An Open Letter

I was a nobody when I entered into IB at the beginning of my junior year. I knew some candidates in the Programme, but was nervous about making friends with new people. Ironically, that cycle continues today with college - as I write this, I plan on attending UNC Chapel Hill, where a ton of Millbrook kids will attend. However, now I have the knowledge that my new friends will impact and improve my life more than I thought was possible, which helps ease my mind. A majority of who I am today is due to my interactions with other people. As such, it would be fitting for my last blog post to be a thank-you some people (mostly guys) who have helped me enormously, either with confidence or with my mindset, throughout the past two years.

Alex - From our shenanigans in sophomore year Civics, to our sarcastic conversations in TOK junior year, to our off campus lunches senior year, there have been a ton of highs (and also some lows (@junior year)). Either way, I knew I always had someone to laugh with or just simply sit and appreciate some company, something that I don't usually do easily. Despite my sarcastic and deprecating attitude towards you, our friendship is amazing and I love you like my brother. I'll seriously miss you at Tulane next year, but hey, I know you're gonna do bigger and greater things each and every year. Love you man.

Carson - When I pulled up to Liz's New Year’s Party, I was so nervous cause I knew all of three people there (all of which were girls). But you rolled up, calm and stoic as ever, and we instantly hit it off and have been best friends ever since. You're one of the people I've been close from the beginning of IB to the end, and that consistency was a nice addition to my life. I know that I can always come to you for help with whatever problems that I have, whether it be physics or relationship advice. You're my brother, and I'll always be down to hang out with you, even at State.

Victor - BRO. So many killer moments with you - prom, Halloween, New Year's, Simpson’s - I’m sad because it’s about to end in a couple months. You’re my hype man, my encourager and the person who gives exactly the right advice at exactly the right moment. I can’t explain how grateful I am for you because I have grown as a person from just being around you. And while we might grow a tad more distant simply because of location, it heartens me that someone at Bridgeport will gain an incredible friend and an honest confidant.

Amy Grace - All I have to say is thank you. You’ve helped me through every major problem, from faith to school to relationships, and I’m incredibly grateful. You are, without a doubt, the most genuine person I’ve ever met, and I am incredibly blessed to have you in my life. You’re the best, and thank you for being my friend for all these years.

Anthony - To think that we met because I picked you up on the way to a volleyball game is crazy. You are, hands-down, the most confident and level-headed person I’ve met and it permeates through every social interaction. I’m delighted you’re going to Chapel Hill as well because it means we can easily keep in touch. Your charisma and attitude is infectious and I have, and always will, admire your character and hard-working mentality.

Tommy - I respect you so much man, simply because of your temperament and personality. You never ever ever give up on anything and are never afraid to ask for help. Coincidentally, those are two areas I really struggle, so I admire you all the more for being able to do both of those things so well. You’re always striving to be successful and be the best person you can be, and it’s great to be around someone like that because it makes you want to keep up with them. That alone has helped me learn so much in and outside the classroom and as a result, I’m exceptionally grateful for our friendship.

Michael - Mannnnn you’re the king of critical thinking and deep thoughts. I’ve never had more existential crises than when I’m talking with you at 2 AM on Friday nights. I learned from you (and Auggie as well) that everything can have a purpose or meaning and it’s up to us to determine how we can use that thing to our advantage. That realization helped me become grateful for the abundance of little things within my life and subsequently allowed me to grow a little bit more each and every time. Thank you for always being willing to talk through anything with me and everyone - your generosity and selflessness goes a long way.

I’m sorry for the shortness and poor diction (😉). This is by no means a comprehensive list, as there are so many more people that I could go on and on for about their impact within my life. It’s really difficult for me to put my thoughts into words, so if you weren’t listed, it’s simply because I’m incapable of expressing all the things that you have done for me the past two years.

Lastly, I want to thank all the teachers who have dedicated their entire lifestyle to us. I have the utmost respect for people who are willing to sacrifice their time to help other people grow and develop. I was blessed to have some of the best teachers at the school, and each and every one of you has made me the person that I am today.

Witty Whitman

Whitman seems to have been very ahead of his time, at least in terms of his beliefs about people and the future. For example, within his journal, he mentions how America was like a stagnant cesspool, who needed a storm to shake itself up. He then describes Lincoln, a presidential candidate, as a captain of a ship, which was his way of saying that Lincoln was to be the leader throughout the country’s time of turmoil. This is significant because Lincoln WAS our leader through slavery until his assassination - this helps show that Whitman had a good sense of what was to come for the United States. Similarly, Whitman also focused on the principles of democracy, and how, if the United States wished to endure, they would need to lean on the foundation on which the country was started. Later in his journal, he mentions that the South’s secession was treacherous for democracy and even treasonous. Afterwards, he would write about the Union’s potential failure, stating the liberty and freedom would outlast the most longstanding republics or governments. During the modern era, these would be viewed as words of encouragement, as democracy and republicanism are the two most accepted practices of government around the world, in terms of treating people fairly and equally.

Whitman also places heavy emphasis on religion within his journal. He brought up the idea of a “four-sided god”, one where Jesus Christ and Satan would be included. This idea comes from how compassion, fighting, and determination all existed during the Civil War as neighbor fought neighbor and brother fought brother. Whitman most likely saw the compassion through the anti-slavery North because he himself hated slavery and wanted it to end. Similarly, once the war had broken out, he saw how resolved both the North and the South were to win the war, and admired the North’s resolve to stand up for the rights of everyone. I think that Whitman felt the need to “invent” a new god because his beliefs didn’t quite fit in with any individual groups’. He was more focused on the life as it was, rather than an idealized version of life, as presented in most religions (specifically Christianity, as that was the dominant religion in the 1860’s). To me, this shows that Whitman wanted to be a part of a strong-willed community, which may be one reason why Leaves of Grass is so focused on the idea of universal brotherhood. Similarly, I think that the motif of mental or spiritual journeying shows up in Leaves of Grass because Whitman himself contemplated the multitude of daily issues and realized that he grew as a person from it - something I think everyone could learn from.