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Schools

Mokena Student Needs Your Vote

Seventh grader at Mokena Junior High School is a finalist in this year's Doodle 4 Google competition. With enough votes, he'll earn a scholarship and a technology grant for his school.

It often happens within the space of seconds, one capricious pattern following another on the corner of a notebook as the teacher’s voice fades into the background.

But for one Mokena Junior High School student, doodling is more than just an escape from the burrows of boredom. It’s a matter of planning and fine art — and the ticket to a college scholarship, new computer and classroom celebrity.

“Justas, how are you such a beast?” an impish looking boy asked from the bleachers of Mokena Junior High School during an early Wednesday morning assembly. His classmates burst with laughter, and then momentarily settled to hear the young artist speak.

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“I don’t know,” he responded. “Maybe it comes with practice.”

Seventh grader Justas Varpucanskis is a finalist in this year’s Doodle 4 Google competition. Google employees and guest judges, which included comedian Whoopi Goldberg and gold medalist Michael Philips, recently reviewed 107,000 national applicants and placed Varpuncanskis’ design in the national top 40. Out of seventh, eighth and ninth graders, he finished in the top 10.

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But it’s not over yet. Google has asked the public to decide which of the top designs should grace its website for a 24-hour stretch. If he garners enough votes online, Varpuncanskis will also receive a $15,000 college scholarship and a new laptop computer.

In that event, MJHS would receive a $25,000 technology grant, which has been slated for a new computer lab, according to school staff.

“Why do you enjoy art so much?” another classmate breathed into the microphone.

Again, the young artist wasn’t certain. But he managed to add, “It’s something I do on my spare time, and just trying to create something, that feels really good.”

Varpucanskis and his 39 fellow finalists have been invited to the Google office in New York later this month for an award ceremony. The technology company has partnered with the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to showcase the students' artwork.

“When the Google people phoned me first, I was like, ‘Wow, you’ve got to be kidding.’ It’s not often Google calls you,” his father Vaidas said. “This is crazy,” and with that the construction foreman trailed off laughing incredulously.

He video-tapped portions of the assembly, lead by Google representatives, while his wife Rima cast the first vote for their son. In June, the family is scheduled to collect an award from competition in Texas, and they're awaiting word about .

Google’s founders used their original doodles to indicate comically when they were out of the office. Larry Page and Sergey Brin were inspired by a bonfire festival in the desert. Varpucanskis was inspired by the sea. He credits the marine life artwork of Wyland and others.

“There is no doubt the last decades were an environmental catastrophe,” the 13 year old wrote in his contest essay. “The underwater world is a haven for many sea creatures, thus being crucial to our existence. We need to preserve our underwater ecosystem.”

Today, Google employs a team of designers who use doodles as decoration to celebrate holidays, anniversaries and the lives of famous artists and scientists.

“Perhaps, Justas, we could recruit you at some point,” said Lisa Landsman, a Google partnership development manager.

Perhaps he has been bitten already. It’s too early to say which art college he’ll attend, but he hopes to work someday for a website.

This pre-planned doodle almost didn't happen. “At first I forgot to prime the painting,” Varpucanskis said after the assembly, “so that kind of screwed everything up. I had to go back and do it all again.” It would take many more hours of sketching and painting over the course of a weekend before he finished the 8.5-by-11-inch design judges ultimately saw, and liked.

Without effort, his teachers note his modesty and good manners, as well as his artistic and athletic talent. Some of them said he’s one of the few students who greets and thanks them each day.

“He’s an exceptional student,” said Rob Ackerman, one of his art teachers. “But as proud as we are of his work, we’re even prouder of him as a person.”

With this much attention, it’s hard not to recognize your own talent. But this seventh grader gives no indications of letting the praise go to his head.

“I thought I was only going to make it into the top 400,” he said, “so it was really cool that I made it into the top 40.” He has been drawing since he was 5 but drawing “seriously” since 10. In three short years, he has managed to impress even veteran educators.

“I used to be an art teacher,” MJHS principal Michael Rolinitis said, “and I never had a kid this good.”

You can vote for Justas Varpucanskis' design. The poll closes on May 14. The winning design will be announced on May 19 and featured on May 20.

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