27 January 2010

Apple unveils…the iPad!

Today, I read the engadget liveblog of the iPad during a firedrill. MLIA

24 January 2010

Bawls...

So today, I bawled.

In the morning, a human resources counselor and one of BCA's guidance counselors spoke with us students in Mr. Holbrook's room. We went around and recited how we reacted to the news and what we learned from the times we had with Mr. Holbrook. I revealed how his passing didn't come as a complete shock as I knew everything beforehand and was somewhat involved with the events leading up to it. It's also terribly difficult to keep some things, such as this, absolutely top secret, and other things not so much.

We then had pizza for lunch, except it wasn't from the place that Mr. Holbrook would always take out. There weren't any donuts either. :( I talked with Dr. Abramson and Mr. Vidal for a bit and listened to their recounting their visit with Mr. Holbrook at the hospital before he left. They described how he was wired up fifteen different ways and was breathing on a ventilator...internal bleeding...comatose...and a cardiac arrest ended it...and how the nurse had to ask them if she could take him off the ventilator. It was really touching and sad, but this year so far was filled with nothing but success [phenomenal showings at Duke and PUMaC, outstanding BCA Math Competition, all of the star seniors getting into MIT early], so if he had to pick a time, now would be best...

Then the principal and vice principal led all the students to the boardroom for a meeting. We discussed the short term solution to commemorating the passing of Mr. Holbrook, which is now online here. Everyone was dismissed afterwards.

In the end, only Nevard, Abramson, Mayers, my dad and I, Mark and his mom remained, and some alumni. While Mark was talking with the alumni elsewhere, Dr. Mayers said the most touching thing of the entire day: that I reminded Mr. Holbrook of his two daughters, who are both overseas and barely contact him. Though I knew that I was one of the better females that was on the math team, I didn't know that he saw me as his [grand]daughter. It hit me so much that I bawled for most of the afternoon... :'(

It's really sad to see the one who first acknowledged you in a previously unknown world leave...

You will always be remembered.

23 January 2010

Time Flies

Sometimes, things just happen so soon.

0730: Pavel asks me about Holbrook. I told him that he just had the flu and that Mark and I would call him to see how everything was going.

1040: In data structures, I ask Mark if he got any info from Dr. Nevard or Dr. Abramson. They said that everything was fine.

1237: Dr. Mayers' door was locked, so French class didn't start on time. Nevard walks by and enters the room. He talks with Mayers and leaves. Mayers still stays in the room for a bit and finally lets us in at around

1245. He puts on Amelie for us to watch and puts on his jacket and his bag in the meantime.

1315: Amelie finishes. Mayers dismisses class and gets ready to visit Mr. Holbrook at the hospital. Before he leaves, I tell him to tell Holbrook that Mark, I, and the rest of the AAST Math Team were wishing for the best of his health.

1520: I arrive in CompSci Team and ask Nevard about any new developments. I also notified him that Dr. Mayers went to see Holbrook.

1554: Nevard tells me to dismiss CompSci Team early because he had to go to an ``emergency staff meeting.'' I knew this was a bad sign...

1755: I get a call from the school that played this MP3 file.

QED.

Once again, rest in peace, Mr. Holbrook.

22 January 2010

sadface

RIP Mr. Joe I. Holbrook


You will be missed

The AAST Math Team will never be the same again...

and neither will school...


ARML '08

 
Stanford '09


PUMaC '09 Mu A

10 January 2010

07 January 2010

Balls...

...of Chocolate!
We made these awesomely delicious truffles in All About Chocolate :D

01 January 2010

HAPPEH $\frac{c}{\lambda}$ YEAR

(enjoy your Turkey?)

Anyway, welcome 2010! Hopefully it's going to be a great, wintastic year and some of the following five things become true:
  1. Get iPhone developer license! - I NEED A WAY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE. D: Plus it looks fun ^_^
  2. More bridge! - Moar tournaments plz :D
  3. Get a 4.0 GPA for the year (or a trimester) - just for the lawlz
  4. Become a trilympian (for the lawl) =] - I've already got Computer Olympiad under my belt, so why not try for math and physics olympiads as well?
  5. Go to WWDC 2010 (Apple dev conference)
And finally,