Inklings 2021

XIAOMING Sander Joeveer THERE IS A STUDENT Sabrina Shipley There is a STUDENT, MacBook Pro by her side, Who walks into class claiming “I’m already behind!” If some poor soul asks how this is true, Given that it’s a Monday where nothing is due, She will tell a tale of a weekend at Blue Key, Or Harvard, or Yale, or some other Ivy. You know, she won fifth in public forum She tells you again, as you fall into boredom It’s not her fault she got no homework done She was too busy writing speeches for fun. As the bell rings, she makes a new document, Not for class, but for her next argument She doesn’t need to take notes, she reassures, But the eve of the test she’ll surely ask for yours. Ask if she plays a sport, and she’ll roll her eyes, “I don’t have time to play games,” is what she replies She works every day, and well into the night, Arriving each morning with Starbucks on ice If you’ve ever wondered: what’s the purpose? I can tell you the answer, and of this I am certain The true goal of her passion is not knowledge, It’s the letter of acceptance from her dream college If you catch her with a distressed look on her face, It’s not teenage angst, she’s just planning her case But you’d be wrong if you labeled her a mere nerd, She’s so much more: she’s a speech-and-debater. 45