A Day in the Life of an O’Gorman Student

By Macee Bortnem, Class of 2023

Have you ever wondered what an average day was like for a student in high school? Many people know that the life of a teenager is crazy busy, but not many know the full extent.

My name is Macee Bortnem and I am currently a junior at O’Gorman High School. My life is consumed by school and extracurricular activities; but everything I do, I do because it makes me extremely happy. The activities I choose to partake in are due to my passion for the arts. A few of the different activities include show choir, chamber choir, theater, campus ministry, and Educators Rising. Educators Rising is a club here at O’G in which students who strive to be future educators can visit colleges, complete projects, and compete in state and national competitions to learn more about the education field. I am currently the president of this group and have a strong passion to be an educator and to love students how my teachers have loved me. There are many other activities that I am involved in and would love to show you what an average day in my life looks like.

My morning routine actually starts the night before. I move my backpack and music bag to the corner near my door and get those things ready. This includes checking to make sure all of my music is put back into the bag to use the next day as well as plugging in my chromebook to get a full charge overnight. Depending on the activities that I have the next day, I will also pack a tote bag with a change of clothes, a snack, and other miscellaneous items. To close the night at around 10:30 PM, I do my nightly routine, set my alarm for 6:00 AM, and get to sleep.

I normally get up bright and early before the sun is even out–this is the time for myself before I go through a fully booked day. The first couple of things I do are pick out clothes, brush my teeth, let my dog outside, and fill his food and water. I like to do my makeup and hair while listening to a podcast. One of my favorites right now is called Teacher’s Off Duty– a podcast that reveals the highs and lows of teaching. I’ll be all ready by 6:30-6:45 AM depending on the day.

On my way to school, I eat a granola bar or fruit for breakfast and play recordings of music that I am currently learning or finish the podcast from earlier in the morning. Often, when I have to be at the school early for a meeting or rehearsal, I will stop and get a coffee. Since I am the president of Educators Rising, I am at the school by 7:00-7:10 AM to get everything ready for those meetings at 7:20 AM.

At 8:05 AM, first period starts, which for me is Personal Finance. Second period is AP Music Theory. This class is challenging but it’s giving me a good jump into college as I want to have a career as a high school chorus teacher. I then move to Morality for third period. I love learning about all aspects of my faith and having a daily theology class is such a cool opportunity. I squeeze three activities into my fourth period. I start out in a class for Ovation! (the varsity show choir at O’Gorman High School) for 4A which is about 23 minutes. There we polish music for the show that we have been working on since August. I leave that class five to seven minutes early to eat lunch before I have to be at the next class, Chamber Choir, a sixteen-person auditioned ensemble that meets 4B to rehearse music for gigs around the city. Since the director is the same for both ensembles, he allows the people in this choir to be a few minutes late to that rehearsal. A lunch of about 10-14 minutes squeezes into this period as well.

My afternoon starts with fifth period, English. Then I move on to sixth and seventh periods– Physics and Algebra. I end the day with eighth period which is Concert Choir, the auditioned large advanced ensemble. It is my favorite part of the school day. I love learning and making music with the people around me and sharing our passions with each other. This is a really great experience for me in my plans to pursue a career in music. I have fun and learn about music but also about teaching skills and needs. Eighth period is the last of the day and we get dismissed at 3:20 PM.

Second period is AP Music Theory. This class is challenging but it’s giving me a good jump into college as I want to have a career as a high school chorus teacher.

The end of the school day is not the end of my day. I have a break of about 10-20 minutes to change into comfy clothes and grab a quick snack before I have to be at rehearsal.

I have been in eight different shows at O’Gorman (earliest to latest: Peril on the High Seas; student director – The Wizard of Oz; Poppy and Tornado – The Perfect Ending; Political Activist – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Gad’s ife – Play On; Polly/ Lady Margaret – James and the Giant Peach; Aunt Sponge and student director – The Pirates of Penzance; Mabel – Footloose; Vi Moore). Theater is one of my favorite things that I am involved in. I tried it out for the first time as a sophomore and instantly fell in love. I had to learn how to be comfortable outside of my box but it is so worth it. If I had advice for anyone who was thinking about joining something new, just do it! There is no harm in trying and if you end up not enjoying it, then you’ve learned that about yourself. It is better to audition and then have to say no to your role than not auditioning and wishing you could be in the show. Also, if acting is not your forte but you are interested in being involved there are technical and costuming teams that help create the show as well. I know so many people in both of those that absolutely love it! Theater is so amazing and there is something for everyone!

On Thursdays, I have Ovation! rehearsal from 6-9 PM, so my activities are booked back-to-back. I usually have a 30-45 minutes break in between to go and grab supper with a few friends who are also involved in both activities. There are so many students in the arts that are in many activities so directors are very kind and understanding with time management. Ovation! is like its own separate world where besides school, you eat, sleep, and breathe show choir. Auditions for the next year take place at the end of March, and the season runs from early August to the beginning of March. Competition season is the climax of the entire show choir season. Teams travel all around to compete to win huge trophies. Competitions normally run for 14 hours before packing everything back up and returning home. This year has been a good one for Ovation!. The theme of On The Run, with inspiration from Bonnie and Clyde, tells the story of two renegades running from the law. We placed at every competition, brought home many trophies, and built great connections with each other. Show choir is one of my favorite things alongside theater and I cannot wait until I can be a director of a show choir someday.

After Ovation! at around 9:15 PM, we can pack up and head home for the night. I enjoy my drive home on the dark quiet streets. It’s my time to decompress, be thankful for the day, and enjoy some peace.

When I get home, I grab a snack and some water to hydrate, unload all of my stuff, take a shower, and then work on any extra homework that I may have had from the day. I usually don’t have a ton of homework as I try to work diligently in school to get my assignments done. At night, it’s hard to focus and complete something well when I am craving sleep. Then I just start back over at the top in preparation for the new day ahead of me.