Nathan Dent, a Sentry Staff reporter, now on his second year on The Sentry, is originally from the Los Angeles area.
“I knew almost nobody [in the area] except for my godbrothers who lived in Bethesda,” Nathan said.
Dent, who is interested in politics, says that if he could add one element to the Constitution, it would be the Equal Rights Amendment.
“It’s ridiculous to me that we haven’t been able to pass it. It is something that is so fundamental to American ideologies, yet at the same time it has been left out of the Constitution. One day, hopefully soon, it will make its way in as an amendment,” Dent said.
When asked about whether he prefers warm or cold weather, Nathan was indecisive.
“That’s a tough one, but I have to say that I prefer warm weather, simply because there are more things to do in the summer than the winter. I love doing stuff outside when I can. Warm weather also usually means no school, so that’s also an advantage,” Dent said.
If he could eat one meal for the rest of his life, it would be a Caesar salad with dressing and croutons, a side of fruit, a small cut of steak and a glass of Coke.
Although Dent feels like it is pretty unhealthy, he likes to watch TV.
“I watch way too much TV, to the point where it’s probably not good for me. Same with video games. But lately, I have gotten back into reading for pleasure. It makes me happy,” Dent said.
Something else that makes Dent happy is the spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy’s – his favorite fast food restaurant. Speaking of favorites, his favorite song is “Self Control” by Frank Ocean.
“I love the lyrics, I love the way it’s composed, I love the beat to it. I feel like everybody can relate to some aspect of that song at some point,” Dent said.
Dent also says that his favorite grade was ninth grade because he met a lot of people and had some great experiences.
“For a long time sixth grade was a really good year for me, but ninth grade was probably the best year of my life. I met so many awesome people. I suddenly had way more freedom. The memories that I made, the people that I met, and all the experiences I had made it an awesome year,” Dent said.
Nathan recalls his first year on The Sentry’s staff as being really amazing.
“It was so much fun, and I learned a lot about how to write and how I wanted to improve and what journalism really was,” Dent said.
Nathan’s favorite part is spending the whole day on The Sentry for the One Day Issue.
“I want to say it was May, maybe April, just spending the whole day writing was great,” Dent said. He also has some advice for new members.
“Stay on top of your deadlines and be proactive about your writing! If you have the opportunity and a considerable amount of writing that you need to get done, just write,” Dent said.
Dent feels like he will have a great year on the Sentry and has a positive attitude. “I think it’s going to be a fantastic year and I can’t wait to get started.”
“This year, I really want to push a message of inclusion a bit more in this world,” said Peter Beckstrom, one of 2018’s new reporters for The Yorktown Sentry, as we sat in the second-floor hallway talking about his life, interests and goals. If there is one thing that Beckstrom is certainly passionate about, it is his desire to bring attention to issues regarding the lives of individuals with disabilities. As a student with cerebral palsy, advocacy surrounding disability rights has become a large part of his life, something which he hopes to incorporate during his time as a writer for The Sentry. “When I’m on staff, I want to [write about] disabilities – and also involve people from Best Buddies, that kind of stuff,” he said.
Now over two weeks into his junior year, Beckstrom’s high school experience has been greatly unique, even self-inspirational; at one point, when I asked Beckstrom about something he would want to write a film about, high school was at the core of the plot, alongside what he called “weird controversies,” special effects, and That’s-So-Raven-esque plot devices. To now be a part of the paper means a lot to him, as it means that he will be able to write about and share aspects of his experience here at school. In terms of other his goals for his junior year, Beckstrom is looking forward to maintaining good grades in classes he thinks will interest him.
Outside of school, Beckstrom has a variety of interests to keep him occupied. He’s a self-proclaimed old-timer, which he owes to his love of classic movies like Mary Poppins, and a lover of, as he calls it, “restaurant-style” food. His favorite TV network is HGTV, and his favorite show is the Property Brothers, whom he incidentally got to meet a few years ago. Outside of school, he is an active member of both Best Buddies and Young Democrats. In terms of his musical preferences, his favorite song is “Scars to Your Beautiful” by Alessia Cara.
Regarding Beckstrom’s tastes, he certainly enjoys the finer things in life. His ideal day would be spent on the beach in Mexico with his friends and family, and his perfect meal would consist of a double cheeseburger with fries, a Diet Coke and a milkshake – all of restaurant quality. “I’m very into restaurant quality,” he said. “(…) I love going out to eat.”
Peter Beckstrom is a man on a mission. His perspective as a reporter on this year’s Sentry staff will be new; and furthermore – undeniably necessary. When I asked Beckstrom what he would change about the world if given the opportunity, he replied by saying “I would change the fact that inequality exists. If we could change that, the world would be a lot better off.” While this is almost certainly a goal that no single person can accomplish, it is likely that Beckstrom’s writing will serve as proof of its feasibility.
