On the other side of the screen, Eric Liu ’21 wore a white t-shirt, loose with a neat trimmed edge. As always, he had a smile that came from deep inside and spread to every part of him. What plan does Eric, the new Vice Head of School, have in mind for the unpredictable fall semester?
Coco: Hey Eric. What have you been doing this summer, as Eric and as the Vice Head of School of CA?
Eric: I have been dedicating myself to the college application process, as well as spending quality time with my family. As the Vice Head of School, I collaborated with Zahaan (Head of School) and collected faculty videos; we planned to make a virtual orientation video for new students in which teachers explain what each department is like. Since most of orientation will be online this year, we hope that the new students can acquire a similar experience as in-person orientation, gaining as much information about CA as possible. Zahaan and I had also held our first virtual council meeting in June and we are excited to further discuss with Sally and Annie as to how council and the school will look like next fall.
C: Yeah, in fact, a lot of students are concerned about next semester as CA is doing all remote. How would you make sure the CA community stays connected in the fall? What are some of your goals for the next semester?
E: As the Vice Head of School, I will work with the Head of School and make sure everyone feels supported. I hope to make the fall semester as engaging as possible by collaborating with the administration and student council. One of the activities we are planning is adopting Hogwarts housing system as a model and splitting the community into four groups. The groups will compete with each other through a series of activities on weekends and (maybe) weekdays. There will be a final competition on Red and Blue Day and the winner will receive a great surprise. I hope that this will add more motivation for the students to attend extracurricular activities and bond with their school mates.
C: This sounds great! Finally, do you have any advice for the new students joining our community in the fall?
E: Well, it is definitely going to be challenging given the current circumstances, but always be open minded, advocate for yourself, and know that the entire community is there to support you. CA community is so special because here, you know everyone, and everyone knows you; people are always kind and helpful. Therefore, you should feel totally comfortable sharing yourself with others.
C: Thanks Eric. Any last thing you want to share with the entire CA community?
E: I can’t wait to see y’all. Stay safe, be positive.
July 31 was Eric’s eighteenth birthday. On his Instagram, he posted a beautifully written piece to celebrate the age of adulthood: “During these eighteen years, [a lot of things] have not changed. [My] brown eyes, [the] mole above my mouth, [my] favorite foods… But of course, things will change in eighteen years… But at least I hope I won’t think I have changed, for I am a bit afraid that the time might be too long to be sure about everything. Maybe I will, who knows? The only unchanging thing is the changing.” As his words suggest, passionate, loving, and open-minded Eric will definitely do a great job next year as the Vice Head of School of CA, leading the community amid this chaotic time.