Scots’ summer schedules

WRItING AND ARt by oLIvER FIcHtE

With students putting more effort into academic excellence and extracurriculars, many eagerly anticipate the summer months to further their expertise. However, many students look forward to the summer as a relaxing time to hang out with friends and family or travel. This begs the question: How are Scots spending their summer?

For freshman Miraj Bhalala, summer means three things: unwinding, giving back, and preparation. Bhalala plans to take a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with his family during the summer, a perfect way to relax after a stressful school year. In addition, Bhalala will apply to be a camp counselor at Sandpiper Elementary School, where he spent his summers as a child. Through the program, he plans to watch over, play games with, and go on field trips with camp attendees. Of course, school also plays a role in his summer plans, as it does for many students. Bhalala plans to complete the summer reading and prepare for his classes next year. “I’m sure I’ll try to become familiar with the math I’m taking next year so it’s not foreign to me, because that’s what happened this year,” Bhalala said. “I started struggling, so I want to get ahead on that and make sure that I’m ready to go next year.”

Miraj Bhalala Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Rather than stressing about academics like much of Carlmont’s student body, senior Anjali Mehta plans to enjoy herself this summer. “This is the first summer in a very, very long time where I don’t have anything planned because there’s no next school year to prepare for besides college, so I’m going to focus mostly on spending time with family and friends,” Mehta said. In previous years, Mehta had always made sure to cram all sorts of academically enriching activities into her summer schedule; this year, she plans to enjoy “what summer should be for.” She plans to travel around California to visit family, including her sister in Los Angeles. Additionally, she wants to do things stereotypically associated with teenage summers: visit amusement parks, go out with her friends, and do whatever else she can to enjoy her last few months before college. “I think senior year is very stressful. And I think [in the] summer before college, all of us need three months to unwind and recharge ourselves before we go to [a] whole new environment,” Mehta said.

Summer for sophomore Jessie Rizvi looks a little bit different. After visiting the Caribbean with her family on a trip to Aruba, she plans to jump straight back into academics. Rizvi is planning to take Spanish III over the summer to skip it in her junior year. After continuing from AS English II this year, she will take AS English III Honors in her junior year, a far more difficult class than those she is used to. “I’d like to get ahead of the curve and practice some timed essays and things that we’ll be doing next year that I haven’t had much practice in,” Rizvi said. Additionally, Rizvi wants to get a job during the summer to earn some extra money. As she is turning 16 in the coming year, she also plans to practice driving to get her license when she is ready.

Anjali Mehta Los Angeles, California

Jessie Rizvi Noord, Aruba

During his summer, junior Andrew Boldi enjoys incorporating the knowledge learned during the academic school year into new forms, such as projects. After learning during the year, many students have no use for their knowhow in subjects like science, math, or history; Boldi, on the other hand, applies it to new concepts and real-world situations.“Last summer, I learned about chemistry and had a cool project with waves,” Boldi said. “[This summer, I was thinking] to simulate oscillations, like a pendulum or springs moving up and down, and trying to have a clear animation for visualizing them.”In addition to creating projects, Boldi dives into specific topics he found interesting during the school year, increasing his knowledge in a field he enjoys. Combining projects and his interest in learning, Boldi enjoys attending various summer programs, such as the Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program, or community college classes such as Business 100.“I think summer programs are a great place to combine... learning things that interest you and applying [them] to potentially contribute to society or showcase your knowledge,” Boldi said. Lastly, like anyone, Boldi uses the summer to relax and spend time with family and friends: slowing down, unwinding, and destressing in general from the challenges of high school life through trips to the beach or sports.

Andrew Boldi Belmont, California