Author: Joshua J.
A week ago, to many of us, New Mexico was a barren wasteland. Now it’s a barren wasteland inside of an oven with Mother Nature’s wrath. And despite the lack of stereotypical cowboys, perhaps we’ve made our own lassos, though personally I’m not too sure what I’m trying to catch. Hopefully, it’s ice cream.
We’ve all had our fair share of losses, whether that be missing keys, the formidable staircase down to the dining hall, or boggled minds over problem sets. Sign me up for academic torture… Or maybe in the case of my roommate (shoutout Gautam), it’s the cruel mosquitoes coming for an absolute all-you-can-eat buffet. Who knew these cries of help would be a social link among desperate juniors (hey, us sophomores count as one now… right?).
Summing up the experience with Matt Damon,
“What the F word, F word in gerund form”
But this first week of “juvie” has knocked some sense into us too. No more waking up at noon on the weekdays is a downside, but we get to look at the stars past midnight and pretend we’re astronomers (or really just sleep-deprived students). I’ve gotten the chance to explore my geographical abilities as I trod across the daytime boundaries along the path to getting lost. But if two roads ever so diverged in the yellow woods, I’ll for sure take SSP about 65 of 70 times.
We find something new to learn everyday. Maybe it’s Dr. Anderson’s fun little exercise or Dr. Rengstorf (drip master)’s undying love for Chinese Instagram Reels. I’ve seen history being made with an intense match of bottle-wallet pool, heard the melodious voice of guest speakers that seem to model a lullaby, tasted pork butt, touched grass (not really), and smelled a mysterious niff that roams across the boys’ dorm hallways. Some of us have uncovered a sleepwalking killer instinct, the rage of broken laundry machines, or an ability to cram things last minute after avoiding problem sets like the plague.
So… inmates, we’ll definitely manage or even thrive in the month we have left. If not, I guess Charles Darwin was right about natural selection.
I conclude:
“This is trivial…. No one can stop me.” – Dr. Anderson
About Me:
Hi, my name is Joshua and I’m a rising junior at Oxford Academy located in Southern California. I’m a math enthusiast (yikes, I know) but also a fan of tennis and photography. At SSP, you might find me playing ping-pong (I can feel my mediocre tennis deteriorating by the second) or having a crisis about astronomy’s existence (probably a big practical joke by aliens).
