Humans of Venice High is a series of photographs and personal histories, revealing the hidden emotions. Two Oarsman staffers went around school campus, asking random students if they would mind being interviewed regarding their personal stories.

Wynter Taylor, a junior at Venice High, said,“ My dad said he doesn’t want to be in our life anymore. This morning I was sitting and crying, and it just made me really emotional. I have to realize I can’t make anyone want to be in my life. My dad included.

He doesn’t want to be there, I can’t help that. He’s a grown man, he can make his own decisions. I can’t force him to be in my life. It is sad because that is my dad and I’ve had him for the last sixteen years of my life, and all of a sudden he just doesn’t want to be there anymore.

He texted us this morning, he texted us that he just doesn’t want to be there anymore. I feel it’s really childish and immature of him to have texted us like we don’t mean anything. How could you just abandon your kids out of nowhere? You don’t just abandon us because you feel a certain way.

I don’t know. I have to be ok for them. I help my family the most. I’m the one my mom comes to, my brothers and sisters as well. I feel like I have to be ok for them because I don’t want them to see me sad and I don’t want to see them sad either. I just feel like I’m going to have to be ok with the decision that he’s made.”

Chad Johnson, a sophomore at Venice High, said,“ Losing my cousin, one of my closest cousins. He just passed away. He used to sell drugs and he got caught up and they just killed him. I don’t know the details. They didn’t wanna tell me the details.

He was the person I would go talk and express my emotions to. He knew everything. I always told him that was not the right road to go. But it was too late.

He couldn’t get a job because of his record. He had bad stuff on his record, so he couldn’t do anything else. He had to feed his children.

Before every game, I get kind of emotional about it because he used to be at every game supporting me and to look in the stands and he’s not there, it’s just really hard.

Don’t care about what anyone else says, that’s what he always told me. Just work hard and don’t care about anyone says. That’s why nobody has any say so about anything I do. Except my family.”