atmosphere was a little more laid back, but neither offered the academic challenge or variety of sports that J-DHS does.
J: J-DHS was very different from Mississippi – a lot bigger, a lot more interaction with sports, and in some ways more challenging education-wise. Here not everyone knows each other, but in Mississippi you know what every single person is doing in school at every moment- just a little too small. As for New Jersey, people were friendlier but I think it was partly because they hadn't met me before. J-DHS is more stressful, not sure if it's a good or bad thing. I love J-DHS though; it doesn't take long to feel like you're a part of the school, which I really liked.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?
S: I'm going to miss my friends. Even though I only spent one year here, I made and reconnected with some great friends who I'm going to miss a lot. As for the snow, it is non-existent in Mississippi. Because of that it never truly seems like winter down there. I can't forget Wegmans either. There isn't one in Mississippi, or even remotely close to there. It's awful. But my friends are definitely what I'm going to miss most.
J: I'm going to miss Wegmans so much, I have to say! But aside from that I'm going to miss my friends of course, as well as the snow – I love the snowy winters here, you can't get that in Mississippi. I'll also miss the swim team, it was a big part of helping me transition into J-DHS.

Q: What are your plans for your senior year?
S: I start school in August so my senior year isn't too far off. I haven't really had a chance to think about specific plans, but as of now I plan to swim for my high school team and USS team and continue to search and apply to colleges. Part of moving is never knowing how things are going to play out, so for now I'm just going to wait and see what happens.
J: So far my plans are to get it over with! I want to get better times in swimming and strengthen my spot as a recruit and I also want to continue to do well in school and focus on what I need to achieve to get into a good school. But most of all I plan to have fun. After moving every year of high school, living up and down the east coast, I'm ready to de-stress and enjoy the last year I have. After next year my parents won't be able to move us anywhere else except into our dorm rooms so that gives me one less thing to worry about!