TAKE FIVE Mel Kerlin, Lourdes High senior teen beatp Q: Rumor has it you pierced your nose but had to take it out. Explain.
A: (Laughs.) I pierced my nose over the summer. But at school they don't allow face jewelry, so I had to take it out. The hole is still there, so I put it back in after school. I thought it was kind of unfair because it was a way of expressing myself -- it's hard to do that when you're a teenager. But I understood it was a rule.
Q: Share your thoughts on rumors, in general.
A: It's terrible. Why would you do that to somebody? Especially when people say rumors about their friends, that just doesn't make sense to me. Why would you say something that isn't true?
Q: When you think of your life, what vision springs to mind?
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A: (Grins.) It's like a path and it's all different roads and I've had to decide on which road to take. I've picked good ones and bad ones. But, in the end, it's always been the good ones that ended up the way I wanted them to.
Q: How has someone made a difference in your life?
A: There's a person who has really inspired me because they have helped me through hard times. They themselves have been through a lot and came out healthy, and that just really inspires me.
Q: Your nominator said you're always smiling. Explain.
A: I just want to bring joy to people's lives. Everybody has told me that if you smile at somebody it makes them smile and makes them happy. That's always been my goal in life is to make others happy.
Q: What's your philosophy on friendship?
A: Be honest. Your friends should like you for who you are.
Q: Which of your traits do you hope people most admire?
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A: This sounds so dumb, but my zest for life. I've been through a lot and I've still come out to enjoy life and appreciate it for what it is. I'm very grateful for what I have.
-- Andrea Faiad
Photo: Jodi O'Shaughnessy Olson
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