From the outside, Ray Kan (’24) is not your typical poet. A football player, social butterfly, and devoted younger brother, Ray enjoys spending time with unfamiliar faces and experiencing new things – part of the reason he is joining the Webb Canyon Chronicle during his senior year as a staff writer. Around campus, you will often find him at the center of an eclectic group of people, connecting different friend groups with his dry humor and playful energy. Ray plays this part of the easygoing extrovert perfectly, making a point to spend time with freshmen and pushing through the awkward moments that so often accompany first encounters. At his core, though, Ray is a poet. In a time when the media pushes the idea of poets and writers as shy, isolated, and anti-athletic, Ray manages to be both an integral part of Webb’s football team and an avid fan of Lorine Neidecker. His favorite genre of music is rap, because of the way its poetic lyrics intertwine with music and rhythm. His extroverted, lighthearted exterior belies a contemplative and deeply caring person, centered around philosophies of exploration and quiet dedication. This, if you talk to anyone who knows Ray, is what truly makes him extraordinary. He is multifaceted, his interests all-encompassing: poet, athlete, friend, sibling, musician, and now, journalist. 

Favorite Song: “I’m Geekin” by DDG