LM Matriculation 2021: Go Forth to Serve
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2 June 8, 2021 Matriculation The Merionite Moments that matter Character counts Sydney Zelinger ’21 Dhaval Sharma ’21 Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief One of my favorite moments from found relationship with someone Recently, someone told me that their journey. No one sympathizes or each school day is walking through the who entered my life with great inten- everything happens for a reason. They enjoys a character who was perfect halls and being greeted by someone tions and changed it for the better. said that no matter how bad something from the beginning! If you had the who is not typically on my daily radar. An They taught me that life is more than may seem, it was always meant to be. chance to redo your time at LM and do enhancer to these moments is being all of the exterior stresses that come Initially, and even now, I’m skepti- everything perfectly, would you really? complimented by that person or having with being a teenager, and that it cal about the idea of a preordained I think the answer for most people them stop their rush to class to engage in is okay to lean on someone in a time destiny, but the underlying message should be no; each failure has even- a short conversation. When I let myself of need. I think this is quite remi- has stuck with me since. I believe that tually led to who you are right now, sit with and value these interactions, they niscent of a prudent lesson that a anyone can put a positive spin on the someone who is hopefully a better can make a bad day turn around. As a longtime teacher of mine expressed majority of bad situations, creating a version of the freshman version of checked-out senior eager to receive my to my class. At the end of each school you. If everything worked out from diploma, I look foward to the split sec- year, Spanish teacher Sean Capkin Everything from an awkward inter- the start, who knows what you might ond when I stand onstage with Principal reintroduces a quote from Robert action to not getting onto a team or be like now. Pompous yet more suc- Sean Hughes, even if it is just for a M. Pirsig, in which he says, “We - folder exchange, smile, and handshake. keep passing unseen through the little Maybe that awkward interaction pushed able yet more popular—the poten- Looking back at all of the moments moments of other people’s lives.” you to become more eloquent. Maybe tial trade-offs may not be worth it. I have had with those around me, I Life usually works that way, but to that failed goal pushed you to work The closest example I can think of is wonder if I ever took them for granted. anyone reading this eager for some harder, increasing your chances of suc- in the novel Song of Solomon by Toni words of wisdom, I hope that as you cess for other ventures you may have. I Morrison. Essentially, the main charac- I begin to remember short and sweet walk through people’s lives, maybe guess it can be compared to character ter had to go on a soul-searching adven- conversations I’ve shared with people stay there a little longer, treasure it, development in books; even though ture to discover his past, meeting new who I don’t necessarily have a special and perhaps something stronger will characters in the majority of novels people and piecing together the history relationship with. I recall copy-editing come out on the other end, some- go through hardship and failure, they along the way. If someone had just nar- a page for The Merionite as an inex- thing greater than the little moments. end up a better person at the end of rated his past back to him at the begin- perienced sophomore, ning, he wouldn’t have and one of the Editors- changed as a person. in-Chief told me that While it may be cliché, my edits showed great the journey did matter. potential to be in Man- I don’t believe that agement one day. I re- everything is meant to be. I personally don’t performing in groups think there are strings for the LM Dance Team of fate attached to our and trembling out of world. While you can nervousness due to the make a bad situation deathly stares from the upperclassmen. simply will not happen Afterwards, one of the naturally. Everything seniors came up to is what you make of it, me and applauded my with only a few excep- energetic perfomance. tions here and there. My Each of these tiny entire message is fairly moments has shaped simple: with enough me into the person I optimism and will, you have become today, can always make the but there are some best out of a bad situ- greater occurrences ation, even turning it that are even more into a good one. While it important to cherish. might be obvious, I did This year was so not begin to follow it difficult, especially until recently because because of the isola- I have had many tion we faced, but it regrets throughout left me personally with most of high school. a fresh sense of However, looking back gratitude. I learned now, I wouldn’t think to appreciate a new- Photo by Anika Xi ’23/Staff to change anything. The Editors-in-Chief for The Merionite 2020-2021. From left: Sydney Zelinger, Elliot Ginzburg, and Dhaval Sharma. Elliot Ginzburg ’21 Editor-in-Chief After what has felt like a lifetime, the novel the interpersonal interactions I had previously relied relationships allowed me to gain a better understand- coronavirus’s wrath on school life is beginning to on to push my intellectual curiosity in the classroom ing of my academic interests and helped to develop dissipate. Sudden changes relating to mask wear- and in clubs like The Merionite, Debate, TSA, Writ- my leadership skills in my extracurricular endeavors. ing, social distancing, and in-person learning ing Fellows, and others had largely disappeared. The significant moments that should have shaped have provided me with little time to reflect on the The pandemic has taught us the importance of our my high school experience were largely lost this year. unrelenting challenges this past year presented to us. daily interactions with others and the loss we felt Leadership conferences, community service robotics Behind the many memorable moments of our from the breakdown of our personal connections. As opportunities, car wash fundraisers, a TSA trip to senior year, this school year has been exception- we seniors dive into a summer filled with newfound Orlando, and so many other opportunities were ally difficult. Hours upon hours spent listening to freedom, I encourage the rest of you to take advantage snatched away, both for me and for my peers. teachers lecture through our computers as we sat in of your numbered days as LM students. Remember, Instead of regretting what this year could have our bedrooms was not easy. I will admit that virtual every day you walk into the Kobe entrance marks been, I hope to inspire you to take advantage of school was somewhat enjoyable at first. But after one day closer to your graduation. Take advantage of creating connections with your teachers and fel- so many weeks of a groundhog day routine, turning every conversation or salutation you share. One of low students. Who knows, your favorite teacher on my Zoom camera at 7:30 in the morning became the most valuable ways to interact with and learn could become a lifelong mentor or motivate you to mentally and emotionally demanding. There were from the many diverse personalities at LM is to es- pursue a new interest. I hope the traditional senior days I wouldn’t close my computer until very late cape the constraints of your social circle. I had the year that the Class of 2021 missed will serve as a at night—typically working on an upcoming issue opportunity to strike insightful conversations and wakeup call for every student that enters our school of The Merionite or prepping for a TSA conference. find common ground in engineering teacher Mark to treasure each interaction and experience. Our I enjoyed every minute of what I was doing after Piotrowski’s room with people I never would have school is truly a remarkable place for finding the school day—and typically much of what I was engaged with had I only surrounded myself with my your academic passion and personal interests, doing during the school day too. However, many of close friends. The time I spent fostering interpersonal and it really all starts with a simple conversation. Matriculation June 8, 2021 3 The Merionite The Merionite Official newspaper of Lower Merion High School since 1929 Dear fellow seniors... www.themerionite. org One day while he was fitness Just look at what we have accomplished this year. Columbia Scholastic walking and talking about the pos- In the face of the rising need for equity, we organized Press Association Silver tulance of life — as one does when demonstrations and birthed organizations like CREI to Crown 2013 fitness walking — my friend, BenJi create discourse and address some of the issues in our Elkins, told me that he didn’t really school. We used social media and town halls to hold our Editors-in-Chief think adults knew what they were school’s administration accountable and make a difference. Victoria Bermudez ’22 doing.