The Bluffer

May 29, 2015

The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA

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Class of 2015 Senior Editorials Page 2 May 29, 2015 Opinions G rowing up I thought the day that I graduate from high school would never come. Well, I was wrong. High school is like nothing else that you will ever experience in life. I know how it feels being a lower classman and feeling like it is never going to end. Even as a junior and at the beginning of my senior year, I felt like graduation would never get here. But believe me when I say this, time flies by. If can I give any advice to the younger classmen I would say this, don't get discouraged. Discouragement will do nothing, but hinder your ability to perform in the classroom and to enjoy your short four years. I can tell you this through experience: For those who are familiar with the term "senioritis", well I have had this "disease" since my sophomore Tessa Jones Becca Blanchard Josiah Vasey Jay Boone H igh School is a place not only to learn and grow, but it's also a place of transition where you become into the person you are going to be for the rest of your life. Although most of us felt like we were ready to graduate half way into freshmen year, believe it or not high school is an important part of our life and development. It was hard for me to understand in the beginning of my freshmen year why everyone said that high school was the golden years. To me, it just felt like school and the awkward adolescent situations didn't make it much better. At the beginning of my freshmen year I was shy and afraid. Throughout high school, I learned to be comfortable with who I am and not care so much what other people think because when it's all said and done it only matters what I think of myself. High School not only takes you through the necessary level of education, but it thrusts you into situations where you are forced to grow and become a respectable person that is ready for adulthood. These last four years, whether I was loving them or hating them, I always felt like I was growing. The experiences I made will forever be a huge part of the person I am today. For a long time I was very bitter about the days I spent at school because I felt that I was ready for the real world and that high school was just wasting my time. As I learned what the real world was really like, I found out how much the people at this school could help and I can honestly say I wouldn't have the sold plan and future I have without the care and support of some of The RBHS staff. This high school will always be a part of who I am not only because of all the memories I made, but also because I will always owe RBHS for pushing me in the right direction and installing the values that will continue to keep determined and focused. After all these years I can honestly say I will miss RBHS. And for all you underclassmen enjoy high school while at lasts because it goes by so fast. Even if these aren't your golden years, you will still miss them when it's all said and done. I n two weeks, I'll be graduating from high school. Five instruction days, two days of finals, two inspiring days where I'll make a difference, one day of graduation practice, and the final ceremony itself. Everyone keeps asking me, "Can you believe it? Can you really believe your about to graduate from high school?" YES. Yes, I can. Can you believe I've been shoved into a desk seven hours a day, five days a week, for four years? Please. I was ready to graduate when I was a sophomore. At my freshman orientation, my group leaders told me I would look back and remember high school as the best four years of my life. Not to shame these people, but my life would be pitiful is this is true. High school was not awful, but it will definatley not be the highlight of my life. I was so excited to become a freshman. I was so sophisticated, a young adult on her way to becoming a senior! However, I was sure every senior was frowning at me, rolling their eyes as soon as they passed me. When really, as a senior now, I hardly notice anyone in the halls, let alone single out freshman. As a freshman, I was way too concerned about how people saw me, getting up early every day to do my hair and makeup to I 've debated what to make this editorial about. Part of me wanted to write a scathing criticism of high school and how backwards it is to force kids to decide their future at a time in their lives in which they are insecure, emotionally unstable and, for the most part, lazy. But if I wrote that editorial it wouldn't be honest because there were a lot of super dope awesome things that happened to me in high school. I made friends, lost friends, aced super hard tests, failed easy tests, and I even ate the heart of an albino child. So, all in all, I feel like highschool was an alright experience. A solid three stars, not a must see, but worth a rental. Now comes the hard part: what do I make this editorial about? I could give you some harcore advice about how to get better grades on papers. My secret? Lie. Lie forever. If you make a paper entertaining, you are more likely to get a better grade. Didn't read the book for English? Go off on a tangent about how the book reminded you of your father who died in a terrible pie eating accident. Teachers, despite their horrible appearance, are humans too, and do feel pity which can positively affect your grade. But what good is advice if no one reads it? After all, I'm assuming the majority of you bovine masses will just glance at this page, grunt uninterestedly, then move on to a more colorful page. But the teachers that I insulted above may spend the time to read this, and if so I have some advice for you: don't trust your students, ever. They are lying little brats that deserve no credit. They are just cockroaches beneath your feet. It's not like any of this matters, anyway. Humans are rapidly approaching their demise at their own irradiated, petrol covered hands. In another hundred years the ocean will swallow huge swathes of land, the sun will cook what were once fertile farmlands, my home will be destroyed, and my children will suffer. But, hey, it's just a theory that has mountains of physical evidence that 97% of scientists claim to be real. On a more serious note, there are a few people who have helped me to become a better person in this school, especially the teachers. Red Bluff High has some truly phenomenal teachers who understand how to teach and challenge their students. Many of my teachers said they were treating us like college students, and in no class was this more apparent I remember, one night a few people in Bluffer were working in the classroom, and started playing pencil darts with Mrs. Pelanconi's 'Twilight' painting. She didn't appreciate this too much, but it was still hilarious. My first week in Drama 2, I was quiet until I got paired with two very talented girls: Amanda and Brianna. We had to make up a skit where we were selling a product, when brainstorming what to sell, I whispered: a turtle taped to another turtle. This may seem really weird, but they actually laughed, from then on, I began to feel like I may have found a place where I belong. Along with great moments, I have had amazing teachers, who I want to thank really quickly-in a long winded way. How many people can say that they get to learn physics from somebody (Mr. Kennedy) who went to school with they guys from Papa Roach, and explains Fiziks with mosh pits? I can. How many people can say they have had an amazing teacher like Mr. Palubeski, who will let you bug them and ask them questions two years after having them for a teacher, where he made the entire class laugh every day? I can. How many people can say that they have had a teacher like Ms. Pelanconi, who always has advice to give, and disgusting smelling food to cook in the microwave? I can. How many people can say that they have a teacher like Norton who will give you hilarious and great advice almost daily when you ask him questions? I can. Since I have covered the sappy nostalgia part of this article, here is the cheesy "advice" part. There is the band, Marianas Trench who has a song with a lyric that says, "Clean cut, we do it like Disney. Well adjusted, trusted, trust me." High school is not like the Disney movie High School Musical. Nobody looks like Zac Efron, and if they do, they are already dating a sophomore because the seniors at this school do that a lot. Also, if you are involved in a lot of stuff, and taking hard classes, it's pretty hard to get perfect grades. Some people do it, but not being able to doesn't make you any less of a person. An important part of my high school career was that I was accidentally signed up for Drama, I stuck with it because the teacher was pretty funny and I met some of the most amazing people. Four years later, I find myself moving to LA to go to college-largely to study acting among other things. One of my favorite song lyrics by Marianas Trench is, "When the mirrors and the lights And the smoke clear I'd never guess How we ever could have got here." Four years ago, I couldn't really talk in front of other people, I loved writing (which may not be evident in this poorly written editorial) but I was pretty shy, and honestly very weird (okay so not everything has changed.) So, if somebody told me that as a senior, I would have auditioned for (royally bombed, but still gotten a chance to actually audition) Julliard, I wouldn't believe you. If you said that acting, and writing, and thinking weird thoughts would be what gets me up in the morning, I wouldn't believe you. That's what is great, is we honestly have no idea what our lives will be like four years from now. We can plan all we want, but we change. As much as I would love to say that after high school is over, so are any worries you might have: I can't. I don't know what happens next, it is different for everyone, and I'm only about to live life after high school in about a week. The only thing I do know is that Bowling for Soup has a song called, "High School Never Ends." As much as I hope this isn't true, I believe that the band is an incredibly reputable source. A s my high school career comes to an end, I've had lots of time to reflect on how I felt in my earlier years comparable to now. The person who I've become, the paths I have chosen, and the people I spend my time with have changed completely. The person who I was many years are ago compared to the current Ryan is now a mature "adult", as much as it pains me to say. I still strive to have my last immature moment, but I've realized that part of me longer exists. All I do now is work and spend time with my girlfriend. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy my life; I whole heartedly do. I am completely happy with how my life is ending up, even though it is exceedingly domestic. I enjoy it. I have found happiness in a simple yet exciting life. In my earlier years you would never have expected me to become the person I am now. In my earlier years I had no goals or ambitions. I was just flying by the seat of my pants, wondering where I would end up. Now, I fully understand where I will end up. Things that I have loved in the past are no longer a passion for me. I experienced a lot of things and I wouldn't have been able to understand that I no longer possess any happy feelings to them. As you go through life experiencing current things, you also experience new things and you begin to grow past the things you onced loved. You begin a new passion for new things. In freshman, sophomore year and a good portion of my junior year, my intention was to move as far away from my family as possible, but still live in California. My goal was to go to San Diego and go to college and become a journalist. But during senior year reality settled in, San Diego was extremely unrealistic and I got scared. I've never really been far away from my family, and my family is everything. I got in a serious relationship during the last half of my junior year and we both had goals to travel far away, but during senior year, we both realized that we would regret moving far away. During the summer, we spent a lot of time in Chico and we grew to love the city. The culture there is amazing and extremely different from anything I have ever experienced. Our goal and intention now is to go to college in Chico and still be close to our families. As a freshman, new to the school and the town of Red Bluff, I had no friends. I had no connections with anyone and I distanced myself from everyone. I played baseball my freshman year, and I peeked out of my shell. I hung out with a couple baseball buddies and that was my crowd for freshmen year. During sophomore year, I spent my time with a whole new group; I always had a blast with them and we still keep in touch. My junior year I drifted away from my old group and started breaking the top of my shell and started to meet new people and be social. I hung out with one friend and we always had fun. Our friendship came to an end because of issues by me and him, people make mistakes. But like I said earlier we grow and become better people. I got into a serious relationship with Savannah, whom I've been dating for a year and 4 months now. She became my main focus and I only wanted to spend my time with her. We spent a lot of time together and I am truly confident she is the one. The people we spend our time with truly defines who we are as a person. I never realized it but I've been many different people in my past few years. I do not regret any previous Ryan I was. I am totally fine with every version of me that existed. I have fully evolved into who I am now because of these experiences and I don't regret anything. I've made friends, and I've lost some. Things happen for a reason and I am a better person battling through those issues, and I sincerely will miss everyone who was a part of my life at some point and another. Those people helped sculpt who I have become. perfection. How I have changed. I've taken "no makeup Monday" to a whole new level. The only thing I remember about my sophomore year is feeling cooler than the lame freshman. Becoming a junior is great, untill you realize you're only half way through. Then you get upset. And at last, you finally reach your senior year. The year that's suppose to fly by with ease and happiness. I still have yet to feel my senior year fly by. Maybe in this next week. And never listen to the falsehoods that your senior year is the easiest. Lies. All lies. In terms of stress, my senior year was the worst. There was way too much to figure out for college, and pre-calculous/math analysis was the hardest class I took in high school. And then you get accepted into your first choice college, receive a scholarship there, and you suddenly lose the urge to do any more work. In fact you practically lose any drive whatsoever. #SenioritisIsReal. But no matter how much high school will put you through, it's still a growing experience. Whether it's positive or negative you'll learn something about yourself. High school may not have been wondrous, but it's almost over. And I can't wait to throw my cap in the air on graduation night! than in Mr. Sheffield's class. He challenged me, and I came out of that class a better student. Another amazing teacher is Mr. Fox, my calculus warden. He is always soft spoken and kind until he shouts something at the top of his voice, terrifying all of the half-asleep students. His little idiosyncrasies kept me invested in his lessons where I otherwise would have been lost. Finally, I have to give my love to Ms. Pelanconi, who has been with me all four years. Over that time she has become more of a friend than a teacher, but I haven't lost an ounce of respect for her. She's like a second mother, or perhaps a close aunt that always brings sweets. year. I allowed my attitude and my hatred for certain subjects to distract me from the big picture. Not only did I struggle to keep my grades up, but I also found myself wishing that I had simply done my work when I was supposed to, so that I would have had more time with my friends. I found that it was difficult to maintain my relationships with my friends when I was spending so much time complaining about school and how useless it seemed to me. Now that I am older and about to graduate, I understand the importance of school. It's not just to learn and gain an education, but it is an opportunity to build life lasting relationships with peers as well as teachers. I have come to the realization that your four years of high school should be cherished. Don't take it for granted, don't waste your timing waiting for the day you finally graduate, and don't get discouraged. Ryan Fisher Savannah Sutliff Editorial Policy: Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the district, staff, or student body. We welcome signed letters to the editor. Names may be withheld upon request. We also reserve the right to edit submission based on length and/or clarity. THE BLU FFER STA FF Ryan Fisher Editor-in-Chief Ryan Fisher News Editors Jay Boone Brianna Tackmier Kaylie Capps Opinions Editor Ceighlee Fennel Features Editor Tymberlyn Bealer Lexi Prtichard Sports Editor Savannah Sutliff Topics Editor Rebecca Blanchard Editor-in-Chief Julia Liebert Advertising Director Alisa Pelanconi Adviser Cartoonist Karla Nowicki Savannah Sutliff Leslie Soto Staff Writers Josiah Vasey Hailie Willey Julissa Villalobos Brittany Lawley Kourtney Sanders Shania Prieto Nichole Valdez Tessa Jones Britney Miranda Illeana Hilsee Rebecca Frey Sophia Cumpton Rebecca Blanchard A & E Editor

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