Smart Lunch Review

I’m a senior at Kennedy High School and we are one of the first high schools in our area to try a new system called Smart Lunch. We’re the guinea pigs for this new type of schedule so we’re still working out all the bugs in the system. Considering I’m a senior, this doesn’t affect me as much as it does for the under classman; but it’s definitely a nice change from the previous years.

It’s called Smart Lunch because instead of having thirty minutes for lunch like before, now we have eighty minutes and the school is released for lunch all at the same time. At first I was very skeptical because I attend a school with over a thousand students and the hallways and cafeteria were crowded to begin with. Instead of limiting the students to just the cafeteria, they’ve opened up the majority of the school. There are several hallways you’re not allowed to eat in, for obvious reasons, but there are various other places in the school you can chose to eat. Many teachers have also opened their rooms for kids to eat in, and is definitely a plus if they let you watch Netflix.

The eighty minute lunch periods were not given to use just for the fun of having eighty minutes. Teachers recommend you go to at least four tutorials for every class per term. There’s tutorial A and B every day, both consisting of forty minutes each. However it is recommended, but not always required. If you are failing a class then yes you are required to attend tutorials, which I think is very fare. At the beginning of the school year I wasn’t planning on going to any tutorials unless mandatory, however my view on that has changed ever so slightly. I don’t mind going to tutorials because they’re pretty easy. I attend one or two language arts tutorials a week, normally just working in the computer lab on AP Lang. Those still count as going to a tutorial. I will also say that they are very helpful and encourage everyone to go to at least one or two a week because it’s not overly hard and it does actually help. Just having a conversation with the teacher about something you don’t understand can make a huge difference.

Freedom is one of the biggest things I like about Smart Lunch. Seeing as I’m an upperclassman, I can leave campus for lunch and even though I don’t very often, it’s nice to know that I can if I wanted to. I probably go out to eat with friends once a week, or a go home for lunch which is not bad because it sort of breaks the day in half so I’m not at school for eight straight hours. However, on most days I spend the majority of the time working on homework in the library or getting help in a class. I pack my own lunch from home and usually eat in my 5^th hour class because I’m not that hunger around noon, but that’s just me.

I feel like some kids tend to use these eighty minutes wisely by getting stuff done, while others waste their life away. People would be more interested in tutorials if they had more engaging topics, such as the brain lady that came in during October to show us real brains. I understand that it’s a new thing and you have to have strict rules in order for people to follow them, but having teachers in every hallway asking people where they’re going is a little extreme. I get it if they’re messing around, but most teachers can distinguish between the good kids and the bad kids, it’s unnecessary to be harsh kids who are following the rules.

Word Count: 632

Being Thankful

The actual holiday of Thanksgiving may be towards the end of the month, but the whole month of November is a time to give thanks. Give thanks to your friends and family, to your pets, a time to be thankful for good health and good fortune. If you’re a little down on your luck, it’s a time to be thankful for what you do have, instead of dwelling on things you don’t have. However in reality, you really should be thankful all year round, not just in the month of November and December. Here’s my list of things I’m thankful for this year, and hopefully yours is very similar.

I’m thankful for my family. Family does a lot for you, whether you see it or not. It may not always be in the physical sense but in the mental mind set of life as well. They’re there for you during the tough times by holding your hand through it all and helping you understand why things happened the way they did, even when they can’t be explained. Your family is there for support, even when they’re the problem. Yes, I know families fight and can be dysfunctional. At the end of the day though, they’re family and will love you no matter what.

I’m thankful for good health. If you know me personally, then you know that I have a lot of health issues. So for me to say I’m thankful for good health might seem a little strange. If this situation is similar to your life, take a good look at these past couple of months. If your life is full of doctor appointments and medical bills like mine, try looking at the bright side of things. Your health issues could be much worse than they really are. If you’re drowning in medical bills as if there’s no tomorrow, just think of what it’s like for families with a child with cancer. If you or someone in your family has cancer or an incurable disease, just think of what it would be like without them entirely. Your current situation could always be much worse than it really is so always be thankful for the fact that it’s not worse.

I’m thankful for my friends. A girl’s best friend is basically like family. They consult them before making a big life changing decision, they go to their friends for advice on just about everything. No girl should have to go through life without a best friend, or even multiple best friends. Some people need to realize that friends are precious. You could wake up one morning and find out that they’re not there anymore; therefore you shouldn’t take them for granted. Be thankful they’re in your life and don’t be afraid to tell them that.

Word Count: 465

Dating in High School

Many people think dating in high school is bad because you don’t know what you want and you almost always end up getting hurt. These may be true but that doesn't mean that it’s wrong to date in high school. Having a high school sweet heart can help those four long years go by pretty quickly. Not to mention that it helps you with your social skills with the opposite sex.

Dating and having an actual relationship with someone is a new thing for freshman and even sophomores; it can seem kind of scary at times. Once you get experience talking to the other sex it becomes easier. However, freshman tend to think that having a boyfriend is more important than other things such as school, family, and even your best friends. If your best friend is obsessed with their boyfriend and refuses to spend time with you, just let nature take its course. When they eventually break up, she’ll come around. Boyfriends will come and go but best friends are for life. A girls’ first boyfriend is very important to her; she’s never felt this way before and he makes her feel special. She wants it to last forever. But unfortunately they don’t and once you've had a few relationships, you’ll begin to realize that yes it’s a big deal to have a boyfriend, but not something that should control your whole life.

If you’re one of those fortunate people to have a long lasting relationship, consider yourself lucky. Many high school relationships don’t last more than a few months, if that. It’s mostly because when you find someone that catches your eye, you flirt with them for a while and if they respond, they’ll hopefully ask you out. When you agree to go on a date with them, you don’t entirely know the person. You know them in a classroom or practice, not in a restaurant or public place. You don’t know their background or how much experience they have had in life. The first date is for getting to know the other person. However on most first dates, you’re awkward and shy. You don’t know how to act around someone you like in public and you spend more time worrying about what he thinks about you than getting to know him as a person. After dating for a week or two, you begin to realize he’s not everything you expected him to be. Don’t feel bad if this is you; it’s totally normal. Just make an effort to get to know him before you commit to anything.

Dating in high school proves to help kids with their social skills, especially with the opposite sex. It makes them more aware of what they’re saying and more confident in their actions and speaking. It’s natural for girls to feel shy around boys, but hopefully with a little practice that awkwardness will fade away. It also prepares you for a relationship in the real world after high school. If someone has no social contact with the opposite sex, they will have a hard time keeping a girlfriend or boyfriend. Those types of people are going through the awkward and shy stage later in life, while other people have had a head start because they've already went through that stage in high school.

Dating in high school is not for everyone. It protects your heart from getting hurt, it keeps your mind focused and it doesn't necessarily mean you don’t know how to talk to boys. Some of your best friends may be boys and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Word Count: 599

Kiddy Crush

If you have ever worked with kids, you know that kids can say the sweetest things. When I say “little kids” I don’t necessarily mean toddlers and elementary school aged students. Anyone younger than you can be considered a child. A lot of people admire someone who’s older than them, someone who has more experience and has lived life longer. There are many different ways to go about handling a kid who has a crush on you. If you don’t take precautions, you may traumatize them for the rest of their life.

There’s nothing wrong with dating younger guys, but there are always those guys that you automatically send right to the friend zone; especially if they’re more than five years younger than you. Normally if a kid has a crush on you, it’s just a phase and should pass. However if it doesn't seem like a phase, don’t let it go on for too long. You don’t want it to seem as if you’re leading him on; even if you have no intentions on doing so. Leading him on will make it harder for him to hear the word no when you tell him you just want to be friends.

Try letting him down easy. Don’t just come out and say it. Try pulling him aside as well. This way he’s not embarrassed in front of all his friends. Tell him gently that you guys are just friends. Try avoiding the words “I don't like you.” No matter the age, no one wants to hear someone else say they don’t like them. Even if you sounded kind, he will more than likely be upset, so try to help him find someone else to like; preferably someone his own age. Give him encouragement and suggests on how to go about perusing this other girl. This way he’s not left with nothing and he’s not interested in you anymore.

Word Count: 318

Perfection Does Not Exist

Girls look at the pretty lady on the cover of magazines and want to be them. They want her long blond hair, her size zero waist, her thirty two D bra size, her flat stomach, even her lips and her eyes. Young girls look at these women and see nothing but their flawless features. This is the goal they have set for themselves; perfection. Those women you see on the cover of magazines such as Seventeen or Vogue, are nothing more than a digital artist’s great Photoshop masterpiece. Girls of all ages, even as young as three years old, have been worrying about their body image. Young ladies need to know its ok to look different; that’s what makes you, you.

            A friend of mine took a Woman’s Studies course in college and her final term project was to make a PSA about body image. Click here to view her project.

            Body image is not something teenage girls deal with alone. Girls as young as three years of age know what it means to be considered fat. They think they will get teased at school if they have a little extra body mass compared to other kids. However the sad part is, that statement it very much true. Young girls compare themselves to others and feel the need to compete to be the skinniest girl in the room. Kids worry about becoming fat and they can tell when someone needs to lose a little weight. A little girl will say whatever is on her mind and she’s not afraid to tell someone they need to lose some weight. When the topic of making yourself look beautiful is on a child’s mind, just imagine what they’ll be like when they enter their teen years.

            Every week, girls spend an average of three and a half hours in front of the mirror. They look in the mirror and all they see are their flaws. They see giant thighs, big nose, too much fat around their stomach; the list goes on and on. If they were to spend half that time admiring how beautiful they are, their self-esteem could easily be ten times better. We are our worse critics and we focus primarily on our flaws, not our best features.

            Media portrays stunning women as being tall, thin, and big boobs. You see it everywhere you look. From models, to advertisement, to actresses, and even in toy dolls such as Barbie. This is one of the main stream ways for the media to corrupt female children into thinking they are not good enough to be beautiful. If they do not look like Barbie, then they’re not considered pretty. Barbie wears dresses, so little five year olds think they have to wear dresses to be pretty. Barbie has big boobs and a tiny waist. If your waist is bigger than your chest then you’re considered fat. Many public figures say we need to take care of our youth because they make up the future. If people truly believe this, then why are they telling little girls they need to look a certain way? By implanting that idea in the minds of children, it continues to grow into their adult years; which makes the future look pretty scary.

            Ladies need to know its ok to be different. Why would you want to look like someone who starves themselves and has bones popping out of their skin anyways? In reality, the models and actresses people perceive as being perfect are constantly being judged by how they look and act. Perfection is a nonexistent perception and girls need to realize they are perfect just the way they are.

Word Count: 611

Role Models in a Girl's Life

Every girl has that one person to whom they look up to. Whether it be a parent, a sibling, a best friend, or even a movie star. Role models are an important figure in a young teen’s life. They want to be exactly like this person and look to them for advice and what to do in a bad situation. They want to follow in this person’s footsteps even though they know they sometimes can’t. Role models have a huge influence on our youth.

If you considered yourself a role model to anyone, especially if you’re in the public eye, you need to watch your step. If you’re not careful enough, you may steer some little girl down the wrong path of life unknowingly. You don’t want to ruin a fifteen year old girl’s life just because you made some poor decisions. They look up to you and want to be you. They’re going to follow you in every aspect of life. Meaning if you show them it’s cool to drink and do drugs, they’re going to drink and do drugs. That’s not the kind of example you should be setting for the people we call our youth. Knowing this, it puts an immense amount of pressure on you, or any other role model for that matter, to be on your best behavior.

When choosing a role model, try to pick someone who seems like they’ve got their life together; even when you know they probably don’t. Pick someone who’s strong in your eyes, not someone who will back away into a corner in the middle of a sticky situation. Look up to someone who you know will guide you in the right direction. However you must not think of them as the “you in ten years.” They are their own person just like how you need to be your own person as well. Your role model is just there to keep you on the right track of life. Don’t believe that you’re going to become them in all their fame and glory. Role models and mentors are here to help you grow into the beautiful butterfly you were meant to be.

My personal role model would be my older sister. She and I had to share a room together when we were kids and we became really close. We played dress up together, we played house, we even braided each other’s hair; which I know is kind of cliché when you think about the relationship between sisters. When we entered our teen years, she would tell me stuff that she didn’t feel courageous enough to tell my parents about; and vice versa as well. We would spend many late nights talking and laughing, just like old times. When I started high school as a freshman, she was a senior. I looked up to her for advice about boys, help in my classes, she even helped me find a little niche in high school where I seemed to fit in. Now that she’s in college I don’t talk to her as much, but I call her two or three times a week. She helped me grow into the person I am today and growing up isn’t going to stop me from thinking of her as my role model.

Word Count: 548

Packing Lunch From Home

Depending on the school you attend, school food may or may not be your best option for lunch. At most high schools now a days, upper classmen can leave campus for lunch, which is always nice. However, not the most affordable. Unless you’re parents are super rich, you’ll most likely not have a big enough budget to support going out to eat every day. I’m not saying school food is not healthy or not good, however I am saying that everyone has different taste buds and may not like the choices offered at school; especially at a public school. Bringing your own lunch may seem a little dorky at first, because according to some people, taking your own lunch after elementary school is uncool. Once you reach high school however, no one seems to care anymore.

One advantage of packing your own lunch is that you get to decide what you eat. At school there are multiple choices to choose from, but I can guarantee there are twice as many options at home; unless your mom hasn't gone to the grocery store in a while. There are healthier options too. School lunch is all funded by the state and they like to save money as much as possible. So they pick the cheapest kind of good to serve students. Cheap is not always the healthy. The majority of school’s food is processed, however thanks to Michelle Obama, schools are looking into getting more fruits and veggies in cafeteria that aren't ridiculously expensive. With packing your own lunch, you can decided how much processed food goes into your body. You are the one packing the lunch, so you decide. Also thanks to Michelle Obama, many schools have now gotten rid of desserts in the lunch line. This has caused a little bit of an uprising in students all across the country. Kids love sugar and schools have taken away the one and only unhealthy option kids have. If you chose to not eat school lunch, you can add a little something extra like a cookie or cupcake that will most definitely make your friends jealous.

Another advantage of a lunch from home is that you don’t have to wait in a long line to get your food. Most high schools only give their students a half an hour to eat lunch. If a kid is spending twenty minutes in line, that leaves ten minutes to eat; which is not enough time. Lunch is a time for kids to unwind in between classes. A time for them to socialize with their friends. A time for them to take a break from learning. This way, when they get back to class they’re focused and ready to learn.

Word Count: 454