Every year, Time magazine honors a person, group, or idea, which“for better or for worse…has done the most to influence the events of the year.”
This year, The Oracle is bringing the 77-year-old tradition here. This is the first of, we hope, many years to come that a student who has had a profound positive impact on the school community will be honored for his or her influence on fellow Spartans.
The criteria for this role sounds simple: influential. According to Merriam-Webster, influential means “having the power to cause changes.” But plenty of people cause changes. The disclaimer of the criteria states “the most.” To narrow down a person with the most influence on our community was not an easy task.
So, The Oracle voted.
We present to you, the 2014-2015 Oracle Person of the Year—Lisa Chen.
Chen, a member of the Class of 2015, is the bowtie-wearing, science-loving, guitar-playing student who is rarely seen without a smile. In her four years as a Spartan, she has become a well-known face, in these halls and in this community.
The extent of Chen’s influence on our student body is hard to illustrate. Her titles include: National Honor Society President, Gay-Straight Alliance President, Hidden Pond volunteer, cross-country and track runner, guitar player. And while we aren’t sure how she juggles all of those roles, we do know that in each position she holds, she does an exemplary job of being herself and of being a positive influence on those around her.
Chen’s role as NHS President requires her to lead more than 100 of her classmates in service for the community. Alongside six other officers, she coordinates point opportunities for the members, leads meetings and acts as a contact between the sponsors and the members.
All seven officers are considered equals but Chen takes the majority of the workload onto her own shoulders to ensure that the other officers have an easier time. She doesn’t hand them a problem and instruct them to “fix it”; she hands them a solution and asks that they “make it happen.” Her role as president is best described as proactive, working hard to fix problems before they become an issue.
Chen is an outspoken student. As co-president of the Gay-Straight Alliance, she is a strong voice for the LGBT community. She is an advocate in the equal rights movement and during her time at this school, she has made progressive changes on how students view the gay community. Her charm makes everyone feel warm and welcome; people want to be a part of the impact she has both inside and outside of the school.
Chen’s good works do not stop there. She spends her free time volunteering at Hidden Pond Nature Center, helping to care for animals as well as leading camps. Last summer, she put in more than 100 hours at Hidden Pond, wrangling children ranging in age from three to 12. Chen constantly looks for ways to help out. Even when her peers don’t ask, she is always there to lend a hand.
Running cross-country and track and playing guitar are how Chen chooses to spend the remaining hours of her day. A runner from freshman to senior year, Chen doesn’t go home in the afternoon after school. She paces herself on the track or on the trails, running hundreds of miles throughout her four years of high school. Her athleticism is combined with an artsy side to create an incredibly well-rounded human being. A member of the Guitar Program, she is a leader in her class and an avid player. She is often seen toting a guitar around school and performing at various school events.
And Chen is a jolly old soul. You may remember her dressing up as Santa and distributing candy canes right before Winter Break.
Essentially, Chen is one of the most well-rounded students who has ever walked these halls. But her achievements alone are not what earned her the title of 2014-2015 Oracle Person of the Year. What makes Chen an influential person is her character. She is incredibly selfless and hard-working but she is also charming. She spreads joy wherever she wanders and delights those around her. Her radiating presence oozes confidence, kindness and quirkiness.
To say that Chen has influenced this school is an understatement. This award requires “the most influence” and we believe Chen fulfills this criteria. Congratulations to Lisa Chen for her dedicated leadership, her outstanding service, her radiating charm and for being named The Oracle’s first-ever Person of the Year.