SCO Says: Lunch seating, Homecoming, and Blair's exclusive pool

Welcome to the first SCO Says of the 2015-2016 school year! Here you'll find some great advice on all things Blair provided by professionals*. In this edition we tackle all your first-month-of-school including lunch time seating, homecoming, and of course the exclusive Blair pool.

I'm a freshman and the first week of school my friends and I found a really good spot outside during lunch, but this week when we got there some scary upperclassmen were sitting there. What should we do?
~Seatless at lunchtime

Lauren:
Dear Seatless,
Where you sit at lunch is very important (we've all seen Mean Girls) and if this seat is as amazing as you say it is you have to fight for it! Never mind that you're a freshman and they're a group of seniors. Never mind that they've been here four years to your one month, and that they're probably bigger, stronger, and have probably actually been sitting at "your spot” for the last four years. If this was your seat from the first day of school, you fight for it. Now the best course of action is what I like to call the dash from class. As soon as the bell rings you run as fast as you can to your spot and sit down. You get there first; you get the table.

Sandeep:
Dear Seatless,
Well, the upperclassmen have probably been sitting there for a long time and that has become their regular spot. You may feel cheated out of your spot, but remember they probably had to go through the same thing you are going through right now to get that spot. Just don't give up, you'll get it eventually!

Eleanor:
Dear Seatless,
That stinks. You could try talking to someone at the table, but let's be honest that probably won't do much. Luckily, you go to one of the biggest schools in the county and there are plenty of different places to sit at lunch. Keep an eye on your table and pounce on it if you see it free, but the best thing to do would be to find a new location to sit.

I had a little too much fun at homecoming and now I pass this one boy in the halls and I feel ashamed to look at him. What should I do?
~ #Locohoco

Lauren:
Dear #Locohoco,
Hey, the gym was dark, you were all dressed up, maybe he won't recognize you, but if he does, there's no need to be ashamed! Sure we all do things we regret, but hey, if you had fun and he had fun then really what's there to be ashamed about? Of course you'll probably feel embarrassed anyways so another option is to just cover your face with a book or a paper as you walk by. Or revert to the classic, "I'm looking at this really interesting thing on my phone" tactic.

Sandeep:
Dear #Locohoco,
When you see that guy, go up and formally introduce yourself. I mean who knows, you may get a great friendship (or even something more) out of it. If you feel too awkward doing that, there's always the proven method of quickly averting your eyes and hiding in a crowd.

Eleanor:
Dear #Locohoco,
The best way that I have found to avoid get out of awkward conversations is to be as weird and exuberant as possible. Maybe jitterbug down the hallway or comment to the nearest person how amazing the unicorn was that you saw at lunch. Or, you know, just keep your eyes low and walk by as quickly as possible. Whatever floats your boat.

I heard Blair has a swim and dive team, where do they practice? Is there a pool at the school or something?
~ Swimming with questions

Lauren:
Dear Swimming,
The fourth floor pool! Unless you're on the Swim and Dive team or a senior you never get to see the fourth floor pool unless you sneak up there on your own. Just go to the greenhouse, climb on top, and jump (parkour!) to the roof and you're at the pool. Blair has one of the nicest pools in the county so you definitely want to use it as much as possible. If you're wondering why you never see people jumping all over the greenhouse to get on the roof, the seniors and swimmers have a special pass that lets them hit a secret button on the elevator which takes them directly to the pool.

Sandeep:
Dear Swimming,
As a member of Blair Swim and Dive, I can sincerely tell you that we practice in the pool on the fourth floor (the roof).

Eleanor:
Dear Swimming,
If you're looking for a high school with a pool you're in the wrong area. That being said, a fourth floor pool would be lovely and I don't mind pretending it exists.

I'm used to putting all my stuff in my locker, but it's all the way on the third floor. My bag is so heavy, and I don't want to carry it everywhere I go. What can I do?
~Arms the size of pencils

Lauren:
Dear Arms the size of pencils,
Going to your locker is a struggle. But working on your arms is a great way to manage the weight. The weight room is open almost everyday after school, you'll have to fight past the football players, and the gym rats but it'll be worth it. After a few bicep curls, some rows and some work on the bench press, you'll be carrying that backpack with ease in not time.

Sandeep:
Dear Arms the size of pencils,
It's really all just mind games. Backpacks aren't actually that heavy. You just think they are. If I were to guess why your bag was so heavy, I would guess that you had a lot of junk in your bag that's just dead weight. Look through your backpack and see what is essential and what you can leave out to lessen your load.

Eleanor:
Dear Arms the size of pencils,
Let me start off by saying oh my god I am so hip. Now, on to actually helping you... The first thing that I'm going to suggest is lightening your load. Make sure that you aren't bringing way more stuff to school than you need to (something of which I'm totally guilty). Next, if you do have to bring a lot of stuff to school, one thing that you can do is use your locker. It's shocking, I know, but if you go to your locker before your first class, drop off what you don't need for the morning and then go back during lunch and switch out your papers you can cut down a lot of what you carry throughout the day. Just make sure you don't leave anything there that you need.

If you have any questions you would like answered please email us at managingpr.sco@gmail.com, tweet @mbhsSCO, or comment under this article.

* Despite our claims we are not actually professionals. We at Silver Chips Online are not responsible for any lives ruined.