Written by: Aaron Cuellar, Staff Writer
CULLUM: Senior Alex Cullum shares the importance of arts programs, wisdom about balancing work and life, and says a final goodbye to their Poly High School family.
Riverside bills itself as “the city of arts and innovation,” and no one is a better example of why than Alex Cullum. The 17 year old senior is a prolific wordsmith, visual artist and stage performer, and was recently featured in Poly’s very own production of Into the Woods. They also won third place in the 2023 Reflections art competition for the literature category.
That being said, Alex’s high school experience hasn’t always been a bed of roses. Long before receiving their numerous accolades, they struggled with maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Over encumbered with extracurriculars, they eventually realized that they needed to focus on the things they enjoyed most. Their number one piece of advice for other students is “don’t let yourself be pressured into joining school activities.” Instead, be open to trying new things, but continue to follow what you’re passionate about, and don’t let other people pressure you into doing things you don’t necessarily want to do. Once they figured this out and found what they are passionate about, the trajectory of Alex’s high school career changed dramatically. They went on to join theater, art classes, and even started writing their novel, “At Once, As One.”
It was in these new environments that Alex made some of their best friends and favorite memories at Poly. One memory they cherish particularly is the theater department’s holiday games of werewolf. In this game, players “interact with other classmates by picking apart which one of them is lying.” Though relationships between participants can be downright hostile during the game’s runtime, it is ultimately an excellent community building experience.
Looking to the future, Alex will be attending SUNY Potsdam University, a liberal arts college in upstate New York. “People should value art a lot more than they do,” Alex exclaimed passionately when asked about their reason for committing. “Everything is put into athletics and academics, and art is only referred to some of the time.” They went on to assert their enthusiasm for the upcoming Polypalooza arts festival. “All of my thoughts towards it are good; it’s the one time of the year that the arts are focused on!”
After college, Alex plans to become an author or editor, which will allow them to continue to embrace the transformative power of literature and the fine arts. They are grateful for their found family, and said that they will “always be proud of their adopted theater grandchildren and family tree.” Wherever life takes you, we’ll be rooting for you Alex!