Senior Grace Grignon is a Palo Alto High School student who is one of the few people who gets to experience the Oscars first-hand this Sunday in Los Angeles. She sat down with The Paly Voice to speak about her excitement and expectations for this year’s ceremony.

The Paly Voice: You’re going to the Oscars. How?

Grace Grignon: My dad is in the Academy, so he gets to vote on the winners and can get tickets to the Oscars. He had said he would take me again when I was 17, so that means this year.

TPV: So this is not the first time? 

GG: This isn’t the first time I’ve been, I went once before when I was in seventh grade.

TPV: What was your favorite memory from your last time there?

GG: It was so much fun to get to walk down the red carpet last time, I got so star-struck. But I did get in a bunch of pictures with Meryl Streep and Queen Latifah. When we were leaving, we walked back down the red carpet and Penelope Cruz had left before a lot of the other celebrities; she was just standing there with her Oscar so we waited for our car right next to her and talked a bit.

TPV: What celebrity will you be waiting for in the bathroom during the breaks?

GG: I get so nervous to talk to anyone but this time I definitely want to at least say hi to some more people. I also need to remember to go to the bathroom because that’s where all the celebrities always are. I really want to see Jennifer Lawrence and hopefully convince her to be my best friend, and I also didn’t get to see Brad and Angelina last time so hopefully I’ll get to see them too.

TPV: What do you think about Ellen DeGeneres hosting the Oscars this year?

GG: Hugh Jackman was really funny when he hosted the Oscars a couple of years ago, but I do like Ellen a lot. She has hosted before and there haven’t been a lot of good hosts lately, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this year will be great.

TPV: What movie do you hope to win Best Picture?

GG: I’m not quite sure what I want to win Best Picture since I haven’t seen some of them, [and] I’m going to try to [have a movie] marathon before Sunday, but I really liked “Captain Phillips.”

TPV: Who should win Best Actor and Best Actress? 

GG: Judy Dench [should win Best Actress] because I like her and she’s a really great actress. Best Actor should be Leonardo DiCaprio because it’s Leo and he also really sold the role of Jordan Belford.

TPV: What happens during the commercial breaks?

GG: During the commercial breaks a lot of the time the host will come out and talk to the audience or the band will play. Last time Hugh Jackman hosted and he handed out cookies to the first couple rows. They also send filler people in to sit in celebrities’ seats down on the floor if they leave so it doesn’t look like there are any empty seats.