THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 9, 1994 TAG: 9409090844
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOE MARINO, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
This summer over 150 high school seniors applied for the job of Teenology advice columnist. Traci Hill and Doran Ricks, last year's columnists, spent hours interviewing the 10 finalists. When it was all over, Smitha Gottimukkala and Jonathan Kolm were chosen.
People do the things they most regret when acting under the influence of anger.
The things you can't foresee are the things that make you stumble.
DO THESE SOUND like phrases out of Poor Richard's Almanac? They're not. They were penned by Jonathan Kolm, 17, a Tallwood High senior and Teenology's new male advice columnist.
Giving advice comes naturally to Jonathan ``I just come up with these little bits of everyday wisdom. . . . It's something that I like to do.''
Besides his interest in human nature, Jonathan says he wants to be a Teenology advice columnist because, ``I like to help people with their problems.
``I also think it will be fun,'' he admitted.
Another talent of Jonathan's is music - he's played the piano for the past 13 years. He moved here from Springfield, Ill., three years ago and has attended the Governor's Magnet School for the Arts since 1992, playing both the piano and the violin. He's working on a composition that he believes will be his ``greatest accomplishment to date.''
Musical skills, Jonathan said, help him with other things. For instance, being able to read music helps him read books faster. And the years of studying music have taken him places - literally. Last summer, his performing violin group, the Fleming Academy of Performing Arts, traveled to France. In the spring of 1990, the group performed in Japan.
Though he devotes much of his free time to music, Jonathan takes advanced placement courses and maintains a grade-point average that's ``somewhere around 3.1 or 3.2.''
All of this seems to contradict his personality, which he describes as Type B. ``I just do what I have to do to get by,'' he said. ``It's just the way I am.''
He says his philosophy is to ``live and let go.''
This attitude is evident in his future plans, or rather, lack of them. He is unsure of where he wants to go to college, although he has applied to Virginia Tech and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Nor does he know what he wants to major in. He does, however, think he will minor in music composition.
When he is not being musical, Jonathan likes to read, play volleyball and hang out with his friends.
Jonathan's doesn't have a favorite sports team, favorite athlete or favorite actor. He does not have a favorite book, movie or color. He does not favor any political party. He does, however, like pickles.
``They're my favorite food,'' he explains.
What does concern Jonathan is the manner in which he believes that schools handle certain topics.
``I don't think that the schools should stop certain issues from being discussed in the classroom,'' he said. ``They should talk about them and give both sides of the story.''
As a Teenology advice columnist, Jonathan can be expected to do just that. MEMO: Joe Marino is a senior at Tallwood High School.
ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by L. Todd Spencer
Jonathan Kolm.
by CNB