Exploring the routines, preferences, and interests that unite our diverse student body.
The Anvil randomly selected two students to be interviewed for their hometown, interests, favorites of the school year, morning routines, and food preferences in the Dining Hall, giving us an insightful look into their lives.
The first student we selected was sophomore Celine Ding. She is from Hong Kong and lives in Kravis. Every morning, she wakes up at seven and prepares for the day. She insists on having a large breakfast, explaining, “If I don’t, I get really hungry.” She opts for a yogurt bowl or an omelet. Her all-time favorite meal is when the dining hall offers tacos.
She is trying out for cross country for the first time. Last winter, she danced, and this year, she hopes to try out for squash. During the spring, she played ultimate frisbee, but she is hoping to try a new sport this upcoming season. She is co-head of the Health Club along with Sixing. Recently, Health Club had a very popular event in which they served açai bowls in Ware, topped with chocolate and granola. In her free time, Celine enjoys playing the flute and napping (separately). This year, one of her favorite subjects has been English with Jecca because she likes reading the Iliad, saying, “[it’s a] really fun class.” She also enjoys Spanish, and even though it is a challenging class, she loves learning about the cultural aspects of the language. So far, her favorite thing about the school year has been the beauty of the campus–especially the foliage. According to Celine, “the fall leaves are beautiful.”
The second student The Anvil interviewed was senior Olly Mylon, a day student from Concord. In the morning, he wakes up an hour before leaving at around 6:30, eats at home, and showers. He says that he “likes to take his time in the morning.” If he does eat breakfast at school, he likes to get pancakes, tater tots, roasted potatoes, and fruit. His favorite Flik meal so far has been the flank steak.
His two main sports are soccer and track, and he is the captain of both teams. He is part of the Sports Psychology Club and the Fishing Club. He also played the piano for eight years and the ukulele for three years. He is interested in STEM–especially math. He also enjoys visual studies and took an advanced painting and drawing class last year.
Actively involved in campus life, Olly is the head of the AZN, a DEI officer, a head tour guide, a peer tutor, and an editor of DNA-MX, the school’s science magazine; and a member of both the Sports Psychology Club and Fishing Club. His favorite parts of the year so far have been being on the soccer team and being a senior. He says, “I like watching our grade get closer.”
During a free block, he enjoys hanging out with his friends, going to the dining hall for a snack, and finishing his work.
While Middlesex students can sometimes lead insular social lives revolving around the same set of people, it is beneficial to understand the routines, passions, and preferences that unite our school. Often, Middlesex students have more in common with each other than they think.
Allison Luo
Indresh Chandel