Teresa Song

Letters Lost at Sea is dedicated to the words that were not delivered. I collected messages people wanted to tell the world—regrets, hopes, and unsaid gratitudes—and wrote them on the gown. The design evokes the ocean: the white crepe fabric of the mermaid-style gown resembles letter paper, the blue pleated fabric mimics waves, and the golden tulle surrounding it mimics sea foam and its golden glow when the sun sets. Before the advent of the plane, ships were the primary method for overseas communication. However, it took several months for boats to dock, and shipwrecks swallowed letters, with neither sender nor receiver aware of the message’s fate. While people in the past faced a literal communication barrier, today, fear and circumstance replace shipwrecks as deterrents. This piece is a second chance for people to send words they could not. This time, the ocean breathes a second life into their words, rather than expunging them.

Memory in Motion is a snapshot frozen in time: my unmoving grandpa stands before exploding clocks, telephones, and books. While Grandpa will pass away physically, he will also pass on his experiences. The clock represents the passing of time, the telephone represents the passing of stories, and the books represent the passing of knowledge.

Teresa Song is a freshman at the Harker School in San Jose, California. She is a national Scholastic silver medalist and two-time national gold medalist. In her free time, she browses for books, grinds Tetris, and runs track.