CLASSMY NOTES FIVE • 41
My Five
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DORALIS PÉREZ-SOTO Spanish
RASHID CHATANI Math
TEDDY SEEGERS ’24
BECCA SPENCE ’21
DESCRIBE A MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM YOUR TIME AT CSW:
I love the start of each year when the campus is full of light and flowers and we get to greet our new boarding students. What’s more, I enjoy the bonding activities. I remember the inflatable obstacle course in front of the Cheek building and competing with Orion to see who would be faster. He won, of course.
The JV Basketball team had not won a game in a very long time and with 13 seconds left on the clock, Alex Polyak dribbled the ball up the court, crossed over to the middle, and hit a jumpshot over two defenders to put us up by one point. I proceeded to give perhaps the greatest time out speech of my life and the team responded superbly by playing excellent defense to stop our rivals from scoring. We had won the game.
Meeting Gustavo at the beginning of my CSW career was great. He is so nice and he always helps me out with questions I have, getting to the smallest details so I can understand. He is not only a good teacher but also a good friend.
Over the summer, Tom Evans asked me to work on a Black Lives Matter mural for the school, so I made a design, brought it to the Art Department, and began working once we returned to campus. I love being able to look at the Art Building and see the work I put in to create a meaningful piece of art for CSW.
WHAT IS ONE SILVER LINING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC THIS YEAR?
As a parent, spending a lot of time with my children has been a real silver lining. As a teacher, I’ve been very grateful for my students’ patience and resilience as we navigate together an intensively digital experience. We have found the humor in zoom.
It has accelerated the rate at which technology has been incorporated into classes. Even courses that we never thought could go remote, are now utilizing technology in the most creative ways.
I have really improved as a guitarist, bassist, and drummer over the pandemic. I’ve had so much free time to practice and I have played a lot for people to make me happy. I have also had some time to learn how to produce and record.
I’ve been able to spend much more quality time with my family and my cats. I’m really glad that I have this time with them before I go to college in a few months.
WHAT FOOD HAVE YOU NEVER EATEN BUT WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TRY?
I would love to eat street foods in Bangkok or Mexico City. I would just order one of each and end up with a tummy ache, but very happy.
I have never eaten rattle snakes but I have seen them fry it in Florida and it looked yummy.
I have always been a really big fan of Asian food (Thai, Japanese, Chinese), and I have always wanted to try authentic versions of those foods in their respective countries: pad thai, dumplings, dim sum, sushi, ramen, etc.
I’m on the hunt for nut free macarons. They look so fun and I’m really curious what they taste like!
WHAT TV SHOW CHARACTER WOULD IT BE THE MOST FUN TO CHANGE PLACES WITH FOR A WEEK?
Phil from Somebody Feed Phil. I would just eat and eat all sorts of delicious food and meet wonderful people and travel! Otherwise, I would be a judge on Top Chef and taste delicious food yet be unable to criticize it.
Naruto. Naruto is a member of the hidden leaf village and the current leader. He oversees the village operations and strives to make peace with the other ninja nations. Naruto is often on multiple missions, which takes him to a wide variety of places.
Phineas from Phineas and Ferb. He always comes up with the craziest ideas and then actually builds them and tests them. I have always liked that trial and error and hands-on aspect to science.
Finn from Adventure Time. I’ve loved that show since I was a kid and being able to explore their world would be so fascinating.
ALL-EXPENSES PAID TRIP TO SEE ANY FAMOUS WORLD MONUMENT?
Chichen Itza in Yucatán or Lake Titicaca and the ancient cities of Cusco and Machu Picchu.
The Pyramids of Giza. As a math teacher, these pyramids represent some of the greatest mathematicians and architects of that time.
Christ The Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro, Brasil, or the Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan, China.
Definitely the Eiffel Tower. I hope to see all of Paris someday.
