Persistent, honest, industrious, straightforward. According to the Chinese Zodiac, these are the characteristics that define the Ox—the sign that staff reporter Misha Putnam was born under. As a senior in high school, Putnam has definitely experienced her fair share of work. She participates in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including serving as vice president of the Classical Play Reading Club, participating in Young Activists club, swimming, volunteering at the Writing Center, doing Speech and Debate and working at the Italian Store and Kumon tutoring. Despite her countless responsibilities, it would be impossible for one to describe Putnam as ‘one-dimensional.’ In her free time she enjoys quirky hobbies like expanding her repertoire as a tea connoisseur, caring for her prized succulents and collecting artisanal soaps. In addition, she loves researching on the Internet and having thought-provoking conversations with friends. Putnam’s taste in literature is impressive: her favorite book is J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories. However, she also secretly indulges in the occasional classic high school romance chick flick.
“I am a sucker for eighties movies like Pretty in Pink. Those kinds of movies are definitely my guilty pleasure,” said Putnam.
For Putnam, there is nothing more important than learning for the sake of learning. She believes that education is the key to connecting with others and expressing oneself. As a self-described logophile, Putnam takes delight in delving deeper into languages and connecting with others over intellectual discoveries. She aspires to choose a career path that deals with international relations, communication skills and travel abroad. Unsurprisingly, she is a fan of Audrey Hepburn and Emma Watson—two cultured big names in both the film industry and the global ambassador scene.
“…[They] both exhibit such strength, elegance and character. Hepburn is a vision… the very epitome of grace, style and greatness, while Watson has accomplished so many valuable things as a student at Brown and a U.N. ambassador. She is always poised and has never given in to the stereotype of a child star,” said Putnam.
Putnam clearly brings a lot to the table. From her ethnic, artsy and slightly hipster-ish fashion sense, to her appreciation of her own Japanese culture and others, Putnam will be sure to provide a distinctive and worldly reference point, an authentic voice and a cheerful presence to the Sentry this year. Keep an eye on Putnam, kids—she is going far in life, no question about it.
Entice her with a green smoothie and she may just wake up on the 23rd alarm instead of the 25th in the morning, but interrupt her in between the second and third repetition of tooth brushing and those pearly whites won’t be smiling.
Emma Westerhof could be confidently walking onto the TED talk stage in her flattering pencil skirt, fitted quarter-sleeve blazer and heels uniform, or grasping her thermos of Japanese tea; either way, she is always ready to go. Her meticulously established five-year plan could be half as detailed and be twice as thorough as her peers.
If she wasn’t impressive enough with her voluptuous locks and assertive disposition, Westerhof juggles titles upon titles: Head Editor of The Yorktown Sentry, President of the Classical Play Reading Club, National Gallery of Art teen volunteer intern and Writing Center tutor, just to name a few.
On her to do list: become fluent in Dutch and retire in a monastery in Tibet. Her projected peak will occur at 32, when she is no longer a young adult, but finished with graduate school and fully equipped to take on the world. This ambition proves to be genetic. She learned it all from her mother.
“She teaches me to be bold and to also combine principle with compassion and empathy. The backbone and the heart,” Westerhof said.
The only record existing today of Westerhof being incorrect is when she ranked the piano above the saxophone in the list of sexiest instruments. Regardless, it can’t be her taste that is called into question when it was she who christened her pet tadpole “Rosie the Ribbeter.” How do you say that in Pig Latin again?
