It is no wild statement to say that quite a lot of weird phenomena occur at FHC. From insane costumes that freshman girls wear during homecoming week to the drum line’s yearly ugly Christmas sweater contest, there is no shortage of odd occurrences throughout these hallowed halls.
Possibly the most ridiculous is a particular student who wears multiple brimmed hats to school every day. His record: 17.
Now, senior Siddharth (Sid) Srivastava is far from just a character from Hats for Sale—rather, Sid is a driven student carrying on his eighth-grade tradition of stacking hats.
“It [started] in Science Olympiad, and I brought hats just because I could,” Sid said. “And then one of my friends and I, we just loved the idea of adding more and more [hats every day], so then in eighth grade it just started to [snowball].”
What started as a silly joke became a four-year-long tradition. On any given day, one can find Sid wearing one to 17 hats in the FHC halls, often accompanied by his signature black sunglasses and face mask.
By now, his hat-stacking gag is but a habit; however, in eighth grade, the bit was far more monumental.
“Every day I’d add a hat or two, and then I started to make it cyclical, where it went up and down,” Sid said. “At this point, it kind of helped break my social anxiety, because it’s such an absurd [practice] that I stand out, but in a good way.”
The Great Hat Gag™ has helped Sid in inconceivable ways, making him a still quiet but confident person. While his introversion is still an integral part of his character, his social anxiety has subsided a considerable amount.
“Before, it was so intimidating to even be in a room with anyone,” Sid said. “At this point, I’m fine with being around people and putting myself out there.”
Not only has this silly habit stuck around, but so has his participation in Science Olympiad. Sid has placed second and third in multiple Science Olympiad competitions throughout his four-and-a-half years. These competitions take place four times a year and involve 23 different science events, in which students compete in pairs.
“I basically just fill in wherever I can,” Sid said. “I mainly do test events, which is where I basically take an AP exam for a [specific science] subject. I do anatomy… but I’m also doing chem lab this year.”
Sid’s particular knack for everything science has led him to seek a career in STEM after high school. His current career plan focuses on computer science, a field he has been practicing since before elementary school.
“Since I was six or seven, I started coding with my dad, because my entire family is somewhat into computer science,” Sid said. “So then I naturally picked up on it as I got older.”
From his dad’s aptitude for coding to his mother’s affinity for biological sciences, his parents certainly spurred Sid’s passion for science. This connection gave him the opportunity to explore all things STEM—and explore he has.
On top of Science Olympiad, Sid has or is taking multiple AP Science classes, including AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP Environmental Science. Since he hopes to attend a challenging university, Sid has participated in a variety of courses, including four years of orchestra and French.
On any given day, one can find Sid walking to his science, French, or orchestra classes, all as he balances a multitude of multicolored hats on his head. Perhaps, someday, this habit will inspire another quiet soul to express themselves in obscure, odd ways.
“I hope [me wearing the hats] helps other people too, because seeing something so silly and absurd might help other people feel like it’s more of a comfortable environment and community,” Sid said.
