By JONATHAN WARREN
People often say sport and competition teach some of the most valuable lessons in life: how to win and lose gracefully, to play fair and to work with others. I learned a different lesson this year competing in the most intense and most demanding game there is, ping-pong.
Whenever my brother comes home from college, we battle in epic ping-pong games for hours on end. Usually we go back and forth winning games, but one day over winter break, I lost seven games in a row, and they weren’t close. Needless to say, I was furious. I could not figure out why I was losing so terribly.
The next day, we were about to begin another game, and I stepped up to the table. As soon as I did so, I realized why I had lost the day before. I was standing too close to the table. Once I stood back, my view of the table widened. I could react faster and more accurately to the ball. Because of my adjustment, I won every game that day.
The best advice I can give to underclassmen as we seniors look to make our exit, is to take a step back. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the emotions of here and now that we forget how to solve our problems, whether they be academic or social. This issue’s Year-in-Review allows students to look back and see the big picture.
When we take a step back, not only will we be able to see problems in a new and different light, but we can also be more appreciative. As a senior, I am beginning to experience the last of everything: my last school dance, my last big test, my last Letter from the Editor.
I am learning to appreciate my time on campus and the people that made it great, even if I still can’t wait to move on to college. The Senior Section of this issue focuses on appreciating the accomplishments of this senior class and looking forward to future college destinations in its double page spread. People like Volunteer of the Year, Cindy Gill, who is featured on p. 16, also deserve to be appreciated.
The school year is winding down; for some this means an uncertain future, for others another step toward graduating. Whether you are struggling to finish the year or coasting to graduation, it is important to take a step back.
Every once in a while, appreciate where you are, not where you are going, and thank the people that helped get you there. In the wise words of Charlie Sheen, you might just start WINNING.