What is the most influential book you have read besides the Bible? Why?
I do not know if there is a correct answer for this question, but one book that had a strangely lasting impact on me is Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy. It is not a deep or philosophic book at all as it is just an alternate history exploration of a hypothetical American-Soviet war in the 1980s. However, the book goes into detail about military weapons on both sides. When I was reading it in middle school, it definitely made my interest in science and technology, as well as history, burn even brighter as I read about the jets and tanks mentioned in the book. So, I thank Tom Clancy for pushing me much further onto the path I currently trod and for making a very engaging book to read.
What is your favorite or funniest moment at Geneva?
A very strange answer, but I can easily say that one of my favorite moments was finishing the AP Chemistry exam. It was not a funny moment at all, but the sense of completeness I felt after finishing the exam was truly sublime. After a long year absorbing tons of information and a long studying campaign in the fourth quarter, I had finally completed the class. I felt very good watching it all come together with such a comprehensive exam. Even though I did not know my score after completing the exam, I felt a rare moment of satisfaction walking out of the Lyceum. Now, I can gladly say that my score was good. Thank you, Mr. Naiser, for leading me through such an excellent class!
What will you miss most when you leave Geneva?
I will for sure miss my fellow students the most when I leave Geneva. I have known some of these people since I got here in the 1st Grade, so it will be a different experience leaving that environment. Leaving an environment that has remained constant for twelve years will be shocking. I can truly only wait and see what it will be like without the people I have grown so used to walking by on the boardwalk.
Who has influenced you most while at Geneva, How?
It would be hard to top the influence Presley Pruitt has had on me, since we have been in the same “friend group” since 4th Grade and known each other since 1st grade. I think I will never truly know how much he has shaped the current person I am by his mere presence with me year after year after year. We have shared great experiences together, and I can confidently say that he is a great person through and through, even if he acts stupid a lot. I will try to keep in touch with him even if our paths lead to different schools, and I will not forget the debt I owe to him for the time spent.
What does being a Geneva student mean to you?
To me, a Geneva student is disciplined, honorable, and well read. Our elementary school is basically a Prussian school from the 19th Century, but even after one has graduated from that totem pole, I think Geneva does a good job maintaining a sense of discipline in students without being completely overbearing. I do find discipline to be one of the most important values, and I am glad the school has an effort to promote it. I find that most Geneva students honor their word and respect others which I am highly grateful for. I could only see ill things occur if this value decayed. By nature of the curriculum, Geneva students are well read due to the voluminous amounts of literature they read. Indeed, the literature is the most unique part of the curriculum.
How would you encourage a Geneva kindergartner to persevere in school?
I think the best way to encourage a Geneva kindergartener to persevere is to help them realize that this is a temporary difficulty. As they get older, the classes become easier, less rigid and more personal. Eventually, they can even choose what classes they want to do and want to skip! If they can make it through the elementary process, they will find a downward slope over time. Delayed gratification, in other words, is the modus operandi.
What about Geneva do you hope never changes?
One thing I desperately hope never changes about Geneva is the reading curriculum. The books we read are fantastic, and ones that may seem archaic like Homer’s Iliad or Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy hold a ton of value. Books like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein have spawned discussions at Geneva that I feel would never come up in the average teenage “friend group”. It dismays me that several great books, such as Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, have been removed from the curriculum due to portrayals of violence or profanity. Reading books like this helps introduce growing students to the real world. I urge Geneva to protect the reading curriculum even if the books may seem archaic, violent, or not “Geneva appropriate”. These books are valuable in promoting ideas and knowledge. In fact, I urge Geneva to expand its book catalogue! For, what is a liberal arts education without true literature that makes one think?