May 7th, 2026 Whoa! My heart is bursting. A massive and sincere thank you to everyone who came out to Commencement and supported me tonight; I love you all so much. A wonderful evening and every single person I saw and talked to was so lovely. My speech went fine, but! A whole page wasContinue reading “Undone: My Graduation Speech”
Author Archives: dennisvogen
Star Wars Day 2026
May 4th, 2026 Happy Star Wars Day! I have a million photos from a galaxy far, far away to choose from but I want to share this selfie from one of my favorite ever Star Wars experiences with my favorite ever Jedi (then not-a-Jedi, spoiler). Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano, was at TwinContinue reading “Star Wars Day 2026”
Head-On
May 1st, 2026 It’s my birthday (again) and I’m one of those people who don’t hate it; I know too well that not everyone gets to grow old like they should and I adore every minute I’m here (even those minutes I don’t adore). On this day I usually reflect on my most recent journeyContinue reading “Head-On”
Walk A Way
April 24th, 2026 My dog Marvel is a terrible walking partner. She takes forever. Marvel sees a tree. She approaches it and stops us completely, disrupting our walk. This forces me to take in my surroundings. I notice for the first time how blue the sky is today. Some geese fly overhead and land onContinue reading “Walk A Way”
Dreaming of Denmark
April 22nd, 2026 I’ve been dreaming about Denmark. Years ago, I took a DNA test and it confirmed a lot of what I knew: Norwegian (what up lefse), German (natürluch), a little Irish (obvs), and British. But it also revealed that I had strong Danish genes, which is delightful to me: LEGO and I shareContinue reading “Dreaming of Denmark”
Guthrie Theater Trip, Part 2
April 11th, 2026 I’m obsessed with the Guthrie. Not lowkey. Like, the highest key. Last year, our Creative Arts & Writing Club took a trip to the theater to take in a tour and see Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. As a former drama club president, it was easily one of the highlights of my first yearContinue reading “Guthrie Theater Trip, Part 2”
The Loudest Crickets
April 8th, 2026 I don’t like making these posts but I also have to be loud to compensate for the cowards who are suspiciously silent now; the cowards who put this madman into office. I guess there are people who still need to hear this so here it is: throughout human history, the man whoContinue reading “The Loudest Crickets”
Quality
March 31, 2026 Eventually you will be unable to give any of yourself to this world. I don’t mean to say this as a way to plunge you into a cold existential void. If anything, I want this to be a splash of cool water on your face, a reminder. Human life is hard. FrictionContinue reading “Quality”
Let’s Commence
March 26th, 2026 So! I just learned this afternoon that I have been selected to be one of the commencement speakers at the 2026 DCTC graduation ceremony in May. This is an absolute honor and a total full-circle moment and I could use your help! I already have a draft. (In fact, a draft wasContinue reading “Let’s Commence”
BPA State Leadership Conference 2026
March 8th, 2026 I participated in my first Business Professionals of America State Conference yesterday and it was a blast! I was definitely a theater kid in high school (ahem, drama club president here) so, between that and always having a job, I didn’t really have time for any other clubs or organizations. When IContinue reading “BPA State Leadership Conference 2026”
The Den 