We've Got Magic to Do

So, there is a reason that I haven't been able to write in a while, and that reason is called Pippin.

Yes, folks, it's that time of year again: Showtime. If you've driven by O'Hara in the last two weeks or so, you might have seen a sign that looks kind of like this:

It's cool, right? Yes! It's advertising our spring production of the musical Pippin!

For the last week or so, my life has basically been consumed by Pippin rehearsals. Not that I mind at all, because a) I love being in the show, b) I love going to show practice, and c) I love Pippin.

Our story begins with a jovial trope of actors putting on a play about the life and times of young Prince Pippin of the Holy Roman Empire. Pippin believes he is destined for greatness, and led by the crafty Leading Players, goes on an exciting quest to find his destiny. After a few hilarious and horrifying wrong turns, the young prince finds fulfillment in the most unexpected of places.

Pippin has it all: A fantastic score by Stephen Schwartz (of Godspell and Wicked fame, and my favorite composer), plenty of laughs, clever dialogue, amazing dancing in the style of Bob Fosse, and a magnificent set created by our stage crew. I don't mean to brag, but if you've ever been to an O'Hara show, you know they're always a treat. So be there. For goodness' sake, people, I made a tutu specifically for this occasion. You can't miss this one. 

You can catch Pippin at O'Hara on Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 at 8:00 PM, Sunday, March 25 at 2:00 PM, and Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31 at 8:00 PM! Tickets are $12 each ($10 for the Sunday matinee). Seating is assigned, so get your tickets now!!!! for the best seats!

If you're interested in buying tickets to see Pippin (and of course you are), you can buy them online here, or at O'Hara! If you want more information about our production of Pippin, click here!

"We've got magic to do just for you..."

A Quarter of a Year

You know what's scary?

Realizing that there are only three short months until you graduate.

That's right, folks. Three months from today, my high school years will be over. I only have one quarter of a year left! I know, when you look at it that way, it seems like a long time. But three months is a very short interval.

To put some of this in perspective, here are the major events happening during the rest of my high school career: Two weekends of Pippin at O'Hara (more on that soon), receiving college decision letters, Easter break, actually deciding where I'm going to college, AP exams, Senior Prom, final exams, Baccalaureate Mass, and then, graduation. That's all, folks. Talk about surreal.

I'm trying to find that balance between seizing the last days of high school and just relaxing and enjoying the ride. I don't want to look back and have any regrets - not that I'm planning to. The past four years have been the best of my life, and I will miss them dearly. But as the time winds down ever closer to June 6th, I get a feeling that grows every day - the feeling that I am finally ready to move on to the next part of my life. In one way, it's unsettling and uncertain and scary, but in another, it's completely awesome.

A Milestone Weekend

Another milestone of my senior year has come to pass.

That Fashion Show was quite a party, I tell ya. I had a grand old time dancing and singing and running up and down that runway, and I think my classmates has a pretty swell time as well. I'll be honest - I'm going to miss singing "The Chain," and I'm going to miss Wawa runs between practices, and I might even miss slipping around on the hardwood floor of the dance studio where we practiced.

I have some great memories from Fashion Show. Not only do I have choreographed dances to "Time Warp" and "Mambo #5" in my back pocket should the need ever arise, but I also have a great sense of camaraderie and friendship with those folks I spent so many hours with. You can't fall flat on your bum in front of a lot of people without becoming their friend. As the saying goes, the family that dances together stays together (I think).

And yet another landmark occasion came and went this morning: during first period, the seniors celebrated 112 days until graduation (though I have been informed that there are only - gasp - 106 days until that dreaded hour). It was fun to gather in the cafeteria, eat doughnuts, dance, and catch up. But in a way, it was kind of bittersweet. It's a reminder of the impending end of my high school career, a part of my life that I have loved and do love so dearly. It's a little scary to think that in less than 106 days, I'll be officially done with high school, I'll know where I'm going to college, and I will have gathered with all of my classmates together for the last time.

But now is certainly not the time to think about that. There's plenty ahead of me yet!

Seniors Own the Runway

Every Sunday since about Christmas (with the exception of one or two that I spent college visiting), I reported to a dance studio in Broomall. I spend one or two hours each Sunday dancing, a rather astonishing feat considering my absolute lack of expertise (or experience, for that matter) in that particular art form. Why, you ask? Well, it's Fashion Show time.

The O'Hara Fashion Show is a veritable and revered tradition among O'Hara's seniors. Don't let the name mislead you - though there is, of course, modeling of fashions from Zinni's of Philadelphia, Iaccobucci's, and Boscov's, the Fashion Show is much, much more than that. It's something of a variety show - the seniors get together to sing, dance, and perform skits. It's an all-around great time.

Tomorrow is the big day, the day of the Fashion Show. Tomorrow, over a hundred O'Hara seniors will strut their stuff for friends, family, and admirers. Tomorrow, our months of blood, sweat, and tears - okay, there was little blood and really very few tears - will pay off. I never though the day would come where I would get up in front of several hundred people and make a valiant attempt at cutting the rug, as the  young'uns say, but tomorrow is that day. Additionally, I get to sing a very pretty song by Ingrid Michaelson called "The Chain." I'm quite excited.

After an all-day rehearsal today, during which I got to watch every number in the show, I think you should be excited too. This lovely event takes place tomorrow at the Springfield Country Club. A limited number of tickets are still available for the 1 PM and 6:30 PM shows and can be purchased at the door. You don't want to miss this, folks!

For more info about the Fashion Show, click here! For a photo galleries of Fashion Show practices, click here!

Love Thee, Notre Dame

There are many words that come to mind when I talk about what it's like at the University of Notre Dame. They are all synonyms: wondrous, awe-inspiring, stupendous, terrific, marvelous, stunning...you know. It's just incredible.

I spent two weeks of my summer at Notre Dame as part of their Summer Scholars program. I basically lived like a college student: I woke myself up, ate my meals in the dining hall, went to class, had homework, and met new friends. I loved it. I loved the classes, I loved the people, and I loved the atmosphere. Leaving ND on a hot, rainy July  afternoon was one of the most depressing things I've had to do in a long time. I've been aching to go back since then, and finally, I returned!

My dad and I touched down in South Bend, Indiana on Sunday night and hopped over to campus, where I caught up with my dear friend Meredith, who is a freshman at ND. We walked around the campus at night, making stops at the Grotto, LaFortune Student Center, and the Word of Life mural, perhaps better known as Touchdown Jesus.

After that, my dad and I stopped for a bite to eat and then called it a night - we had a long day ahead of us. From an awesome "private" campus tour (we were the only people to show up for the 11:00 AM tour) to 12:10 PM Mass in the Crypt of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (fun fact: John Cardinal O'Hara, the namesake of my very own school, is interred in the Basilica) to lunch at South Dining Hall (the frozen yogurt is to die for), we had a fantastic time on campus.

Around 3, I stopped by the gorgeous DeBartolo Performing Arts Center to catch up with one of my Summer Scholars teachers, who is a member of the staff in the department of Film, Television, and Theatre. Aside from being an amazingly cool guy, he's incredibly savvy and knowledgeable - I still use and remember so much that he taught me this summer.

From there, we made the sad trek back to the airport to catch our flight home. It really was almost painful to leave Notre Dame again - there's really no place like it. You can't know how truly special it is until you've lit a candle in the Grotto, or seen the sun glinting off the brilliant Golden Dome, or chomped on a Victory Waffle in the dining hall. More than the beautiful sights and tasty smells, though, is the overwhelming feeling that you're on hallowed ground. Notre Dame is a place of learning, of family, of tradition, and of excellence. Many thousands of people have passed through there before and their legacies and legends live on there. It's indescribable.

A statue of Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., the founder of Notre
Dame, with the Main Building in the background

If they just had a Wawa, the place would be truly perfect.

Back to the Dome

Hello!

So, tomorrow (well, actually today, since it's 12:12 in the morning), I'm heading out on another college visit, this time to the University of Notre Dame! If you want to keep up with my marathon visit to lovely South Bend, Indiana, check out my Twitter (or better yet, follow me) right here! I'll be tweeting my observations about planes, trains, and Golden Domes for the next day or so! You might even see a picture or video update from yours truly so don't forget to check it out.

School, School, and More School

It's been a bit since I've had time to update this humble blog. Hello, internet!

I've been swamped by two weeks of exams and end-of-semester projects, 8th Grade Visitation Day, and a college visit!

I like school and all, but I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I like taking exams. As much as I study and study, it's still a bit nerve-wracking to know that I need to re-cram a semester's worth of material (for several subjects!) into my brain in a very short amount of time. That said, my exams went pretty well, all things considered. I'm especially proud to say that I aced my AP Calculus exam with flying colors.

8th Grade Day was quite a treat. While most O'Hara students had a day off last Thursday, I and many others reported to school to show some lucky 8th graders how great O'Hara is. Some folks gave tours, some worked booths at an activities fair, and some manned stations representing our sports teams. I and a few other members of my Media Production class armed ourselves with cameras and MacBooks to shoot and produce a video of the day's events. After filming, I quick-changed into my bright orange Footloose t-shirt to perform the Footloose finale one final time for the 8th graders. A few people talked about activities, and then all the O'Hara students gathered on the stage to sing the alma mater. It was a lovely day.

As for the aforementioned college visit, I hopped on up to Boston on Saturday morning (after numerous meteorological delays) to attend Admitted Eagle Day at Boston College. I was thrilled to get back to one of my favorite cities to visit, and I loved BC! It has a beautiful campus, a fantastic academic record, and some really swell students. Hopefully I'll have a few more admitted students' days to attend in the next few months...and then comes the time for the big decision.