Abigail Kesselman’s Jeep Wrangler

Pink rubber ducks line the dashboard of junior Abigail Kesselman’s (she/her) yellow Jeep Wrangler, which boasts additional pink accents around her car’s interior. She said she originally wanted a car in a different color but fell in love when she saw the yellow Jeep. 

 “I really wanted a white Jeep Wrangler, and then when we were looking for different cars, my parents were like, ‘Do you want to look at a yellow one?’ And I was like, ‘No, I’m gonna hate it.’ And they were like, ‘Just go look at it, maybe you’ll like it. See how it drives.’ And so I went and looked at it, and I loved it,” Kesselman said. 

Kesselman said she also likes how its height allows her to see above other cars and the vehicle’s adaptability.  

 “You can take the top and the doors off in the summer, so I’m excited to do that when summer comes,” Kesselman said. 

One thing Kesselman wishes she could change about her Jeep is the little dent located on the passenger side.  

 “I was stopped at a light and a public bus scratched the side of my car. The bus just drove away but that was kind of bad,” Kesselman said.     

Sam Keith

“I wish it worked really well because it doesn’t work very well. It has 20,000 miles, which is a lot for a bike, but it’s fast, so it’s okay. It makes up for it, it’s like a Hellcat,” Keith said.  

In order to prevent injuries, Keith said it is important to wear safety gear. He said that driving such a vehicle isn’t an easy task. 

“It’s fast and you have to know how to ride fast if you want to ride it or you’re gonna f***ing die. So it’s like a skill. You gotta weave through traffic and not hit a f***ing car,” Keith said. 

While Keith enjoys riding his motorcycle because of its speed and the adrenaline rush it gives him, he advises others not to, claiming that the risk isn’t worth it. 

 “I say it’s really fun, but I wouldn’t recommend it, because the risk-to-reward ratio is terrible,” Keith said. “The reward is fun for 10 minutes and the risk is death.”

Sean Marshall

If you’re driving with your friends in the B lot and suddenly get punched in the shoulder, chances are you may have fallen victim to a notable car. Junior Sean Marshall (he/him) is the proud owner of the blue Volkswagen Bug. Marshall said he immediately knew what car he wanted upon searching for one.  

“It was pretty obvious. I wanted something, you know, a little fun.” Marshall said. “I wanted people to punch each other when they saw. Maybe there was a little malicious intent there,” Marshall said. 

The game of slug bug, a competition of punching your fellow car passengers anytime you spot a Volkswagen bug isn’t the only thing he appreciates about the car. There are some valuable features that people wouldn’t normally expect.

 “I can fit stuff in fine- just dandy. There’s not too little space,” Marshall said. 

With all of the cars on the streets, a few flashy models might catch your eye, but probably by ruining your vision.

“One thing I hate about it is that you’re directly in the line of all the other cars, low or high beams, so you just get blinded by the light,” Marshall said. “Any type of truck that’s really big, I hate to see on the road. It makes me mad, like a Cybertruck, they are so bright,” Marshall said. 

Despite the eye safety issues the car experiences, Marshall’s car doesn’t fall short in terms of fun and personality. 

Marshall would choose the word pontoon to describe his car. “It’s just something sort of out of the way. It’s far from mainstream car culture, and I really respect it for that.”

Mya Al-Shaibani

Be careful not to miss the small white car, parked two rows over from Marshall’s; a four-passenger Fiat 500 that can zoom past unnoticed. If you happen to catch it, you’ll find Junior Mya Al-Shaibani (she/her) behind the wheel. Despite being pocket-sized, she said there is a lot to love about the car and lots of room inside for others to enjoy it too. 

This Fiat model is the special Gucci edition with Gucci logos placed meticulously across the interior, which would make even the cast of the hit movie “House of Gucci” jealous. The car’s compact size is enviable, as Al-Shaibani can quickly evade any minivan driver determined to cut her off and merge, no matter how long she may have been in line.

The car’s compact size doesn’t pose an issue for Al-Shaibani, as it is big enough for five passengers, but in reality, the car is mostly inhabited by Al-Shaibani and her dog, making it perfect to go on trips together. 

The Fiat is stocked with anything Al-Shaibani might need,  including a fluffy pink pen, Hello Kitty makeup bag, and a matching makeup brush. 

“I have a harmonica in case I need a little Billy Joel, Piano Man moment,” Al-Shaibani said. 

Along with the classic tunes of Billy Joel expertly played by Al-Shaibani, other music also dominates the sound system.

“At the risk of sounding emo, I listen to a lot of Paramore, Radiohead, Mitski, Florence and the Machine, and Fiona Apple. My car has the ‘Twilight’ soundtrack vibe.” Al-Shaibani said. 

While the actual size of the car is small, it has a massive personality. Al-Shaibani knows this, and has named the car accordingly.

“Its name would be KC because she’s cute and tiny. So you know KC is only two letters, so it’s small like the car.” Al-Shaibani said.