Nice Try

Last week I wrote about the new rules we had at our school dances. And yesterday at Homecoming was the first dance that the rules were being used. As far I knew, none of the students were taking it very seriously. A lot of them even making jokes and finding ways to get around the rules while still dancing how they have in the past. But apparently the teachers were taking it very seriously.

          I got to the dance about an hour after it started. Most of the students were still just standing around instead of dancing. Some of my friends were even getting ready to leave. About five minutes after arriving, one of the administrators made an announcement. He was giving all the students a warning for inappropriate dancing. There was to be no bumping and grinding and we had to face each other.

          The main reason for making these rules was to get rid of any dancing that simulated sex acts. But what I don’t understand is how two people facing each other and grinding is any better than not facing each other. One of my friends said that his freshman year there was a couple that got kicked out for dancing facing each other because they were actually having sex. First off that’s really disgusting and not classy at all. And second shouldn’t the teachers be more worried about this happening again?

          I noticed that there was a lot more teacher supervision than usual. This was most likely to enforce the rules better. While students were dancing, some of the teachers walked through them and tried to tell them to stop dancing inappropriately. If it was me, I would not want to be the teacher to have to walk through sweaty students and tell them not to dance in a certain way. I didn’t even like being the student hearing the teachers say it.

          Nice try faculty. Trying to enforce these rules was a good attempt, but none of the students took it seriously. I get why the faculty was trying to enforce these rules, but they should’ve gone about them in a different way and been more prepared for students not following them. All around it was a nice try, but better luck next time.

(382 words)

Brace Face

Most kids get braces in elementary or middle school. Middle school is the perfect time to get them because it’s in your “awkward middle school days.” Once you get into high school you want them off SO badly. By the end of sophomore year pretty much everyone has gotten them off. And then there is me.

          I got my braces ON towards the end of sophomore year. The reason I got mine on so late is because in middle school, my dentist didn’t think I needed them. My teeth weren’t perfect then, but braces were not necessary. As time went on my teeth started moving. Then in the middle of sophomore year, I went to an orthodontist and they said that I should get them. And now I’m a junior with braces.

          Having braces can be really annoying at times. Not being able to eat whatever you want can be frustrating. But the big troubles are right after you get them tightened. Usually when you get them tightened, you don’t realize you can’t eat for a couple of hours. On the plus side, you can still eat ice cream.

          When you first get them on, it takes a while to get used to the way you look and the way they feel. I’ve realized that certain colors of rubber bands can affect the way they look. I think, for me, that blues and darker colors look better. In general, staying away from white is a better idea so the color of what you are going to eat doesn’t end up on the rubber bands.

          Even though I got my braces on later than all my friends and they are annoying at times, I am glad I got them. The end product of them is definitely going to be worth it. I can’t wait to have perfectly straight teeth!

(310 words)

The Job Hunt

As juniors and seniors in high school more and more people are deciding they need to get a job. We want to go out more and do things with our friends, but our parents are cracking down on how much money they are giving us. The only option left is to get a job.

          When I hear the word “job” it makes me cringe a little bit. I really don’t like the thought of growing up and have to pay for everything that I want. But on the other hand, sometimes I realize that I really should get a job so I don’t have to rely on my parents for money and I can get whatever I want.

          Finding the right job for you is important. You don’t want to have to work somewhere you hate. A lot of students work at Hy-Vee. There are a couple different things you could do when you work there. I know a couple people that work in Chinese. I also know someone who used to work in the bakery area. I think that would pretty fun. Then there are the cashiers and baggers. I think this would get boring really fast. But someone as to do it and some people enjoy it.

          Restaurants and clothing stores are good places to work, as well. If you are a good sales person, getting a job a store might be a good place for you. But if you don’t like interacting with people, then I wouldn’t get a job at any of these places.

          When I first started thinking about getting a job, I was talking to my mom about where to get one. I suggested a clothing store because I really like clothes. But she denied that option right away because she thought I would spend my entire paycheck on the clothes at the store (especially since I would get a discount). If this is you, I would not recommend a job like this for you.

          Your first job is a big step in your life. It means you are growing up and starting to do things for yourself. So finding one that you enjoy and are good at is very important. If you know what you want to go to college for, try finding a job that relates to a future career. That way you can get a feel for what you are getting yourself into. Put yourself out there and try new things.

(413 words)

School Dances Gone Wrong

Recently, expectations at school dances have distributed to all high school members. They have also been read aloud on the announcements for the past couple of days. You would think that high school students didn’t need to be read basic rules for school functions. Apparently, they do. The rules read as the following:

 

1.     It is expected that all students will wear clothing appropriate for a school event.

2.    It is expected that clothing will be worn as intended at all times. Boys are expected to keep their shirts on. Girls are expected to keep their dresses and skirts at the intended length. Pulling skirts/dresses up is unacceptable.

3.    It is expected that all students will dance appropriately. Simulating sex acts, dancing with hands on the ground, etc. are inappropriate.

School staff and administration will enforce the expectations. Students who do not follow the expectations will be asked to leave the dance.

 

          To most of us, these rules seem pretty obvious. A lot of us are probably thinking Why do they need to tell students not to lift their dresses up? Good question. For some reason some students think that is okay to do these things.

          Most high school students grind when they are at dances. This would probably be considered as a “sex act.” I don’t know how the administration is going to stop students from grinding. I definitely would not want to be the person to tell every student to stop grinding. Especially because when they walk away, they will probably do it again. I honestly think that if students won’t be allowed to dance as they normally do, then they will probably just leave.

          What is appropriate? Students and teachers have a different standard for what is appropriate and what is not. On the announcements, they were saying how if you wouldn’t do it in front of your grandparents, then don’t do it here. But I don’t think that students will be analyzing what they would and wouldn’t do in front of their grandparents when they are trying to have fun at a dance with all of their friends.  

I get why the administration wants these rules to be enforced. But I honestly do not think that it will change much. Then again, what do I know? It’s just my opinion.
(388 words)

How to Ask Someone to Homecoming

Homecoming is an exciting and fun part of high school for everyone. Part of the fun and excitement is the creative ways guys ask the girls to go. There are always guys that put a lot of thought in it and come up with really creative ideas. Then there are some that aren’t very creative and struggle with ways to ask. Here are some tips to help those guys out:

1.     Be confident. Don’t worry whether or not the girl will say yes. If you are confident and creative, chances are she won’t say no.

2.    Talk it over. Ask your friends if they think it would be a good idea to ask the girl you have in mind. It’s always good to have a second opinion on big decisions. Also you can ask them if they have any creative ideas for ways to ask.

3.    Google it. If neither you nor your friends can think of any good ways to ask, Google it. There are tons of ideas that come up that way. It will at least get your creative juices flowing.

4.    Be original. There are some ideas that are creative, but are kind of a “been there, done that” kind of thing. You don’t want to be the boring person that uses someone else’s idea. If you really like an idea like this, you can always just put your own little twist on it.

5.    Talk to her friends. Once you decide how to ask your date, get a couple of her friends to help. It doesn’t hurt to have a couple extra creative hands on the project. And the more brains, the better.

6.    Keep it a secret. It is more exciting if you ask the people helping to keep the idea and girl a secret. It’s more fun the girl to be completely surprised, too.

7.    Get to know the girl. If you ask a girl that you don’t know very well, make sure you get to know her better by the time of the dance. Going with a friend that you know pretty well is more fun than going with someone you don’t know very well.

8.    Have fun. The most important thing to do is to just have fun and let loose. Being a little crazy will make it more fun for you, your date, and everyone else around you!

If you remember all of these things, you are sure to have a great time at homecoming! Remember to be yourself and just have fun with it!

(430 words)

Family Reunions

          Family reunions. You would think it would be a fun get together with family members that you have known your whole life. Wrong. Most of the time, you don’t know half the people. And the younger you are, the less people you know.

          According to urbandictionary.com the definition of family reunion is “The awkward get together your parents make you go to where you stand around for hours with random relatives, some of which you either despise or don't actually know.” This definition is how I feel whenever there is a family gathering.

          This past weekend I went to my grandpa’s 80^th birthday party. It was much how a family reunion would be like. My grandpa, obviously, knew everyone there. Then my parents and aunts and uncles knew most, if not all, of them. Then there are the grandkids. We all probably knew about 20 people – our closest relatives.

          If that situation doesn’t scream boring, then I don’t know what does. What I don’t get it is why our parents make us go to these events. My parents always use the excuse, “Because I said so.” But no. That’s not a good enough reason for me. If I wanted to go see a bunch of people I don’t know, then I could go to a mall. At least that way I wouldn’t be bored out of my mind and wouldn’t have to drive for hours.

          Some people think that it would be a good way to meet the rest of your family. But honestly, you aren’t going to walk up to someone you don’t know and have a conversation about your entire life. What really ends up happening is you hanging out with your closest family, then periodically having your parents call you over to talk to someone you haven’t seen in years or ever.

          I understand why my parents make me go to these events. But I still don’t like the fact that they are boring and I don’t know anyone. It is a part of all of our lives, though. I guess we should just get used to the fact that we have to go now.

(360 words)

Fake Baking

Since we live in Iowa, we can’t just walk outside and layout any day of the year. Most girls in high school don’t like to look white so they either fake bake or get a spray tan. There can be some down falls to tanning too much, though. It can make you look orange, it can cause skin cancer, and it can be expensive.

          One big issue with tanning too much is that it can make you look orange. The people that use tanning beds probably go tanning more often than the ones that get a spray tan. In tanning beds you are more likely to get burnt instead of orange. When you get a spray tan you could turn orange after the first try. Just remember there is the potential to look like an oompa-loompa if you do go tanning too much.

          Tanning can cause serious health concerns such as skin cancer. Skin cancer is becoming more and more of a problem in young girls because they are tanning too much. You can get skin cancer if you tan in the sun or in a bed. Tanning beds are more dangerous, though, because they have a higher intensity. A lot of people brush it off like it’s not a big deal and they think they will never get it. But if they keep tanning all the time, then they are giving themselves a huge risk of skin cancer. So the question you have to ask yourself is would you rather be pale or have skin cancer?

          A third problem with it is that it can get expensive. I don’t know how much it costs or what kind of deals they have for people who come regularly. What I do know is that money doesn’t grow on trees and I would rather spend my money on something more important like gas or food. Why not save your money for something that you will really want later and be pale for a couple of months? It’s not like you wear shorts and tank tops in the winter in Iowa anyway.

          There are clearly some bad things about tanning. And after reading this some people may still choose to do it. I personally don’t think it’s necessary because of the health factors and it is a waste of money. We live in Iowa. No one is going to keep up a natural tan in the winter. Embrace the natural color of your skin, don’t cover it up.

(420 words)

High School Sweethearts

There is always that one couple in high school who thinks they are in love and are going to get married when they graduate. But really there is a very small chance that will actually happen. Of course there is always a chance that it could. And some people do stay together and get married, but it’s a very small number.

When you are in high school, how do you even know what love really is? You don’t. My guess is that these people have had maybe one or two “serious relationships” by the end of high school. Let’s be honest no one actually counts middle school boyfriends/girlfriends and some people don’t even like to count freshman year. It makes sense why you wouldn’t, though. You were young then (and still are) and didn’t know what it meant to be in a “serious relationship.”

Even now I still don’t think people know what it means. I know I don’t. We are so young and haven’t had as many experiences in our lives as we think we have. There are so many very big decisions left to make. Especially as juniors, picking a college is right around the corner and is going to be a huge choice.

When we get to the point of reaching a final decision in where to go to college, it shouldn’t be influenced on where our boyfriends or girlfriends choose. A lot of couples that choose to go to college together don’t end up staying together. Everyone has their own dreams and you have to follow your dreams to be successful and happy in life. Unfortunately that means going in separate ways as your boyfriend, girlfriend, or even best friend sometimes.

There are some couples in high school that only hang out with themselves all the time instead of with their friends. Couples like these can and do lose their friends quickly. They usually don’t realize it until it’s too late.

My advice to any couples in high school is:

1.     Don’t get too serious too fast

2.    Spend time with each other, but also make sure you make time to still hang out with your friends

3.    Make important decisions for yourself and not for your boyfriend or girlfriend

Being in relationship in high school can be tricky, but it can work. Be yourself, don’t change for someone. Most importantly enjoy yourself while you are still in high school.

(410 words)

 

Iowa NOT Idaho

Since at least second grade we have been learning our states and capitals. And as we got older we had to know where the states were on a map. What I don’t understand is how people from different states don’t know anything about Iowa.  

Did you know we grow potatoes? No? Well according to pretty much everyone that doesn’t live in or near Iowa we do. For the people that live in Iowa we know that Idaho grows the potatoes and Iowa grows corn. I honestly don’t know how people get Idaho and Iowa confused.

Over the summer I was in Florida visiting my aunt and uncle. While I was there someone asked me what I did for fun in Iowa during the summer. As I started talking about going to the pool, she started saying asking me about the mountains in Iowa. I just sat there, shocked. So many things were going through my head at that point. What mountains? I’ve never seen mountains in Iowa. Are you sure you know where Iowa is?

Another lady legitimately did not know where Iowa was on the map. She asked me if it was near Ohio. I explained that Iowa is way west of Ohio. Some of the questions I get I don’t know how to react. It can be hard to keep a straight face at times.

I try to be as nice and straight face as possible when people say things like this, but sometimes it is hard. That fact that in second grade is when we learned our states and capitals, it makes me wonder if they just never learned them. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have learned them, though. It is a pretty big part of their world since we all live in the same country.

One thing that makes it even worse is that the people that ask me these questions are not our age. They are adults. The comment about the mountains and Ohio were both from college students. In my opinion they should probably know more about their county than they do.

This subject is not new either. I can’t remember the first time I heard someone say that we grew potatoes in Iowa. I think schools need to make it a point to study more about the U.S. because this is where we live and our future depends on the education we get today. I don’t understand why people don’t know anything about Iowa, but let’s start informing people correctly what we are all about here.

(430 words)

Too Much PDA

Walking down the hallways at Kennedy is hard to do sometimes because there are so many people. For me the last thing I want to see as I’m going down the hallway is PDA.

          PDA is a broad term. It could be from holding hands to making out. I don’t have a problem with couples holding hands as they walk down the hallway or hugging before class. It’s when they take it to a whole new level and stand in the middle of the hallway and make out before they have to go to class.

          When people do this it makes walking down the hallway uncomfortable for other students and teachers. I know that I don’t want to see it, so why would a teacher.

          I feel like if I were one of the people making out in the hallway I would feel uncomfortable with everyone watching. I wouldn’t want my teacher or Dr. W. to see me making out with my boyfriend.

          I don’t know how they even have that much time. We only have five minutes and depending on where your classes are there isn’t time for PDA.

          Not only is PDA a concern of others not wanting to see it, it takes up space in the hallway. When couples stand in front of lockers, they are in the way of others trying to get into them. How awkward would it be if you had to ask or be asked to stop making out so someone could get in their locker?

          Then there are people who stop in the middle of the hallway so no one can get around them. There are enough obstacles in the halls as it is with people coming and going in so many different directions. We don’t need to add anymore.

          I think that we should put an end to PDA because no one wants to see it and there is no room or time for it.

(330 words)

Who Am I?

          Who am I? That’s not a simple question. It is a question with a variety of interpretations. For instance I could sit here and tell you about where I’m from and events from my childhood. Or I could go in a whole different direction and talk about my life as it is now and what I like to do for fun. But what really defines who you are? I think most everything in your life defines who you are as a person and why you are that way.

          So here it goes; I am Christine. I was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and raised in Robins, Iowa (which are practically the same place). I have lived in the same house since the day I was brought home from the hospital. I love my house though and I like the fact that I still live where all of my childhood memories were created.

Most of those memories were created with my little sister, Ashley. She is three years and three days younger than me. Our personalities couldn’t be any more different. Ashley has pretty much always been a tom boy and very into sports. Then there’s me who has always been a girly girl. Not saying that I don’t like sports, just not as much as she does. Being this way causes a lot of fights between us, but at the end of the day we still love each other.

Going into my girly girl side, I LOVE going shopping! I love buying new clothes. Shoes are definitely my favorite thing to buy. I have a ridiculous number of pairs. I like to shop in stores better, but online shopping is fun too.

Don’t forget about my sporty side, though. My favorite sport is volleyball. I have been since I was in fifth grade.  I used to play basketball, but I wasn’t very good and didn’t really like it so I quit. Tennis is another sport that I’m not very good at, but I think it is fun so I still play sometimes.

Family is an important part of my life. We always have get-togethers for birthdays and holidays. I don’t know what I would do without them. My friends are super important too. I even consider some of them family. I love hanging out with them no matter what we are doing.

My friends are definitely one of a kind. If someone didn’t know us they might think we were a little bit crazy. One thing we do a lot is quote movies; especially Bridesmaids. It’s really funny if you know what we are talking about!

Movies and music are a good way for me to express myself. I love listening to music, but I couldn’t pick my favorite genre if my life depended on it. I like so many different types. It really depends on what mood I’m in. I’ve recently really gotten into a group called ‘Pentatonix’. They are pretty amazing!

So I have gone from cities to family to personality to friends to music and movies. That stuff explains a lot about me and really that’s just the basics. There is so much more to me and that is why I think that the question ‘Who am I?’ is so hard to answer.

(550 words)