Hi Oyster River, you might be wondering what this is! Student of the week will be a short weekly profile of a random Oyster River student. The profile will feature some basic information about the student, followed by a Q and A section with new questions every week. I came up with this idea because I wanted to hear about people I maybe wouldn’t know about otherwise. I hope people feel the same way.
The student of the week is completely random. There is an alphabetical list of all 766 students in Oyster River, so I put the numbers one through 766 in a randomizer and the student whose number gets picked is the student of the week. Some may ask “Hey Lily! What about me? Can I be student of the week?” To that my answer is: probably! There are a lot of weeks left in the school year :^). Now that I’ve answered some questions you may have had, it’s time for our very first student of the week: Jordan Zercher!
Jordan Zercher can bring a smile to anyone who talks to her. Zercher has chocolate brown hair, bright eyes, a happy demeanor and friendly, enthusiastic attitude. She is 16 years old and a sophomore at Oyster River.
Zercher enjoys swimming, teaching swim lessons, playing the cello, acting and hanging out with her friends and family. “When I’m feeling bored I will either sit in my bed and get warm or take a walk in the woods,” she said. She loves learning anything related to literature and language, especially Spanish. Zercher recently acted in Oyster River’s fall play, Women and War, but she isn’t a stranger to theatre. Additionally, she has been in plays such as Cinderella, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and The Music Man. She has been playing the cello since fourth grade, and though she took a break for a few years when she began attending Oyster River Middle School, She picked it back up again at the end of seventh grade.
Q and A with Jordan:
Do you like reading or watching TV/Movies better?
“If the question was which do I do more of, reading or watching tv, it would most definitely be watching tv. I think there is so much to learn and enjoy from both sides. I guess I would go with movies because you have a vivid image, a lot of times directly from the author’s mind.”
What is your favorite article of clothing?
“If this is a broad question I would say dresses, but if I had the choice I would seriously wear a scarf every day. Specifically, it would have to be my big white scarf. I like hiding in it.”
Q.What is your favorite type of music? Favorite song?
“I listen to pretty much everything from early Jackson 5 to current broadway. My parents have influenced my choice of music a lot. No Christmas would be complete without listening to the entire Carpenters Christmas CD. I remember days that I would jam out to Celine Dion in my kitchen when no one was home. I don’t know if I have a favorite song… they’re all too good.”
Do you have any special talents?
“Special talents… I don’t think so. Being average? I don’t know, I’m so boring!”
What are your pet peeves?
“My pet peeves are rude people who complain about things every second of every day and think their problems are more important than anything you are dealing with.”
Who’s your favorite celebrity/person you look up to? Why?
“Amy Poehler, definitely. Not only because I love the show Parks and Rec and [the character] Leslie is me in 20 years, but she is also kind and brings a smile to my face everytime I watch her. I aspire to be a smiling face for others. I know how hard it can be to smile and pretend you are fine, especially when you are so tired and all you want to do is fall apart. My favorite quote from her is ‘There is power in looking silly and not caring that you do.’”
Zercher has no definite plans for what she wants to do after she graduates from Oyster River. She would love to attend a college near a city like New York or Boston. No matter what, she wants to continue to pursue music, speak multiple languages, and act in more plays in the future. She has considered bringing her love of literature and language into her future career. Zercher likes the idea of going into education to combine her passions with a career that would allow her to teach future generations. “I have always loved working with kids, so being a teacher has crossed my mind,” Zercher told me.
Zercher is a person who will find happiness anywhere. Her motivation and enthusiasm to do the best she can is apparent to her friends and anyone who has worked with her. The future is bright for Zercher because wherever the world takes her, she’ll make the best of it.