The last booth before the secondary exit of Panera gave a certain amount of privacy and yet also provided a clear view of Broad Street, which is a street every lifer and every denizen of Falls Church knows to a great extent or just knows, it being of course one of the most used and the broadest street in Falls Church, and this is the meeting place where I chose to meet senior Viraj Suri.

After the salutations were said, he remarked about his day with a cool demeanor, much like the cool draft that circulated throughout the building and could be slightly felt over the course of our meeting.

Viraj is a Falls Church City lifer, who turns 18 years old in April and has yet to experience a life that is not in the cultural bubble of Falls Church.

“I went to preschool in Falls Church, actually right down the street at Dolan,” Viraj said. “And I came to George Mason in eighth grade having previously gone to private school in Fairfax, and a lot of people kept saying that they remembered me, so I was seeing these kids that I had not seen in almost ten years and it made it easy to come back into.”

Viraj is opinionated in, not only his role, but the role of students at George Mason.

“It is a different city. We are so close to the District of Columbia but we are so isolated here as people who live in Falls Church,” Viraj said. “I am definitely going to live in a large city when I grow up.”

However, that does not mean that he is not proud to be part of Falls Church. Including his responsibility of being captain of the varsity George Mason Tennis team.

“I have been on the team for my whole high school career, except junior year when I suffered a shoulder injury. I am a captain this year and I am also in the top six [of the players that participate in matches,]” Viraj said.

He later explained to me that six of the best players compete in the matches against other schools and each player will play singles and then doubles against the other team. The team needs a simple majority to be able to be declared the winner.

“At our last match, I played the singles and I won but my partner and I ended up losing in doubles. Our match ended up getting rained out but by that time we had already won enough matches to be the winner,” Viraj said.

Viraj sat readjusting his red hat when I had a hunch to ask him about fashion.

“I actually am really interested in fashion. I just like to wear fashionable things,” Viraj said, pointing out his baggy oyster-beige colored sweater. “I have been keeping track of Kanye West and his fashion because it has been pretty crazy. With him it is either a swing and a miss or a direct hit.”

However, connected to fashion is one of Viraj’s favorite hobbies, which is photography.

“My dad got me a semi-good camera a couple years ago and I just started taking it wherever I went. Even the woods, the streets, just wherever I went, it went too,” Viraj said. “I even have my own website for my photos.”

The website includes photos that he took from the Hirshhorn museum in D.C., the National Women’s March, and his fellow classmates and friends.

“What I am really excited to do is take senior portraits for all my friends. I think it is going to be a lot of fun,” Viraj said.

Through the many hobbies and activities that Viraj actively participates in, he may stop doing some but he will continue to strive in a large city far from Falls Church, whether it be New York City, Paris, or Brussels, he will be doing it with many friends by his side, as well as his camera.