Student Interviews: Catching Up with ACP’s Students

While ACP’s students may not be able to see each other in person each day, they are still able keep in touch through texting, calling, social media, and FaceTime. Let’s take some time to catch up with some of ACP’s students and see how they’ve been spending their time! Alex Lee, Astha Rohit, Blake Su, Jake Ida, and Nicole Lee are a few of ACP’s juniors who took the time to answer some questions about their past few weeks. Alex is the junior class president, Blake is ACP’s National Spanish Honor Society president, Jake is the Vice-President of Spanish Club, Astha is the President of Photography Club and AP Scholars, and Nicole is an active member of the Speech and Debate team. Here’s what they’ve been up to in the last couple of weeks:

Q1.) What are you looking forward to most once quarantine ends? 

Blake: I’m dying to get a bite of jolly spaghetti at Jollibee!

Jake: I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends regularly again and being able to go out in public without any restrictions.

Q2.) Have you picked up any new hobbies or interests lately? 

Alex: I’ve been bullet journaling a lot more and gardening! I’m currently trying to grow lavender and peony with varying success. Also, I have two succulents: Timothee and Frederick.

Picture Credit: Alex Lee
Here’s Alex with her succulents!

Jake: Recently, I attempted to sew some face masks. While it was a fun experience, it was also a little tedious.

Nicole: I’ve never been much of a gamer, but recently I haven’t been able to put down the controller. When I first started playing Super Smash Bros Ultimate during quarantine, my little brother wouldn’t stop insulting my lack of skill. So, up until AP week, I’ve been dedicating at least a couple hours a day to training my thumbs in the art of virtual combat. I am happy to announce that instead of randomly smashing buttons on the controller, I now aggressively push the buttons with a purpose.

Q3.) If you could travel one place in the world, where would you go?

Alex: I’d love to go to Italy! I really want to explore the countryside, older cities, cathedrals, and more! It just seems so ethereal.

Blake: Greenland, since it’s cold and isolated…just the way I like it! The snowy mountains are extremely calming to look at, and I would love the opportunity to watch polar bears and penguins all day from a cabin out on the ice fields.

Astha: I would go to Italy because I’ve been there in the past and really enjoyed my experience. I would love to go there again and experience all the country has to offer. Some of my favorite books and movies are set in Italy, so I would love to visit some of those spots.

Q4.) What has this experience taught you about yourself?

Astha: This experience has taught me how much I enjoy social interaction and just being around others. It has also brought out another side of me that craves adventures and making lifelong memories, which I usually don’t think about very much, but quarantine has allowed me to reflect on how important that side of me is.

Nicole: Quarantine has taught me that I actually appreciate having time to myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with my friends both in and out of school, but always being around people has made me forget how enjoyable being alone can be. I initially thought that being stuck at home would be miserable, and of course there are many things that I miss about the outside world, but I’ve actually become quite happy spending all day in my PJ’s, doodling, journalling, and having more time to spend with my family.

Q5.) If you were a tree, what tree would you be?

Alex: I would be an acacia tree because I can relate to it. Everyone thinks it’s gross in Minecraft, but I love it.

Here’s Blake’s dream tree, the banyan tree! (Picture Credit: WorldAtlas)

Blake: A banyan tree. Banyan trees grow out in all directions and tear up anything in their path with their roots. They don’t let anything stop them from achieving their goals or from pushing through with their plans, and I feel like that best represents me and my determined mindset.

ACP’s students may not have envisioned the school year ending in this way, but they seem to be making the best of the situation. It was fun learning more about how our students have been keeping busy in the past few weeks!