Harper Anderson (HA)

Scarlet Gitelson (SG)

What’s been the best part of your semester?

I think the best part of my semester has been getting to know my teachers, getting to know people that I didn’t talk to a lot [in Middle School], and getting to know the people [who] came this year. You really get to know a lot of new people—you can really talk to a lot more people, and I feel like you need to. Getting to know your teachers is really nice because they always want to help you, and if you need help, you know where to go.

What’s been one part of freshman year that’s been unexpected?

I feel like the amount of tests that you have, because in physics and in your language block, you have tests every week. And I knew that there were going to be a lot of tests, but I didn’t know that it was going to be in specifically those two classes that there were going to be a lot. In Middle School, there were not a lot of tests—you had about six tests per semester. So having six tests within a month combined in those two classes was unexpected for me.

What activity have you gotten the most joy from so far?

In the fall, I played volleyball, which was really fun because there were a lot of people on that team who in Middle School, even in eighth grade last year, I didn’t talk to at all. And now I have their numbers and I Snap them every day, and I get to talk to them a lot. It was really fun not only just playing the game and winning, but having that community around me. Especially when you win a game, and when you do something well—huddling in the middle of the court, having that space, having those fun people to talk to, having those fun people to relate and tell funny stories to. Just looking back at those videos, it gives you a warm feeling that you can’t replicate doing anything else. 
Also, I’m in the play right now, “Much Ado About Nothing,” and that’s also a community where I’m talking to upperclassmen, I’m talking to seniors, I’m talking to juniors. That’s really shocking to me, because I don’t like talking to people. And they just talk so freely to me and they’re such an open community.

Why did you pick volleyball?

I enjoyed the sport, and I wanted to play a sport in high school. I played it last year, and I had a really fun time playing it last year. Volleyball doesn’t just improve on your volleyball skills: how well you can pass, how well you can set. It improves your community-building skills and teamwork skills. I just found that was a fun way to do it, and I didn’t really find any other sport in fall that fun. I just enjoyed the sport, but I also just enjoyed the community around it.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself in August?

I’d say definitely talk to your teachers more and be more open. Because in the beginning of the school year, I was really closed off. And as the school year grew, I realized that I had to talk to my teachers more, and I had to reach out more, and I had to do test corrections more. I had to be more vigilant for myself. I would just tell myself, you have to be stronger than that, and you have to be more courageous than that, and you have to be more willing to talk than that. You just have to be brave, and you have to put yourself out there because, if you don’t, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be, and why?

I’ve pondered this question for years, and I’ve never had a conclusive answer. I at one point said ramen. 
And then I feel like I’d eat pesto. I had this really good food in Orlando last year for my birthday, and it was this pesto shrimp scampi pasta with onions and bell peppers in it. It was so good—so maybe that, because I like everything in that. I love shrimp, I love vegetables, and I love pesto.