It’s one of the stronger film montages in cinema over the last 20 years.
Set to The Creation’s “Making Time,” an early sequence in Wes Anderson’s 1998 Rushmore details all of the extracurricular activities for the flick’s lead character, Max Fischer, at the private academy the movie is named after.
It’s a sizable list, each featuring an insert shot of said club and includes, among other things, French club president, stamp & coin club vice-president, lacrosse team manager, calligraphy club president, fencing team captain, track & field J.V. (decathlon), 2nd-chorale choirmaster, Kung Fu club (yellow belt), trap & skeet club founder, beekeepers president, bombardment society, which is far superior way to say dodgeball, founder and the director of the Max Fischer Players drama troupe.
There’s a handful more, but you get the idea.
“What’s the secret, Max?” Bill Murray’s Herman Blume says to the 15-year-old Max. “You seem to have it pretty figured out.”
While the scene is played as a tongue-in-cheek representation of Max’s busy student life – he’s also a member of the Piper Cub Club, a group dedicated to the lightweight airplane (Max has 4.5 hours logged), you can’t help but think of it when Blaine Ross rattles off what’s on his equally lengthy agenda.
In addition to his usual school workload, Ross, an incoming senior at Montesano High School, is a member of the cross country and soccer teams, plays saxophone in the Bulldogs jazz band, is the drum major for the marching band, and is a member of the honor society, drama club, knowledge bowl team and the vice president of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
Oh, he was also elected ASB president to close out his junior year and will assume the role this fall.
Again the question is asked, what’s the secret?
“Time management,” Ross states when talking about how he is able to juggle so many diverse undertakings. “I am just trying to get ready for life.”
That’s something Ross appears to have well in hand.
He acknowledges things will get far more hectic once school starts, but he got a taste for the mayhem already this summer, and handled things just fine.
He spent the middle part of July at band camp at the University of Oregon. Once that ended he hopped into his car and drove to Port Townsend for cross country camp without missing a beat.
For most it would seem like a blur, but a full slate is right in Ross’ wheelhouse.
He added cross country to his resume two years ago as a sophomore and was a State 1A qualifier in 2014.
“It’s definitely a sport that tests your mental toughness,” Ross said. “You have to take that Steve Prefontaine approach to it. You get up at 6:00 a.m. and you’re out the door running by 6:10.”
Ross had been thinking about becoming ASB president for an entire year. The idea came the day after he lost the race for the school’s student body vice president position. And a determined Ross has proven to be highly productive.
“I’m actually glad that happened last year. It ended up being a great thing that I didn’t win,” Ross said. “I wasn’t ready for something like that. I’ve grown a lot since then and I believe ASB leadership is I am ready to take on now.”
The ASB president role will be one of several leadership positions Ross will find himself in beginning in September.
A life-long guitar enthusiast who took up the sax in fifth grade, Ross moves from being a member of the band to guiding it as drum major, becoming the program’s first male drum major in seven years.
“Playing in the band and being the drum major are two very different things,” Ross said. “When you’re in the band you just have to really worry about yourself. The drum major needs to lead everyone.”
And with more than 70 members, it is a large task, but if there’s anything on his list that he truly loves it would be music.
A self-proclaimed fan of most genres – Willie Nelson and some older country acts are currently making the rounds on the play list – Ross states that Blues from the 1950s tops his list. It’s a passion he plans to parlay into a professional career when pursues a degree in music education with a focus on jazz. He has narrowed his list of schools down to Washington State University, University of Oregon andUniversity of Hawaii – however, the latter maybe be a finalist simply due to weather.
But Ross still has plenty of time to figure where he is headed. Right now his schedule is packed as is, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Things are really exciting right now,” Ross said. “I just want to strive for excellence in everything I do. I really like where my path is headed in life and if I can help others achieve their goals along the way, even better.”
