So I'm finally back to school! I'm five days in and it seems like I'm getting back into the swing of things (finally). Already, I have a rather large whirlwind of projects, homework, activities, and assorted other responsibilities to tend to (not to mention finishing my college applications). That said, it's absolutely wonderful to be back! It's nice not to be bored to death anymore, even if it means I have nightly studying again.
Just as I'm re-fitting myself into the routine, I go breaking it. Typical. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be leaving for a top-secret four-day Kairos retreat. I'm excited! I'm nervous! I'm curious! I'm sure it will all turn out fine! I won't be able to divulge any details when I get back, but stop over again soon and see how the New Me is faring.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
First Day, Take 2
Never in my entire life have I been happier to get back to school.
My family and I did a little victory dance when we learned today that the teachers' strike was officially and finally over. It wasn't just a jig of relief (no more days to make up!) or a tango to celebrate the end of a fortnight of utter boredom (I tell you, I went through my entire DVD library and Netflix instant queue in about a week). I'm really glad the teachers and the Archdiocese reached an agreement.
Though I'll probably want to kick myself for saying this when I wake up at 6:00 AM tomorrow, I'm genuinely excited to get back to school. I want to see my friends and teachers, go to club meetings, get my college stuff ready to go, and even wear my uniform. Strangely, I find myself yearning for the routine of school after three full months of unstructured time.
Though I know senior year is going to be a different animal entirely, I can't wait to meet it head-on. And it seems like I'm finally on track.
My family and I did a little victory dance when we learned today that the teachers' strike was officially and finally over. It wasn't just a jig of relief (no more days to make up!) or a tango to celebrate the end of a fortnight of utter boredom (I tell you, I went through my entire DVD library and Netflix instant queue in about a week). I'm really glad the teachers and the Archdiocese reached an agreement.
Though I'll probably want to kick myself for saying this when I wake up at 6:00 AM tomorrow, I'm genuinely excited to get back to school. I want to see my friends and teachers, go to club meetings, get my college stuff ready to go, and even wear my uniform. Strangely, I find myself yearning for the routine of school after three full months of unstructured time.
Though I know senior year is going to be a different animal entirely, I can't wait to meet it head-on. And it seems like I'm finally on track.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
"Besides, the ones that love us never really leave us."
My recall of the day is foggy at best. Little did I know that on that sunny day, the trajectory of the life I might have known was changed forever. I was in my first week of second grade when the teacher sat everyone down and told us that there was a plane crash and that we shouldn't worry about it. Next thing I knew, my mom had rushed into the school, whisked my brother and me home, and held on to us for dear life. My dad was on a business trip in Eugene, Oregon, desperate to get home but stranded despite his best efforts.
September 11, 2001 radically altered everything about American life: Government, national security, journalism, pop culture, domestic, foreign, and ethnic relations, and perhaps most dramatically, national morale. It's strange to realize that my generation has been defined by the changes that 9/11 brought upon us. I don't remember a time when there weren't lockdown drills at school. I don't remember going to the airport without full-body scans. I don't remember a time when terrorism wasn't a credible threat to our nation's safety. Indeed, September 11th is a day marked by sacrifice - sacrificed lives, and sacrificed freedoms. We don't forget.
And yet - life marches on. Through pain, we cope. We worry, but we carry on. We don't forget those who gave everything; we carry them in our hearts each day.
Many people gathered at O'Hara this morning to celebrate a memorial Mass for those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attack. As a member of the O'Hara choir, I was one of those people. Though I wasn't personally affected by 9/11 and can hardly even imagine the pain of those who were, I found something just and fitting about gathering and paying tribute to the heroes of September 11th. Today, we revived their memories - their lives, their choices, their families, and their sacrifices - in a special way.
We might not see them today, but they are still with us. We haven't forgotten them, and we won't.
September 11, 2001 radically altered everything about American life: Government, national security, journalism, pop culture, domestic, foreign, and ethnic relations, and perhaps most dramatically, national morale. It's strange to realize that my generation has been defined by the changes that 9/11 brought upon us. I don't remember a time when there weren't lockdown drills at school. I don't remember going to the airport without full-body scans. I don't remember a time when terrorism wasn't a credible threat to our nation's safety. Indeed, September 11th is a day marked by sacrifice - sacrificed lives, and sacrificed freedoms. We don't forget.
And yet - life marches on. Through pain, we cope. We worry, but we carry on. We don't forget those who gave everything; we carry them in our hearts each day.
Many people gathered at O'Hara this morning to celebrate a memorial Mass for those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attack. As a member of the O'Hara choir, I was one of those people. Though I wasn't personally affected by 9/11 and can hardly even imagine the pain of those who were, I found something just and fitting about gathering and paying tribute to the heroes of September 11th. Today, we revived their memories - their lives, their choices, their families, and their sacrifices - in a special way.
We might not see them today, but they are still with us. We haven't forgotten them, and we won't.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The last day of summer...kind of
Today was the first day of my senior year.
Strangely, though, I wasn't at school, and you probably know why.
While I'm reserving comment on the teachers' strike, I'll say this: I squeezed one last lazy day out of summer vacation. Instead of hitting the books, I spent another day sleeping in, watching the raindrops, and reading The Hobbit (which I'm loving).
Tomorrow is when the real work begins: I'll wake up early again, I'll pack lunch again, and I'll study hard again. For the first time, I'll fill out college applications. (That wonderful process has already begun - you'll hear all about it soon enough, I'm sure.) But that's tomorrow, and as they say, why put off today what you can do tomorrow?
Strangely, though, I wasn't at school, and you probably know why.
While I'm reserving comment on the teachers' strike, I'll say this: I squeezed one last lazy day out of summer vacation. Instead of hitting the books, I spent another day sleeping in, watching the raindrops, and reading The Hobbit (which I'm loving).
Tomorrow is when the real work begins: I'll wake up early again, I'll pack lunch again, and I'll study hard again. For the first time, I'll fill out college applications. (That wonderful process has already begun - you'll hear all about it soon enough, I'm sure.) But that's tomorrow, and as they say, why put off today what you can do tomorrow?
Monday, August 29, 2011
This is the last bit of shameless self-promotion, I swear.
In today (Monday's) Daily Times, you can find a profile of yours truly! It talks a little about my blog and my plans for the future. Make sure you buy the Daily Times and check it out! And I promise this is the last self-promotional post for a while. Stay tuned, because I'll be back to school and back to blogging very soon!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Did you miss me last night on Live From the Newsroom?
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Ready, set, go!
And so it begins: the nervous flutters, the stress, the excitement. No, no, I'm not talking about wedding jitters.
I'm talking about senior year.
In two weeks, I'll "officially" be a senior in high school. Where has the time gone? This is hardly the moment to get sentimental, though, because there is lots to do!
My last fortnight of summer won't be a lazy one - there are already college applications to write, assignments to complete, and live internet broadcasts to attend.
Wait, what?
Oh, right - that brings me to my next point. You can catch me tonight, live and in person, at DelcoTimes.com's Live From the Newsroom from 7 to 7:30 PM. How's that for an introduction?
Senior year is bound to be an adventure. Join me on my wild ride through my last hurrah of high school - I can't promise that it will be the Disney World of senior years, but it will certainly be exciting. Maybe you're a high school senior too - if so, hey! Maybe we know each other! Maybe you're a parent reliving the experience - in all its harrowing and thrilling glory - through your children. Maybe you're a senior citizen, wondering what high school could possibly be like today. And maybe you're a toddler - well, you've still got a ways to go. Remember, kiddo, youth is wasted on the young.
Whoever you are, welcome! As I share my experiences, I hope you'll share yours too.
And don't forget! Tonight! 7 PM! DelcoTimes.com!
I'm talking about senior year.
In two weeks, I'll "officially" be a senior in high school. Where has the time gone? This is hardly the moment to get sentimental, though, because there is lots to do!
My last fortnight of summer won't be a lazy one - there are already college applications to write, assignments to complete, and live internet broadcasts to attend.
Wait, what?
Oh, right - that brings me to my next point. You can catch me tonight, live and in person, at DelcoTimes.com's Live From the Newsroom from 7 to 7:30 PM. How's that for an introduction?
Senior year is bound to be an adventure. Join me on my wild ride through my last hurrah of high school - I can't promise that it will be the Disney World of senior years, but it will certainly be exciting. Maybe you're a high school senior too - if so, hey! Maybe we know each other! Maybe you're a parent reliving the experience - in all its harrowing and thrilling glory - through your children. Maybe you're a senior citizen, wondering what high school could possibly be like today. And maybe you're a toddler - well, you've still got a ways to go. Remember, kiddo, youth is wasted on the young.
Whoever you are, welcome! As I share my experiences, I hope you'll share yours too.
And don't forget! Tonight! 7 PM! DelcoTimes.com!
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