One Cool Guy								     By: Omar Sardar

	Immersed in the high-speed world of techno, computers, anime, and calculus, 
is one of my greatest friends ever.  It's not about being a genius to him; it's about 
character.  His sense of humor is unparalleled.  In his spare time, he teaches at a 
religious institution, and designs graphics for all types of people.  He must be the 
greatest person to know, he is my friend, Shariq Ansari.
	It's pretty hard to imagine what I would be like if Shariq hadn't influenced my 
life.  He got me into games, music, anime, and design I can appreciate, unlike the 
lame cartoons I would watch on TV.  Thanks to him, I am almost never bored, I 
learned that there is always something productive that can be done.  I met Shariq at 
the mosque about seven years ago.  I was 8 years old, and he was 11.  He was into 
airplanes, computers, programming, and graphic design.  On the other hand, I didn't 
dare venture beyond the realm of mechanical birds he knew so well.  And slowly, I 
began to open my eyes, and broaden my interests.
	Shariq is an amazing character.  He composes music, designs graphics, and 
does a lot more.  When I first got a computer, he quickly showed me the amazing 
world of gaming, and music at the convenience of my room.  I was hooked for life.  
His influence quickly changed the person I was, and definitely made my character 
more interesting, with new areas to explore.  It's almost as if his characteristics 
rubbed off onto me.  Thanks to him, I love the way I am now, open minded, willing 
to achieve higher goals at any cost, and it's almost impossible to describe my life 
without ever knowing Shariq.  
	Nowadays, Shariq is into older things, such as Super Nintendo emulation for 
PC.  This way he can appreciate classics, and learn more from them, and how they 
affect the future.  I'm glad to see that he hasn't lost track of himself in his technical 
jargon.  Understanding the past can be a very valuable asset.  Well, his analytical 
mind comes into play when he designs graphics.  Calculus is a big part of his life, 
because the graphics he designs revolve around advanced math.  None of what he 
does ever bores him, he can always find something to tinker with and learn.  He 
keeps an open mind to everything, and has an optimistic view on life.  Shariq is now 
sending applications to colleges, and hopes to be a calculus teacher.  The 7 years 
I've known him have been great, and the good times aren't going end yet.