Prom!

Ah, springtime, a time for warm weather, flowers blooming and girls shopping around for beautiful dresses. It’s prom season here at Kennedy and everyone is getting excited. Boys are thinking up cute ways to ask girls to the dance and girls are freaking out over finding the perfect dress. As a junior I’m not really used to the whole prom deal because at my school we aren’t allowed to go till our senior year. Unless of course you are asked by a senior. Some schools have junior-senior prom which means juniors and seniors can go. I feel like this makes the dance less special.
Prom is almost like a rite of passage. It only happens once and I feel that makes it so much more special. When you have the dance as a junior-senior prom it makes it seem less special because you have already gone the year before and the magic is gone. Also it’s not just your senior class. You have to share your big night with a class a year younger than you. I don’t know about you but I feel like that isn’t very special. Prom is supposed to be one of the best nights of high school that happens only once. When you go more than once you begin to lose the magic.
Seniors have gone through 4 years of high school and now are about to graduate. This is the last big dance/party of their high school careers.  I feel they have earned this big night. We juniors have gone through high school too but I feel we will earn that prom the next year when we are about to leave. It just seems like you have only earned the right to prom once you are a senior.
If you are asked to prom but you aren’t a senior it is ok because you get to experience possibly another schools prom or another class’s. It may make your own dance seem less special but I feel the fact that you were chosen to go makes it different. When it’s a junior-senior prom you don’t really do anything. You just expect to go. I just feel prom should be a senior only dance. That way it’s a special, once in a lifetime event. You get to celebrate one last time before heading off into the real world. You want it to be special and perfect.

Drama

No matter where you go, how old you are or what language you speak, you will always be faced with drama. Drama is some sort of unexpected event happening that effects your life or others. Many people believe there is only drama between teenagers but if you look around it’s not just the teens. I have seen many adults face their own drama and even create it. 
(Unfinished) 

Spring Break!

Next week everyone will be going on spring break and in Iowa I mean everyone. All of the schools around Cedar Rapids, all of the colleges, everyone is on break for a week. So there will be teenagers and young people everywhere. People are traveling all over the country and the globe for a short vacation. There are at least 12 families from Kennedy heading down to Florida. I have a friend who is also heading down to Florida for a school trip. I even have friends who are heading to Germany and England. People are heading off to fun places for great vacations and I’m going to be stuck here in Cedar Rapids.

I am a little upset that I won’t be able to do much over the week but I’m also just glad I’m off from school for a week. It’s so nice to not have to worry about any work or homework for a week. There is one problem with staying home though; you get very bored very fast. You have to find fun things to do around town with friends and family or you will just be bored the whole week. Here are a few ideas:

·         Go shopping

·         Have a short road trip with friends

·         Go to a park

·         Organize a soccer game with friends

·         Go to the beach (If you’re near the beach. We have a slight disadvantage here in Iowa)

·         Go to a parade or festival (St. Patrick’s day is right in the middle of spring break)

·         Have a party/ bon fire

·         Have a movie marathon

·         Read a book

·         Do some homework (I know, bleh, but you gotta do it sometime)

·         Have a sleepover

·         Go to a movie

·         Go on a bike ride

·         Go to a concert

·         Clean around the house (same as homework)

·         Have a picnic

·         Go to an animal shelter

·         Go for a run

·         Go to a zoo

There are so many fun things you can do for spring break without having to spend a ton of money on a vacation. You just have to use your imagination and find a couple friends to do things with. Spring break is always a great time to relax, catch up with friends, and just do something you haven’t done before. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you stay safe and you have fun. Have a great break everyone. :)

 Word count: 401

Stress

As a junior in high school I know what how stress feels and what it can do to people. Everyone is freaking out about grades, friends, awful teachers and family problems. If you ask anyone they would absolutely tell you that they have been stressed before. Some more than others, but we have all experienced it more than once. You just need to know how to handle it. There are some people who don’t know what to do so it becomes destructive.

There are many methods for dealing with stress. Some can be very helpful and effective while others can be extreme and may just cause more stress. I have many friends who stress so much about school and homework they lose sleep trying to do all kinds of work and just stressing over how much other work they have. Stress can make people feel sick and really mess with their health. Many people try to ignore stress which seems to help for the short term. Soon though, that stress will build up even more until you can’t ignore it anymore and it’s too much for you to handle. You can’t just ignore it because it will always be there.

 The worst thing you can do is let the stress take over you and run your life. Nothing is as big as it seems, whatever stress is going on just know it will not destroy you. You need to just step back, take a breath, and try to relax. Whatever is going on will work out and you will be ok

. Here are a few ways to deal with stress:

·         Just breath for a little bit and take a second to relax

·         Play with a pet

·         Take a nap

·         Exercise

·         Listen to music

·         Read a book

·         Talk with a friend

·         Eat healthy foods

·         Stay positive

I know these may sound like ways to procrastinate from your stress but sometimes you really just need a break. You do not need to work yourself ragged, it’s better to get your mind off things for a little while so you can come back whatever things you need to do feeling refreshed and less scattered. Always remember, it’s ok to have fun sometimes but you have to keep a good balance. Work hard but also know when it’s time to just relax and have fun. Don’t let the stress consume you, just have fun and be happy.

Graduation

Junior year is said to be the hardest year of your high school career and right now I’m realizing it’s really true. We are all just working towards graduation and going off on our own. Whether our plan is college, military, working or traveling we all have a plan (or working on it) for when we get out. Everyone thinks that you have to go to college after high school but that’s far from true. My plan personally is to go to college to become a teacher but there are so many things you can do. It all depends on who you are and where you want to go in life.

If you do choose the path of college, right now you are freaking out about having everything you need to apply to colleges and being accepted. The thought of going off on your own to a big school and deciding what you want to do with your life can be very stressful. Trust me, I’m trying to figure out what classes I need to take for senior year so I can be accepted into college and it’s really hard. I’m not going to say you shouldn’t worry about it because it is a very big decision, but you don’t need to completely stress yourself out over it. You will be able to figure everything out, you just may take longer than others. Just do your research, figure out what you want, make sure you know what you need to do and you will be successful.

If you choose to do something other than college, that’s great too. For some people, college really isn’t for them. Some people want to travel the world before they go to college. Others want to go into the military. There are even some people who just want to work right out of school. I have friends who want to do so many different things and it’s great.

No matter what you choose for a path, as long as it’s what you want and makes you happy, it’s a great decision. We are all going off on our separate ways and I hope you all figure out what path that is.

New Semester!

It’s the start of a new semester here at Kennedy and there’s a lot of change going on. All new classes (for some), new people in your classes, and new schedules. Many people love the fresh start and the different things that happen. But there are many people who do not like the change for various reasons. Whether it’s because none of their friends are in their classes or their classes are all over the school. I’m here to say that the new semester will not be as bad as you may think.

I know it’s awful that none of your friends are in your class and you think you’re going to have a horrible semester but it’s not that bad. Now you are able to talk to all new people and potentially make some more friends. I know that sounds really cliché and adults are telling you that all the time but I’m serious. You could meet some really great friends. That’s how I met a lot of my friends I have today. I would not have one of my closest friends right now if I hadn’t met her in our gym class two years ago. It doesn’t take much to start a new friendship, she just came up and asked if she could eat lunch with me after gym. The rest is history.

Lots of people are really mad that their classes are all over the school. One class is all the way upstairs then your next class is all the way downstairs and across the school then you have to go back upstairs for your next class. Trust me, I’ve been there. This year I was lucky enough to have classes that were all relatively close together but I know there are some unlucky ones. There aren’t many solutions to this because it’s not like you can just move your class. You just have to suck it up and make the trek. There are ways to shorten the walk though. Try to go down back stairs, or outside. They may seem like work but trust me, it’s super helpful and a lot faster.

So believe me on this, the semester is not going to be torture just because your friends aren’t with you or your classes are miles apart. There are ways to fix it and make the rest of your year amazing. You just have to try and be more open. Have a great semester guys! J

Social Media

Our generation basically lives on social media. I bet there is not one teenager out there that doesn’t have some sort of social media account. There’s the bigger ones like Instagram and twitter, the old but good ones like Facebook and there’s even ones that not a lot of people have seen very much like Pinterest or Tumblr. Whatever you use, it’s still social media. There are many pros and cons for these kind of sites/ apps. There’s always a big debate on whether this technology is helping us or hurting us.

Most people use their accounts to keep in touch with friends and family. I use my Facebook to keep in touch with family who live farther away and I don’t see much. Instagram is used to help you keep in touch with friends and people you know. Other apps are used to spread around ideas, crafts and recipes like Pinterest. Twitter is used mainly as entertainment or just a place to vent for some people.

 A lot of these sites are used to spread information around. I get notifications from my soccer team on twitter about practices or things going on with the team. On Facebook I follow the school account which keeps track of different sport events going on so you always know the score. Many people follow the district twitter so we can know when there are delays or cancellations of school. Social media isn’t just for cat pictures and seeing what your friends are doing. It helps spread information and ideas.

There are a lot of people who believe social media has ruined our generation. We are obsessed with our phones and different social media. Many believe we don’t know how to communicate with each other in person because we are so used to hiding behind a screen. They believe we have become the generation that doesn’t care about actual social interaction. I honestly do not agree with that. I feel we are a very social generation and we use our phones so much so we can stay social with people. I admit there are times where I don’t want to talk to someone so I just look at my phone and ignore them. But I feel my generation is a lot smarter than adults give us credit for.

We are a generation of innovative, intelligent and caring people. We may use our phones a lot but that is definitely not the only thing we care about. We have values, we care about grades, family and friends. We know how to be good human beings but adults only see the ones who don’t. They judge us all too quickly saying we are all up to no good. That isn’t true, we try very hard to do our best but some adults are too biased and choose not to see that.

Summer Vacation!

It’s winter here in Iowa right now and I’m really missing the warm weather. Don’t get me wrong, winter is really fun. You can go sledding, build snowmen, and snuggle by a fire with hot chocolate. Summer has always been my favorite season though. I don’t like being cooped up in the house all the time because of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. I like going outside in the warm air and having fun.

Summer vacation is the time for no worries, freedom, warm air, tan skin, and fun. You aren’t in school for a whole three months and you don’t have to worry about anything. Since I’m 17 I can drive around with my friends with all the windows down just jamming out. We can go to the pool and just relax, or play soccer at the park. We can go get ice cream or have a picnic outside. You also have time to go on road trips or travel to another country. This summer I’ll be traveling to England in June and going on a mission trip in July. In summer there is so much time to do anything you want. There is not much you can do during winter other than play with snow. That can be fun for a while but it just gets too cold and miserable. Travelling is a no go because of the awful weather and dangerous road conditions.

Many people like winter because you can stay inside and just relax by a fire. That is very nice but after a while I get really tired of being cooped up in my house constantly. I want to go outside but every time I do I get a slap in the face from the cold. I love being able to go outside and feel the warm sun on my face. It does get pretty hot here in Iowa but all you have to do is go to pool or grab a sprinkler to cool down.

No matter what, my favorite season will always be summer. Snow, Christmas and sledding are great but could never compare to the freedom of summer. You can go on road trips, travel to different countries or just relax at your local pool. There are always fun ways to stay cool, staying warm is a lot less fun. During the winter you are stuck in school worrying about grades and homework. There are absolutely no worries over the summer. That’s why summer vacation will always be my favorite time of year.

WPA

WPA is a big dance at my school in the middle of March. It stands for Women Pay All and the girls do just that. We pay for everything, the dinner, the tickets, everything. It was mainly created so we could have a winter dance and it’s a nice change from regular dances. It’s like our generations version of a Sadie Hawkins dance. We get to ask the boy we like and the boys don’t have to worry about paying. Traditionally boys have to pay for all the dates and dances so this is refreshing that we get to do stuff for the boys.

I have gone to WPA for the past two years and it’s really fun. Some people don’t realize that you don’t even have to go with a date. My first year I went with a guy friend and last year my friends and I all went just as a big group. We had a ton of fun getting dressed up and just dancing the night away. Unlike homecoming, WPA isn’t all about having a date, it’s a lot more casual and you can just have fun with your friends.

If you do want to ask a boy to the dance there are so many cute and creative ways to do it. My friend is going to have a bunch of pictures of her and her boyfriend in the shape of a heart and a paper in the middle that says “I could picture us at WPA”. My other friend asked her boyfriend with a star wars theme. She had a sign that said “Why join the dark side when you can join my side, WPA?” and she spelled out WPA in candles. You can be as creative as you want and make it very sentimental.

Some of you are probably thinking about asking a boy that you have a crush on but don’t want to go full out. That works too. Just go up and ask him, write him a note or just a simple text works. Don’t be afraid to just ask him. What’s the worst that could happen? I asked my best friend freshman year just as friends and we ended up having a lot of fun and dating for a few months after. You never know what could happen. Just be brave and go for it.

Whatever you choose to do, just have fun and make the best of the night. J

Cookie Mania!

It’s that time of year again. The time where your doorbells are ringing non-stop and you see those rainbow colored boxes everywhere. It’s Girl Scout cookie season and it’s back in full force. The Lemonades, Thanks-A lot’s and Thin Mints are everywhere. Teachers at my school are selling boxes left and right for their daughters and nieces. Neighbor girls come knocking at your door trying to sell as many boxes as they can. My dad even bought a whole case full of cookies from his friend. The cookie frenzy has begun and there’s no slowing it down.

As a former Girl Scout, I know the struggle of trying to sell as many boxes as you can. The cookies are extremely popular but there are so many girls out there selling just like you. You would ask someone and the typical response is “I already bought some from my niece/ daughter/ friend/ neighbor/ all of the above. I always had certain people I could sell to but getting to my goal for boxes sold was always very difficult. It can be frustrating but it does help you learn many things about marketing and money.

You learn how to count and collect money. Also, it teaches you how to market your product and ways to sell them. I was a very shy child back then but since I had to go out and talk to people and sell my products it really helped me break out of my shell. I was able to understand the professional world and the workings of business. You develop a lot of people skills and are able to understand the world around you more. Selling Girl Scout cookies isn’t just fun, it’s also a learning experience.

So no matter what your favorite cookie is, just know you are helping tons of little girls learn new things and raise money for their troop. All the money they raise is used to do trips, service projects and volunteering. Every time you buy a cookie you’re not just helping one little girl, you are helping the entire community. So buy some great cookies and help those little girls and yourself.

Word count: 360

Iowa Assessments

I’m sure all schools do some sort of standardized testing every year. We have what we call Iowa Assessments here in Iowa. It used to be called ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) but we changed it a couple years ago. If you are in 3^rd grade all the way up to 11^th you have to take these tests. They test in all of the basic subjects and are used to see how well you are learning and for school boards to know how well schools are teaching. If your school does really well overall then you could get more money for your school. Our administrators really try to push us to do well so we get more money but most of us who are older really don’t care anymore.

It is my last year taking these tests because I am a junior and trust me, it’s a huge relief. After taking these tests every year for the past 9 years, it can get very old and boring. I do try on the tests but I just feel like it’s a big hassle. A lot of the questions are super simple and seem almost pointless. I feel like these tests really don’t test our knowledge very well at all. I suppose it does test our common knowledge and development but nothing we answer ever pertains to the actual things we are learning in school.

Our school has had to bribe high schoolers just to show up and do these tests. If we have perfect attendance in our homeroom for all

of the testing days we get a pizza party or donuts. Also if you as an individual show up you get 2 raffle tickets for each day you test and are put into a drawing for parking spots at the school or gift cards for different restaurants. If you actually do well on the tests you get a t-shirt if you are a freshman, or sophomore and a sweatshirt if you’re a junior. They have to find some sort of way to make us show up for the tests because no one takes it seriously so they skip. I feel like we the administration makes these tests seem like a huge deal when they’re really not. I do think we should take it a little bit seriously but I don’t think we need to make it such a big deal. We should just show up, try our best and see the outcome. These scores do reflect you and your school so you want to at least try.

Inequality in School Sports

We have so many sports opportunities to try here at Kennedy. We have usual like football, basketball, and soccer but we also have cross country, golf teams, and even a bowling team. There are many schools out there that barely have any sports available at all. We are very fortunate as a big school to have so many opportunities here. There is a problem with all of our sports though. There is a huge issue of inequality between the teams here. Many people don’t see it or choose to ignore it but it is happening. Certain teams get better treatment than others just because they are deemed “better”. It is not fair and we need to do something to change it.

              A huge example of this inequality is the football team. Don’t get me wrong, I love football and our school is passionate about it. But football players are treated like gods here. I agree that we should recognize them for their accomplishments but when you begin to ignore all other sports just to focus on one there’s a problem. Our principal showed how truly real this issue is. He would go to every single football game we ever had if possible but when it came to a soccer game, cross country meet, or tennis match he would show up to maybe one race/game/match, take a selfie then leave. The only time he truly seems to care about the other teams is when we are going to state or doing really well.

              We need to start paying more attention to every sport in our school, not just the ones that seem more popular or the ones that are doing the best. We have a lot of amazing sports and athletes at this school and it’s time they get recognized. So grab your friends and go to a soccer game or take your family to a tennis match. I know they may not seem interesting but you never know, you might find something you really like watching and may want to play yourself. You’ll never know unless you try. Even if you don’t at least you are out there supporting our cougs. Isn’t that what we are all about at this school? Supporting our school and everyone in it. It’s time to be a more equal and supportive Kennedy.

Nicknames

Nicknames are the fun, shortened, or just random names that we give people to be more affectionate. Most nicknames are fun and nice but sometimes people use them to be mean. Usually though, they are just fun ways to identify your friends. Most, if not all people in the world have some sort of nickname.

Some nicknames come from stories you don’t even remember but it stuck. My nickname is Caitiebird. I got it when I was a baby because apparently I made bird noises and tweeted all the time. My dad took my name, Caitlin, and combined it with bird and got Caitiebird. It’s kind of embarrassing to think about but I love my nickname because it came from my family. It showed that they care about me. My dad also calls me baby doll which makes me feel even more loved. It shows that I am his little girl and he will always love me.

Some nicknames come from accidents. My friend Shelby got her nickname Swilliams, from a messed up font on a sweatshirt. Her last name is Williams and her first initial is S. she got both on the back of a sweatshirt and they were so close together they looked like Swilliams. It was pretty catchy so people called her Swilliams and it has stuck for years. Sometimes she only answers to Swilliams. She absolutely loves her nickname because it’s different way to be identified but also relates to her. I also call her Tooty the turtle because one day she was hiding under a blanket. At one point she arched her back and I told her she looked like a turtle. She was so excited and she yelled “I’m Tooty the turtle!” and it just stuck.

Other nicknames are for more affectionate reasons like babe and honey. My friend Micaylee calls her boyfriend koala because when they hang out she is always hugging him and wrapping her legs around him like a koala. They call each other that because it is something they share and love about each other. It’s a name only they can call each other and it’s very sweet.

So nicknames are a very big part of a teen’s life. It can make them feel really special and loved or bring up a funny memory. It’s special because only certain people call you it. Do you guys have a fun nickname?

Girls CAN Play Sports

Back in the day many people thought that girls shouldn’t play sports because they are too fragile. Then when they did create women’s sports it was only non-contact. Now we have finally figured out that girls are not fragile at all. We play soccer, basketball, and even football and wrestling. There are still people out there who think girls can’t handle playing with boys. I’m the living proof that’s not true.

I’ve been playing soccer with boys for the past 3 years and I’m just as tough, if not tougher than any guy on my team. When I first started I was a little surprised at how aggressive the guys were but I got used to it and now I’m just as aggressive. It really gets on my nerves when people think girls can’t handle playing with boys. We can handle anything that is thrown at us, including a football.

What really gets on my nerves is when people say “you throw like a girl”. I know it’s just a saying that has been used for years but it’s so derogatory and rude. Statements like that are what keep young girls from playing the sports they love. They think that since they are girls they can’t play or do what they want. We have made it seem like being a girl means we are useless. Being a girl means we are strong as hell. We are able to put up with so much and still have a smile on our face.

People need to realize that girls and guys are equals. There are still women in the workforce who are earning less than men who do the same job. It’s not fair or justified. There are so many people in the world who need to figure out that women are amazing and strong. I’m not trying to bash men though. Men are a big necessity in life but it’s not right to treat women like they are less than them. We need to realize everyone is equal whether they are black, white, male, female, young or old. We are all human beings and we have worth. Stop making people feel inferior and worthless. I’ve said it over and over but it needs to be said, none of this is fair and it needs to change.