Xavier High School Seniors ‘12 Courtesy is the best policy Growing in my faith
12
As we enter the building some like to call prison, Azkaban, the penitentiary, or even school, we’re usually expected to follow rules that have been engraved in a stone tablet for us eons before we ever step foot inside. Outfits are determined by the dress code, attitudes are based upon the way our teachers treats us, and lunches decide how hungry we will be after practice. But what the school can’t control for us is the way we act. Most of us are at least 14 by the time we are freshmen, and in the eyes of the state, that means we are old enough to drive or even work. If the government can trust us with customer service or operating a vehicle, we should be able to act like we are capable of that. By the way most of the students at Xavier act, I don’t think I would trust them driving a golf cart, let alone bagging my groceries. We need to be responsible for our actions and know when to draw the line. If you want to be treated like the mature high school student you claim to be, learn to act like one. You get the respect you earn, so if you disrespect others, you probably don’t deserve that much respect. Contrary
to popular belief, gossip does not make you cooler and making fun of people is not the way to show people you “have a sense of humor.” At least pretend like you have some manners when people say “Excuse me” in the hallway and accept an apology without rolling your eyes. It’s also common courtesy to not make a blockade in the hallway during a passing period with your friends. School also is not a place to do whatever you want because your parents aren’t here to watch you. Don’t leave a mess in the hallway or in the lunch room and just expect janitors to pick up after you. High school is supposed to be fun and enjoyable! If you can’t find enjoyment in any other way than talking about yourself, making up lies about others, or slandering classmates, then you obviously have too much free time on your hands. There really are other ways to spend your high school career, but a lot of people never realize that until it’s too late. Learn to act your age, not your shoe size. You are an adult, so start acting like one.
I love being a teenager, but at the same time, I also hate it. At times I knew exactly what was going on in Calculus, but at other times I couldn’t get a problem right if my life depended on it. I was often nice to others, but I could also be very selfish. I tried my hardest to make time for my friends, but I wasn’t always successful. All of us have had our share of good and bad moments, but the thing I learned most from all of them is to not sweat the small stuff. No one cares if you are having a bad hair day or if you can see your underwear line through your school pants. Just don’t worry about it! Don’t criticize everything that comes your way. If your friend is having a bad day, don’t tell them that they have a spaghetti sauce stain on their shirt. They will see it eventually and deal with it in their own way. No one likes a negative Nelly, so try your best to put sunshine in the lives of those around you. Don’t plan on being the person that everyone likes. Many people go
into high school with the mindset of trying to be the nicest person in their grade. If someone doesn’t like you right away, don’t take it personally. They may be having a bad day or just got the news that their gerbil had a heart attack. Listen to your parents – they are doing it right. They were our age once, just with bigger hair and mesh t-shirts. One day you’ll look back and realize that everything they have ever told you helped you out in some way. So listen to them while they are still here to tell you to pull your saggy pants up. One final thing that is of the most importance is to stay true to yourself. You will get made fun of for still sleeping with a teddy bear as a teenager or even for going the entire freshman wrestling season without a win. It is important to embrace who God made you to be and to not sweat the small stuff.
Katy Karas A&E Editor
It’s safe to say that I have grown a lot from my four years at Xavier High School. Not only have I grown academically, but socially and faithfully as well. At Xavier, I was encouraged to push myself, take harder classes and strive to do my best. Socially, I have made numerous friends and have become more outgoing. The growth in my faith would exceed any other growth throughout my high school career. I got involved in Campus Ministry my junior year and was given the job to set up chairs for school Masses. One of my biggest regrets is not getting involved in this sooner. By getting involved in Campus Ministry and also attending countless retreats, I have become more interested in my faith and what it’s all about. I actually enjoy going to Mass now. Xavier has taught me to fully embrace my faith. As I move on to college in a few months at the University of Iowa, I worry that all the things that shaped my education the last 12 years in Catholic schooling will change. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited for college! I can’t wait to have a little
bit of freedom and be on my own. I also don’t plan on coming back home every weekend (sorry Mom). But with this new freedom comes responsibility. I’m going to be out of my comfort zone and everything that I previously knew will be tested. I’m going to find people who have different morals and beliefs than I do. This won’t be like Xavier. I won’t be surrounded by such a close community. I obviously will not be wearing my Xavier polo and khakis on campus next year. I won’t be asked to quiet myself for prayer every day. I won’t be required to assemble in the gym for an all school Mass ever again. It will be my responsibility to continue my religious obligations if I choose to do so. I still plan on going to Mass during college years even though I won’t have someone there to remind me to attend. The one piece of advice I would like to give is to get involved in Campus Ministry and retreats that Xavier has to offer. You may be surprised by how much you can grow from your faith. Jana Loecher Health & Lifestyle Writer
I’m not gonna lie. The past four years have been the most dramatic of my (almost) eighteen years of life. While I have been a drama queen since I was a toddler, I could not have fathomed the intense drama I have been involved in. With all the drama I have been through here, I’m going to be bored as a rock in college. If I could do high school over again, my ideal high school experience would be to live the good kind of drama. I want to live High School Musical. By that I mean I want to sing and dance spontaneous m u s i c a l numbers that are coincidentally in perfect harmony, everyone knows the words, and the choreography is perfectly together. And I want to date Zac Efron. While the drama really put a damper on a lot of high school at the time, I can now look back at it and laugh because most of it was over the most trivial issues. When my freshman year boyfriend got grounded the weekend of the Christmas dance and I was left without a date, it seemed like the end
of the world. Now, I would probably embrace the last minute dateless experience; it’s just a school dance. Most of the fights and letdowns you go through in high school are just a small part of your life. In a few years, you’ll look back and laugh; you might not even remember them! The end of my senior year has really brought this to light and I’m so glad I’ve realized this before I leave. The last thing I need is to take grudges into college with me. Before you start posting “subtle” status updates and tweeting complaints to #oomf, take a second and ask yourself, “Will I care about this in a year?” If the answer is no, then drop it. No one needs you blowing up their newsfeed. This is my challenge for the underclassmen: give up the drama and embrace the rest of your time at Xavier. These are some of the best years of your life and you’re not going to get them back.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
A dramatic four years
Carly Bro Mini-Feature Editor
Mandie Kimbro Opinion Writer