Senior Spotlight: David Dunlop (12-1)
Laura Shin (12-4)
Photo courtesy of David Dunlop (12-1)
What are you looking forward to at college? (David is going to UPenn).
I’m looking forward to being excited about what I’m learning about. I don’t think there’s a lot of room for experimentation in high school, and there’s so much more that I can learn, and I love to learn! I’m also very excited to meet new people and see what new ways I’m going to be able to stay in touch with my friends. Another thing is that I used to want to travel far for college. For Penn specifically, I basically live on their campus: any of the dorm houses are a ten-minute walk from my house, tops. But people have told me that living in Philadelphia as a high school student versus a college student is a completely different experience, so I’m very excited to experience the city as an adult.
Favorite memory from senior year?
One of my favorite moments has been working really late at night with Peer Counseling. I made some incredible friends this year because of it. Another great one was that over spring break, after quarantining and getting tested, some of my friends and I went up to Martha’s Vineyard for a week. That was wonderful. The air there hits different.
If you could give one piece of advice to your freshman self, what would it be?
She doesn’t like you that way, bro.
As a proud member of the Running Cult, what has it been like running cross country and track at Masterman?
I am an incredibly proud member of the JV team. I have never once been on varsity, I wanted to be on varsity more than anything, and then I broke my back, and I was like, “JV is cool”. It’s been wonderful. I think there’s a special bond that you form with people over a mutual understanding of awful pain. To be honest, I don’t know why I run. I’ve been so injured by running. But it’s a beautiful feeling to push yourself. I’ve broken so many limits that I never thought I’d be able to break, and it’s just an incredibly cathartic and beautiful feeling to see yourself trying and overcoming your own obstacles.
Biggest Masterman pet peeve?
The water from the old water fountains came out white. Also, my shoes are sticky coming out of every bathroom.
Cats or dogs?
Dogs, because trying to cuddle a cat is not a great idea in my experience.
If you could be any fictional character for one day, who would you be and why?
Yuji Itadori from Jujutsu Kaisen, because with his abilities I would tear up every track event and finally win districts. That’s the dream.
What would you like to see change at Masterman?
I would love to see more diversity and accountability at Masterman, and more clarity for students about the application process going from middle school to high school.