Whiz Kid: Miller Place Senior Class President Gregory Ports

Name: Gregory Ports, age 17

School: Miller Place High School senior

Accomplishments: Gregory has challenged himself with Advanced Placement (A.P.) courses while at Miller Place High School and is a member of the Foreign Language Honor Society, serving as the events coordinator. As the president of his senior class, some of his responsibilities included homecoming, spirit week, prom fashion show, senior dinner and managing the running of the concession stand at football games. Gregory is a member of the Service Club, the team videographer for the Robotics Club, a photographer for the Yearbook Committee and the secretary of the Drama Club.  He sings with the Select Chorus and was a member of Boy Scout Troop 204.

As a member of the Drama Club, Greg performed in One Acts, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and Almost Maine.  An actor with the Mount Sinai Summer Theater since the age of nine, he has been in many productions, including West Side Story, Grease, Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  He is a representative on the Site Based Management Team, a school improvement team made up of administrators, teachers, parents and students who work together to make changes to the school.

Gregory's creativity, sense of humor, and love of music and independent films, has inspired him to make short films of his own. He has recently begun to make longer films that deal with more mature topics and situations, but maintain a comedic aspect.  His ingenuity for film making is in part due to his admiration of directors Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher and others.  Although Greg enjoys blockbuster movies, small independent films are a favorite of his and he tries to invoke that style in his own films.  His love of music also inspires his film making.  He won a video contest for a product called the Swivel, where he wrote, directed and acted in the video.

Greg was voted 'Best Laugh' and 'Most Likely to Appear in a Boy Band' by his fellow seniors.  He is awaiting college acceptances, but plans to major in film with a minor in marketing.  His ultimate career goal is to be a niche independent film maker with the emphasis on cinematography and writing, while focusing on making his films believable, easy to relate to, and entertaining.  He also hopes to do some stand-up comedy while in college.