The cafeteria and gym rafters rarely warrant the attention of passing students. They are usually home to two things: dust and the occasional paper airplane.
Although the stranded paper aircraft are often overlooked, crafting one with the capability to soar to the ceiling is no cakewalk.
Nearly every day after school senior Derek Anderson draws a small crowd as he launches his creations into the air. His paper planes perform wide, lazy loops and sharp turns, all while floating impressive distances.
When Anderson attended Comstock Park in 7th grade, he began making them to stay busy during his lunch break.
“I tend to get very creative when I don’t have much to do,” Anderson said.
Through his productive boredom, he pursued a repetitive trial-and-error path to paper plane excellence. Anderson is intrigued by the unlimited design modification possibilities and how changing the folded angles alters the way the plane flies.
“It took me five-and-a-half years to make and I’m still perfecting it. It’s not perfect, and I’m still working on new tricks or something to add,” Anderson said.
Little details all play a role in the big picture. For example, wearing headphones so he can listen to Melanie Martinez’s new album K-12 is essential to Anderson while he throws.
“I love to listen to music while I throw my paper planes because it gives me a vibe,” Anderson said. “People love to drive while they listen to music, it’s the same concept.”
Teaching others how to make their own paper planes fills Anderson with pride. It allows him to share with fellow students the innovations that he’s worked hard to advance over the past half-decade.
Anderson is a creator by nature. He holds a type of curiosity and admiration for simple creations, a trait that bodes well with his approachable charm.
He wants to makes things that make people smile.
There is a wide range of other ways Anderson expends his creativity. He plans to attend Grand Rapids Community College to study culinary arts in order to become a personal chef and share with the world some of his signature dishes, such as Chocolate Lasagna.
“It’s not what it sounds like. Sometimes people hear it and they go ‘oh that’s so gross,’ and then I explain to them what it actually is, and it sounds quite good,” Anderson said.
In a way, the cold dessert dish is a metaphor for Anderson’s interests and talents: outside the box, interesting and worth a try.
