Tylor Lee, Senior - Interview Conducted by Araddhya Tibrewall
Wednesday, December 1, 2021: The sun shines brightly, as we make our way to the staircase on the far side of the gym deck. We pass by the freshmen’s fortress, located just outside the door to the gym. As I begin the year’s eleventh interview, I click record. “Welcome, Tylor!” The interview has begun….
Araddhya: Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?
Tylor: Definitely never have to pay for food because I don’t know…I like traveling a lot and I would like to see the world—the only place I’ve been is South Korea—but I think I enjoy food more on a regular basis, and having free food would open up my options to try out all kinds of new foods. I would definitely choose the food one.
Araddhya: Would you rather be covered in fur or in scales?
Tylor: Scales? (immediate disgust) I think fur probably since I get cold more easily than I get hot. I like being warm, especially when I’m sleeping, so I think fur would be nice. I always bundle myself up in my blanket, which is always furry.
Araddhya: What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?
Tylor: The farthest I’ve ever been was definitely South Korea, kind of on the other side of the world I think (expressed without confidence in his geography abilities). I hope to travel to more places internationally because I want to see Europe and South America, two places on my bucket list.
Araddhya: How did you come to play the cello? Why did you choose it? Do you regret your decision for any reason?
Tylor: I started the piano when I was in elementary school—I hated it. So I took a break from music for a couple of years. But my mom decided that I had to choose an instrument. I chose the cello because it reminded me of the human voice in a way; it had that frequency. I liked all the songs I was listening to. Obviously there’s Yo-Yo Ma, but I listened to the artists from guys like 2CELLOS. I liked how they were able to turn modern music and pop music and movie music into these really cool pieces; so, I just picked up the cello. Going into high school, I felt a little uneasy because I wasn’t very good. But Chiorini helped me progress consistently throughout high school and helped me keep trying to get better.
Araddhya: What is a passion that you’re willing to sacrifice everything to pursue?
Tylor: Financially, it would definitely be a problem, but when I was younger, my dream was to be a professional golfer on the PJ tour and go to Q school, qualifying school. But as I got older, I realized that I probably wouldn’t make it. If I were to go back—say, 10 years—I think that’s definitely something I could have pursued fully—like full time, sacrificing everything.
Araddhya: What is a subject that has treated you well this year?
Tylor: I think a subject that has treated me well is English. In my freshman and sophomore years, if you asked me that question, I’d say that English was my worst subject. I hated it because I wasn’t very good at it. I don’t think I had the maturity to realize what I was supposed to realize in the texts we were reading. But this year, I’ve really enjoyed my English class, and I think it has to do with my teacher, Jul. She’s really helping me gain a better understanding of our English texts. I really enjoy the class—it’s a lot of fun.
Araddhya: Now, as for my favorite part of the interview, here’s a series of quick questions. You’ll be given two things. Indicate your preference.
Hang gliding or whitewater rafting? Whitewater rafting. Because I just enjoy the water. That has been MY thing since I was little. My dad took me fishing when I was 5 years old, and I instantly loved it. I always go to the Lafayette reservoir when I’m trying to chill out. And my friend, Brandon, and I take a Robo—we rent one—and we cruise along, going fishing. And I also went whitewater rafting in middle school and sophomore retreat (afterthought), and they were both really fun experiences, so I would definitely choose rafting. Also, hang gliding sounds scary. I’m not trying to run into trees or anything.
Glasses or contact lenses? Ok, so I wear both. A lot of people know me for wearing glasses but recently I’ve been wearing contact lenses. And I think I like contact lenses more because I’m a pretty active person, and people have always smacked my glasses off my face in the past. Contacts make that not a problem anymore, and also, I’ve noticed that since the contacts are attached to your eyes, you see the world more clearly—less warped than when wearing glasses.
Saplings or full-grown trees? I’d say full-grown trees because some of my favorite trees are redwood trees. I just love how tall they are; they’re really impressive because of their height. I’d definitely choose full-grown trees.