By Emily Snelbecker
You decide to take a nice stroll around your neighborhood. You are casually walking by a house when you see a Buffalo Bills-themed garden gnome. This is junior Andrew Cole’s idea of the perfect garden gnome.
The Buffalo Bills are a football team and happen to be Cole’s all-time favorite. So much so that if he had to design a garden gnome to be mass-produced, he would use them as inspiration.
“I would make a Buffalo Bills gnome and I would design it so it would have a Bills hat…it would be [the mascot Billy the Buffalo’s] head on the gnome,” Cole said.
Cole joined The Sentry because his older brother was the Head Editor, and he liked the community and environment. Combined with Cole’s love of writing, these factors drew him to apply.
However, what Cole does not love are fauxhawks, which are similar to mohawks, except they don’t include shaving the sides of the head.
“[My sister] told me to cut a fohawk,” Cole said.
Cole was not too sure about this idea. In fact, he considers this to be the worst piece of advice he has ever gotten. Something he is sure about though, is his plan to avoid the Immortal Snail, an Internet-born creature whose only goal is to tag its victim. He immediately responded with two words.
“Karate-chop,” Cole said.
Unlike the Immortal Snail, however, Cole is not immortal. If he could play any song at his funeral, it would be one from his childhood, because according to him, it would be funny.
“‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley. That was something I used to listen to all the time. I was a crazy little child, so that fits,” Cole said.
That “crazy little child” would be very proud of who Cole is today.
“I was a pretty scrawny 10-year-old child, and I wasn’t very athletic or very smart. I think he would be proud of myself because of the [football] position I’m in. Even 4 years ago, when I joined the football team, I didn’t expect to be a starter by my junior year. I expected to be a long-term backup and never play,” Cole said.
Sports are a major part of Cole’s life, so much so that he would like to coach youth sports with his friends, and he has a lifetime goal of going to all of the nation’s baseball stadiums.
A quote Cole likes to live by is from baseball icon Jackie Robinson: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
“I’d say that’s how I try to live my life: always trying to have a positive impact on other people,” Cole said.
Cole stays true to that quote.
“I volunteer every Wednesday over at the Affordable Homes and Communities by Virginia Gardens. And I tutor kids [there.] Also, I generally like to volunteer at the Arlington Food and Assistance Center once every two weeks or so,” Cole said.
Cole also wants to help people in other ways. In the future, Cole wants to be an engineer, and he strives to improve his technical design skills.
“[Technical] drawing’s never been something I’ve been very good at … I like to be artistic, but I don’t have much time,” Cole said.
That time is filled up with his busy schedule—being a part of varsity football, the Teen Network Board and volunteering regularly.
Another one of Cole’s goals in the future is to have a dog: a Husky or a Rottweiler. These hard-working breeds align with the importance of this value in Cole’s life.
If Cole were to tell his 20-year-old self anything, he would give him this piece of advice.
“Just keep working. That’s pretty much all you can do, all you can control. Just keep working, and things will always play out,” Cole said.
If you cannot find Cole playing football, volunteering or karate-chopping the Immortal Snail, you will find him writing for The Sentry. We are so excited to have Andrew Cole for his second year on staff, and cannot wait to see the writing that he produces this year.
By Andrew Cole
It is Emily Snelbecker’s second year on staff with The Yorktown Sentry, and this year, it’s out with the old and in with the new. She is looking forward to experiencing all the things Yorktown has to offer whether that is trying out new clubs or taking new classes.
“I’m looking forward to having new experiences and getting into activities I haven’t done before and learning about things I haven’t thought about before,” Snelbecker said.
Although Snelbecker is looking forward to new experiences, she still believes that it is important to never forget who you are. She is most proud of herself for sticking to her core values.
“She would be happy that I’m still doing piano and that I’ve stayed true to my values,”
On top of out of school activities, she participates in a variety of extracurriculars—from Young Democrats to being on our school’s debate team.
“Currently, I’m in Debate. I’ve been doing that since freshman year, and I’m also in Young Democrats …and I am in the chamber orchestra …I also do piano outside of school,” Snelbecker said.
Of those activities, Snelbecker likes being on the debate team the most.
“I’d say debate might be my favorite [extracurricular], just because it’s really interesting,” Snelbecker said.
Even though debate can feel like extra school rather than an extracurricular sometimes. According to Snelbecker debate is extremely fascinating because it gets you to think about ideas or concepts that you otherwise would have never thought about
“It is a really valuable skill and I’ve learned public speaking and I can think on my feet … and I get to learn about not exactly random topics, but topics I wouldn’t necessarily know about otherwise,” Snelbecker said.
Despite being in Debate, Snelbecker has very few polarizing perspectives. Although, when it comes to being a dog or cat person. She strongly believes cats are superior to dogs.
“Cats, I love cats, I mean I love dogs, but I love cats more, like I’m sorry not sorry,” Snelbecker said.
One thing that could match her love for cats is music. Snelbecker enjoys both playing and listening to music in her time not spent on school or on the debate team. If she could only listen to one song it would be “Salt in the Wound” by boygenius.
“It’s like a rock song, but it has this insane guitar solo, and it’s so good,” Snelbecker said.
While that may be her favorite song, her favorite artist is Phoebe Bridgers, an indie folk and pop artist. Despite being a big fan of Phoebe Bridgers, as a kid similar to most, she was a huge fan of Taylor Swift.
“Four or five years ago, I would say Taylor Swift, and then now I would say Phoebe Bridgers,” Snelbecker said.
Despite Snelbecker’s busy schedule, she always brings a phenomenal energy and attitude to class. We are really excited to have Snelbecker on staff again this year and can’t wait to see the amazing work she will produce.
