Who’s that calling (not from a phone or Apple Watch)? Oh, right, my 9:05 C period. That’s the chime for wake-up time. It’s September calling, the hour to press play and resume the many things I’ve procrastinated on, if not cast in utter denial, for summer’s three short months. In lieu of completing college essays, however, I have dedicated time to carefully articulating my vision for my column for this year, my last year at Parker.
It feels both surreal and completely ordinary to be returning to the building this year as a senior. It’s unbelievable how one day you can be just a four-year-old kid hanging from the silver bars of the playground, and the next find yourself climbing the steps on Clark Street for your last first day.
I have experienced this whole weird sensation over the summer that time seems to be compressing. All the milestones I have seen performed 13 times before are passing faster and faster, and I am just waltzing my way through what felt like such distant future chapters of my life.
Yet, something out there tells me it’s appropriate that my time here is coming to a gradual end. Perhaps it’s that I’ve said goodbye to the graduating class, that my little brother is joining the Upper School, or simply that the pattern of passage has been a habit ingrained in me. Whatever the reason, I know that, soon enough, my Parker education will cast me far out into the many new mysteries, thrills, and challenges of the world. In plain terms, I’ll graduate this June with the Class of 2024 (if all goes according to plan), and, if what everyone reassures us holds true, our futures––and their destinations––will turn out just fine.
Last spring, anticipating my current nostalgic, reflective mentality, one that seems only fitting after spending so many years in this same school, I thought, in the true Parker spirit, what better final step could I take than leaping into the unfamiliar and writing a column this year for none other than “The Weekly.” Though I’m generally more one for the creative writing side (aka SCOUT, an equally fabulous publication), I feel like my journey as a student here would cease to be complete without a dabble in its historic student journalism.
If you spoke to my peers in the alcove, they could probably all agree on one attribute about me––I am busy. As an Upper Schooler, and even long before, it has remained one of my main passions and hobbies to do as many things as one could possibly do. Though I am partially kidding, it is true that I have taken advantage of Parker’s flexibility and wealth of opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. I am a leader in Model UN, an Editor-In-Chief of SCOUT, a part of the Berkowitz Committee, our Student Interview Recommendation Board, and even the Baking Club. I have sung, I have photoshopped, and I have traveled to San Francisco, Mississippi, Memphis, and even Thailand. I have done a lot, therefore providing me personal perspectives on many different aspects of Parker life.
Now–––enough of me–––you are probably wondering about my column. Every column needs a concept, and mine is loosely modeled around, and surely stylistically inspired by that of a favorite show: “Sex and the City”. Not unlike the Big Apple, our school, I think it is safe to say, has a unique buzz to it. Students are always up, out, and about, and, more often than not, complaining about something. Concurrently, Parker students are notorious debaters, arguers, and opinion holders. Despite being occasionally quiet, I would consider myself no exception, and, channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw, I hope to bring both the observational and critical sides of me to life in my column.
As I embark on my final year-long journey at this one-of-a-kind institution, I plan to deliver to you, through my column, my opinions on the debates, controversies, and looming questions most prevalent in our community. From sports to policies to social life, if you’ve got a dispute that needs a verdict, I’m your girl. When you flip to my column of “The Weekly”, you can count on whose call? Cate’s Call.
