Photoraphy by Cathy Pinsky
Y2K. The year that brought us a contested presidential election, a subway World Series, and fears of a major computer catastrophe, also brought us four million new babies. We found eight of them, all entering fourth grade at F.E. Bellows Elementary School in Rye Neck, and asked about toys, the web, and the economy.
Tom Bermingham
What do you want to be when you grow up? An explorer.
What’s your favorite website? Poptropica.com.
What are you thankful for? My life.
Do you know what the economy is? Yes. A lot of people work in it and I think it’s doing really bad right now.
If you were the president, what would you change about our world? I would lower taxes, get people to start saving the environment, be nice, and do the stuff you’re supposed to do when you’re president, which I don’t really know.
What’s the best thing about being a kid? You don’t have to do much.
What’s the hardest thing about being a kid? Being bossed around by parents and older siblings.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever learned? That each year an average human swallows about four spiders—they crawl in your mouth while you’re sleeping.
If you could have a wish come true, what would it be? World peace.
Eloise Smith
What’s your favorite movie? The Last Mimzy.
What’s your favorite grown-up food? Octopus sushi.
If you could be any person beside yourself, who would you be and why? I’d be the President of the United States because I like working with other people, like my friends, and I like talking a lot.
Describe your perfect day. I’d go swimming or go to Japan and eat sushi a lot.
If you could change one thing about grownups what would it be? How they have to go to work all the time.
What’s the hardest thing about being a kid? Doing tests that I’ve barely studied for if I’ve lost the worksheet.
If you could have a wish come true, what would it be? That I could go back many years ago and meet my dad’s mom and dad.
Emily Michaels
What’s your favorite sport to play? Either soccer, tennis, or swimming—I can’t decide.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A children’s book writer.
What is the best present you ever received? My radio.
If you were the president, what would you change about our world? I would probably ask people to walk to places that are close so you don’t make as much pollution.
What’s the best thing about being a kid? You get to have a lot of toys and grownups usually don’t have a lot of toys.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever learned? I like learning about different countries like Japan. I learned about the bullet train that only takes about five seconds to get from place to place.
Bobby Craig
What do you want to be when you grow up? A football player.
How old is old? About eighty-eight.
Do you know what the economy is? No.
If you could be any person beside yourself, who would you be and why? My friend John because he’s nice.
What’s the best thing about being a kid? You get to have fun.
What’s your most prized possession? My autographed baseball by Steve Finley when he was on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
If you could have a wish come true, what would it be? No school.
Conor Flood
What’s your favorite website? Miniclip.com.
If you could meet with President Obama, what would you ask him to do for our country? To stop going to war in Afghanistan.
What is a good age to get married? About thirty-three.
What is the best present you ever received? My Wii.
If you were the president, what would you change about our world? I would have no murdering in the U.S.
What’s the hardest thing about being a kid? Homework.
What’s your most prized possession? Trophies I’ve earned.
Rachel Rubin
What’s your favorite movie? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or the Harry Potter movies.
What do you do to help the environment? I pick up litter and I don’t use electronic stuff that much.
What are you really good at? Reading. My favorite books are Harry Potter, The Doll People series, and The Mysterious Benedict Society.
If you could be any person beside yourself who would you be and why? Michelle Obama because she gets to live in the White House.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever learned? That the water we use in the sink goes into the toilet.
If you could have a wish come true, what would it be? That people would appreciate what they have and won’t be greedy.
Rachel Daniel
What do you want to be when you grow up? A mother.
What do you do to help the environment? I recycle and plant stuff.
If you could be any person beside yourself, who would you be and why? My mom because she had me.
Describe your perfect day. Probably get everything I like, like my favorite foods and my favorite animal—a duck—and I’d have my friends and family over.
What’s the best thing about being a kid? That I’m young.
If you could have a wish come true, what would it be? To have my favorite animal—a duck.
Declan Flood
What’s your favorite website? MLB.com.
What are you really good at? Sports, especially baseball.
If you could be any person beside yourself, who would you be and why? Probably David Wright because I have a very important memory of him: at the first game I ever went to, he hit a grand slam.
If you were the president, what would you change about our world? I would pull the troops out of Iraq.
What’s the hardest thing about being a kid? Being in school.
What’s your most prized possession? My laptop.
If you could have a wish come true, what would it be? For my favorite team, the Mets, to win the World Series.
