My Story!

My Story!

Touchdown: August 29th, 2003

Close your eyes. It's Summer 2003 and my parents have just moved into an apartment in Williamsburg--a quiet, but rather large neighborhood with beautiful sights. Then BOOM! Blackout. This was one of the most well known blackouts, for its insane duration of two weeks and the massive area that it hit. Well, my pregnant mother had to struggle through it, as she went into labor on the very last day of the blackout. 12 hours later, a champion emerged into the world, bearing the awesome name of Marcus Elijah Sutton.

Mapping Things Out (2008)

It feels weird putting this on my list of life events because it isn't exactly an event, but I guess it has its importance. One day my three siblings were playing this discount version of dodgeball in our relatively small hallway. We would ball up socks and place them in the middle of the hallway, after which someone would yell 'GO!' and we would all run to grab as many sock balls we possibly could and just launched them at each other from across the hallway. I was tired of constantly playing that game and instead, I picked up a NYC Subway System map from a cabinet my father left this map in (don't ask me why he just had a map lying around) and opened it up and ws just simply amazed by all the colors and lines that stretched miles across one giant piece of paper. I ended up studying the ENTIRE map and memorizing the way the subway worked, all of the stops on every train, and how to connect from one train to another and to another to figure out how to get to various places. (This is going to end up being relevant very soon.)

Conductor (2009)

This event is also weird, and I still question it in the back of my mind, but basically, I was in Kindergarten and my teacher needed to leave early one day. She said she had to go to Times Square (I vaguely remember whether or not she said this to the entire class or I was just really intently eavesdropping) and she didn't know how to get there, so I raised my hand and said, "I know," and on the spot I told her exactly what to do and she just looked at me like "WOW" and the next day she thanked me. I guess it pays off to know how to travel.

The First (2013)

Despite my page dedicated solely to chess, which you should totally check out, I feel like it's important to talk about my first tournament and the introduction of the chess program into my elementary school. Chess in the Schools, an absolutely amazing nonprofit organization (that I work with now!), got a chess program into my school--I did not care for it one bit-- and it was made a mandatory class in everyone's schedule. I turned out to be a very quick learner and got the chance to do advanced work quickly, to accompany my fast growth. My school also got a chance to host a tournament, which the CIS coach and the school's Gym teacher (who was heavily involved with the chess program) encouraged a few students, including myself, to play in and, although not easily swayed, I ended up playing, scoring 2.5 points out of 4, and winning my very first trophy. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

Pi Day (2014)

My elementary school made a very big fuss about Pi Day (3/14), even though it was elementary school and no student had any idea what Pi even was. They told us that a news broadcasting station was going to come to the school and we would have this extensive competition to see who could memorize the most numbers of Pi. I was ecstatic, so I studied the numbers of Pi very hard, only to be let down by the fact that no news broadcasting station was coming, and there was no grand competition. The students in my 5th Grade class volunteered people to go up and recite as many numbers as they possibly could, which only ended up being 2, but I volunteered myself, thinking I knew more than the nominees. Not to brag, but I ended up memorizing 58 numbers, opposed to the 17 and 26 of peers, and got a really nice medal for it, but also the chance to throw an entire pie into my teacher's face, so it turned out to be pretty fun.

Salute! (2014)

I spent my entire 5th Grade competing with a good friend of mine, Eve, as we were the smartest kids in the entire class--the entire grade for that matter--and my teacher couldn't decide on who to choose as Salutatorian (2nd) and Valedictorian (1st) for my 5th Grade Graduation. I don't remember how he chose, but it was something random because Eve and I were viable choices for both roles, and I ended up getting Salutatorian. Although it wasn't Valedictorian, I was super proud to be something.

Marcoos Sooton (2014)

Alright, close your eyes again. It's your first day of middle school. You're incredibly anxious and you have no clue what you're doing inside of a ridiculously large school with hundreds and hundreds of upperclassmen. You're just waiting to hear your name called so you can go to your homeroom. Welcome to my world; I was on the verge of panicking because I was submerged in my own anxiety and it was taking forever for my name to be called. I even laughed because the Assistant Principal called out a kid named Marcoos Sooton, and I couldn't believe it. Never in my life had I met someone named Marcoos--such a strange name. But it was everything but strange when I consulted the Assistant Principal after he claimed he called everyone, and he found my name, looked at me and said, "'Marcoos Sooton?' I called you out already. Go to room 137, you're in class 606." I just stared at him with a puzzled look on my face because I couldn't believe that he actually thought my name was pronounced like that.

"My Strange Addiction" (2014)

So, I said that memorizing the entire subway system would be relevant soon, and despite that one event with my Kindergarten teacher, there was still one more thing. In 6th Grade, I think I was truly obsessed with how complex (in a good way) the entire train system was and I thought, 'why not break it down?', so I would make sheets of paper with a list of all the stops on a specific train line and attach a map of the single train line to it. My friends thought it was cool, and I felt like I had the biggest brain whenever it came to transit, but looking back, it's probably the most strange thing I've ever done. I was so caught up in it that I would work on these little maps in class--so much so that my homeroom teacher took away my notebook one time because I wasn't paying attention in class. Furthermore, I went on to recreating the ENTIRE subway system map, and although I did it all by hand and wasted a million sheets of paper, it was one of my greatest creations yet.

Rock Bottom (2017)

I don't even know why I'm including this event on my list, because I can barely talk about it in real life. It's probably only because people don't believe it when I say it, but this is the internet, and why wouldn't you believe what's on the internet? Anyway, let's take you back to March 2018; everyone's on the edge of their seats, dying to know when they'll get their high school acceptance letters and know exactly where they'll be for the next four years of their lives. Then there they were--hundreds of acceptance letters, being passed around and being received liked winning lottery tickets. I, however, wanted to celebrate on my own, so I waited until I got home to open my envelope. Boom--no schools accepted me*. Not even my mother could believe me when I said that. I cried for hours (and I almost never cry) and it wasn't your teary eyed cry--no, I was UGLY CRYING. The next day, I sat in homeroom completely quiet, as everyone around me shared what schools they got into and celebrated knowing they would go to school with all of their friends or at least one, but also speculated why I wasn't saying anything. Then a friend of mine decided that I got into Stuyvesant High School (one of the top Specialized High Schools) and I didn't want to be bragging about it. It perfectly fit the scenario, as no one in my class had gotten into Stuyvesant, but if I denied it, people would speculate more and lead themselves to the conclusion that there was no high school. Because of her, I had to go months in sadness and quietness (which is incredibly abnormal for me) because I couldn't reveal that I hadn't gotten into any high school, while people congratulated me on getting into one of the best schools in the entire city. I'd never felt so out of place and isolated in my entire life.
*-It's only fair that I explain the most impactful reason why I wasn't accepted into high schools. I don't know the concrete reason why, but I can only conjecture that it was due to my poor attendance in school at the end of 7th Grade, because I'd contracted Strep Throat (somehow) and missed a lot of school, as well as had a lot of appointments I had to go to, which would make me end up having to go to school late a lot. That's the only reason I could possibly come up with, because I had the grades to get into any school I wanted to, if I'm being honest.

Murrow Magic (2017)

I think it's also only fair that I tell you how I did get into a high school, because it was in no way an easy task. Firstly, I applied to the Second Round of the application process, and only got an acceptance to a seriously mediocre school in Bushwick, where I would most likely would've been the smartest kid and I would get no growth and learn next to nothing that could reinforce the intelligence I already had. I tried appealing, to no avail, so I graduated middle school with no concrete idea of where I was going for high school, up until someone told me to go to a Welcome Center and see what it could do for me. So, I grabbed my dad, ran to Brooklyn Technical High School, which was my District's Welcome Center and, slightly ironically, my older sister's high school. Anyway, I met a guy named Stanley Cantave--I will never forget his name--, who was determined to get me into a high school worth going to, so we got to business and he simply asked "Where do YOU want to go for high school?" and I couldn't think of anywhere but Edward R. Murrow High School, so Stanley asked me if I had any connection to the school (which I thankfully had since I was acquainted with the chess coach at Murrow, Mr. Weiss) and I connected him to Weiss, who got in contact with the principal of the school, who set up a date to meet with me. I'll never forget the day--it was 7/11, and the 7-Eleven on the corner nearest the school was booming with customers, as people can get a free Slurpee there, but I was too occupied getting acquainted with Mr. Barge, who (literally) took a look at my report card and said, "Wow, your grades are fantastic! I have a ton of free spots, if you want one," and the amount of joy I had was immeasurable. Finally some good news. But, the strain of enduring so much mentally for so long, to finally get some relief and certainty of where I would belong for the next four years of my life--while being pure bliss--was not enough for me. I made a pact to myself from that day forth to put my absolute best foot forward and ensure that I never end up in a situation like that again, as well as ensuring I don't waste the very lucky chance I was given to get into Murrow.

My Story 1.0 (2019)

How could I begin this section by saying 'All Star Code instilled in me that I should tell my story,' and not include it here? I first found out about All Star Code from my friends at Chess in the Schools, who'd done the Summer Intensive for All Star Code the previous year. They all said it was a really fun experience that they got a lot out of and the highly suggested it. I was reluctant though. I wanted to teach chess again that summer, since I really enjoyed it in the summer prior, and I didn't know where to go. Right before the application was due, I decided, why not just apply and see if I get in. Can't hurt right? I made it through part 1 pretty breezily, and I receieved the second part of the application during the time I had gone to Illinois for the K-12 National Championships. As if I weren't already stressed enough, I needed to submit the application between the beginning of the tournament and the time of my flight back home, so I did it as soon as I got the chance. In the back of my mind, I thought I wouldn't get in. A few days later, I touch down at JFK Airport, turn off Airplane Mode, and the first thing I see--"CONGRATULATIONS!" I'd gotten in! From there I built some awesome relationships at All Star Code and the other kids who got into the program. The only reason you're viewing this website today is because ASC taught me coding languages--JavaScript, HTML, and CSS--and gave us projects to apply them in. If there is anything I take back from ASC, it's its 3 pillars: Celebrate Failure, Dare Greatly and Tell Your Story.
(Also, everyone in the program got a mentor, and I love mine. He's a literal goat and I still keep in touch with him to this day!)

Truly Better (2019)

Quick jump, but welcome to 2019, where I got involved with a ton of organizations and did a ton of things--one being getting involved with a nonprofit organization, The LOVE, HALLIE Foundation and their youth division, Hallie's Angels, that primarily initiates youth activism. One of the organization's most memorable events throughout the year is its A Better World Festival, where the organization invites a collection of nonprofits to congregate in a space where we highlight the ways youth-targeting organizations can help instill the motivation to change the world for the better inside of their minds. It's a truly wonderful festival that I participated in in 2018 as a guest through Chess in the Schools and in 2019 as a Co-Host and member of Hallie's Angels. In fact, about Co-Hosting, I was shaken up at the opportunity to Co-Host, because I'd be working the mic and essentially running the event in its entirety, and one mistake would be a detrimental one. I didn't see myself doing this, but I worked up the courage and I ended up taking the opportunity and absolutely killing it! I actually had a really relaxed time because the crowd was so personable and I could joke around with them, so a really fun, engaging experience that almost completely removed my nervousness for speaking in front of a crowd.

EXPERTise (2020)

Again, I said I would leave the chess events to my chess page, but breaking expert was a very important milestone for me. Having been playing Chess for 7 years, I feel like it was something I've been working towards my whole life. It means a lot to me and displays all the effort and time I've devoted to my growth in chess.

Baby Pianist (2020)

I feel like it's so strange that I had no mention of learning how to play the piano this school year anywhere on my webpage (up until I made this addition) but I took a Beginner Piano class in the 1st semester of my junior year, only taking it to fulfill a school requirement but I actually ended up taking a lot more from the class. I learned basic music composition and features as well as two "hand positions" on the piano and way more, and I enjoyed it a ton, as well as excelled in my class. I grew so much that my teacher chose me to be one of his guinea pigs in an optional piano performance during one of my school's concerts, and it turned out really well, so my teacher focused on expanding the group by creating an extra class for me and that group of test subjects where we work on playing songs on piano so that we can eventually perform around the school, not only at concerts. Thanks to this focus, I went on to write two songs of my own and modify a couple songs out of some piano-playing books and it's only the beginning for what I'll soon be able to do. I'm so glad I took this class.

Lonely Together (2020)

The last time I really updated this webpage was just after quarantine began. I figured it was too early to say anything, but with how the world is right now (and how NYC is starting to reopen) I feel like this is quite overdue. Coronavirus. COVID-19. Any other absurd name you could come up with. It's ruined our lives. Most generations currently alive never had to experience quarantine, so I hope that paints a pitcure of the magnitude this virus has had. Hold onto that picture. The President quite slowly reacted to the first sightings of the deadly disease, claiming that it was made up and America would be totally fine. Well, here we are [in the USA], 6 months later--over 100,000 deaths. To put that into perspective, as of 6/13/2020, there are 430,000 deaths caused by coronavirus. You do the math. I don't think our country has properly responded to this wave--you have people protesting against being quarantined, which is a safety measure, you have the President advising people to drink disinfectants to protect themselves, you have people spreading false information about it all; as one of the world's superpowers, I think we could've done a far better job. On top of all this, we have an entire country raging with the drive to fix problems we have forever inhabited. Right now, the Black Lives Matter movement is at its peak, after many incredibly unjust killings of black people recently. With this, there is ignorance everywhere and, ultimately, a lot of chaos. While most is necessary for the years and years of oppression black people have faced, our country is at its tipping point. One mistake and it just might literally burn itself into nonexistence. If you're reading this, in the current times or whatever the present is for you right now, I want you to know that you are loved and appreciated by someone, and I would also like you to stop and double check that you're doing okay. Self care matters right now more than ever, because all this turmoil can be ridiculously emotionally stressful. Right now, we are all facing massive burdens. At least we can all get through this year of tumult together.