By Eliza Howard

Style Editor

The Blumberg legacy lives on. Second generation Sentry reporter Phillip Blumberg is one of this year’s many new additions to the staff.  The Sentry’s unique classroom environment, the ability to become an independent writer and his brother Grant’s rave reviews about the class all prompted Blumberg to finally join the class, not to mention his joining the class would give him more time to spend with his favorite neighbor, me.

There are a lot of pros to being my neighbor: neighborhood Christmas parties, me asking to borrow and egg or a cup of flour and countless more exciting bump-ins. My almost two year old golden-doodle, however, is what Blumberg describes to be the most exciting aspect about being my neighbor.

“I see your dog all the time which is cool, you have a cute dog. Your dog doesn’t bark at me anymore, which is nice,” Blumberg said.

He usually gets to see Tucker, my prized possession, on his way to his many travel soccer practices. With up to four of them a week and games on weekends, his travel soccer career takes up most of his time. Like most high schoolers, when he is not playing a sport he is hanging out with friends, doing homework or watching professional sports teams.

If Blumberg does not become a professional soccer player, he hopes to attend the University of Virginia (UVA) to study law and ultimately become a lawyer. Blumberg prides himself on his work ethic. He has mastered the ability to be 100% attentive in all of his classes, a skill that will prove helpful if he becomes a lawyer . 

“I have a lot of goals and I try really hard to achieve them. I am a hard worker and very diligent. I am very attentive. I remember things in class that helps, I never zone out,” Blumberg said.

Blumberg is also a twin. He sees it as an important, but not defining, part of his identity. When inevitably asked “what is it like to be a twin?”, his years of answering this question prompted his quick response. 

“The best part about being a twin is that if you ever want to hang out or talk to someone, your twin is always there. It is also really annoying when people mix us up or do not know the difference between us. I also get so many questions on how to tell the difference between us like once a day, which gets pretty annoying,” Blumberg said.

His twin Eddie is Blumberg’s best friend. Their bond is so close that Blumberg would even consider bringing Eddie with him on a deserted island as one of his “tools” to help him survive.

“I would bring my twin Eddie because we know how to work well with each other and he would keep me calm. I would bring my phone to play games on it. I would probably bring a spear to help me eat, I could also kill Eddie with that spear (you do not know what he is going to do to you). I would also bring glasses or contacts to be able to see,” Blumberg said.

If, unfortunately, those three “tools” did not facilitate their survival, Blumberg would be faced with a terrible dilemma: what would be his last meal? A simple man, Blumberg said he would use his spear to make an American classic ―pizza. 

“I am not going to overthink it, I mean you have to go with pizza. It’s basic, but it’s a solid choice. I usually go for a simple sausage pizza, but if its my last meal I might add pepperoni in there,” Blumberg said.

His quick-wit and ability to be personable with his peers are some of the many attributes that makes Blumberg a perfect addition to The Sentry. Personally, I can not wait to have my favorite neighbor on staff this year!

By Philip Blumberg

Staff Reporter

As the end of her high school days draws nearer, senior Eliza Howard is certainly making them count. In addition to being the style editor for The Yorktown Sentry, Howard has a busy life outside of school.

“I do competitive dance four times a week. I’m also a part of Spanish Honors, I’m in Best Buddies and I’m in NHS [National Honor Society],” Howard said.

Howard’s zeal for Spanish comes from a long background in the language. In fact, her Spanish skills might just be on par with her English, because of her elementary school.

“I actually went to an immersion education school [for elementary], so half of my day was in Spanish and the other half was in English. I’m essentially fluent in Spanish,” Howard said.

As a fluent speaker, Howard has already taken every available Spanish course in the school. With no more Spanish classes to take this year, Howard decided to do an independent study related to the language. 

“I’m researching drug cartels in Latin America, and how that relates to international relations and corruption. I get to dictate what I learn, so that’s probably my favorite class,” Howard said.

With a budding interest in international relations, Howard hopes to make it into a career. In college, Howard wants to major in political science, although she is also passionate about fashion. 

“There’s not really a way to put those two together, but if I could figure out a way to figure that out, that would be my dream job,” Howard said. 

Like most seniors, Howard has to deal with the stressful college application process this fall; however, Howard has a good idea of where she wants to go. She has her heart set on the Golden State. 

“I like to say I’m half-Californian. My whole family is from California. I see myself going to college on the West Coast. UCLA [University of California Los Angeles] and UCSB [University of California Santa Barbara] [ … ] bigger, West Coast Schools,” Howard said. 

While Howard has a busy schedule, she still keeps up an active social life. She can be spotted at football games, school dances and, her favorite, hockey games. When asked about her most memorable high school experiences, Howard looked to these social events.

In the classroom, Howard is an outgoing and vibrant personality. It is easy to strike up a conversation with her, especially about her all-time favorite show, Psych.

“Psych is my favorite show ever. Shawn [Spencer] and Gus [Guster] will forever have my heart. They took it off of Netflix, which is really disappointing, but Psych is definitely my favorite [show],” Howard said

Howard is a personable and friendly classmate, though she may be a little narcissistic. When describing herself, Howard quipped, “Does perfect count?”

Howard possesses an eclectic catalog of music. She is a big fan of rappers Travis Scott, Lil Baby and Gunna, but does not limit herself just to hip hop. Howard also listens to indie music. Her favorite “chill” musical artist is Rex Orange County. While these two genres seem like polar opposites, Howard decides what to listen to depending on her mood. 

Howard’s musical preferences reflect her adventurous personality. Her dream vacation also displays her sense for adventure – instead of choosing a generic, popular destination, Howard went with something more unexpected. 

“I have never been to Africa, so I would like to go there. South Africa, Egypt… somewhere in Africa,” Howard said.

Howard’s upbeat personality and cheerful attitude set great examples for new staff members. The Sentry is lucky to have Howard as an editor this year.