I work in a woodworking shop, and we are refinishing some cabinetry from Yale University. Student desks from the dorm. We found lots of names and messages written on them but one in particular stood out: "I, MARCELINO PANTOJA, AUG.4,2002, AM IN CONTEMPLATION......."
Now, I am very curious what a collage kid, Yale no less, would be contemplating...
Suicide comes to mind, but there is no indication that that is the answer here. The meaning of life? Nah, doesn't take a collage education to know the answer to that one. 42. Of course, when this was written who knows how much of an education Marcelino had at this point. Obviously a very smart young fella though, after all, he spelled "Contemplation" correctly. I am sure I would have messed that one up, without a spell checker.When your scribing a drawer box, after all, you only get one chance to get it write... er, right.
Kenny Mac says "Suicide... what else would you contemplate. Google the name and see if he's still around." Ok, good idea, Kenny Mac! Let's see if Marcelino exist, at least on the internet. Or whether, like the dinosaurs and the Mojave Phone Booth, Marcelino Pantoja is sadly no more. Ok, let's not get carried away here, just Google the name...
Marcelino Pantoja - Google Search
There are several people named Marcelino Pantoja turned up in the search, but there is one that stands out...
Marcelino Pantoja, of Tracy, California. Hmmm... Could it be? Let's see, graduated elementary school in 1997 according to his profile on Classmates (sorry, you need to be logged into Classmates to follow that link...) Ok, 1997, would be 6th or 8th grade, so it's conceivable he was attending Yale in 2002. Did he go to Yale? Here's a profile of a member of the Yale Bulldogs, that fits. Including a pic of Marcelino. He looks a little like Sylvester Stallone as "Rocky". What do you think? I think we have a winner.
On a site dedicated to a high school teacher..."Marcelino Pantoja, a 2001 graduate of Tracy High School, credits Mr. Brown for keeping him in school his senior year and for helping him apply to several Ivy League Schools and Stanford, when other teachers didn’t think he should be trying for those schools. Marcelino said, “If it wasn’t for Mr. Brown’s help and guidance I would not have graduated from high school and been able to go to Yale….He guided and mentored me so I was able to successfully complete my senior year…He was the only teacher to believe in me and to actually help me to apply to the Ivy League Schools…Mr. Brown went above and beyond what he had to do to in supporting my decision to apply to difficult schools…He is truly amazing and, if it wasn’t for his preparation and support, I would not have survived at Yale….Thanks to him, I have a great future.” Nice clue there, graduated High school in 2001, which fits in with the 2002 date on the box.
Of course, nothing yet to indicate he's still around... well, here's some site that shows a Marcelino Pantojo, on the staff at Stanford Managment Companies in Menlo Park, CA. Not far from Tracey, I would guess.
Yep:
View Larger Map
So I guess he survived his contemplating, whatever it was he was contemplating, I am glad to report. Now I just need to send him an e-mail to confirm he is the correct Marcelino Pantoja, because there is nothing on that Stanford Management site to indicate he is the same Marcelino who was contemplating on Aug. 4th, 2002.
Sheesh, that was too easy... It's amazing what you can find just googling someone's name.
Now, I am very curious what a collage kid, Yale no less, would be contemplating...
Suicide comes to mind, but there is no indication that that is the answer here. The meaning of life? Nah, doesn't take a collage education to know the answer to that one. 42. Of course, when this was written who knows how much of an education Marcelino had at this point. Obviously a very smart young fella though, after all, he spelled "Contemplation" correctly. I am sure I would have messed that one up, without a spell checker.When your scribing a drawer box, after all, you only get one chance to get it write... er, right.
Kenny Mac says "Suicide... what else would you contemplate. Google the name and see if he's still around." Ok, good idea, Kenny Mac! Let's see if Marcelino exist, at least on the internet. Or whether, like the dinosaurs and the Mojave Phone Booth, Marcelino Pantoja is sadly no more. Ok, let's not get carried away here, just Google the name...
Marcelino Pantoja - Google Search
There are several people named Marcelino Pantoja turned up in the search, but there is one that stands out...
Marcelino Pantoja, of Tracy, California. Hmmm... Could it be? Let's see, graduated elementary school in 1997 according to his profile on Classmates (sorry, you need to be logged into Classmates to follow that link...) Ok, 1997, would be 6th or 8th grade, so it's conceivable he was attending Yale in 2002. Did he go to Yale? Here's a profile of a member of the Yale Bulldogs, that fits. Including a pic of Marcelino. He looks a little like Sylvester Stallone as "Rocky". What do you think? I think we have a winner.
On a site dedicated to a high school teacher..."Marcelino Pantoja, a 2001 graduate of Tracy High School, credits Mr. Brown for keeping him in school his senior year and for helping him apply to several Ivy League Schools and Stanford, when other teachers didn’t think he should be trying for those schools. Marcelino said, “If it wasn’t for Mr. Brown’s help and guidance I would not have graduated from high school and been able to go to Yale….He guided and mentored me so I was able to successfully complete my senior year…He was the only teacher to believe in me and to actually help me to apply to the Ivy League Schools…Mr. Brown went above and beyond what he had to do to in supporting my decision to apply to difficult schools…He is truly amazing and, if it wasn’t for his preparation and support, I would not have survived at Yale….Thanks to him, I have a great future.” Nice clue there, graduated High school in 2001, which fits in with the 2002 date on the box.
Of course, nothing yet to indicate he's still around... well, here's some site that shows a Marcelino Pantojo, on the staff at Stanford Managment Companies in Menlo Park, CA. Not far from Tracey, I would guess.
Yep:
View Larger Map
So I guess he survived his contemplating, whatever it was he was contemplating, I am glad to report. Now I just need to send him an e-mail to confirm he is the correct Marcelino Pantoja, because there is nothing on that Stanford Management site to indicate he is the same Marcelino who was contemplating on Aug. 4th, 2002.
Sheesh, that was too easy... It's amazing what you can find just googling someone's name.