Posted by By Eve Kortan, Staff Writer
This is my interpretation of Humans of NY. I interviewed a student from each grade in the high school and told them to tell me something that their peers might not know about them. I recorded these exciting conversations and selected snippets that I thought were most interesting about each student.
Meet NP High School Senior, Sam Wong-Pan
“Over the years, I’ve realized that one of my favorite things as a student was getting really involved because it helped me feel like I have a purpose and place in this school. I like to do photography on the side, and I even do that for the student newspaper. It’s very enjoyable because not only do I get to do something artsy that I’m passionate about, but I get to be involved in the school community. I’ve also been the student representative for the Board of Education for almost a year. I think it’s important to address students’ concerns to adults on the Board of Education, so they can be aware of student input. I’m involved in many extra-curriculares because they’re fun and a great way to meet interesting and new people. I’m a part of student government, Model UN, mathletes, yearbook club, the student newspaper, and culture club. I also enjoy being captain of the tennis team, helping out a great group of girls.”
Meet NP High School Junior, Grisha Yashayev
“I am obsessed with hustling and finding ways to make money, from flipping items to doing odd jobs for people. I also like to repair things, it’s rewarding to take something broken and fix it. A few days ago, I bought a van. I was searching for one for weeks, and I found one on craigslist, and bought it! I’m going to bring it to BOCES where I study auto collision technology and do bodywork on cars, and fix it up. I hope to make it into a camper van eventually, and take a road trip across the country. I don’t want to go to college after high school, instead, I plan to make enough money to invest in something big, like my own company. In my free time, I love working at Lola’s as a line chef because I love cooking and experimenting with different foods.”
Meet NP High School Sophomore, Flavia Drazek
“I love fashion, and if I go to college, I definitely want to study fashion in Europe. Sports are also a big part of my life. I’ve done ballet since I was three, and I’m on pointe. I love to do the Nutcracker every year at the Bardavon. I am also on the tennis team and enjoy running and skiing. History is probably my favorite subject, and I find AP Euro very interesting. I also find languages fascinating, and I aspire to be fluent in Spanish and French. I’m also fluent in Polish because my family is from there. I love to travel, and I visit Poland every year because that’s where my parents grew up. If I had to pick favorites [movies or artists]… definitely Taylor Swift and Harry Potter will always be my go-to movie.”
Meet NP High School Freshman, Quin Harris
“Music is a big passion of mine. I play progressive metal and funk on the bass, and my private teacher even plays for a progressive metal band. I also play R&B, which is more feel than it is technicality. Getting the tone and rhythm to sound right is very difficult. When I play progressive metal, I dive right into the music because that tends to be easier than taking baby steps. Victor Wooten, the best bass player of all time, and my private teacher both really inspire me to keep playing. I also like to woodwork little things for fun-not anything big, like a table or something, just little stuff. I really enjoy hiking and the outdoors. Global is my favorite subject because I really like history. I also like to debate people and politics are a big part of my life.”
The Maroon 