The End
May 27, 2019
Three and a half days left of junior year. Each day seemed to crawl by, but the first day seemed like yesterday.
We learned a lot this year. We learned about DNA replication, why Alexander the Great was so great, and whether or not we suck at standardized testing. We also learned that bad test scores aren’t the end of the world, it’s okay to take a mental health day, and how lucky we are to have free breakfast.
Most importantly, I think we realized that we are coming to the end. Not just the end of junior year, but the end of high school. We only have a single year left to leave our mark. As the year went on, we listened to the seniors discuss their future plans, complain about how many days were left, and finally, watched them throw their caps in the air. This will be us in a year.
The number of football games, spirit weeks, and pep-fests are dwindling. We only have so many long-lasting Mondays and hyper Fridays left in our high school careers. Only a limited number of times that we’ll step on the court, field, or stage for our last performances. We are coming to the end.
As summer rolls around, we will be visiting colleges, taking senior pictures, and mentally preparing for our last year of high school. When September rolls around, the last thing we’ll want to do is go to school. We’ll have to adjust our sleep schedules, go to sports practice, and actually have obligations again. So rough.
The end of junior year is when we realize we have arrived at the beginning of the end. There is only a short year left before we leave this school. We still have time to make it the ending we want, so don’t give up now.
If All Else Fails
May 17, 2019
Have you ever thought about what you’d do if you fail at life? If your family suddenly is all gone? If you don’t get into the career field you planned? If all your hopes and dreams go down the drain?
No? Good, it’s probably not normal. But I have.
I’m not one of those people who feels the need to have everything planned out for the next ten years or days or hours. In fact, I don’t even have a little bit of a clue where life will take me after I leave this school, which probably makes this whole “plans going down the drain” thing a lot easier for me. I have plans for if I’m left without a hope and unsuccessful in my journey, but I don’t even have a journey plan. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I’m supposing if all else fails, I’ll be in a slightly depressive state, so most of my ideas aren’t involving much “hard work”.
My first plan after failure would be to move somewhere tropical, yet affordable, but in a nice, clean surrounding. Maybe Hawaii, The Caribbean, or some island in French Polynesia. Maybe take a job as a bartender or a waitress, surf some waves in my free time, it would be nice.
Another plan I have would be to become a sheep herder in Iceland or Norway or somewhere. Quite the switch, I know, but talk about the simple life. I mean it’s basically just you and nature. And the sheep, obviously.
The plan I’m most excited about, but might be my last resort, is becoming like a ninja, yoga-master in China. Like, one of those people that can control snakes and secretly could kill you by pressing down somewhere too hard. I think that would take a lot of dedication, though, so I’m not sure that would be my first route.
Those are a couple of my ideas for if my life goes awry. Very out-there, but I think I could handle it. It’d be a cool experience, but I hope my life turns out alright.
Minnesota
May 10, 2019
I’m sure most people in the United States look over Minnesota just like we ignore Nebraska or Idaho or something. But, anyway, I think Minnesota is pretty cool even if it seems boring. We get to experience all four seasons (one obviously lengthened), and we have a nice balance of city and rural lifestyles. I think Minnesota is perfect for someone who gets bored or stuck in the same routine easily because there is plenty to do, the weather is always changing, and you aren’t always stuck in the city or the country. So, what makes Minnesota better than North Dakota, or say Wisconsin?
It’s a tough question, it really is, but I think I’ve found a combination of factors that makes Minnesota top-notch. First off, lakes. I know, I like the lake an excessive amount, but I’m not alone. I go to the lake nearly every day in the summer, and I never get bored. Tubing, swimming, relaxing, jet-skiing. It’s all amazing.
On the contrary, our winters aren’t all that bad. Wow, I feel like a bad person typing that sentence. Everyone complains about Minnesota winters, and it’s true, they can get kind of long, but there is actually a ton of things to do outdoors. Snowmobiling, skating, and fishing are just a few options. Snow days are pretty cool too.
I used to think it was bogus, but I actually think “Minnesota Nice” is a thing. After traveling to some different places and experiencing new people, I’ve realized not everyone is as nice as in Minnesota. It doesn’t make any sense, but I’m starting to believe it.
Also, Minnesotans can proudly say they’ve contributed some pretty significant things. We have the Mall of America, we invented post-it notes, and we opened the first Target. I don’t know about you, but Target is my favorite place ever. You’re lying if you say you’ve left there without buying something. We’ve also housed some amazing musicians. Prince and Bob Dylan are Minnesota natives.
So, I’m biased. I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life, but I think it rocks. Yeah, sometimes the snowy roads will be annoying, and bug bites will itch, but Minnesota is a place that provides the visitor/traveller/resident, comfort, diversity and happiness.
Movies
May 3, 2019
Movies are bomb. I don’t care what anybody says. A lot of people prefer TV shows because movies are “too long”. False. Your attention span is just literally at zero. Don’t get me wrong, I love The Office, Friends, Gossip Girl you name it, but movies are masterpieces. Movies are amazing alternate universes where you can lose yourself for a few hours.
Movies have always been a big part of our society. From Charlie Chaplin to Leonardo Dicaprio, movies have always mesmerized us and kept us in awe. In fact, people have gone HAM over movies (see below).
I love all genres of movies, it just depends what I’m in the mood for. I like comedies a lot, but I could go for anything. I also watch a lot of classic and renowned movies as well. I don’t have a lot of movies I dislike, although some are very poorly made.
I’ve tried to compose a list of a few of my favorite movies from each genre. Notice how I used the words “tried” and “a few” because I know I’ve forgotten some and I have too many to list them all.
Comedy: Bridesmaids, White Chicks, Happy Gilmore
Horror/Thriller: Us, Hush, The Conjuring
Action: Inception, Indiana Jones Series, Guardians of the Galaxy, Harry Potter Series
Drama: The Help, The Blind Side, Cast Away
War/Military: Saving Private Ryan, Triple Frontier, Lone Survivor
Chick Flicks: Clueless, The Devil wears Prada, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
Classic: Pulp Fiction, The Breakfast Club, The Goonies
Disney: Hercules, Aladdin, Lilo & Stitch, Mulan
Movies are awesome and they’ll never stop being awesome. Movies have been a part of my life forever and never disappoint.
High School
April 26, 2019
High school is only 4 years. It is such a short period of our lives, yet we let it affect us so much. We laugh, cry, and yell all because of school. We think it is all that matters. Turns out, it is such a small, unimportant part of our lives, and most of what we do in high school has no significance in our later lives.
Many people don’t use the opportunity to do what they enjoy or discover new interests in high school. Some kids are pressured to do things they think people want them to do. Some parents put the pressure on kids to compete in sports or join National Honor Society even if they don’t want to. I think this creates a negative view for the kids and burns them out on these activities. I think it’s important to be involved in stuff throughout the school, but I think sports are very much a pressured thing. Some kids are hesitant to join a club or activity that is “different” from the norm because they are scared what other people might think. It’s unfortunate because a lot of kids that are shying away from these activities excel in or could be super good at these things. Everything from football and volleyball to robotics, math team, or drama are amazing things to be apart of. Some kids, however, give up the opportunity to do things they really enjoy or miss out on things that could’ve sparked interest.
Getting out and trying new things may seem scary at first, but by putting yourself through uncomfortable situations, you discover new things about yourself and others.
High school is often seen as a place of cliques, bullying, and discrimination, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If everyone could accept other people’s interests and appreciate what they have to offer, we would be more open minded and understanding of them. I’ve opened myself up to new people and new experiences lately, and it’s changed my life for the better.
Friends
April 18, 2019
Chandler, Joey, Phoebe, Rachel, Ross, and Monica. The best group of friends ever.
Friends is the best TV series I have ever watched, and trust me, I’ve watched my fair share of Netflix. Friends is a show that tells the story of 6 friends through the ups and downs of their adult years. It’s the perfect show for any occasion and never gets boring to watch. At an average of only 22 minutes long, the episodes tell an entertaining story with an amazing storyline while still capturing your attention. Each character has their own entertaining personality and all are connected to each other in different ways.
Chandler is a jokester. He is full of witty comments and sarcastic jokes. He was roommates with Ross in college and lives across the hall from Monica and Rachel.
Joey tries to be smart, he really does. He is an aspiring actor and has auditions frequently. He will eat anything he comes across and is a big fan of pastrami. Joey is Chandler’s roommate.
Phoebe is one of a kind. She was originally Monica’s roommate. She is a musician and composes songs with any words that even sort of rhyme. She will often blurt out things everyone else is thinking but doesn’t say out loud. She is very creative and not afraid to be herself.
After her failed marriage, Rachel seeks out Monica (her high school best friend) for help. Rachel is Monica’s roommate and isn’t too keen on saving money. She often buys things she doesn’t need and is addicted to shopping, but she does have a great style.
Ross is Monica’s brother (also Chandler’s college roommate). He is a paleontologist and often talks about his job. He’s married several times throughout the series and is often the one who gets made fun of.
Last but not least, Monica. She is Ross’s sister and lives across the hall from Chandler and Joey. She used to be very overweight, and gets teased a lot for it. She is obsessed with cleaning and keeping everything tidy.
All in all, Friends is a show that brings friends together and tells the trials and tribulations of adulthood. I’d give it an 11/10 rating if I could. No matter what you feel like, Friends will always lighten your mood and help you crack a smile.
Snow Days for Days
April 12, 2019
In the middle of March, I remember sadly admitting that we would get no more snow days. Although snow days got to be pretty boring, it was nice to catch up on sleep and do nothing all day, and I was sad to see the opportunity slowly slip away.
Sixty degrees and sunny usually marks the end of a long winter in Minnesota, so naturally most of us believed the snow was long gone. When we heard news of snow coming just days after warm weather, we didn’t think anything of it.
“Oh, it’ll melt right away.”
“That’s barely any snow.”
By the end of the day on Wednesday, most of the teachers and students were confident that school would be cancelled. We got the call and weren’t surprised when we wouldn’t have to go to class tomorrow.
After reveling in joy all day Thursday, we thought we just got lucky with a day off. Reluctantly, we prepared ourselves mentally for the next day. TWO HOURS LATE! I wasn’t completely satisfied, but I’d take what I got. I woke up to my mom giving me the best news ever.
A four day weekend or the spring break we never had. None of us were expecting it, but it boosted all of our moods not having to come to class. I spoke too soon when I said that snow days were done for. I suppose it is true,
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