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Ariel Stewart

By Kiana Paulino Editor IG: KiANAARAAE Everybody has a hobby they are interested in whether it be birdwatching, stone skipping, or even extreme pen spinning. Junior Ariel Stewart has a unique talent and hobby of her own called dice cup stacking. Dice cup stacking is a performance art in which the performer scoops dice off a flat surface with a dice cup and then sets the cup down while moving it in a pattern that stacks the dice into a vertical column without any of them falling.

Although she does not compete for anything, she uses her skills to impress friends and family.

As a matter of fact, Stewart picked up on the talent when she was 11-years-old to amaze her father. She and her

http://issuu.com/thevipervibe 7 father have made this an on-going competition between each other. “We challenge each other by seeing who can stack the most dice in a row, I can do it about 5 times while my dad can do it about 10 times,” said Stewart.

Stewart, who is originally from New York, moved to Miami when she was three-years-old because of extended family being here, the weather being warmer, and her family believing it was a safer and cleaner environment to raise their children.

Stewart and her family visit New York at least once a year, mostly to see family that was left behind along with feeling the New York city atmosphere.

“I really miss going on the subway and the noises in the busy city, it’s so quiet here compared to New York,” she said.

Since Stewart was so young when she moved here, she considers Miami her home. She loves school here and has made friendships that have lasted since kindergarten.

Academically, she has flourished, making her parents proud. Stewart hopes to continue on to college and become a nurse.

Her inspiration comes from her aunt, who was a nurse, who passed away last year due to breast cancer. “Helping people has been the most important thing in my life; I never want to see people struggle or in pain. Being a nurse would put me in the position to give people the aid they need,” she said. “Rather than being in a cubicle somewhere, I would be making a real difference in the world.” Materials: Any cup of your choice, 3-6 dice Step 2: In order to stack the dice you must finish your swing of the cup but stop short. Step 1: When you pick up the first dice, swing the cup back and forth, alternating between a 45 degree angle and 90 degree angle. Step 3: Your dice will be stacked (after tons of practice). Junior Ariel Stewart performs her dice cup stacking trick. She has been doing the trick since she was 11 in order to play with her father. photos by Matthew Melton