Senior Memories: Part Two

This whole past week has been homecoming week, as we all know. It has been full of exciting moments like twin day, decade day, the football game, the dance. What is it about homecoming week that makes the school come together? Why can people put away their negative feelings for one another at the homecoming football game and support our school?

It was almost magical, the atmosphere at Kennedy in that past week. Everyone was so excited for the game on Thursday and the dance on Friday. As a student here, i never really participated in any of the spirit week events, thinking that they were rather lame (except once freshman year when i wore my green Power Ranger costume for super hero day). This year, however, i changed my ways and it was really fun! The senior class did a really great job at dressing up for the theme every single day when we usually don't participate in anything. And we won the spirit stick for the first time EVER this year. We are stepping up our game and i am really enjoying it! i don't know about anyone else, but so far, this has been the funnest year for me.

This was my twin for twin day. He wasn't very pleased that i copied him. =]

I would also like to give some props to the freshmen. I remember what it was like being new to the school and not being sure about what to do when it came to spirit week, thinking it might just be a prank. But i saw tons of freshmen dressed up and participating! A few even tweeted their outfits for the Kennedy Torch. (follow us on twitter! @KennedyTorch) 

So basically, this whole week has been one of the best memories of my high school career. I hope it was one of yours too. =]

Sarah

Senior Memories: Part One

Okay, so on Friday afternoon, September 16th, as i was exiting school, i ran into two people that i shall keep anonymous. These two are some goofy kids. I had my big, flashy Canon camera with me for the play pictures and they insisted i take some of them. So i did, also catching one of the Chinese teachers in the process. He was smiling for the camera too.

That isn't the funny part though, just some pre-game right there. The three of us, the Two Who Shall Not Be Named and i, walked out to the south lot together and were joined by a third nameless person. I had planned on just walking to my car, putting my things in my trunk, and driving on home. However, as i was doing just that, i received a mysterious invitation from the Three Who Shall Not Be Named to watch one of them attempt to break into their friend's car to steal a unicycle. Naturally, i accepted.

I walked over to the Three That Shall Not Be Named and asked them how they were planning on doing that. One of them said, "Like this!" and pulled on the car handle. The door opened. Laughter erupted from us and we exchanged phrases like, "I can't believe the door was open!" and, "Wow, Blake*! Way to leave your car unlocked!" Then they proceeded to take out the unicycle and continue laughing about Blake.

There was a purpose to the stealing of the unicycle. One of the Three Who Shall Not Be Named was planning on riding this five foot unicycle in the Homecoming parade today. That One of the Three Who Shall Not Be Named was just going to borrow it to practice and Blake had said it was okay to borrow it for the parade. He definitely didn't know we were taking that day.

Being the goofy people the Three Who Shall Not Be Named are, the One who was going to ride it in the parade began to attempt to ride it around the KPL. I tweeted at this point http://twitter.com/#!/lolaphalangee. That One made it about three feet before toppling over. Laughter came shortly after that.

On the second try, The One of the Three Who Shall Not Be Named didn't even make it one foot. Mounting the bike by using Blake's car, sitting on the uncomfortable seat, and using another of the Three Who Shall Not Be Named to balance, falling was inevitable. A "Shit i'm gonna fall," escaped the Ones mouth before gravity took over.

As the unicycle fell, it discovered a car mirror in its path and took it right off. The four of us couldn't stop laughing/ freaking out. What were we supposed to do with a dangling side-view mirror on a car that wasn't ours?!? Then the One had an idea. We would duct tape it back in place of course! As the One ran inside to the shop teacher, we were left standing helplessly by the incapacitated car.

The cross country team then began their run for the day, starting off by going straight through the South lot, right by us, and by extension, the car. Two more people joined us. It was just too funny.

The One soon returned with some duct tape and electrical tape. Since Blake's car was black and so was the electrical tape, the plan was that he would never know what happened. So i held it in place while the One pulled a knife out of his pocket to cut the tape with. Talk about looking sketchy. I wonder what Dr. W would have thought if she came out and saw us!

After a few minutes we got it all taped up and you couldn't even tell that it wasn't attached, from far away. I wonder if he even noticed. You may ask where Blake was through all of this? At a golf meet out of town. We were some lucky kids!

I will never forget the comedy that was that afternoon in the KPL. I wonder if he even knows...

*Name has been changed.

Sarah

Objective or Not?

Ever since the beginning of history, there has been news. It really took off when the printing press was invented in 1430. Newspapers had begun to be written daily and copies were made at maximum speed. It was not uncommon for everyone in town to be in the loop and up to date with events.

Now days we have news broadcasts at almost all hours of the day. If you are a KCRG person, you can catch the 6 am news to get your kids ready in the morning. You can also check up on events at nine A.M., mid-day and, five, six, and 10 P.M. KCRG 9.2 is always playing some sort of news, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Most people in my neighborhood also get the newspaper every day or every weekend. And since we are so technologically savvy, we can look things up on the world wide web. The thing is, news, in theory, is supposed to be objective. There is supposed to be no opinions involved, or bias when delivering the news. What's funny is that when you go back in time, you can see that this has almost never happened, if it ever happened at all.

What did all of the tabloids say when the British were invading the U.S. during the Revolutionary war? "THE BRITISH ARE COMING!" That, unfortunately, is not objective. That is warning like, telling people to evacuate and the army to get ready to fight. An objective revision of this may be, "The British landed in America today." It is simply fact. No opinions or bias towards any side of the war.

An example from today is FOX news. They are Republican and do not even try to hide their bias when it comes to delivering the news. Marty Robinson would say that this example is over used and everyone knows about it, but that is why i am using it as an example. People don't realize that the news isn't supposed to have bias to it. It is supposed to be just news. Cold. Hard. Facts.

Some would argue that taking opinion or feelings or bias out of stories may make them insensitive. And i agree. I just find it interesting how, in theory, all news is supposed to be objective.
Here's something to think about. Have you ever noticed how the news rarely covers happy topics besides sports? All we hear about, day to day, is the war in Iraq; how many people have died, how many new soldiers are being deported this month, bombings. Isn't that considered bias? Why don't we hear about how our soldiers are providing school equipment and shelter for Iraqian children? Why don't we hear about the homecoming of troops or any victories over seas? We are biased to hearing about the negative. Objective news would have positive and negative things to report about, but it would be balanced.

I would like to give credit to our school newspaper, The Torch. I believe that the writers do an excellent job of covering the positive and negative to every story and leave points of views out of it. That is as close to objective as i have ever seen.

Sarah

P.S. The first issue of The Torch comes out on October 7. Get Excited.

"The Help" Review

So yesterday i finished the first free reading book for Ms. Asmussen's class. I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett. In a nutshell, this is one of the best books i have ever read. It is about white women and their maids in Jackson Mississippi during the 1960's. This is during the time of the civil rights movement in the north and the south just wasn't having it. The Help contains the point of view of three characters, Skeeter, Minny, and Aibileen. These three are the creators of the controversial book, Help. It is a collection of interviews by African American maids in the south. The Help is about the journey these three women face during the making, and aftermath of the book.

My favorite character is Minny, though the rest of the characters are amazing too. Minny is a headstrong woman. She doesn't take shit from anyone and everyone knows it. However, what they don't know is that every morning when her husband comes home from work, he beats her. The evil white ladies of Jackson Mississippi made sure that Minny would have no jobs in town. They didn't count on Celia though. She hired Minny and they even became friends. That was not done in the south.

This book is just so good that i could talk about it forever. I don't want to give it away though! I recommend that everyone read it. Recently, it was made into a movie. I have yet to see it! I wanted to read the book first.

Someone recommend a book for me please!

Sarah

Ew.

Everyone has eaten dinner some place other than their home. I work at Planet X Family Fun Center and we had a health inspection the other day. Now i don't know if anyone has been there in 3+ years or so, but the place is dirty. Don't get me wrong, i love my job, but it isn't as sanitary is it probably could be. I know what our kitchen is like. And if it passed the health inspectors eyes, what else could pass his test? It makes me think about the places that i choose to eat at. You should too.

Our kitchen has flour almost everywhere, our counters and are rarely wiped off after and during food preparation, the same utensils are used numerous times before washing, and i don't know if everyone washes their hands. The walls have mysterious splatters on them, the bathrooms are hardly ever thoroughly cleaned, and the floors are disgusting.

Rock climbers climb barefoot, and then someone else puts their hand there, and then that person touches their face. Guess what? They just got foot germs all over their face. Laser tag is never vacuumed and children run around barefoot in there. We are even told not to turn on the cleaning lights whenever there are customers around. The vests aren't washed and the room smells like B.O. and Lysol. How charming.

On top of all of that, everything we throw away is recyclable. But we don't recycle. I did get my managers to start recycling the tickets we use, but that is all. The paper plates, paper cups, recipts, food, cans, bottles, and cardboard boxes we use all go into the dumpster out back.

I just want everyone to consider where they eat, spend their free time, and how often they wash their hands. You don't know what you have just touched was in contact with.

Sarah

Do you know of any places that are dirty and would advise not eating at? Please share. =]

And if you know who is putting potential homecoming asking letters on my car you should let me know that too. Thanks!

4 Wheels are Better Than 2

WARNING: This post will contain content that is not appropriate for people who find my negativity annoying.

This is for the people who ride their bikes in the middle of the street. Today i was driving home from school when a funny thing happened. An old man in yellow bicycle shorts came into my view. Was he wearing a helmet? Yes. Was he riding on the sidewalk? No. In fact, he was riding right in the middle of 42nd street as school was being let out. Sorry dude, but that helmet isn't going to save you when you are hit by a car.

A week ago, there was a family riding their bikes right down the middle of Emmons St. in Hiawatha. Now, you'd think that adults would have the common sense to teach their kids to ride on the sidewalk so they don't get hit by a car, but nope. There they all are, just riding away, completely ignoring the fact that it is a no passing zone so i am stuck driving behind their 2 mph asses. In-con-sid-er-ate. That pissed me off beyond belief. They didn't even move over.

Bikes are not cars. They do not belong in the middle of the road. If you wish to ride on pavement with dotted lines down the middle, there are plenty of nature and bike trails that provide them for you. STAY OFF THE STREETS. There is also a sidewalk three feet from where you are riding. MOVE OVER. And the best part is that i bet the majority of them are hypocrites who get mad at other riders riding in the middle of the street.

The cases above were recent, but over the summer, i witnessed a bike rider riding, literally, like a car, in the middle of a lane on collins road. I bet he didn't survive.

If you are hit by a car and were riding in the middle of the street, you probably deserved it. It sounds harsh, but you were asking for it all along. If you do not wish to get hit by a car then stay off the roads and ride on the bike trails and sidewalks. That's what they are there for.

I apologize for offending anyone, but i don't take back anything i said.

Sarah

Hallway Etiquette

Dear Students of Kennedy High School,

The hallways are atrocious. They are clogged with the pushy, the overweight, the dirties, the talk-too-muchers, and every other student here. There is no way not to use the hallways. If there was we wouldn't have such a problem. I know that i am not the only one who has trouble making it to my class without being stepped on, flat tired, or being late. This has to come to an end. I've provided some steps to help us make this happen.

Step 1. Stop the PDA
I know that this is said way too much, but people still don't get the message. PDA is NOT okay. If you want to make-out, go to your own house or rent a hotel by the hour; but please, be courteous and think about others for a change. I know it is hard, being a teenager and all, but do you think that everyone else wants to watch you play tonsil hockey? The answer to that is NO. (If you answered yes to the previous question, please seek help at the guidance counselors office).

Step 2. Don't Block the Hallways/ Don't Stop in the Middle of One
The foyer of our precious school gets the most traffic. The seniors crowd around the senior bench, the juniors crowd around the left side of the stairs, and the clueless freshmen stand right in the middle. This drives me CRAZY! And i can't be the only one. It is always the freshmen who block the hallway to the south end of the building and the language hallway. I kindly tell them to move somewhere else, i advise you to do the same.

Stopping randomly in the middle of the hallway is one of my biggest pet peeves. It happened right in front of me twice today! The kid is walking super slow and sees his friend. Then BAM! He stops right in his tracks to wait for his approaching friend. I ran right into the back of him. It may or may not have been on purpose. And...I didn't apologize. I didn't feel the need to.

Step 3. STOP PUSHING
We all know that the foyer is crazy during passing time. If you are smart, like me, you avoid it at all costs and use the back, less crowded, hallways. However, the majority of the students that attend Kennedy High School are stubborn and stupid for trying to fight their way through the mad mob of people. On the rare occasion that i must travel through the foyer, i always get shoved. PUSHING DOESN'T MAKE THE LINE GO FASTER. In fact, people who use unnecessary physical abuse to try to get somewhere, it makes everyone push back just to spite you. If you push me, i will push back, and it will be much harder than when you pushed me. So stop pushing.

Step 4. Pick up Your Pace
The slow walking must start somewhere. So this is for the people who start it, especially the hand-holders. Walk fast or get run over/ punched in the back of the head. The pace of a typical high schooler is speedier than the slow saunter of the groups of friends who walk five-long down the hall way. This causes everyone behind them to have to walk slow, which is extremely annoying, and they can't go around because of the massive length that is the line of friends walking slow. So please, just walk faster or get out of the way. And to all of you love birds out there, read Step 1 again and cut it out.

Step 5. Hallways are like Roads
Why this concept is so hard for everyone to get, i don't understand. You walk down the right side of the hallway, just like you drive on the right side of the road. If you can't do this then you shouldn't drive. End of story. We're in America, no excuses for foreign exchange students.

Thanks for doing what is best for everyone and getting rid of this congestion like Mucinex does for colds.

Sarah =]

All Good Things Must Come to an End

As we all know, school has begun. It is a radical change from living the summer life of late nights and suntanning. Now I head to bed around eight or nine and wake up at five AM to surrender myself to arctic waters that is our pool here at Kennedy. Suntanning has become a last priority when one has four hours of homework a night and swim practice until 5:30 in the evening.

I like to look at the bright side though. My summer was fantastic! It was probably one of the best summers i have ever had. I was never bored unless i chose to be. I hung out with my friends everyday and made money by working at Planet X. I also had to say goodbye to my senior friends as they left for college to live their lives.

Take a look at my top 6 experiences from this summer. =]

6. Maida Dizdarevic and I took a trip to palo beach. It was always our "thing" to hit up the beach on a sunny day, but we tried a different beach each time. When we arrived, the typical hawties from school were there playing volleyball and sunning themselves. We decided to set up camp at the other side of the beach. This side was filled with overweight middle aged men and women who brought their children to the beach. Much more preferable. When we laid out our towels, however, we discovered a small piece of dog poop in between them. Gross. We flicked it away with a stick. Then we looked to our left. There was a full diaper just sitting in the sand. We left.

As a final note one that one, the Palisades is the nicest beach i went to this summer. The sand was soft and there aren't a lot of people. There was no dog poop either.

5. During the first week of summer i had my wisdom teeth pulled. Talk about painful. I almost had to miss Hog Wild days! Anyway. I had 3 giant pills i had to take every six hours that made me throw up. So i was taken off of them to endure the pain. That was the bad part. When i was put under all i remember is the ceiling doing the wave and then passing out. I guess that i also called Marie Treangen and could't figure out how i got my phone from one hand to the other. I don't remember that at all! But she then brought me a bubble gun and it made it all better.

Yup. That's me with my swollen face enjoying my bubbles.  

4. I won bingo at Hog Wild Days! I have been going for 11 years and never won. It was a great day for me.

3. My best friend in the whole wide world is Michael Nordstrom. He recently moved to Colorado to attend Colorado College. But earlier in the summer we went to Adventureland. That was such a great day! We rode everything possible numerous times because there were hardly any lines! There were hardly any lines because it was raining! We bought these bright yellow ponchos though, so we stayed dry and looked awesome at the same time.

2. I took a road trip to Chicago with my friends from work! It was only the second time i had been there. Maida drove and that was an adventure all its own. I accidentally threw the directions out the window when we were half way there. It's a good thing that we had Lola, my GPS, to guide us the rest of the way. When we arrived, we shopped! We hit up the Forever 21 first. It was overwhelming. If you thought the Forever 21 at Coralridge Mall was big, you haven't seen anything. This one was three stories tall and each section was the size of the Coralridge store. It was crazy.

We also ventured to the Bean. That giant reflective bean shaped thing. It was great.

The Bean

Jamie, Maida and I reflected in The Bean

After that we boarded a free trolley that took us to Navy Pier. We rode the famous Ferris Wheel that moves at  an extremely slow pace! But it was still awesome. I enjoyed that day so much. Words can not explain it.

1. August 7th I went to a We the Kings concert with Alicia Means, Miranda Neff, and Desiree Kern. We waited in line for a couple hours with the rest of the crazy girls who were in love with WTK. They were touring with Hot Chelle Rae. They walked right through the line of girls waiting to see them and they no one even noticed! We followed Hot Chelle Rae into a restaurant and to meet them. For proof, we took a picture.

Hot Chelle Rae

The concert was amazing! We made it to the front row and Miranda had made a sign that said she loved Travis (the lead singer from WTH). He said they should get married and she almost fainted, i swear! We also managed to collect guitar picks and drum sticks throughout the show.

After the show, they always have a meet and greet type thing at the Blue Moose. So we actually got to meet everyone who performed! It was awesome. The best night of summer by far.

Guitarist

I would like to thank my friends for everything they do for me. I know that next summer will be even better =]

Sarah