“Hey baby.” . . . “Hi!” . . . “I was talking to the car.”
The Golden Turd
Senior Michael Abramowitz owns a 1979 BMW 320i.
“I lovingly call it the ‘Golden Turd.’ because it is gold, and a piece of crap,” Abramowitz said.
Not much to look at, but it comes with a story. A complicated story involving an alum who had this defunct, ancient car, and said anyone could pick it up for free. Another alum snatched it up, sat on it, then someone named Niko decided to make it a “project car,” and got it running, but then…left for college. His parents refused to keep two of Niko’s cars at home, so Abramowitz stepped in saying, “Take my money, give me the keys.”
Abramowitz is unashamedly in love with his BMW. One of his favorite features of the car is the ignition,
“I have to flip two switches and push a button to start it, and that is really badass.”
Abramowitz also appreciates that the car is a manual, rather than the automatic favored by most teenage drivers.
“[The manual system] gets me more engaged. There is no power steering and no power brakes. If I crash, and someone didn’t hit me, it is entirely my fault,” Abramowitz said.
Not only a dedicated driver, Abramowitz works on his car himself.
“I’m a real gearhead,” he said, “We don’t have a garage so I’m working on the street or driveway, and my Dad said ‘You can’t do that!’ I responded, ‘Let me try. It’s my car and my money, let me try.”
His BMW is not only a symbol of hard work and dedication, it is also a representation of Abramowitz himself.
Abramowitz said, “It may look ragged on the outside, and even on the inside…[but] I’m a skinny dude who looks homeless half the time…[and] when everything is working on that car, it is the best feeling in the world. It just makes sense.”
Ducati
Day to day the parking lot is filled with various cars, some cooler than others, but have you ever noticed a Ducati motorcycle on campus?
What you didn’t know about your Mandarin Chinese teacher: Juei-Chuan Hung owns the Ducati mentioned above, and rides it to school when the weather permits.
“Anything with two wheels for some reason attracts me,” Hung said.
But the wheels aren’t everything. The driving experience is “special” too.
“It’s really free when I ride on them,” said Hung.
Hung not only owns two motorcycles (a Ducati 1000 and a 1000 S), he is also very involved in the motorcycle scene. He has a YouTube channel where he reviews motorcycles.
“[My channel] is quite well known back in my country, maybe in China and other Chinese speaking countries,” Hung said.
“My audience is mostly Mandarin speakers, so probably when you look at [the YouTube videos], you won’t understand a single word.” (extra credit for students of Chinese? Hint, hint).
“I call them Little Red and Little Orange, which is the nickname you call a closer friend,” Hung said.
“People look at my bike and say ‘Man, this is a special bike, there is definitely a story behind it.’”
Jaguar
Sleek. Blue. Not a wild animal but a tame metal machine belonging to Senior Wade Washington. A 2003 Jaguar S-Type, Washington has had it for 18 months and values its rockin’ bod.
“It’s a slung back sedan with a kind of long rear,” Washington said.
Indeed it is, Jaguars, both the car and the animal, are known for their lithe, smooth form. Jaguars are dangerous wild cats, not something to pick a fight with. They demand respect.
Washington said, “My car is laid back and has a professional attire to it and a sense of formality.”
A trusty car and a comfortable ride. The Jaguar is a gorgeous vehicle here on campus.
Nissan Leaf
Senior Nikhil Raman owns a silver Nissan Leaf.
“It’s electric [making it] environmentally friendly. [Also] you plug it into your house to charge it, which I find awesome and convenient,” Raman said.
Two bonuses of an electric car right here! First, it does not burn gas to run, helping our environment. And, because it does not use gas, it saves that trip to the gas station. (Besides, haven’t you seen those little electric plug-in stations in some parking lot, and enviously dreamed of how cool it would be to use one?)
Raman noted another benefit when it comes to parking.“360 bird’s eye view camera system which helps with parking, and I suck at parking, so I really need that 360 view,” Raman said.
Suck at parking. Don’t we all. Parallel parking may be the death of me.“
By: Yoela Zimberhoff