Text and design by ZANDER DARBY and LIBBY SPIER Photos by NATALIE SCHILLING and TYLER VARNER
Morgan O’Malley Senior Morgan O’Malley can’t help but smile when talking about the time she bowled a strike on the Best Buddies trip. Last year, O’Malley was paired with Ben Gordon. “I really liked it when we were at the Paly football game together,” O’Malley said. She has been a part of the Best Buddies club throughout her entire time in high school. O’Malley loves watching movies outside of school, especially with the club at their movie nights. When asked about her all-time favorite movie, O’Malley responded without any hesitation. “My favorite movie is ‘The Incredibles,’ the first one not the second,” she said. Being a part of this club has been an incredibly fun experience for O’Malley, as it has introduced her to countless new friends who bring a smile to her face as they pass in the hallway. O’Malley is ecstatic for this upcoming year and hopes to go back to the bowling alley to throw a strike once again.
Seth Gamage Paly senior Seth Gamage has many fond memories from Best Buddies. Attending events such as Paly football games and the Cowboy Dance with his friends and buddy last year has been especially unforgettable for him. Gamage has truly enjoyed spending time with his buddies — Darrow Hornik, Matan Ziv and Zander Darby — over the past three years. Some of Gamage’s favorite times with his buddies have been going bowling together and spending time with them during lunch. “I like hanging out with friends at events that we go to,” Gamage said. Just like everyone else in Best Buddies, he has made plenty of friends inside and outside of the club. Every Friday, Gamage has weekly game nights with his friends, including Aaron Visuthikraisse and Victor Cascaval, during which they have ping pong tournaments and play other enjoyable games. On top of the game nights, Gamage enjoys practicing basketball at the YMCA and playing football with his friends. Best Buddies has had a positive impact on Gamage’s life and has led him to establish many new friendships and participate in a number of activities that will last him a lifetime. “Best Buddies is good and you can have a lot of fun,” Gamage said.
Christian Hernandez-Aldana
The bubbly and animated sophomore Christian Hernandez-Aldana enjoys every part of Best Buddies, especially the personal one-on-one relationships he has established. Last year, Hernandez-Aldana enjoyed hanging out with his buddy Kevin Cullen, outside of school and eating lunch together at club meetings. “I had fun playing board games with Kevin,” he said. On top of hanging out with Cullen, Hernandez-Aldana has made many strong connections with his friends through Best Buddies who he loves to see throughout the school day. In his free time, Hernandez-Aldana loves to relax and listen to music outside of school.
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