Recently, if you have been walking through the halls of Ames High, you have probably seen a short man with unnaturally straightened hair. I bet you have asked yourself this question, “Who is that cool looking kid in that khaki coat?” The answer to that question is senior David Mayes. Mayes is quickly becoming one of the hidden gems of the high school. Mayes is not your average student, and is very talented in many ways. His best talent is playing the guitar, and believe me, he is quite good. Mayes is part of a punk-rock style band called The Preeminents. The Preeminents includes a few other Ames High students, including seniors Jojo Fabiosa and Wern Ong, as well as Ames High alums Matt Rodgers and Zac Swan. “Who is this girl in my bed?” asked Mayes. “Actually, that is a line from one of our more popular songs, ‘Hangover Humorí’.” Mayes is the lead guitarist of the band and has his own aura when he is on stage, which is magical. The versatility of Mayes’ guitar playing is breathtaking. He can play songs such as “Them Bones” by Alice and Chains or “Flake” by Jack Johnson. Mayes even writes his own songs, and is currently working on one he likes to call “When All Falls Away.” The music of The Preeminents is very moving and although Mayes is one of the key musicians in the band, music is not where all of his talents end. When he is not practicing with his band, Mayes is able to find time to play the popular video game Halo 2. The national ranking that Mayes boasts is not good enough for his standards. “Someday I hope to be the number one ranked player in the world,” Mayes said. “It will take some hard work and many late nights playing with [seniors] Jmull and Wes Rebarcak, but I think it can be done.” Right now, if you are thinking Mayes is a total nerd, you have it all wrong. He is not just a music and video game buff, but also likes his fair share of sports. Mayes ran in Boys’ Cross Country for three years and has made some memories he will never forget. Likewise, he enjoys going to Varsity basketball games on Tuesday and Friday nights. “I love the way [junior] Ben Cotton plays. He is an aggressive player and brings a special intensity to the team,” Mayes said. Mayes even enjoys the extreme sport of snowboarding. “I just like the gliding feeling on the snow when I go down the mountain,” he said. Mayes also likes a nice cold night sitting comfortably on his couch watching a good movie. “ I love movies. The invention of the DVD was the greatest thing ever.” So, the next time you are walking the halls of Ames High and see someone with straightened hair, you now know that he is David Mayes. Though he can steal your heart with a song on his guitar or beat you in a game of Halo 2, don’t be afraid to say “Hi” to him. He is the ultimate multi-dimensional senior and will probably say “Hi” back.