Disclaimer: I'm low-key forcing myself to blog tonight. I'm tired, and not feeling the best, but I felt like writing. I really wanted to do a review (from my point of view) of the past couple of shows. I might do this again in a different tirade next week, but for now, this is solely about HSM and the casts.
So! Hello everybody! How's everything going? Good? That's great!
The last few days have absolutely worn me out.
High School Musical opened on Thursday night, and let me tell you, it was amazing. We did the best we'd ever done on ensemble scenes, and the main characters all rocked. Saturday night, which in turn was it's own kind of opening night, was just as phenomenal.
Thursday everyone got to ditch class to do a show for some local middle and elementary schools. After we did the last scene, we ran down the aisles towards the front doors, and proceeded to high-five a ton of kids. Theatre is absolutely the most rewarding thing ever, sometimes. Those kids were absolutely dazzled by the lights and the music. A couple of kids called Sharpay hot. It was literally the cutest thing, like, in the entire world.
On Thursday night, everyone donned costumes again to perform the show for the general public. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times, thank God for our teachers! They warm us up, keep conflict low, problem solve faster than anyone else I've ever known, and then tell us all of the highs and lows of the show. Watching our teachers from the stage while they smiled, laughed, clapped, held their breath a few times, and I'm sure prayed was a surreal experience.
The show went smoothly, except for a scene or two that didn't.
(That made so much sense, right?)
The scenes that didn't go the best were merely technical mess ups that could be equally blamed on the cast and the crew. Things had been moved and some people weren't paying attention.
However! The night was a success! Our Sharpay of the night did the best that she's ever done, and I personally, am incredibly proud of her. (Oh, and of Larry. He was Ryan. He stole my scarf to wear in a couple of scenes, and after the show, one little girl came up to me and asked me why I was wearing Ryan's scarf.) You guys did awesome.
Our Troy and Gabriella also blew the crowd away, and I'd honestly have to say that Breaking Free was the best song of the night. The ensemble made it fun, and the main characters of the night made it pop. You guys never cease to blow me away- even from the "audience."
Thursday night? Success!
Anyways, Friday we got the evening off.
Saturday morning came faster than most of us would've liked, and around 20 of us showed up at the school to work a drama camp for kids. I was in charge of snack time, but got to help with acting all morning before that.
In the show, there's a scene where the characters play an improv game called "The Ball of Noise." It's pretty self-explanatory- you pass around an imaginary ball, and make a noise to go with it. This got fun really fast. We all stood in a circle with the kids (this particular story took place with Group A), and Amy ("Darbus") said her line to begin the game.
Well, one little girl that was there for the camp happened to be incredibly shy, and she refused to play the game. Larry, being Larry, wasn't having that. He told this little girl that if she didn't play the game that he would die...and then proceeded to fake his death. Complete with other actors at our station pretending to do CPR.
..The little girl passed the ball with the quietest "meep" I've ever heard.
Larry was miraculously "revived," and the game continued.
Another game that we played with the kids was one where everyone had to act like an animal. In the show, one of the characters (played by my friend Josh) portrays an earthworm in a humorous way. Well, one little girl (this time, it was Group B) did almost exactly what he did in the show, but called herself a caterpillar. Josh was absolutely enthralled by that, and called her his spirit animal.
Amy and I amused ourselves by being clams. A couple of kids thought that was pretty fun. We played an extra game with the last group of kids called "Wax Museum" in which there's a "sweeper" who makes sure that all of the "statues" aren't moving. The kids really seemed to enjoy that.
Then it was snack time, and let's be honest here, all of the cast members enjoyed that.
That night, the kids performed a couple of scenes with us. As it was like another opening night, we had a pretty big crowd, and they seemed to receive the show really well. I also learned the power of the understudy this weekend, as both Sharpay's are sick, and their understudy donned sparkly clothes and a wig and ROCKED the stage. She was so nervous, but she pulled through it 100%, and did a fantastic job.
Backstage is always a colorful place to be on show nights, because there are several different types of people.
-The changers, who have to change costumes between scenes.
-The shhhhh people, who think that making that noise makes people shut up.
-The loud people who don't know they're loud, self explanatory. The quiet people, self explanatory.
-The people who dramatically reenact solos that the leads are singing. (I fall under this group.)
But it's always fun when people stay off of props and make their cue's.
Larry and I also played Yahtzee backstage, because I have a small travel sized Yahtzee that makes the world a better place.
Anyways. The song of the night for that show was probably "We're All in This Together," simply because the kids danced and sang with us. Troy and Gabriella's best song was "When There was Me and You," because that cast singing that song just makes you cry. You can feel/see the emotion, and it's just an amazing scene.
Also- shout out to Amy for being an epic Darbus, and making the night for those kids and their parents. She's such a talented actress, and she's equally good with children.
Oh! During some parts of the show, a bunch of us dance in the audience. Well, one or two of us were told to stay close to the front for the evening so that the kids would have someone to watch doing the moves. I was one of those people.
...A couple of audience members got up to dance along with my side, and I'm 90% sure that they'd been drinking. It was kind of hard not to break character and laugh, but I danced on, looking anywhere but at them.
The night came to an end after an insanely fun dinner at Chili's, where my general friend group sat in the corner and proceeded to entertain the entire restaurant. We played games, told stories, and stole food from each other. True friendship, am I right? We also sang along to the radio every time a good song came on.
I am so going to miss these people in a couple of weeks. I had to think about something different when we did our last scene/bows on Saturday, but I know that at the last show I'm going to cry. I've only been a part of WWHS theatre for a year, but I have made friends that I hope I keep for a lifetime. Some of them look up to me, some of them laugh at me, and some of them I look up to. But honestly, next weekend is going to be...really difficult.
This whole year has lead up to these two weekends- and it's already half over.
:(
~
Well! I shall talk to you all later! I'm going to go get ready for bed, because tomorrow is [unfortunately] Monday.
I wish everyone a wonderful week as we end April, and start May!
(May is gonna be so busy. *sigh*)
I love you guys!!!!
-Tori<3
p.s. Congratulations to Patrick for getting his first job this week! I'm so proud! :D
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
High School Musical Mania! 4.20.16
Happy 4.20 everyone!
I think it's really funny that people celebrate today for getting high, when it would really be nice to hold in memory the families affected by Columbine almost 20 years ago. Let's celebrate stronger school security and try to have a positive outlook on life that doesn't involve drugs. (Just in case anyone cares, I did a huge project on the Columbine shooting my Sophomore year. I almost didn't get to give it because of some poor ignorant souls at the school I used to go to.)
Also- coming at you guys live from my homeroom class! We do this weird thing where we have homeroom on Wednesdays and- yeah. I don't know why we do it exactly, but hey! It's giving me 50 minutes to type a blog post!
~
You guys are all wondering about the title, I know. I love holding the suspense in the air.
Totally kidding by the way- I know that a lot of you couldn't care less.
Anyways. People who have been here for a while know that I'm in theatre at my high school. I'm pleased to say that opening night is t o m o r r o w!
We have spent the last 2 weeks staying at school until at least seven, and this week it's more like nine. This morning, first block was absolutely hilarious. Yesterday we had a preview performance, and then we ran the entire show as a dress rehearsal. I went to sleep at around 11:50 last night. Apparently I wasn't the only one, because everyone was asleep this morning. Literally, almost the entire class just passed out cold.
That's not to say that work wasn't done, because God bless our teachers- they have done so much for us. They're the real stars of this show. Always on our team even when they want to throw stuff at us.
I also don't think that I've explained the group chat to you guys. Sometime last week Mr Wilson (he's the theatre teacher) created this HUGE group chat. Well, a lot of people were livid. If you aren't familiar with group chatting- it kills your phone, it's a lot of fun, and it destroys your storage. So, we all came to a compromise and downloaded GroupMe. It's this fun little app that lets you chat with up to 200 people at a time, so fitting 90ish theatre kids into it was nothing. Now, only the people who want to be in the chat are in it.
Personally, I enjoyed it a lot at first. Then I deleted the app. Occasionally I'll try to play catch up or whatever, but not really. I'm around them all the time anyways now.
Among all of the drama and stuff that's come out of being around people so much, we've had some really good days. I have some amazing friends, and the people in the leads are stunning. I can't wait to exploit all of the details of opening night when I blog this weekend (haha, if I blog this weekend!) and tell you guys about specific scenes.
My favorite actress in the show is my friend Amy, who is Darbus. She and Laken (the second cast Darbus) make this show. They are hilarious and have a stage presence like no people I've ever seen before. To anyone who plans on coming- come twice to see them both. As most actors, they both have very different approaches to the roll. It's just so much fun to watch them do their thing.
Our best scene as a whole is the audition scene. No details about that one, though. Come see the show. ;) The best duet (in my opinion) is when Troy and Gabriella sing "When There Was Me and You." They kill that. You feel the emotion from it, it's simple, and it's just the best thing ever to listen to.
The whole show is just really coming together. You can feel the excitement in the air backstage now. Everyone is getting into the swing of costume changes and such. Props are labeled, lights are set, sets are painted, bio's are up in the lobby- it's all done. Now it's just time to perfect some little things, but if you were to see the show now as someone that hadn't run through rehearsal or seen a script, you wouldn't notice the small problems.
Shoutout to Mrs McGinnis and Mr Wilson- you guys have worked just as hard (actually, a lot harder to be really honest) to make us look as good as we do.
I'm so blessed to be a part of an awesome cast and crew this year. I am definitely gonna cry on the last night, no joke. I am absolutely gonna miss everyone so much. Especially the people I eat dinner with and that just get me. And oh God, am I ever going to miss Larry and Emma. Never say that Freshmen are annoying. They are intelligent, and they understand more than an upperclassman will ever give them credit for. I love you guys to death. :)
Come see the show if you're in the area!!!
~
Anyways- I hoped you enjoyed an ACTUAL BLOG POST. I actually came through, guys.
I have to go eat some sort of substance that Raleigh County says qualifies as food, so I'm gonna sign off here.
Two other things really quick.
1. PROM IS 24 DAYS AWAY. (Patrick's prom is, anyways. I'm all sorts of excited to see everyone-- it's been far too long!)
2. I GOT THE JOB AT GLADE!!!!!!!! I'm gonna be a counselor at a day camp this summer! I'm so excited! Thank you mom, for teaching me how to dress and behave for an interview. &A huge thanks to everyone else who had some roll in a door opening for this job. It's definitely easing the stress of college off of my shoulders some.
Okay. Well. Gotta run!
-Tori :)
p.s. I love the weird looks I get when people notice how fast I can type. It makes me so happy.
I think it's really funny that people celebrate today for getting high, when it would really be nice to hold in memory the families affected by Columbine almost 20 years ago. Let's celebrate stronger school security and try to have a positive outlook on life that doesn't involve drugs. (Just in case anyone cares, I did a huge project on the Columbine shooting my Sophomore year. I almost didn't get to give it because of some poor ignorant souls at the school I used to go to.)
Also- coming at you guys live from my homeroom class! We do this weird thing where we have homeroom on Wednesdays and- yeah. I don't know why we do it exactly, but hey! It's giving me 50 minutes to type a blog post!
~
You guys are all wondering about the title, I know. I love holding the suspense in the air.
Totally kidding by the way- I know that a lot of you couldn't care less.
Anyways. People who have been here for a while know that I'm in theatre at my high school. I'm pleased to say that opening night is t o m o r r o w!
We have spent the last 2 weeks staying at school until at least seven, and this week it's more like nine. This morning, first block was absolutely hilarious. Yesterday we had a preview performance, and then we ran the entire show as a dress rehearsal. I went to sleep at around 11:50 last night. Apparently I wasn't the only one, because everyone was asleep this morning. Literally, almost the entire class just passed out cold.
That's not to say that work wasn't done, because God bless our teachers- they have done so much for us. They're the real stars of this show. Always on our team even when they want to throw stuff at us.
I also don't think that I've explained the group chat to you guys. Sometime last week Mr Wilson (he's the theatre teacher) created this HUGE group chat. Well, a lot of people were livid. If you aren't familiar with group chatting- it kills your phone, it's a lot of fun, and it destroys your storage. So, we all came to a compromise and downloaded GroupMe. It's this fun little app that lets you chat with up to 200 people at a time, so fitting 90ish theatre kids into it was nothing. Now, only the people who want to be in the chat are in it.
Personally, I enjoyed it a lot at first. Then I deleted the app. Occasionally I'll try to play catch up or whatever, but not really. I'm around them all the time anyways now.
Among all of the drama and stuff that's come out of being around people so much, we've had some really good days. I have some amazing friends, and the people in the leads are stunning. I can't wait to exploit all of the details of opening night when I blog this weekend (haha, if I blog this weekend!) and tell you guys about specific scenes.
My favorite actress in the show is my friend Amy, who is Darbus. She and Laken (the second cast Darbus) make this show. They are hilarious and have a stage presence like no people I've ever seen before. To anyone who plans on coming- come twice to see them both. As most actors, they both have very different approaches to the roll. It's just so much fun to watch them do their thing.
Our best scene as a whole is the audition scene. No details about that one, though. Come see the show. ;) The best duet (in my opinion) is when Troy and Gabriella sing "When There Was Me and You." They kill that. You feel the emotion from it, it's simple, and it's just the best thing ever to listen to.
The whole show is just really coming together. You can feel the excitement in the air backstage now. Everyone is getting into the swing of costume changes and such. Props are labeled, lights are set, sets are painted, bio's are up in the lobby- it's all done. Now it's just time to perfect some little things, but if you were to see the show now as someone that hadn't run through rehearsal or seen a script, you wouldn't notice the small problems.
Shoutout to Mrs McGinnis and Mr Wilson- you guys have worked just as hard (actually, a lot harder to be really honest) to make us look as good as we do.
I'm so blessed to be a part of an awesome cast and crew this year. I am definitely gonna cry on the last night, no joke. I am absolutely gonna miss everyone so much. Especially the people I eat dinner with and that just get me. And oh God, am I ever going to miss Larry and Emma. Never say that Freshmen are annoying. They are intelligent, and they understand more than an upperclassman will ever give them credit for. I love you guys to death. :)
Come see the show if you're in the area!!!
~
Anyways- I hoped you enjoyed an ACTUAL BLOG POST. I actually came through, guys.
I have to go eat some sort of substance that Raleigh County says qualifies as food, so I'm gonna sign off here.
Two other things really quick.
1. PROM IS 24 DAYS AWAY. (Patrick's prom is, anyways. I'm all sorts of excited to see everyone-- it's been far too long!)
2. I GOT THE JOB AT GLADE!!!!!!!! I'm gonna be a counselor at a day camp this summer! I'm so excited! Thank you mom, for teaching me how to dress and behave for an interview. &A huge thanks to everyone else who had some roll in a door opening for this job. It's definitely easing the stress of college off of my shoulders some.
Okay. Well. Gotta run!
-Tori :)
p.s. I love the weird looks I get when people notice how fast I can type. It makes me so happy.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Tori's Weekly Tirade 4.10.16
Greetings, everyone!
I'm blogging for the first time ever- whilst wearing glasses. I can SEE! AH!
(Glasses that I'll probably wear to school tomorrow and get a lot of comments about. So, word to the wise, don't comment about them. I've had them. I'm extremely aware that they are on my face.)
I'm also blogging at the end of a horrendous migraine, so please excuse grammatical and spelling errors if there happen to be any.
This week has been so busy. We've been running the show, adjusting choreography, praying that people come to practice, and my teacher has even adjusted the cast where it deemed necessary. Right now I'm eating, sleeping, and breathing High School Musical.
Quite honestly, if it weren't for my dinner squad that I talk to backstage every day? I'd be losing my mind right now. We had an April shower (of snow) yesterday, so practice was cancelled and I missed everyone way too much. (Brief shout-outs to my "children," and fellow "mothers and fathers," as well as the "aunts and uncles" in our dinner family, I'm having withdrawals and can't wait to be around you guys for 12 hours tomorrow. Call me crazy- wouldn't be the worst thing I've been called this week, lol.)
Aside from the show, I do algebra (woo! college!) and wait for UNCC to email me my decision. Turns out that my high school counselor that I chased around the office for four days emailed my transcripts too late. So instead of being on their normal admittance list, my application was placed on a rolling viewing basis.
So yeah. I'm hurrying up to wait!
On top of all of that, my week has had massive ups and downs.
Up #1: I got my prom dress! It's navy blue and touches the tops of my toes. Like last year- there's not even beading on it. It's so pretty and I'm in love with the way it looks on me. :)
Up #2: Being around theatre people all week and realizing that I have some of the best friends in the entire universe. Yes, I am bragging. Deal with it.
Down #1: My dad had a cardiologist appointment this week, and now has to go to Duke for heart surgery. Anyone who knows anything about my past probably can assume that the words "heart surgery" and "Duke" cause me to freak out more than a little bit.
Down #2: The migraine I had today was the WORST HEADACHE EVER. Like I almost cried because it was so awful. I blame stress.
I also abnormally slept until after 12 today. Usually I'm up by 10:30 (at the very latest), but this morning I just slept like a log. Again- I blame the long rehearsals and stress that my body is just kinda refusing to put up with right now. Oh well.
*sigh* This week has also had it's share of arguments- generally because I stand up for gay/transgender rights and also for the rights of women and the underdogs and whatnot. Facebook arguments are a lot of fun to sit back and watch. (I'm also counting on being handed a Bible or two tomorrow at school for one of them- but that's alright I guess.)
Graduation is officially 41 days away, and prom is 27 days away. (Well, my school prom. The one in North Carolina is slightly longer away.) Also, if any of you handsome fellas out there wanna take me to my prom, let me know. I'd love to actually have a date this year. Otherwise- I think I'm gonna take Bethany and have a grand time.
School is winding down though, and pretty much nobody wants to be there. Senioritis has set in big time, but also strep and the flu. So there's that, too.
Oh, and I bet that you guys absolutely loved my midweek rant! I enjoyed writing it. If you have yet to see it? Go find it. It's called "An "Entitled" Generation" and basically slams adults for treating us (the generation that I'm a part of) like crap!
~
This week I have gone above and beyond 4,000 reads, so thank you all so much for that! I think that I'm close to 4.1 already- and 11 countries is now 14 countries.
My blog used to be just a story on Wattpad that a few of my close friends read, and then a couple of people on Facebook. It still shocks me that people all the way in Thailand have read this blog.
My voice and opinion do kind of matter, apparently. :)
Anywaaays, I think that I'll stop here for today. I don't have anything big to talk about this week, mostly because I've been spending a lot of time at school and the rest of my time sleeping, eating, and hanging around my family.
Oh, I almost forgot!
I launched a Facebook page exclusively for my blog in honor of 4,000 reads, and it would mean the world to me if you guys went and liked it. If 50 people who read this post could all go like it, than that would make a big difference.
The link is: Facebook.com/OnlyMeJustT so click on that, hit a like, and maybe leave a comment or something. I don't get a lot of feedback, yet- which is something that I really want. Your comments are very welcome!
Maybe at 5 or 6 thousand reads, I can launch other social media pages.
I do have an Instagram page for this blog as well, which is @OnlyMeOnInsta.
I don't have a Twitter. Yet. But I do post the links to my personal Twitter if you follow me on there or have seen it or whatever.
Well, this is where I'm gonna say goodbye today.
I love you, guys! Wish me a good week!
-Victoria (Tori) :)
p.s. I'm also kind of digging my real first name right now for no particular reason. So, yeah. That's a thing.
p.p.s. I HAD A JOB INTERVIEW THIS WEEK. More on that if/when I get hired. :D
I'm blogging for the first time ever- whilst wearing glasses. I can SEE! AH!
(Glasses that I'll probably wear to school tomorrow and get a lot of comments about. So, word to the wise, don't comment about them. I've had them. I'm extremely aware that they are on my face.)
I'm also blogging at the end of a horrendous migraine, so please excuse grammatical and spelling errors if there happen to be any.
This week has been so busy. We've been running the show, adjusting choreography, praying that people come to practice, and my teacher has even adjusted the cast where it deemed necessary. Right now I'm eating, sleeping, and breathing High School Musical.
Quite honestly, if it weren't for my dinner squad that I talk to backstage every day? I'd be losing my mind right now. We had an April shower (of snow) yesterday, so practice was cancelled and I missed everyone way too much. (Brief shout-outs to my "children," and fellow "mothers and fathers," as well as the "aunts and uncles" in our dinner family, I'm having withdrawals and can't wait to be around you guys for 12 hours tomorrow. Call me crazy- wouldn't be the worst thing I've been called this week, lol.)
Aside from the show, I do algebra (woo! college!) and wait for UNCC to email me my decision. Turns out that my high school counselor that I chased around the office for four days emailed my transcripts too late. So instead of being on their normal admittance list, my application was placed on a rolling viewing basis.
So yeah. I'm hurrying up to wait!
On top of all of that, my week has had massive ups and downs.
Up #1: I got my prom dress! It's navy blue and touches the tops of my toes. Like last year- there's not even beading on it. It's so pretty and I'm in love with the way it looks on me. :)
Up #2: Being around theatre people all week and realizing that I have some of the best friends in the entire universe. Yes, I am bragging. Deal with it.
Down #1: My dad had a cardiologist appointment this week, and now has to go to Duke for heart surgery. Anyone who knows anything about my past probably can assume that the words "heart surgery" and "Duke" cause me to freak out more than a little bit.
Down #2: The migraine I had today was the WORST HEADACHE EVER. Like I almost cried because it was so awful. I blame stress.
I also abnormally slept until after 12 today. Usually I'm up by 10:30 (at the very latest), but this morning I just slept like a log. Again- I blame the long rehearsals and stress that my body is just kinda refusing to put up with right now. Oh well.
*sigh* This week has also had it's share of arguments- generally because I stand up for gay/transgender rights and also for the rights of women and the underdogs and whatnot. Facebook arguments are a lot of fun to sit back and watch. (I'm also counting on being handed a Bible or two tomorrow at school for one of them- but that's alright I guess.)
Graduation is officially 41 days away, and prom is 27 days away. (Well, my school prom. The one in North Carolina is slightly longer away.) Also, if any of you handsome fellas out there wanna take me to my prom, let me know. I'd love to actually have a date this year. Otherwise- I think I'm gonna take Bethany and have a grand time.
School is winding down though, and pretty much nobody wants to be there. Senioritis has set in big time, but also strep and the flu. So there's that, too.
Oh, and I bet that you guys absolutely loved my midweek rant! I enjoyed writing it. If you have yet to see it? Go find it. It's called "An "Entitled" Generation" and basically slams adults for treating us (the generation that I'm a part of) like crap!
~
This week I have gone above and beyond 4,000 reads, so thank you all so much for that! I think that I'm close to 4.1 already- and 11 countries is now 14 countries.
My blog used to be just a story on Wattpad that a few of my close friends read, and then a couple of people on Facebook. It still shocks me that people all the way in Thailand have read this blog.
My voice and opinion do kind of matter, apparently. :)
Anywaaays, I think that I'll stop here for today. I don't have anything big to talk about this week, mostly because I've been spending a lot of time at school and the rest of my time sleeping, eating, and hanging around my family.
Oh, I almost forgot!
I launched a Facebook page exclusively for my blog in honor of 4,000 reads, and it would mean the world to me if you guys went and liked it. If 50 people who read this post could all go like it, than that would make a big difference.
The link is: Facebook.com/OnlyMeJustT so click on that, hit a like, and maybe leave a comment or something. I don't get a lot of feedback, yet- which is something that I really want. Your comments are very welcome!
Maybe at 5 or 6 thousand reads, I can launch other social media pages.
I do have an Instagram page for this blog as well, which is @OnlyMeOnInsta.
I don't have a Twitter. Yet. But I do post the links to my personal Twitter if you follow me on there or have seen it or whatever.
Well, this is where I'm gonna say goodbye today.
I love you, guys! Wish me a good week!
-Victoria (Tori) :)
p.s. I'm also kind of digging my real first name right now for no particular reason. So, yeah. That's a thing.
p.p.s. I HAD A JOB INTERVIEW THIS WEEK. More on that if/when I get hired. :D
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
An "Entitled" Generation
You know? Sometimes things that people say really stick with me.
I am a person that is decently mature, but I also love to act like a kid. Part of why I want to be an educator is so that I can maintain a lasting imagination. I want to empower children to dream- and to say no when they're told to grow up.
All my life I feel like people have told me to grow up, in one sense or the other.
I've been called a drama queen for being excited about things.
I've been called overly emotional for crying when I'm sad.
I've been called a hypocrite for complaining about things.
I really just can't win!
But at this particular moment in time, I need to step in to defend my generation.
When we were younger, all of us had dreams. We wanted to be things, do things, solve mysteries, be the president, rule the world... We just-- wanted. We hoped for things. We loved recklessly. We trusted all of the grownups with everything.
Now, as we've grown older, it's changed. The grownups and adults that we're supposed to trust? Talk about us in meetings and during their breaks. Adults spread garbage about us, and tell us that we have attitude when we use our voices to defend ourselves.
A lot of adults call us the entitled generation, because we think that we deserve stuff.
Um, no.
We are the ambitious generation.
We are the ones that want to fix the economy that you guys screwed up.
We want to rebuild America and the rest of the world on solidarity- beginning with dreams that do come true! More importantly, dreams that come true without going into a tremendous amount of debt.
I want to do my taxes in a fort made from blankets and chairs, and I want to read stories about demigods and angels and monsters and battles. I want the world of make believe to inspire generations after mine so that they aren't so discouraged by the voices of the adults that tell them no.
"No, you can't do that.
Just shut up and do it.
You don't get a say so.
What makes you think you can do that?"
This is me- telling you to shut up.
You, the adults that tell me I cannot, because I can.
More than that, I may.
More that that, I will.
We call things impossible because nobody ever bothered to teach us the definition of implausible. Now, now that I know the meaning of that word? I laugh.
I laugh because I know that you, entitled adult, don't know that meaning of the word.
Impossible means that it simply cannot be done.
Implausible means that it's crazy, but if you work for it, anything can happen.
My generation needs to learn that it's okay to screw up. It's okay to be loud, and opinionated, and entitled.
We have a fire underneath us.
When we become adults and want to do, don't scoff at us for the desire to do more than go to school.
Yes, we do feel entitled to do that thing when we turn 18.
We want unrestricted drivers licenses, later curfews, better jobs, to be around our friends, to do something crazy-
to feel like we were created for more than 14 years of school.
14 years that look more like a free trial than anything else.
You tell us not to be entitled, but want us to bankrupt ourselves to get an education.
You tell us not to be entitled, but want you to fetch your groceries for you.
You tell us not to be entitled, but take entitlement yourselves to even tell us what authority we do/do not have.
Do we not get a just claim (which is what entitled means, adults reading) when we now stare at our futures unprepared because of your lack of will to let us experience, all because you think our wanting of experience is due to our attitudes?
I am 17 years young and I will attend college in the fall.
College that costs around $20,000/year to attend. At least.
However, you call me stupid, entitled, and irritating.
Does this post, dear adult, make your skin crawl?
I sure hope it does.
We are a generation AMBITIOUS.
We are a generation READY.
We are a generation EXCITED.
We are a generation UNDERPREPARED, thanks to you, kind adults.
But most of all?
We are a generation REBELLIOUS, because you put us down for wanting to become upstanding members of society.
If we follow Bernie Sanders, you tell us that all we want is free education. However, you also tell us that we are going to cast down the free education if it's provided? Provided education and mandatory education are two different things my friend.
If we follow Donald Trump, you tell us that we are racist and bigoted. Never mind the fact that the man is running on a platform to undo the damage that his fellow political peers boast about. Never mind the fact that he really does desire in his own way to make America livable again.
All you people see is a bunch of diaper-clad individuals running for the polls.
Guess what? I'm 17 years old and read all over the world.
Guess what else? I have friends who are published, friends who are good parents, friends who are magnificent people, friends who have raised their siblings, and friends who take care of themselves because their parents can't.
Maybe we're so entitled because we're tired of being treated less-than-human.
I'm 17 years old, and a teacher can tell me "no" when I raise my hand to ask to go to the restroom.
But in less than 5 months, you expect me to be able to live on my own, support myself enough to pay for college, and understand the real world?
I'm 17 years old, and I know more about the mitochondria of a cell than I do about taxes, checkbooks, bank accounts, mortgages, leases, or the value of money.
We are entitled because we are finally accepting the privileges of adulthood that have been so denied to us for the past 17 to 18 years.
So next time, kind adult, before you open your mouth to judge me or anybody else in my generation?
Shut up and do your job instead, and let us enjoy who we are.
We aren't going to change for you- so stop asking. Stop telling.
We are going to fight for what we believe in, and we are going to go with our instincts... Just like you did when you were our ages.
We are the Generation Entitled, and we are the future of America and the world.
I know that a lot of you don't like that, but it isn't for you to like or dislike anymore.
You raised us to be opinionated and to have a voice, and now that so many of us have one, you want to take it away because it isn't the voice you raised us to have.
Coming from me, a representative of my generation, we're not shutting up just because you tell us to. A lot of us have been doing that our entire lives, and it ends here.
No longer are we listening to your grievances, but instead, we are declaring our independence as freethinking, ambitious, massively driven young adults.
So please excuse me as I go to dump all of your fiber, vitamin, and diet pills into a lake.
-Sincerely,
A Very Ambitious Member of the Rising Generation
p.s. Don't call us childish when you raised us to forever be children, and not adults.
I am a person that is decently mature, but I also love to act like a kid. Part of why I want to be an educator is so that I can maintain a lasting imagination. I want to empower children to dream- and to say no when they're told to grow up.
All my life I feel like people have told me to grow up, in one sense or the other.
I've been called a drama queen for being excited about things.
I've been called overly emotional for crying when I'm sad.
I've been called a hypocrite for complaining about things.
I really just can't win!
But at this particular moment in time, I need to step in to defend my generation.
When we were younger, all of us had dreams. We wanted to be things, do things, solve mysteries, be the president, rule the world... We just-- wanted. We hoped for things. We loved recklessly. We trusted all of the grownups with everything.
Now, as we've grown older, it's changed. The grownups and adults that we're supposed to trust? Talk about us in meetings and during their breaks. Adults spread garbage about us, and tell us that we have attitude when we use our voices to defend ourselves.
A lot of adults call us the entitled generation, because we think that we deserve stuff.
Um, no.
We are the ambitious generation.
We are the ones that want to fix the economy that you guys screwed up.
We want to rebuild America and the rest of the world on solidarity- beginning with dreams that do come true! More importantly, dreams that come true without going into a tremendous amount of debt.
I want to do my taxes in a fort made from blankets and chairs, and I want to read stories about demigods and angels and monsters and battles. I want the world of make believe to inspire generations after mine so that they aren't so discouraged by the voices of the adults that tell them no.
"No, you can't do that.
Just shut up and do it.
You don't get a say so.
What makes you think you can do that?"
This is me- telling you to shut up.
You, the adults that tell me I cannot, because I can.
More than that, I may.
More that that, I will.
We call things impossible because nobody ever bothered to teach us the definition of implausible. Now, now that I know the meaning of that word? I laugh.
I laugh because I know that you, entitled adult, don't know that meaning of the word.
Impossible means that it simply cannot be done.
Implausible means that it's crazy, but if you work for it, anything can happen.
My generation needs to learn that it's okay to screw up. It's okay to be loud, and opinionated, and entitled.
We have a fire underneath us.
When we become adults and want to do, don't scoff at us for the desire to do more than go to school.
Yes, we do feel entitled to do that thing when we turn 18.
We want unrestricted drivers licenses, later curfews, better jobs, to be around our friends, to do something crazy-
to feel like we were created for more than 14 years of school.
14 years that look more like a free trial than anything else.
You tell us not to be entitled, but want us to bankrupt ourselves to get an education.
You tell us not to be entitled, but want you to fetch your groceries for you.
You tell us not to be entitled, but take entitlement yourselves to even tell us what authority we do/do not have.
Do we not get a just claim (which is what entitled means, adults reading) when we now stare at our futures unprepared because of your lack of will to let us experience, all because you think our wanting of experience is due to our attitudes?
I am 17 years young and I will attend college in the fall.
College that costs around $20,000/year to attend. At least.
However, you call me stupid, entitled, and irritating.
Does this post, dear adult, make your skin crawl?
I sure hope it does.
We are a generation AMBITIOUS.
We are a generation READY.
We are a generation EXCITED.
We are a generation UNDERPREPARED, thanks to you, kind adults.
But most of all?
We are a generation REBELLIOUS, because you put us down for wanting to become upstanding members of society.
If we follow Bernie Sanders, you tell us that all we want is free education. However, you also tell us that we are going to cast down the free education if it's provided? Provided education and mandatory education are two different things my friend.
If we follow Donald Trump, you tell us that we are racist and bigoted. Never mind the fact that the man is running on a platform to undo the damage that his fellow political peers boast about. Never mind the fact that he really does desire in his own way to make America livable again.
All you people see is a bunch of diaper-clad individuals running for the polls.
Guess what? I'm 17 years old and read all over the world.
Guess what else? I have friends who are published, friends who are good parents, friends who are magnificent people, friends who have raised their siblings, and friends who take care of themselves because their parents can't.
Maybe we're so entitled because we're tired of being treated less-than-human.
I'm 17 years old, and a teacher can tell me "no" when I raise my hand to ask to go to the restroom.
But in less than 5 months, you expect me to be able to live on my own, support myself enough to pay for college, and understand the real world?
I'm 17 years old, and I know more about the mitochondria of a cell than I do about taxes, checkbooks, bank accounts, mortgages, leases, or the value of money.
We are entitled because we are finally accepting the privileges of adulthood that have been so denied to us for the past 17 to 18 years.
So next time, kind adult, before you open your mouth to judge me or anybody else in my generation?
Shut up and do your job instead, and let us enjoy who we are.
We aren't going to change for you- so stop asking. Stop telling.
We are going to fight for what we believe in, and we are going to go with our instincts... Just like you did when you were our ages.
We are the Generation Entitled, and we are the future of America and the world.
I know that a lot of you don't like that, but it isn't for you to like or dislike anymore.
You raised us to be opinionated and to have a voice, and now that so many of us have one, you want to take it away because it isn't the voice you raised us to have.
Coming from me, a representative of my generation, we're not shutting up just because you tell us to. A lot of us have been doing that our entire lives, and it ends here.
No longer are we listening to your grievances, but instead, we are declaring our independence as freethinking, ambitious, massively driven young adults.
So please excuse me as I go to dump all of your fiber, vitamin, and diet pills into a lake.
-Sincerely,
A Very Ambitious Member of the Rising Generation
p.s. Don't call us childish when you raised us to forever be children, and not adults.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Tori's Weekly Tirade 4.3.16
Happy April, everyone!
This first week of April has been exceedingly productive, and I'm looking forward to the rest of this month a lot.
The only part that I mildly disliked (however ironic that it might have been) was listening to a girl that I used to attend youth group with sit and trash someone on the Internet- complete with forcing them out of the closet and humiliating them.
...and then saying that she would pray for them because they were probably having a bad day because of what she'd done.
Well.
If I needed another reason not to go back to my old church?
That would be it.
~
Anyways, moving on, this week was like-- uber busy!
First of all, High School Musical rehearsals started and it's time consuming and makes you want to sleep. From now on, I'm probably going to be taking a pillow with me to every practice and napping when I'm not on stage. Not even joking.
We've started running whole scenes, though. All of the crowd-favorites are choreographed and a whole lot of fun to put on. (Like this picture that one of my teachers took of the boys' feet during "Get'cha Head in the Game.")
 |
| Photo Credit to Stephen Wilson, drama teacher at WWHS. |
People are in full-swing drama, attitude, skill, talent, singing, etc.
I know that this month might make me lose my patience a lot more than I usually do. (You guys know that I don't have patience, let's be honest here, lol.) However, I am beginning to feel the close-knit family feeling the more time that I'm around everyone. I've missed feeling apart of something like that. The last time I had a music family was in marching band last year.
This is a little bit different, though. More attitude, different hours, different crowds, different performance value.. Oh how I've missed the stage, so!
Also- shoutout to my freshman Larry!
(For those of you who don't understand why I refer to him as "my freshman," it's kind of like a weird American tradition thing where you like, have a designated best friend that is a freshman when you're a senior. Larry just has the luck of being mine-- and is one of many underclassmen that I'm going to miss like crazy when I graduate next month.)
Anyways, I'm shouting him out because week before last he started as an understudy, but because he learned his lines (credit to me for running said lines with him for like, over an hour) our teacher gave him a couple of shows.
#ProudMomFriendMoment
Also, a lot of people in first block call me mom. I guess I have a maternal aura or something...? I have no idea. I'm totally okay with it, though. It just means that people trust me and come to me about things a lot. :) Gotta love my friends!
~
Friday was a lot of fun, too!:
At my school, I am a member of Tri M (which is a music honor society, for those of you who didn't know that) and it's music/community service based. I had the privilege of going to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in Charleston, West Virginia.
We left the school between 2-3pm, and got back at the school between 9-10pm.
While we were down there, we sanitized toys, roll-away beds, I organized cabinets, and a couple of others cooked a meal. We had a lot of fun, got a lot of work done, and had a lot of pretty interesting conversations while we were working.
(For example, we discussed what opinions teachers are allowed to have aloud in a classroom, and how degrading opinions should be muted as soon as they begin. By degrading- I mean racist. Gotta love Beckley, am I right?!)
The ride home was a bunch of fun too- we passed around pizza (I got Wendy's), and then a couple of us dozed the whole way home.
For those of you who don't know, Ronald McDonald House is a place where families of children in the hospital (children being individuals 21 and under) can stay and be near their child. It's a nonprofit, independent organization. They accept soda-tabs as a form of donation, and they also accept monetary donations at this link.
On a bulletin board inside of this one, a bunch of people had sent pictures of their babies and children that had come a long way since the families resided in the house. The stories were really uplifting, and knowing that I got to volunteer at such an awesome place is really motivating for me as an individual.
~
For those of you wondering where I am in the search for college-
I didn't get accepted in to UNC Chapel Hill.
However!
I still fully intend on going to graduate school there, or at a place of that academic caliber. I'm not giving up on my dreams because of one rejection letter when I've got full rides to three other places.
...but yes, those of you who know me really well know that it kind of broke my heart to not get in. Now, I'm pretty sure that I'm heading to Charlotte with my best friend Jordan that you guys have heard oh-so much about. Maybe after I start college Jordan and I will have a lot of misadventures for me to write about. I sure hope so.
If I don't go there, expect to hear more about Marshall University or West Virginia University in the near future- but I want to go out-of-state way too much to settle for in-state. Am I not the weirdest person you have ever heard about?
Also, expect long rants in the near future about:
-HSM (when it happens! Opening night for the show is on the 21st of this month!)
-Graduation/Graduation Rehearsal
-Prom! (I'm actually going to two this year- one in WV, one in NC.)
-College (final decisions blah blah blah)
~
Well, you've arrived at the end of this week's post.
I'd like to take a moment as the author of this blog to just thank everyone who reads it.
I know that this sounds cheesy or whatever, but blogging makes me feel like I have a voice that matters in this world. That's so much more than I'd ever thought I'd have in this lifetime.
People used to complain about me because of my Facebook rants and my passion to stand behind my actions and what I believe in. Now I can honestly say that it's made me a better person to reach an amount of people this large with the things that I think are important.
As of April 1st, this blog has been read in 11 different countries all around the world.
Very soon, in less than 100 reads actually, this blog will hit 4,000 reads.
All. Because. Of. You. Guys.
Thank you for being the most amazing readers, like, in the world. (Literally!)
I will talk to you guys again next week- maybe before then should opportunity arise!
-Tori :D
p.s. 10/10 Tori's would recommend reading "See Me" by Nicholas Sparks. It's captivating and has a bit of a mystery to it. Do it. You won't regret it at all.
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