March 28, 2013
Opinion
5
The more involved you are the better
For years, I have been running all around Cedar Rapids in constant motion to get to various activities and events. However, the chaos of my usual week could not make me happier. I’ve always been busy, and at any given time I am involved in at least 3-4 activities. I love my hectic schedule and how it forces me to manage my time as well as possible. Though it can be stressful at times, the stress has made me very productive and well-rounded. This fall, my schedule included a two-hour cross country practice after school, then racing over for a four-hour dance class at National Dance Academy, and though I began to go a bit crazy I was always forced
to have my homework done in the time allotted. From a young age, I have always been all for trying new things and being very involved. I have tried almost every sport and continue to look for new interests as I continue my high school career. I am involved in numerous clubs and activities around the school and being involved in such a wide range of things has made me who I am. At school, I have done everything from Poms to Drama, Spanish Club to Speech, and cross country to Model UN. At times it is difficult to keep track of the various projects and the work I have to do at home, but it has made me discover what I like to do. If you do all sports in school, how will you ever discover that you are the next Picasso? If you only focus on drama, will you let your hidden talent of impeccable 3-pointers ever
be discovered? With so many options at Xavier and in the community, why not try everything? You will definitely not be good at everything you try but you might have fun falling on your butt a few times. New activities and interests mean learning more about yourself, but also your peers. You might meet someone new or discover that the girl in your Algebra class is already a black-belt. As I said before, the stress of not only trying everything, but giving everything your all, is a lot to handle sometimes. However, I firmly believe that being very involved and committed forces you to spend your time wisely and purposefully. I am much more likely to tackle that six-page paper if I know that I have four hours of dance on Sunday and a meeting on Friday morning before school than if I had an open weekend.
Not being busy tends to lead to a little thing called procrastination. A recent study was done by Iowa State University that claimed that students involved in extracurricular activities received higher grades, and I firmly believe this is because they have good time-management skills. The study also showed that students involved in numerous outsideof-school activities improved their character-building overall. It’s great to try things because, as humans, we never stop surprising ourselves. Being involved in everything can be difficult but can also be extremely beneficial academically and personally.
Morgan Noonan Opinion Writer
Home Ec: reviving the untaught necessities How many of us could move out today and confidently make our own home? My guess is very few. The first (and rather strange) thing that came into my mind when asked that is, “But how does a house work?” Like me, most high school students probably don’t know how to do basic home tasks like laundry, proper cleaning, mechanics, and finance. What is this? We are utterly prepared for our scholarly lives and work, but when it comes to really taking care of ourselves, the tradition is to laugh and then sigh and show us how. I don’t mean to insult our parents or any of the good people who raised us. This has just become a national habit: With all our academic
preparations, our more mundane yet still important basics have been somewhat neglected. Yes, many parents are careful to make sure their kids know how to cook, clean, and look after themselves to some degree. But after long, jam-packed days of school, activities, jobs, and practices, learning these skills gets a little strained. I highly doubt what’s on our minds when we get done with school or work is, “Hey, before I move out I should learn how to sew on a button!” That’s why I propose we go back to having classes for some of the basics: home economics. Maybe you’ve heard your parents talk about “Home Ec” from when they were in school. Some things they learned were woodworking, technical drawing, cooking, sewing, or even auto mechanics. It doesn’t matter what career you’re going to be in or how store-bought your
life will be; you will definitely need to know some of these things at some point in your life. Now, there are some things we really should be learning from our own families, like laundry and certain finances. But couldn’t we be going through some of the basics together? If the point of high school is meant to prepare us for college and the rest of our lives, why not hit this portion? Maybe it seems dull, but do you know how much of your time is going to be spent maintaining, fixing, and balancing? How long do you think you would last on a diet of sandwiches and microwavable meals? It’s good to think about this now, and I propose we get some help.
Gina Reiman Opinion Writer
Keep your Lenten promises alive
One of the most anticipated weeks of the church calendar, Holy Week, is finally upon us. My weekend consists of celebrating my birthday tomorrow, spending time with my cousins this weekend, and lectoring at Sunday morning Mass. However, some people are overjoyed that Easter is here for one purpose: the end of Lent. You can now go back to eating meat on Friday (which I know many of my fellow classmates have missed), but the real question is: should the promises we made 40 days ago disappear with the season? Of course not! During Lent, we are called to give
up something that keeps us away from focusing on our faith or do something extra to become closer to God. This is supposed to help us not only learn how to make sacrifices, like Jesus did on the cross, but also to help improve our relationship with God in wonderful ways. Unfortunately, some may think that when Easter comes around, their promises are null and void as soon as they bite the ears off their chocolate Easter bunny. I understand the urgency of the situation if you gave up something along the lines of cookies, soda, or your favorite TV show. I mean, who doesn’t love Dance Moms? But why would you let a new habit, which may have been hard to start at first, just go away? Even when He had difficulties, Jesus never left His
people. He is everywhere you need Him, whether you know it or not! I am certain that if He can do so much for us, we can surely make ourselves better followers of Him. What better way to start than by following through with your promises? In reality, Lent is more than just a season. It is a time for us to humble ourselves so we can become stronger believers and prepare for Jesus’ resurrection. Don’t let go of your promises like your New Year’s resolutions; instead, keep your faith alive. Remember: God so loved the world that He sent His only son, so that you would not perish, but have eternal life. What can you do to thank Him for the favor?
Ashley Pudil A&E Writer
Hall Talk “Where are they building the new courthouse?” e
l gg o g e c n.” i “N ta
“We’re just taking Xavier and moving it somewhere else!”
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am in, out f .” oam
“Wait, you guys aren’t grandparents? You’re gonna have to turn
around.”