Face #93: Stas Schaller

Excerpt from my blog (jillbanks.blogspot.com)

100 Faces in 100 Days: Day Ninety Three

4/3/11

Just seven faces left in my 100 Faces in 100 Days Project. Can you believe it?

Today's face is seventeen-year-old Stas Schaller. He's the last member of the Russian family -- that are friends of my parents -- to be included in my 100 Faces Project. His mom, Zoya Schaller was Face #70. Stas's grandparents are Tamara Gribach (Face #61) and Vladimir Gribach (Face #88). For the whole sitting today, I saw Stas's mom in Stas. Nothing like painting a portrait sketch of someone to bring out the family resemblance.

Stas is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School ... a magnet public school known for its stellar achievements in math and science. Stas's main focus, though, is in the humanities. He's not quite sure what direction to head in (college and career)... but he seems adept at going with the flow and finding his way.

Stas kept the conversation going which helped me paint. He told me about the setup at TJ with eight periods ... the last being for extracurricular groups/activities. He's the master of a role-playing game group. As master, he drives the elements the characters in the game must face ... sets up the scene. He ran through the cast of characters, their backstories, and the progress of the current game to date. What impressed me was the imaginative development of it all. It sounded like a great novel or movie. Ideas that should be captured and shared. I was impressed, too, with how much work Stas must put into running and playing the game ... on top of demanding schoolwork, sports and life.

The bookcase in the background is in focus. Oops!

We talked quite a bit about high school life and perspectives of teenagers. Since that was a very long time ago for me, Stas offered an interesting refresher course. I (really) vaguely remember how important everything seemed. How seriously we took ourselves. How much life teetered-tottered ... lots of extreme emotions and thoughts.  (Stas wasn't telling me that ... he just rekindled those well-buried memories.) Stas again seems to go with the flow. He's easygoing.  Low or no drama.

Last bits ... Favorite food: sushi and he'll try anything. Sports: football (linebacker), track (shotput, discus). 

The house looks like a hurricane (of 93 faces) hit it. Yikes!!!!