By Mia Torres
You can hear the muffled voices from another classroom when you’re with them. The wall of silence feels difficult to break. You wonder what runs through their mind as they sit there.
Stephen Hawking, English theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author, once said, “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” There are many examples of this at Delta, starting with freshman Lina Pan.
Pan has interests in computer science, the “nuances” of language, or language itself, and drawing.
“Just like people, computers have multiple languages that they ‘speak’ in,” Pan says. “Language is weird and complicated, especially a language like English where nothing makes sense and words like ‘yacht’ exist.”
Pan is part of the Academic Team, being a member of the social studies and English team for the Academic Super Bowl. She also plays clarinet in the band. She works at her parents’ restaurant, Panda Buffet.
¨It’s fun being friends with her,” freshman Sammi Raleigh says. ¨We just talk about random stuff and she sends me funny stuff she finds on Instagram.¨
Another reserved person who has interests in band and technology is senior Luke Williams.
“I’m mostly into playing video games, listening to music, and playing music with my saxophone,” Williams says.
Williams enjoys jazz, especially the “swing” style of it, and playing team- based games like Team Fortress 2, which he has played for over 1,000 hours over the past six years.
His dream is to work in computer science and with audio devices.
“With this path, I feel like I can express my love of computers as well as my love of music.” Williams says. “Although, I think that things could easily change in college as I get more familiar with the respective fields.”
Another student who can get lost in the crowd is junior Gabby Knight.
Knight has a large interest in tennis and has been playing for years.
“I began playing tennis about eight or nine years ago and it has stuck with me ever since,” Knight says. “I love playing tennis as much as I can.”
Along with tennis, Knight keeps herself busy with a hobby of crafting, being part of the Chick-fil-A Leaders Academy, class officers, Freshman Mentors, National Honor Society and Environmental Club.
“Most days I don’t get home until pretty late with tennis, meetings, and work (at Albany Veterinary Clinic),” Knight says. “But I love helping in events and helping people, especially when they give me their attention. At times it can be overwhelming and stressful, … but I will put in my work and do the best I can in whatever it is.”
One more quiet student who often goes unrecognized is sophomore Collin Haughn. He occupies his time with cooking, bowling and playing video games.
“My dad taught me how to play video games when I was young and I have been into them ever since,” Haughn says.
His current favorite video games are NBA2K23 and Rocket League.
“Some all time favorite ones are Mario Kart Wii, the first game I ever played, Wii sports, Pokemon X, Minecraft, and the older Skylanders games,” Haughn says. “Those are pretty much what I grew up with.”
Along with video games, Haughn has an interest in bowling. He has been a part of the Bowling Club for the past two years.
Next time you see any of these students and others like them, talk to them. Break down the wall of silence and create a walkway of conversation.
