Collecting is a hobby that requires dedication, but the rewards go beyond the objects themselves. Collections often hold memories and nostalgia, giving them special meaning. Take a peek into what students choose to collect, and the memories associated with their collections.
Paper Cranes
“Making paper cranes is a Japanese tradition, and my mother was going to make 2,000 paper cranes—one for each hour she needed to get her therapy license—and then she stopped doing that,” senior Sumiko Robinson said. “I saw a bunch of cranes, and I was like, ‘Oh, I have time. I’ll make some cranes while I’m watching movies.’”
Robinson’s crane collection eventually grew into something much bigger. Robinson donated the first thousand cranes to the hospital where her father works as a symbol of healing. “Hopefully people at the hospital would see that and be a little more hopeful,” she said.
Lego Cars
Sophomore Diego Ortiz’s Lego car collection features over 100 cars, ranging from Technic to Speed Champion sets. “My favorite car is the Ferrari Daytona SP3. I got that one for Christmas last year, and I just like how big and detailed it is,” Ortiz said.
This wasn’t the first car Ortiz received as a Christmas gift. “I started collecting Legos when I was about five years old, when I got my first Lego set, which was a Lego garbage truck, for Christmas,” he said. “And ever since I built that Lego, I thought it was really fun to put all the pieces together and be appreciative of the end results.”
“[Building Legos] is the thing I enjoy doing most, and what I do in my free time,” Ortiz said.
Card Decks
Senior Kayla Greenbaum started collecting card decks during one of her first travel volleyball tournaments. “I wanted a card deck to keep in my backpack, because I play cards with my dad often,” she said. “Now, every tournament and place I go to, I get a new card deck.”
Greenbaum’s favorite part of her collection was a gift from her family. “When my sibling and my dad went on a cross country road trip, they got a really old vintage card deck that’s made out of cardboard and real paper.” she said.
“It is a personal record holder of all the places I’ve been to,” Greenbaum said.
CDs
Senior Gustav Singel’s collection began with CDs passed down from his dad, fueling his interest in music. However, his collection goes beyond just music. “Whenever I play a CD, it brings me back to the person I was at the time. It’s a way to reflect on who I’ve become,” he said.
Some of his CDs hold particularly special meaning. “One of my close friends made a custom CD for me. He put a bunch of songs on it that we both like, which was really meaningful,” Singel said.
Cans and Bottles
When senior Zachary Quintana told his dad he was going to collect cans for money, his dad didn’t believe him. “He’s like, ‘Zach, you’re not going to find anything. You’re not going to make money,’” Quintana said. “He takes the cans to the recycling center, and the clerk gives me the receipt. My dad sees $15, and he starts going crazy.”
Quintana’s main motivation for his collection is earning cash. “Every can I collect is five cents, and it’s not a lot really, but if you just pick up a can and keep it, dig through your trash, or dig through someone else’s trash, that’s five cents you wouldn’t have had before. If you collect this stuff over time, you actually make a lot of money,” he said.
