Pet Peeves- Viviana Ortiz

Fears: death of loved ones, ending up alone

Annoyances: Cheating, people judging marching band

Accomplishments: making someone smile each day (cheesy, yes I’m aware), getting a dog (bit of a childhood dream)

Confusions: life?

Sorrows: procrastination

Dreams: happiness (that’s all everyone really wants)

Idiosyncrasies: band geek

Risks: jump off a cliff (did),  skydive (want to do)

Beloved Possessions: little chicken stuffed animal (now and then), my oboe (now), my sister (not an object, nor do I posses her, but um...)

Problems: overly self-critical, time management

Cheating. Yes-I hate to admit- I have “needed to” copy a homework assignment every now and then. Regardless of this, my hypocritical self tightens her jaw when someone asks to see any assignment that they didn’t do themselves. In the end I suppose cheating only hurts the offender because they are losing the opportunity to learn something.

Now for the necessary tidbit on band: “Marching band is just walking around, anyone can do it”..... ohhhhhhhh okay. I would love to see you 3 weeks before school starts. I would love to see you build relationships through the sharing of blood sweat and tears.

Marching band is so much more than walking. Walking in time is the easiest thing we do. Hitting your dots adds another level. Playing adds another one. Not dying of thirst adds yet another.

Even if we just sat on the ground and rolled around, it would be with 126 other people. Now that I think of it, how does that even work? 126 people. We are all high schoolers going through different day to day experiences and yet somehow in a magical 10 minute span we come together and perform. Of course the practice behind the performance is more lengthy, but the point is… it’s magical. The ability of so many individuals to come together to do one thing -if not to win competitions-to form a family. The one lesson marching band has taught me the group can do much more than an individual ever can.