Dishwashing Mania

I want to fall into a mountain of freshly washed sheets.

I finally have an official, real job: washing dishes at Rey Azteca. Thanks to Alaina's dedicated mother, I feel like I joined the mafia. There's no turning back.

I actually like the job although it is pretty down and dirty, hard work. Driving around town, I now think of all the other teenagers and down-on-their-luck twenty somethings silently washing dishes in the small corners of kitchen restaurants. Maybe I'll start a club. These are the real champions of society.

Track has started and the countdown to summer has begun. One thing is blocking my way - Ayn Rand. A couple of months back during my scholarship craze, I decided to enter The Fountainhead Essay Contest. Might as well. I read the book and surprisingly enjoyed it. But I need to get this essay done. That's my goal for the week. And then I will be free baby.

Other than that, I need to start writing my summer lists. I have two of them - Things I Want to Do This Summer (like go camping and head to the drive-ins) and Things I Need to Learn in Order to Survive in College (like I'm embarrassed to admit I can't tie my ties very well... or at all).

How are all the other high school seniors feeling right now? I don't know if I'm ready to leave my life as I know it. But it's time. I've had a good year. Now, I just have to go out with a bang.

And oh. I spent part of my weekend making this video for one of my teachers, Miss Rice. She wants to win a trip to England. Watch and share if you haven't already!

Send Miss Rice to England!

Bye Bye Musical

After three months of Conrad Birdie influencing my every move, running from place to place, and living off of ham and cheese sandwiches, I woke up this morning and it was all gone.

The last performance of Bye Bye Birdie was yesterday. Although the whole ordeal got off to a rough start, I really enjoyed the whole experience and wish I would have gotten involved in a musical sooner. It was nice to bond with the cast and make some new friends. Plus, I just like creative endeavors. Putting on a show was rewarding.

At the cast party afterward, I finally realized that I'

m headed to college in five months and that I'm going to miss everyone. I filled out my housing application for Chapman last night, and it felt weird. I hope I make college friends quickly.

Oh well. I'm on to other things already. Track is in full swing, and I still have some end-of-the-year projects to finish. I can't think of anything huge I'm looking forward to other than graduation and prom (I suppose). I guess I should come up with a "cute" way to ask Alaina.

Hello World.

I've been gone for quite awhile. I know I said I wouldn't blog again until Monday, but a friend brought me out of hibernation a little early.

I've been busy trying to fill my days with both track workouts and musical practice. In fact, I'm leaving my house in about five minutes for our last rehearsal. Opening night for Bye Bye Birdie is tomorrow. I'm excited for musical weekend and my first track meet next week.

The time is flying by. I have made my final college decision: Chapman. I wasn't accepted into USC. I can't say I was surprised. In fact, I think I might have been leaning toward Chapman all along. I don't know what it is - I just know it's the school for me.

Enough about me. What brings me here today is my friend Sara. Like myself, she is still working on scholarships. She wrote an essay about the importance of free speech and individuality. Both Sara and I have found these essential during our senior year as we prepare for college. Our generation needs to fight for our beliefs. After all, no one wants to live in a world where Big Brother limits your every move. Individuality is a beautiful thing.

To Sara, good luck. And to everyone else, have a nice weekend.

Check this out:

"Thousands of people stand around me, angrily shouting and thrusting their signs into the air. As the mass marches toward the Capital, I realize that these people are all standing in the frigid January temperatures in order for their voices to be heard and to exercise their rights under the first amendment. In response to the video, “Lukianoff on Free Speech,” censorship on college campuses is wrong; higher education should be promoting the education and dissemination of serious topics to further prepare students for life after school. Both national and international issues need to be discussed because younger generations will not learn to have a voice about serious issues facing our world in the coming years.
In my senior year of high school, I am taking a morality class in which we often get into debates about heavy moral issues such as abortion, capital punishment, and marriage. Before the year had begun, I had somewhat understood my views on these subjects, but was unable to fully defend my beliefs. As the year has progressed, my eyes were opened to the views of others who actually understand their views entirely and have defended them up until the end of each class. Through free speech, others have helped me to further formulate my personal views on global issues of importance, and I have found that I have become a well-rounded person. Instead of only speaking to those of my own generation about the hottest fashions and the newest songs, I can now speak to anyone; I am better able to understand and discuss my views. It is vital that we instill the values of open discussion and debate in our young adults before they enter the working world without ever having expressed themselves. Debating in classrooms and helping young adults to understand the various views of the world needs to be a higher priority for colleges. Colleges should be encouraging debates that allow students to express themselves and explore their own opinions. Without the right to free speech, students will come to believe that having a voice is inconsequential, along with the idea that one cannot be an individual. Everyone should have an opinion, along with the liberty to express that opinion, especially in a college setting where one is taught to question, examine, and discern.
In conclusion, censorship on campuses is a problem; one should be able to freely express his or her views and practice the use of his or her voice like the people I witnessed marching toward the Capitol. If students can engage in an open debate with the guidance of a professor, it may help some of the students to refine their own opinions. Colleges should stop ignoring and making light of the first amendment and start educating the future of the world, because without it the nation’s voice will become obsolete. Society needs to break the silence and make some noise to prevent a lackluster future for the land of the free."

Tough Yet True Love

Track conditioning has started right when musical is heating up. The school year has reached that limbo period when winter activities blend with spring activities in order to create a month without sleep.

In the midst of the excitement, I hope to still find time to blog on the weekends. Tonight, I am staying up late in order to accomplish a few things - one of which is quite daring.

I am currently uploading a photo album of embarrassing Ryan pictures to Facebook. You see, as much as I love Adam and Ryan, they've been acting like two gossiping bitter old women lately. In addition, Ryan has initiated a number of small attacks on me throughout the year. I've warned him countless times that I was going to get my revenge.

The day has come. Although really, I don't believe in revenge, and I don't see this action as such. In reality, I simply find the pictures hilarious and believe that they need to be shared with the world. It's about time everyone met the real, not-so-innocent Ryan.

I'm sorry Ryan, but it had to be done. You will gain more fans in the long run thanks to this. And although we often fight and lunge at each others' throats, we will always love each other. I might actually miss you in college... just a little bit.

In other parts of the world, Alaina and I had a wonderful Pittsburgh trip on Saturday. I'm looking forward to another fun weekend because our good friend Christina is coming to Johnstown from Philadelphia. Her birthday is tomorrow. Happy birthday EM! We're in for an extravaganza.

I'll write about that as well as Pittsburgh soon.

One last thing, thank you to Alaina for introducing me to this song.