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Daisy Restrepo PrideTime Reporter  From going to school, to selling clothes, and having to cheer every day; Alex Farrier does it all.
Farrier is a sophomore at McMahon whose days are very different from others. Farrier works at the clothing store Brandy Melville in Westport, CT. She’s been working there for almost a year now, since May of her freshman year, which is unusual - most small businesses don’t take on employees at that age. Aside from having to manage her school work with her job, she is also a part of the cheer team and CYL. She has cheer practice almost every day of the week, also having to practice activism at CYL on certain days, but she still finds time to get to Brandy Melville. “Over the summer, I was able to work a lot more than I am able to work now. I worked almost every single day. During the week, I would work from 11-5 and than go straight to practice until eight. On weekends, I worked for the whole day. Ever since school started again, I’ve only been able to work on weekends because of cheer.” During her freshman year, she was interested in finding a job. A student at McMahon who already worked at Brandy Melville told Farrier to go in for an interview and that was when she got the job. In the summer, her days would consist of working all day and then going straight to practice afterwards. During the school year, managing her time only got harder. “Managing my time is honestly a really big struggle, but having a consistent time for everything has really helped me a lot. We are always having things going on when it comes to cheer so it is really difficult. Having to balance school with a job and cheer meant that I had to make a lot of sacrifices with not being able to go to certain cheer events or having to find someone to cover my shift because of cheer or school, but I always make it work.” A large chunk of her coworkers are fellow senators. Catalina Chica is a junior who works with Farrier, and loves working by her side. “Having Alex as a coworker is really fun. It was nice having a familiar face at my job since I wasn’t so close with my other coworkers at first. She’s a very hard worker and gets things done when it has to be, no matter what. Alex even does more than she is asked to do just because she wants the best for the store and customers. She puts 100% effort in anything she does, but she also likes to joke around so when I had shifts with her it would be easy going and I would look forward to working,” says Chica.
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Brendan Duddy PrideTime Senior Editor  “After living abroad it kind of changed my outlook on what home is because I can always take a flight and be back in Connecticut in no time.” Cailey Martin is a senior at Brien McMahon and part of CGS. She has traveled to 30 different countries, 35 different states and she one day hopes to visit every country in the world at least once before she dies. This past summer, Martin studied abroad in Spain for four weeks through a Tulane University program. Before that, she went on the two week CGS trip to China as a junior. However, none of that compares to her experience before coming to McMahon.
 The most challenging part of moving to Peru for Martin outside of learning a new language was the change in the pace of life there. However, once she got used to life in Peru, she liked it. “It’s a lot more stressful in the US.” She also added that “because the countries are so close together, travel is so much cheaper and easier. What may be an 11-hour flight from New York, became an hour and a half flight from Peru. That’s what I liked about living abroad.” Martin says that she really enjoys traveling because of the opportunity it provides her to get to experience new things that she normally wouldn’t get to experience back home. Her favorite country she’s been to is Spain because “the food is good and the cities are really pretty.” Along with her travels, Martin has also tried so many foods. “My favorite food I tried abroad? Chaufa. It’s similar to stir fry. It’s Peruvian food made in a Chinese style of cooking.” She’s also tried some really strange foods, the weirdest of which was guinea pig and alpaca.
Martin says she still tries to stay in touch with her old friends from Peru as much as she can. Right now, she’s looking forward to her trip to Aruba in early March as she slowly continues to check nations off of her list. Omar Partida PrideTime Reporter  You can hear the stomping of kids feet as they run around bases, a kick-ball is flying through the air. Justin Longo, (19’) spends his summer days here as a camp counselor for first graders at the Wilton YMCA. The organization is called Camp Gordyland which serves as a great place to keep children occupied as their parents go off to work. Camp Gordyland’s main goal is to create unforgettable memories with them; teaching them life skills through the various activities they provide. As a counselor Justin has to keep his head on a swivel while watching over hyper kids, still trying to teach them manners. It seems easy enough, but keeping a bunch of 6 year old’s attention while in between activ can be very irritating.
“We usually have 11 kids between two counselors, so having 2 sets of eyes watching over 11 kids you can easily see how it can get hard at times.” But Justin enjoys his job because he gets to play and bond with the kids they move through the day. At Camp Gordyland the kids enjoy sports, swimming, arts and crafts, rope courses, and playgrounds; Justin tags along the 7 hour ride. It’s not just the playing aspect that Justin enjoys, but that at the end of the day he hopes he has impacted the lives of every child that he comes in contact with there. “Although I enjoy playing with the kids, that's the least important aspect of my job. Watching over a bunch of kids you can start to see that they don't really understand how the world works so I hope I can help them with that” Taking care of kids has always been a part of Justin’s life. His mother runs a daycare, so he has always been around young kids since he was one himself. Being around children for most of his life Justin understands a kid’s mindset and knows how to be patient with them. “Justin has always helped the around the daycare over the years and i could see that he has an easier time interacting with kids than a ordinary person”, says his mother, Dawn Longo. It not just the kids that justin bonded with while he was at Camp Gordyland - he has built friendships with his coworkers. Because the camp is in Wilton he had no friends working there originally so he was forced to make friends complete strangers. “ It’s cool to have friends from a different town because they have different culture and lifestyle” As his senior year is coming to a end Justin will continue to work at the Wilton YMCA this summer. Micaella Balderrama PrideTime Reporter If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past year, chances are, you're familiar with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. The real question, though, is if the Netflix original film is worth the watch or not. One of the most grossing movies this year tells the story of a 16 year old girl searching for a romance similar to the ones she reads about in books. Lara Jean, a high schooler, begins the story by seeing her older sister off to college. From here, viewers learn of the family dynamic. Without saying too much, the Covey family consists of three daughters: Margot, Lara Jean, and Kitty (Katherine). Not too long before, the sisters and their father lost their mother. Their father, a gynecologist, strives to bring their mother’s Korean culture into the home. Most movies for teenagers don’t have an Asian lead. Whether you’re Asian or not, it’s nice to see representation on the big screen; unfortunately, big screen adaptations don’t always do the best in representing the people that make up the world we live in. Sophomore Malaury Bien-Aime (‘21), reckons, “It was one of the first movies I’ve watched that had an Asian family which isn’t really common in Hollywood films.” As the film progresses, Covey gains a romance of her own. However, it isn’t the way viewers would expect her to find one. Her love story is quite unconventional in the way it develops, to say the least. Spoiler Alert: who she falls for isn’t who you’d expect it to be. Currently, some teenagers are too caught up in schoolwork and other worries to even bother involving themselves in relationships. Some feel relationships have to be forced. Covey’s story, however, wasn’t forced: it built itself over time. What’s unique about it especially is that it started off as a friendship. “It’s about modern young love, and nowadays you can’t really find that in teenagers,” Bien-Aime (‘21) went on to say. Viewers also found that they could easily sympathize with Lara Jean. She wasn’t the popular girl, the best at sports or the genius; she was an ordinary high school girl. “I felt that I could relate to Lara Jean Covey; she felt that no guy would like her for who she was and she didn’t think a popular boy would fall in love with her,” says Caleigh Porter (‘21). Overall, the film does a great job in telling Lara Jean’s story, and not just her romantic life. If you’re looking for something about family and love, look no further. Sophomore Caleigh Porter (‘21) has watched the film ten times, “I enjoyed the movie so much. I’ll continue to watch it and recommend it to people!” Photo Credits to Wikipedia and Netflix. Omar Partida PrideTime Reporter  On a hot June afternoon, Fin Bean drives his 26 foot long Duffy 26 Launch-in -motor boat out in the sound. Bean works at the Norwalk Yacht Club down in Wilson Point, he started last summer officially as a launch service driver slash general maintenance assistant. He wakes every morning to perform colors at 8 am, which consists of raising the American Flag which overlooks the harbor and fires a cannon. When he leaves in late afternoon, he has to do the same procedure but he lowers the flag at sunset. He also has to help with various maintenance jobs such as maintaining the gas dock, filling up the kegs, and dishes. It's tedious, laborious work but he enjoys every second of it.
“Although i’m nearly drenched in sweat by the end of the day i still enjoy the unique aspects of my job,” said Bean Bean has been a member of the Norwalk Yacht Club almost his entire life - he spent a lot of time out on the water. He was part of the junior sailing program at the Yacht Club where he played a role in the race team. His team would face off against other Yacht clubs in the region, so Bean is very knowledgeable of sailing. Not only does he get to help around within the Yacht Club but he actually drives clients out to their boats in the harbor. This is the part of his job that he enjoys the most. “Even though it is tiring,” said Bean, “being out in the water is an escape from the many things that stress me out, I guess you can say being in the water is my peace.” The Yacht Club ethos is very serious, the club members expect a lot from the staff there. They insist that Bean knows what he is doing and won't have to ask perform a task, there is not a lot of pity for Bean when he is out in the water. If he were to mess up the consequences would be quite severe. “It is very demanding, if I mess up and hit a boat, there is a possibility that renovation fees are coming out of my pocket, so I have a lot weight on my shoulders.
“I got the job at chipotle by applying and then afterward i called my boss for a follow-up and then he told me to come in for an interview. After the interview, I found out that I had gotten it pretty quick.”
His boss says that he is always ready to work and he knows that he has other things he needs to do, but he never complains about having to work. “The best way I find to manage time is to just be organized and have a set time and date to whatever you need and want to do. Whenever I need to make music I’ll make sure to check my schedule and make sure that I’m not working.” For Alan, managing time has gotten only hard. Between going to school, working, and making music, he has to budget his time. He also makes sure that he always has a ride to his job. “Another thing that you have to understand is that sometimes you may need to cut into the time that you use for your hobbies to do things that are more important. Although making music is very important to me, my job will always be my number one priority.” Micaella Balderrama PrideTime Reporter  PrideTime took to interviewing Lauren Kelly (‘21), to gain some insight on her acting career and role in this year’s play: What’s your favorite thing about being a part of BMHS theatre (singing, dancing, acting, etc.)? “I think my favorite part about this show is the acting. This is my first time actually being the lead; I usually play a comedic relief character or a supporting role, but it’s been a lot of fun to challenge myself into this new type of role.” What made you want the role of Sophie (lead in Mamma Mia)? “I wanted the role of Sophie because there are so many different ways to play her. She's very complex; I learn something new about myself everytime I dive into her character. I didn’t expect to get Sophie at all.” What was your audition process like? “The audition process was very long and a lot of work. I was there about every night for a week until 8, either just helping out or waiting to be called back into the audition room. We saw the cast list about a week and a half after auditions; they were a nice way to learn everyone in the cast and spend quality time while we waited to sing.” What are you most excited about for this year’s play? “I’m most excited for people to come see the show. There has been such a hype around Mamma Mia lately and getting to bring that show to McMahon has been the best experience of my life. So far it looks amazing; it’s funny, it’s upbeat, and everyone that comes is definitely going to want to get up and dance by the end of the show. I can’t wait for BMHS to see all the wonderful talent the music department has.” Would you still be apart of the production even if you hadn’t been cast as Sophie? “I would 100% do the show if I wasn’t Sophie! Being part of a BMHS production is really an experience like no other and everyone gets their time in the spotlight in cast, crew and pit." How would you describe the Drama Department as a whole? "Our assistant director, Jess Foulds, has us do a bunch of bonding exercises in rehearsals to build relationships on and off stage, so we grow a little family each and every year and it’s truly one of the best groups I’ve gotten to work with. No matter what part you are or who you are, the Drama Department is so accepting and is one of the best things at McMahon.” How do you balance rehearsals with schoolwork? “Balancing rehearsal with school is pretty hard; leads most often have rehearsal Monday through Friday, so it takes a lot of time management to get my assignments done. It’s stressful, but it’s worth it in the end.” Additional Comments.. “Come see Mamma Mia! The show dates March 8, 9, 15, and 16. It’s going to be a great show!”  |
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