Khalid Hamdoun (KH)

Scarlet Gitelson (SG)

What is the biggest thing you’re looking forward to in 2026?

Really just adapting to my junior year, because first semester, I was just getting into it. And junior year, you start to really just learn more about yourself and also about the courses you start to take—they’re more interesting to you. And so I want to be more passionate about the classes that I’m taking, and I actually want to enjoy learning.

What’s the class you’re taking this semester that you’re most excited about?

I’d have to say Marine and Aquatic Science. It’s a really niche class that not a lot of people take. The class is mainly seniors right now, but there’s one other junior in the class. I find it really interesting, and I really look forward to learning more about it.

What’s the thing you’re most excited to learn about?

We’re gonna get into this unit about ecology. And I’ve always been interested in the ocean and also currents and how they work—tsunamis. And so once we get into this unit about ecology—we just finished a unit about currents—I feel like I’m really just looking forward to that.

What was the moment you realized you were so interested in ecology?

When I was a little younger, my mom told me that my uncle was a sailor. I thought that was really cool, and she told me how he got a degree for being an architect, and then he ended up being a sailor. And so I thought it was really cool, how he just followed what he wanted and did what he wanted to do.

What do you think is the biggest thing you learned about yourself last semester?

I learned that if I don’t like doing something, I’m just going to procrastinate a lot. I’m going to just keep putting it to the side. And so I feel in order for me to really succeed in the thing that I’m doing, I need to be passionate about it. Trying your best to kind of enjoy the subject is better off than just ‘I got four hours of sleep. I don’t want to be here.’ Just changing your mentality—I feel like I learned a lot more about myself and the way that I think.

In the ‘four hours of sleep’ moments, what’s the thing you’re saying to yourself to change your mentality?

I’d say just getting through the day. Because you can get through the day being tired and lazy, but, if you try your best to get through the day focused and sharp, you’re going to spend the same amount of time at school. Once you realize that you just got to do what you got to do, it kind of becomes easier to focus and push through the day.

If you were a superhero, what would your montage music be?

Rock music.

What’s been the funniest thing you’ve heard in the past month?

Can I just say Shiven? Shiven’s just a funny guy.