Coffee with Carol
Writer: Xianyi Ren
Editor: Isabel Snare
Coffee with Carol
We all know and love our school captain from her brilliant speeches in prayers and infectious smile in the halls. But who is Carol Rong, really? It is a gloomy Tuesday afternoon, and I am sitting down with Carol in the GCR to ask her some questions.
The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: What is something you wish more people knew about you?
A: I wish more people knew that I love hugs! I used to hug everyone before Covid, but Covid made me stop. Since then, I feel like people assume that, “oh I guess Carol doesn’t like hugs.” But that’s not true! I would love to hug more people.
Q: How do you measure success?
A: I measure success based on how confident I feel. I know that I’m successful when I feel good being myself and doing what I do. If I am happy in my current position, I know that I have been successful in life. School-wise, success tends to only be measured in results. But in the larger scheme of life, success requires a mix of good results and good feelings.
Q: Would you rather poop a pineapple or pee a grape?
A: After careful consideration, I would prefer to poop a pineapple. Peeing a grape reminds me of kidney stones—which, thankfully not from experience, I’ve heard are really painful. Also, ‘poop a pineapple’ is an example of alliteration and I think that’s really cute. I attempted to do some research on the size of pineapples compared to the diameter of your butthole, but the math wasn’t really working out… Just going off of instinct, I would poop a pineapple.
Q: Do you believe that you have free will?
A: My intuition says yes, because I am capable of doing whatever I want whenever I want. At the same time, though—if you think about it too much—you don’t have much choice in what you can do. There are many factors that go into your decisions or impact your behaviour. Like, sometimes I think that I’d really like to go skydiving, but I can’t because I am in school! There are social norms and constructs that restrict what you are capable of. So yes, but only to an extent.
Q: What is something at Havergal you would participate in if you had the time?
A: I would love to try rowing! I’m an early bird, so it fits nicely in my schedule. Rowing just seems really fun, but I’ve also heard that it can be a pretty brutal time commitment.
Q: Something outside of Havergal?
A: I would love to participate in a typing contest. I have an addiction to Monkeytype. It’s actually really bad; I have a streak going on and everything. My goal for this year is to reach 160 words per minute, and I’m currently at 157. If I get really fast, then I can enter international competitions and become a pro typer.
Q: Who are three teachers you would want to be stranded on a deserted island with and why?
A: Definitely Ms. Marshall because she’s good at everything. She is very clever, and I think she would have some great ideas about how to escape. She is great at remaining calm under pressure. The second teacher I would want to be stranded with is Ms. Elder, because she is very wise and has lots of life experiences that I think would come in handy to us. For the third teacher, I think I would need someone simply for entertainment purposes. I’d love to have Mr. O’Donoghue, because he’s just so goofy. He would lighten the mood and make me instantly less stressed.
Q: Hot take?
A: Popcorn is terrible! When you pop corn, it loses all the corn flavour. I don’t get why we eat popcorn in movie theatres.
Q: Are aesthetic pleasures, such as art, important to you? What role do they play in your life?
A: Art is very important to me. This is another unknown fact about me, but I used to visit art galleries a lot. I also used to draw quite frequently, and I currently run an Etsy shop as a side hobby. Art allows me to see the possibilities and creativity of humans. I wish I had the time to visit more galleries.
Q: List a book, movie, and song you recommend.
A: My favourite book is Real Americans by Rachel Khong. I keep recommending this, but no one reads it, and it frustrates me! I finished it in two days, and it’s sci-fi, history, and bio all mixed into one book. It explores biology and race through genetic editing, but it also goes into history through discussing the Chinese cultural revolution. It was just such a thrilling read; I can’t recommend this one enough! A movie I love to recommend is Everything Everywhere all at Once. I don’t cry very often, but when I saw that movie I was sobbing. It made me appreciate my family a lot. Lastly, a song I’ve been listening to on repeat is Pink Pony Club by Chapelle Roan. I like to dance to it when I’m stressed!
Q: Do you think it’s true that our parents usually know what’s best for us?
A: There’s a difference between knowing and wanting. Our parents definitely want the best for us because we are their offspring and the next generation, and they care about us. But they don’t necessarily know what’s best for you because they aren’t you. They can only understand you from their perspective. Although they may think their perspective is valid, which it totally is, I think you should value your own opinions over theirs. You know the most about yourself, and you know the best for yourself!
Q: In a decision-making process, do you tend to go with your intuition or rationale?
A: I like to think that I’m very rational and that I make decisions based on facts. I’m the type of person to do a ‘pros and cons’ list for everything before I make a decision. But, I definitely let my feelings sway my rationale. Sometimes I’ll think, “Okay, option A is objectively better than option B,” but my heart says, “Oh option B… Yeah…”
What is something that Havergal students need to hear more?
I always say this, but it’s just: chill! Whatever you’re worried about, it’s not that deep. In ten years, you’re going to look back and be like, “Oh my god, I was stressed over nothing!”