We’ve Got Spirit Yes We Do We’ve Got Spirit How About You

Cape Fear’s spirit week and homecoming was last
week and as the British would say it was
‘smashing’. Everyone looked so festive in their
themed spirit day outfits and it really showed how
much support all of us have for CFA. Though last
week was only a four day school week (MLK day
off), I thought it was one of the best/most eventful
spirit weeks yet.

Our four spirit days were: Group Day, Neon Day,
$5 Prom Day, and Blue & Gold Day. The math
department never ceased to impress . On group
day they dressed up as Wizard of Oz characters
(you normally wouldn’t expect your almost 7ft
math teacher to come school in a lion costume, tail
and all but it happens). On Neon day most teachers
sported their FEAR shirts but again Mr. Adams
went all out and won a Port City Java gift card for
his school spirit and on the next day he won another gift card to Rita’s for his canadian tuxedo.
But I have to say on Friday it would’ve been hard to judge who had on the most blue and gold
since pretty much everyone was wearing jeans.

The last day of spirit week was so exciting. In the morning our performing arts center was finally
opened (and would be showing the Book of Liz in) and we (the high schoolers) got to watch the
ribbon cutting. Later in the morning we continued with out normal tradition of having a parade
for the lower grades followed by our pep rally. The cheer leaders and pep band did a great job in
PEPping everyone up for the multiple dodgeball games. Though the seniors won (as always) it
was clear that everyone was excited for homecoming.

Friday evening the JV boys’, Varsity girls’, and Varsity boys’ basketball teams played their hearts
out. In between the V girls and V guys games the crowd got to watch the homecoming court
(part of the Sophomore court pictured above) and see Georgia Parker (fellow blogger) get
crowned queen. The JV boys’ game though, I have to say was he most intense basketball game
I’ve seen especially when I finally looked up from playing with an Ipad to see that there were 40
seconds left and the score was 35 to 34. Some how the other team managed 4 free throw points
in this time (unbelievable with the amount of Cape Fear fans screaming). We only got one free
throw in. Score: 36 to 38. By some stroke of luck in the last 7 seconds one of our freshman
players made a half court shot and well… IT GOT IN. SCORE: 39 TO 38 CANES WON.

Reading Poetry

An antique desk lamp stands in the corner while the blinding light shines down on the poetry podium. The lights begin to dim as all attention goes to the person behind the podium who glows in a hazy caramel light.
Welcome to the first five minutes of my AP Literature and Composition class! The mood is right, the poems are good, and snaps are always appreciated. Each person is assigned a poem by Mr. Collins based on their attitude towards a certain subject or simply just a poem he reads that reminds him of said student.
“Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins was chosen by Mr. Collins for me to read aloud to the class. The poem, from a teacher’s point of view, explains how students need to let the poem flow through them and be more about the experience of writing a poem rather than picking it apart to analysis.
Probably the best part of the poem is the sixth stanza, which says “But all they want to do/ is tie the poem to a chair with rope/and torture a confession out of it.” This stanza is probably the reason that Mr. Collins choose this poem for me because I hate analyzing poetry. Like it says in this poem, I always feel like I am struggling to find the deep confessions in a poem.
When I start writing poetry, however, it’s like the words flow out of me and inspiration comes out of nowhere. That’s why on the AP Lit exam, instead of having students analyze poems, they should just have us write them!
– Taylor

The Stress of College Decisions

             Every day after school the same disappointing events occur: I run to the mailbox, hurriedly search through the mail, and walk dejectedly away empty handed. It’s just another day without any news from the seven colleges I applied to in early October. The stress of not knowing is slowly eating away at any hope I have to get into my top choice schools. What if they don’t want me? Why haven’t I heard? These are just some of the questions that are constantly running through my head. I honestly don’t think the undergraduate admission offices realize the stress that they put on every high school senior when they put the dates you will get your acceptance or denial letter farther and farther away.

The stress that colleges put on you eats away at your very core and slowly diminishes your hopes and dreams. Suddenly the waiting game is actually a fight to keep your sanity intact. As sleepless nights cloud your mind and the heavy workload brings down your spirits, it’s no wonder why we are so stressed. The one happiness we, as high school seniors, long for is the day that the letter finally arrives. The day we hear back from colleges can be one of the happiest – whether it be an acceptance or a denial, at least we’ve heard back.

The only thing that could possibly make the day this worse is if the waiting game is continued. For example, if one were to receive deferral from one of his or her colleges, this leads to another few months of the sleepless nights, days of worrying and the inevitable stress. It also leads to grades becoming increasingly important. It is no longer acceptable for that one C to make its way onto your report card like any other day. Suddenly the only things that are acceptable are As.

Oh and let’s not forget the magic 3.5 GPA that colleges once thought was the cream of the crop. No it’s now a perfect 4.0. But what if you don’t have a 4.0? Do you think they will still want you?

Will they ever accept me?

Fall Fashion Part 1

Fall is here! My favorite time of year! Not only because of Halloween, hot chocolate, warm fires, and beautiful weather, but mostly because of the fashion! There’s nothing better than throwing on your favorite scarf and sweater.

Sophomore Kirsten rocks her fall style with a burgundy skirt, black shirt, and an army green jacket. I love the feminine and sophisticated look of the skirt, but she creates a more casual feel with the simple top and solid jacket. This style can be considered the most popular in the halls of the high school at Cape Fear.  Once you find a flattering skirt and a simple jacket the different looks are infinite. These go to pieces are necessity in every wardrobe!

Ahh, there is nothing more comfortable then a flannel. The classic flannel and brown boots look is perfect for fall because it is cute and stylish but keeps you warm and comfy. Junior Brittany adores it, and even dares to have some fun with a simple cow boy hat. Although adding the hat creates a more country spin, it can work when worn confidently and in the right setting.  And of course, that would have to be on a jeans day!!

Junior Emil is known for his unique style throughout the campus. He is the only boy I know who has to match his shoes with his shirt every day. For the 3 years I have known Emil, his fashion choices have never been disappointing. Setting a good example for all the boys, he always makes sure to look his best.  By mixing his flannel with shorts, he demonstrates a successful way to pull off summer clothes in the fall.

In the fall and winter, the boys love to swap their collared shirts for a classic sweater. It is much more comfortable and stylish. It gives them a chance to express their style and stay warm. This is a great look for any guy and now they are ready to face the cold.

Junior Marianna looks stunning in a white long sleeve shirt and a blue Lilly Pulitzer skirt.  She supports a preppy and elegant style, and loves bright colors. The white shirt gives the patterned deep blue skirt the perfect balance. With a look like this, she is ready to face anything that comes her way.

Olivia is a fashion expert. Her high wasted black pants are not only the biggest fashion trend in France but are seen all over the runways. They are flattering to every body shape and make the legs appear to be longer. The sparkling butterfly on her shirt adds a pop of color and brings out her unique style.

Everyone loves a 50s style lettermen jacket! Sophomore Bishop wears it well. These jackets are one of my favorite trends for this season. It is such a classic high school look. Vintage has been in style for awhile now, and this jacket fits right it. It suits Bishop’s unique personality and is perfect for the cold winter!

Trick-or-Treat – Halloween

I had an epiphany last weekend as I traveled and toured several different schools in Virginia.  My mom and I toured Randolph-Macon, University of Virginia, University of Richmond, and Sweet Briar College and thankfully I learned what I liked and what I didn’t like.  I thought I was going to hate an all girls school, but as I walked on the campus of Sweet Briar I fell in love with the beautiful campus and really saw myself going to the preppy college.  Sweet Briar has been the only college I have felt something special at so far, but the all girl factor still worries me a little bit since I love having all my guy friends around.
As the college process continues, I am almost done with applying to each college, and have narrowed down my list quite a lot, but the only problem is that all of the colleges are so different in so many different ways.  My top colleges are Ole Miss, Sewanne (University of the South), Southern Methodist University, and Sweet Briar College.  The majority of those colleges are a major distance away, and the closest school is an all girls school.  Also Ole Miss is a public school, and the rest are middle sized to small private schools.
With so many different factors in each college, pros and cons, I know it is going to be a really hard time deciding where to go, but for now I just have to wait and see if I get accepted to all of my favorite choices in the first place (fingers crossed)!!

College Search

I had an epiphany last weekend as I traveled and toured several different schools in Virginia.  My mom and I toured Randolph-Macon, University of Virginia, University of Richmond, and Sweet Briar College and thankfully I learned what I liked and what I didn’t like.  I thought I was going to hate an all girls school, but as I walked on the campus of Sweet Briar I fell in love with the beautiful campus and really saw myself going to the preppy college.  Sweet Briar has been the only college I have felt something special at so far, but the all girl factor still worries me a little bit since I love having all my guy friends around.
As the college process continues, I am almost done with applying to each college, and have narrowed down my list quite a lot, but the only problem is that all of the colleges are so different in so many different ways.  My top colleges are Ole Miss, Sewanne (University of the South), Southern Methodist University, and Sweet Briar College.  The majority of those colleges are a major distance away, and the closest school is an all girls school.  Also Ole Miss is a public school, and the rest are middle sized to small private schools.
With so many different factors in each college, pros and cons, I know it is going to be a really hard time deciding where to go, but for now I just have to wait and see if I get accepted to all of my favorite choices in the first place (fingers crossed)!!

North Carolina Theater Conference

The bright lights hit my face and suddenly I forget everything. Every line. Every stage direction. My character is who again? I’m wearing a plaid, below the knee, purple skirt that looks like it belongs in the trash bins of a What Not to Wear episode. I woke up in a panic looking around my room frantically for the judges I was sure to see in the back row. All I saw was the shimmering beads clinging to my windows and my alarm clock glowing bright red saying 2:00am.
This nightmare is just one of the few I have right before we embark on the journey of NCTC (North Carolina Theater Conference). In my theater career, I have been to three previous NCTC competitions and as a fourth year returning veteran anticipating the day of the play still makes me nervous. We are in our final weeks of preparing our play and nothing seems quite right yet. Sure, everyone has memorized their lines and most of the props have been added, but that “wow” factor still isn’t shining through yet.
Through my many years of experience, I know that this “shine” won’t come until the second our play starts at 4 o’clock on Friday, November 4th. Knowing this isn’t a comfort as it should be and I am still extremely nervous about our adventure to Goldsboro for NCTC. As this day approaches, my nerves grow more and more as my fellow actors and I spend every day from four in the afternoon to seven at night making these plays perfection.
I know our play will get the recognition we deserve at the competition next weekend. Having a role in one play, being Prop Manager in the other, and going to school every day makes for a hectic schedule that I have every competition season. Even though the hours are long, homework is always waiting, and sometimes I just want to give up being on stage or even helping out, it is always worth it when the play comes together and we all shine on stage!

Pressing the Send Button

My heart pounds as I stare at my college application online, the “send” button glares bright yellow straight at me. My curser grazes over it, making it look slightly like a bumble bee before I decide not to click submit. This is my life. My college applications had been done for over a week and I still couldn’t bring myself to press that yellow button. Every day I stared and re-checked until I had basically memorized my applications. I just couldn’t bring myself to press the button until I realized that if I never submitted my applications how was I going to get into college.
On Wednesday October 12, 2011, I finally brought myself to press the submit button and relinquishing all control of my applications to the Undergraduate Admissions offices of my perspective colleges. After all the stress of applications and writing essays it felt good to get rid of all the unneeded stress to my everyday life. As a high school senior, stress comes with the grade level and to just get rid of some of it is an absolute relief.
My hard work and all the stress of applications finally paid off when I got home from school yesterday.  I finally found a thick envelope addressed to me from the Undergraduate Admission Office of East Carolina University. My heart was pounding out of my chest, for I had only sent my application about a week ago, I opened the letter and read it. I let out the biggest scream I have ever done in my entire life. I’m in college! Someone wanted me there! That’s a great feeling to have. Now I realize that all the stress has paid off, for I’m soon to be a college girl!

A Day in the Life…

Gasping for a breath of air. Trying to survive through it all. What is a break? Taking seven classes a semester with no study hall is not the easiest task in the world. I start my day off with my honors independent study in social media. I have to work in the office, run errands, take pictures outside of class, and write blogs, reading responses, and tweets. During my class time though I try to finish up some of my work for other classes if I have time. After I leave class I go to my honors chemistry class of about nine. All of my classes are small. My largest class though, is my next class, pre-calculus (there isn’t an honors). I’m one of two sophomores in it and the rest of my class consists of about 15 juniors and 1 senior. My second largest class is my honors English 10 class. English isn’t really my forte since I’m more of a math person, but I still try to challenge myself. After these classes I go to art my other independent study and my favorite class. I can do anything I want to in this class. I can sculpt, paint, draw, design whatever I want. I love this class so much because it gives me a break before I have to go to my hardest class, AP European history. Everything is graded harshly and it is considered the equivalent of a college course. The work itself is not impossible but the amount of work is to put it in simple terms, big. My final class of the day, honors Spanish III is nowhere near as difficult as AP Euro so it allows time to cool down. I am an over-achiever.

Outbound Bound Revelations

Last week, the senior class of 2012 went on Outward Bound in the mountains of North Carolina. After a lengthy bus ride, we arrived at our destination. Like everyone else, my backpack was filled with supplies we were going to need to survive the week ahead of us. Unlike some others, my pack was a bit heavier because I was carrying an extra bag of food and the group’s extra water for the day. I had the feeling that this was going to be a very long week. Nonetheless, I knew I was prepared to do this activity because I had done it numerous times before. My expectations for this trip were limited: I expected to eat bad food, sleep on the ground, and have people nagging the whole time. Although this was accurate, it doesn’t really represent the important parts of my experience. My experience was more than just hiking, eating bad food, and sleeping on the ground; it was more than “bonding”. I got the sense that we all grew as a community throughout the week. After this trip, my classmates might look at me as being more helpful and reliable; I see myself as more effective. This experience could help me with my schoolwork and grow closer to my classmates.