The start of a new school year means many things. September usually marks the beginning of routines that many students dread, such as waking up early, managing schoolwork with out-of-school activities and losing contact with friends at other schools or in different classes. However, the first few days of school bring new, intriguing classes, teachers, and many new friendships for all. In order to form new bonds, it is important to know as much about your new potential acquaintance as you can. This can be achieved by talking outside of class or talking during class (although you might want to stay away from the latter).

On September 16, 2016, members of the Yorktown Sentry staff sat down to interview one another. Senior Topher Wagner has lived in Arlington for 17 years, his entire life.

“My favorite all-time movie might have to be The Other Guys with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg,” Wagner said.

He also feels that most of, if not all movies with Will Ferrell in them are great.

“I like seafood and I like tacos, so probably fish tacos would be my favorite food,” Wagner said when asked about his culinary preferences.

Wagner thinks that cats do nothing and that dogs are by far the superior animal in terms of a family pet.

“I’m a huge sports fan,” Wagner said.

He supports the National Football League’s Washington Redskins and Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals.

“I’m currently re-reading them right now,” Wagner said when explaining that his book series is the Harry Potter series.

Wagner’s dream job?

“As of right now, I think it would be cool to have a broadcasting job at ESPN”. 

It is a normal Saturday morning in Arlington, and while most high schoolers are still asleep or mindlessly watching Netflix, sophomore Charlie Schiavo is already getting started to his day.

“I’m either riding my bike or playing FIFA… my favorite team to play with is probably Arsenal,” Schiavo said. An avid FIFA and soccer fan in general Schiavo has some strong opinions when it comes to the sport. When it comes to Schiavo’s least favorite celebrity, the choice surprisingly comes from professional soccer.

“Jose Mourinho. He’s a soccer manager, I hate him. He’s just so arrogant and says really mean things to other people… probably either be him or Jonathan Papelbon, DC Strangler,” Schiavo said.

While he enjoys playing video games, Schiavo’s love for the outdoors can not be understated. Working for the National Park Service is a potential career path for him. In 20 years, if asked to pick a potential job, the park service would be near the top of the list.

“I’d be doing something where I can just see as much of the world that I can,” Schiavo said. For someone that enjoys biking in nature, this seems like the perfect fit.

“Quiet, smart and easy laugh, I laugh at pretty much anything,” Schiavo said.

These would be some of the best words to describe him. Schiavo shows that just because he is not the most talkative person, that does not mean that he can not have some strong opinions when it comes to sports and pop culture. When asked what nine plus ten equals, he emphatically answered 21. Although the popular vine may be old, Schiavo still appreciates the humor of it almost two years later.

Being a sports fan, Schiavo had heard about the National Football League’s Deflategate scandal involving quarterback Tom Brady allegedly cheating. With many people taking sides, Schiavo was definitely against Brady.

“Deflategate was pretty interesting … I think that Brady did it,” Schiavo said.

Another news story that Schiavo has followed closely is that of Harambe the gorilla, one that has swept that nation the last several months. The story has taken an interesting turn as team Harambe fans say it was a travesty that the gorilla died and that he was not harming the child that came into his enclosure. When Schiavo was asked about his opinion of Harambe the gorilla, he certainly took a pro stance.

“I miss him so much… he was protecting that kid,” Schiavo said, who considers the slain gorilla to be a national hero.

When it came to discussing if he could be anyone in the world for a day, the choice of a personal hero was not hard at all.

“Les Stroud from Survivorman… I really like being outside and doing outdoors [activities] and stuff: hiking, biking, fishing [and] all that” Schiavo said.

If he were to be the Survivorman star for a day, Schiavo would thoroughly enjoy all the outdoor activities that he himself does on a daily basis.

An aspiring student with big plans for the future, Charlie Schiavo shows that he is more than just a photographer. A biker and avid FIFA player, photography with the Sentry is not the only thing that defines him. As an aspiring environmentalist, biking and spending time outdoors is important to him as well as being a great way to enhance his photography skills. With the majority of his high school career still to come, The Sentry is a stepping stone to even bigger things to come.