Dear Social Media,
You used to give us so much joy but we took you for granted, and for that we apologize from the bottom of our hearts. We took pleasure in quickly scrolling through our Twitter feeds as we walked to our next class, probably bumping into at least six people in the process because, really, who has time to walk with their heads up when there are 12-hour old tweets waiting? Better yet, none of us had to waste our precious data on you because of the Wi-Fi here. That five minute passing time could not have been better.
Suddenly, things took a turn for the worse. We were all so proud of ourselves for successfully getting through the first period of the first day of the school year and all we wanted to do to celebrate was to partake in the habitual inter-period social media browse. So imagine our utter shock and dismay when our Instagram read “Could Not Refresh,” our Twitter still presented those 12-hour old tweets and our Snapchats suddenly would not load. What would happen to our streaks?! We had been blocked from our favorite sites.
Now we proceed into the five stages of grief. First off is denial, because there is no way that this is really happening. We will refresh our Instagram feeds until the end of time (or at least for five minutes); we know there are pictures waiting for us. They have to be in there somewhere, right? Please say yes social media, you can’t be gone so soon.
Second, we have anger. Social media, how dare you? How dare you leave us in the dust, forcing us to walk awkwardly with our heads up instead of looking at our phones, possibly forcing us into actual human interaction on a rare occasion. We don’t enjoy this new way of life. You have betrayed us, social media.
Third, we try bargaining. Maybe we can try to use just a little bit of our data each day, but only when we are in that one corner of school where it is indeed possible to register a signal. Or maybe we can get full Wi-Fi only on Mondays and Wednesdays. We have to be able to reach some sort of compromise.
Fourth, we go through depression. We moan and groan as we drag our feet through the hallways, unsure as to how we will fill the seemingly infinite five minute passing time. We even look forward to entering our next class (and it is not because of the occasional air conditioning). We feel lost without you, social media.
Last but not least, we finally move into acceptance. We will learn the mysterious ways of having five minutes without getting to browse through your vast content. We will walk with our heads up and maybe even be forced to greet our peers after making awkward eye contact. But we will still miss you, social media.

Sincerely,
Students adjusting to a new way of life

Sydney Cohen

Features Editor

Dear Class of 2020,
Welcome to the next four years of your life. High school has been compared to many things — prison, hell, the best four years of your life. They tell you that you’ll hate this teacher, love having one lunch and that you’ll love the extra help and hate waking up early. What they do not tell you, however, is that it goes by fast. Get every assumption of high school out of your head; it is nothing like the movies.
Any memories and experiences of your high school career you currently have will be different come senior year. The “right now” for freshmen is so much different than the “right now” of a senior. For freshmen, the excitement and fun of sitting in the Commons will last for the first few weeks; the freedom of getting out a half an hour earlier will be exhilarating. But soon, you too will be counting down the days until summer.
Here is a list of dos and don’ts for the next year:
Do continue get ready for a whole new ball game. New class schedule, new people, new experiences. You will have classes with those in other grades and those coming from other middle schools. That is something unique about high school. In fact, you will have a whole melting pot of students in each class, each from a different social group.
Do not stop in the hallways – everyone will hate you. And if you must, go to the sides and out of the way of students trying to get from class to class.
Do focus on your school work. You get a clean slate in high school. Try your best freshman year because it is important to lay a solid foundation for your high school career.
Do not take your support system for granted. Your friends, parents, teachers and your counselor, are all there to help you succeed. Thank them when you can and always remember that they are there for you if you need a shoulder to cry on, help on a homework assignment or even just a chat on a bad day.
Do remember that life goes on. Every tear you cry, every test you fail, every homework you miss — every moment seems like it is the end of the world, but trust me, it is not. You are not a failure if you bomb a test in your Honors Matter and Energy course. Every road block is simply a speed bump, you will keep moving.
Do not let your expectations of high school hold you back. You will never be “too cool” to dress up for spirit week. Make new friends, cheer loudly during the pep rallies and most importantly, just get out of your comfort zone. There is so much more to this age than the ridiculous title of the “silly freshman,” so prove that title wrong.

Sincerely,
An upperclassman who’s been there

Katie Schreck

Features Editor