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Photo courtesy of Laura Shin (12-3)
You are going to Penn next year. How do you feel about staying so close to your home and high school?
I’m notoriously bad with directions. I traverse the city based on mental landmarks and not by the actual street, so I’m actually okay with getting the chance to stay in Philly because I feel like four more years in the city will force me to learn how to properly read a map. On a more serious note, I thought that it would be more beneficial for me to stay closer to home knowing how I function best academically and socially (and in terms of mental health). Masterman kids are never too hype about Penn, but I think it’s possible to branch out without flying too far from the nest. I’m actually excited; I have lived in Philly for a really long time but there’s a lot that I still don’t know about the city and I’m happy to be here! And to still have Wawa!
What are you looking forward to at college?
I like that you have more control over what you want to learn. It’s no longer, “You have to take these subjects because it’s the school curriculum.” You get to have a little more say in what you want to study, or what interests you. I think that’s something that everyone looks forward to in college.
What are your plans for the summer?
Honestly, I don’t really know. I guess I want to take advantage of my last “free” summer since it’s technically the one where I don’t have any responsibilities, as in I don’t need to look for stuff to bolster my resume (although I probably should). So if I could, I'm planning on meeting as many people in the safest way possible- hopefully I can make up for some of my lost senior year over the summer.
You dance with the Koresh Dance Company. Will you continue in college?
I do plan on continuing to take classes, but less seriously. The funny thing about Penn is that they don’t have a dance program- you’d think they'd have one, but they don't. I’ll probably stick with Koresh or try out some new studio or dance team. I’ve been dancing for so long that it’s become a huge part of my identity, and I can’t really envision a future without it.
How was keeping up with dance during the pandemic?
Very bad! For almost any subject, I learn best when I’m in the right environment, so for dance, like in an actual studio with other dancers and the teacher. Learning off of videos and online classes was not very good because I’m terrible at learning combinations off of videos- even TikTok dances take me at least a day. Also, I just looked so awkward. But it was nice that we could still connect over Zoom calls, and I’m fortunate enough to have even been able to continue dancing semi-normally during a pandemic.
What was the best memory from your virtual senior year?
It’s tough to pick out one definitive memory, because online classes made everyday feel like the same after a while. I guess mine is Spirit Week. SGA worked really hard to make it an event that could be fun for everyone. Also, I gotta rep Blue team, I’m sorry, but I gotta do it. When we won it was oddly anti-climactic; our Zoom call was not loud at all. But it was nice.
How do you handle stress?
I’ve always felt that talking about things that stress you out with other people makes you feel more loose, because if you all have the same problem, you can relish in your shared misery and then it feels more manageable. I think that’s why people have group chats for really hard classes.
Best decision you’ve ever made?
The biggest decision I’ve made in my life was going to Masterman. I know that’s a little cheesy and I’m not trying to sound obsessed with our school, but before I went to Masterman I went to a cushy private school, and I was also going to a really competitive ballet school. If I didn’t come to Masterman, would I have been a professional dancer? Probably not, but I would have been on that track for longer or at least surrounded by different people, thereby making me a different person. Crazy how high school can determine your life. It’s something that I think about a lot.
If you could choose an album or song to represent yourself, what would it be?
I don’t know about representative, but one of my favorite albums is Ctrl by SZA. Whole album is a banger and very versatile; I can listen to it when I’m anxious, or in my bag, or just want to relax. Also I feel like if I say it’s my favorite, I can manifest her into releasing all the music that I know she’s sitting on.
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