When Things Come Full Circle

This morning, I stopped by my high school to pick up tickets for their production of Grease that's happening this weekend. Seeing as I graduated almost five years ago, it's always weird to go back. Due to all the recent threats in our nation's schools, they're a little tighter on security now. If I want/need to go somewhere other than the front office, I'm either not allowed to or have to be escorted to my destination by a staff member. I understand why they do this, but it just feels weird.
Anyway, school security aside, the craziest part of buying tickets for Grease is that, six years ago, that same school did that same show and I was part of the cast. This won't be the first time I've gone back to see a show since graduation, and it's always weird seeing shows from the audience instead of being onstage, but seeing this particular musical will be extra weird. To add extra weirdness, opening night of this year's production falls on the 6th anniversary of the 2012 production.
I have a lot of great memories from our 2012 production of Grease, from whisper-yelling at freshman boys who wouldn't shut their mouths backstage to sneaking out into the audience during every rehearsal with the rest of the girls to watch the boys do Greased Lightnin'. One of those loud-mouthed freshman boys and I greeted each other with shushes every time we saw each other after that. My favorite memory, though, happened closing night with one of my best friends. It was his senior year, so that was our last show together. We had just finished our closing performance, and everyone was milling about talking to friends and family that had been in the audience. I was standing there looking around for more people when my best friend came out of nowhere, nearly tackled me with a hug, and told me he loved me. It took everything in me not to fall apart.
Back then, I thought that my friend graduating and going off college was just the worst thing ever. He had kinda been my rock, listening to every rant about every little thing that ticked me off and encouraging me when my grades weren't all that great. Little did I know, worse things were going to happen...and he was going to be there through all of them.
Before I get too sappy and write an entire senior thesis on how amazing my friend is, I'll wrap this up by saying that I am so excited to see this year's show. It'll be really neat to see what they've done with it and to catch up with some of my old directors. There's also like a 70% chance I'll get really sentimental and burst into tears at some point, so we'll see.

Back to School Survival Guide

Here in my hometown, summer is officially over. Students headed back to school this morning. For some, this is an exciting time. Reuniting with friends and being back on a regular schedule is fun for a lot of people. For others, back to school can mean back to stress. Have no fear! I'm here to help! Having survived school up through undergrad, I have plenty of tips for getting through the school year.
1. Breathe. This is so important. Things get busy fast when school starts. Remember to breathe.
2. Make time for you. Between homework, extracurriculars, and trying to keep up with your social life, it can be hard to find time for yourself. Whatever you do, make sure you're taking care of you.
3. Keep an agenda. If your school doesn't provide you an agenda, go to Walmart or the dollar store and get yourself a planner. This makes it way easier to keep up with assignments, due dates, and activities.
4. Get some sleep. This is another one of those things that can be hard to do in the midst of all the craziness, but it's important for your physical and mental health.
5. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Whether you're dealing with bullies or falling behind in a class, don't be afraid to speak up and ask for help. Go to tutoring (if your school offers it, or ask a friend or teacher for help), talk to your teachers, go to the counselor. Do whatever you need to do.
6. Be yourself. Don't let anyone tear you down for being you. Own it! You are awesome!
7. Pay attention in class. I know, some classes are boring things you're required to take. Trust me, I understand. It's still important to pay attention. If you don't you may miss some key information needed for the exam.
8. Study. Even if it's only for a few minutes a day, make sure you study. It'll pay off in the long run. (Hint: flashcards are your friend. You can also try quizlet.com, it's free and saves you from buying tons of index cards!)
9. Do your homework. I'm sure your mom and your teachers ride you about this already, but if you don't get your homework done, your grade will suffer.
10. Get involved. Don't just sit idly by and let the school year pass. Find a club/activity that interests you and get involved. It can help you to find friends with similar interests while also having a good time at school.
11. Have a presentation coming up? Make note cards. And number them. It will help you stay on track when you present.

You got this! Have a great school year!

Everything I Need to Know About High School, I Learned From Taylor Swift

Way back in 2008, Taylor Swift was a country singer and she released a little album called Fearless. The second song on the album, Fifteen, was written about Swift's early days of high school, from meeting her best friend, Abigail Anderson, to the ups and downs of teen romance. If you really listen to the lyrics of the song, you can learn a lot about how to survive high school.
1. "You take a deep breath, and you walk through the doors." This is important if it's your first day of high school and you're a little nervous. Just take a deep breath before you walk inside.
2."Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say, 'you know, I haven't seen you around before.'" There's a good chance you are hoping for this. However, if a senior boy is flirting with you, run. He's almost 18, if he isn't already, and you're 14-15. That is not okay.
3. "Count to ten, take it in, this is life before you know who you're gonna be." Yes. This. Freshman year, and high school as a whole, doesn't last forever. Use this time to explore new things and figure yourself out. Enjoy it.
4. "In your life, you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team." So true. If you do end up dating the boy on the football team and it works out, that's great. Just don't get so focused on making that happen that you lose yourself. There are way more important things like friends, doing things you love, and figuring out who you want to be.
5. "Don't forget to look before you fall." This is one of my favorite lines in this song. Before you do something or date someone, really think about if it's right for you. Ask yourself, is this going to lead me closer to who I want to be? Will I be happy if I do this, or just end up hurt? These are important questions. If all else fails, ask your friends and family.
6. "I've found time can heal most anything." My other favorite line. It's 100% true. You're going to make mistakes. It's what teenagers (and humans in general) do. What's important is that you don't let those mistakes define you. Just give it time and move on. You'll be fine.
Now, go own this school year like the rock star you are! You've got this!

Babies and Graduation

Earlier today, a friend of mine who works for Students For Life shared an article (which you can read here). This article was about high school senior, Maddi Runkles, who happens to be pregnant. Runkles attends a private Christian school in Maryland, and, due to her pregnancy, her school is not allowing her to walk at graduation. They say she will still receive a diploma, but she cannot participate in the graduation ceremony. This isn't right.

I understand that the school wishes to uphold it's clean, Christian reputation. However, is excluding a girl from graduation for choosing life really very Christian? Christians are supposed to support life from conception to natural death. Now, I know many Christians who do not follow this, but even pro-choice groups have posted in support of Maddi. 

One of the reasons the school does not want Maddi participating in graduation is that premarital sex is a sin, and they don't want to celebrate that. However, regardless of age or circumstances, we are called to love and support pregnant women. Technically, we're called to love everyone, no matter what. Anyway, the school doesn't want to celebrate this "mistake" and make other girls in the school think that having sex and getting pregnant before marriage is okay. 

What kind of message is this really sending though? To me, it seems to be telling teen girls that if they get pregnant, they will be punished. All this does is discourage young women from choosing life.
The school wants to promote chastity and abstinence, which is all well and good, but studies show that abstinence only sex education doesn't work. Teens are going to have sex. We can educate them and try to discourage it, but the truth is, it's going to happen. When it does happen, and results in a pregnancy (which is the biological purpose of sex), we shouldn't be shaming the girl for having sex. We should encourage her to choose life for her child. If she doesn't wish to keep the child or doesn't think she's a fit mother, we should direct to adoption resources.
If you agree with me, I suggest you contact the school, which you can do here, and stand up for Maddi.