Education for sophomore Jonah Gold has meant having a school-funded math tutor in second grade to teach him faster than his classmates could learn, a psychologist in eighth grade to address his test-related stress and a spot in the Communication Arts Program (CAP) after his parents—a working father and a mother with a part-time job—advocated for him while he was on the waiting list.
Copy machines. Computers. Sports uniforms. PTSA newsletters. Weight-room equipment. Health textbooks. Calculators. These are just a handful of the basic school necessities for which Blair must reach out to corporate America.
Friends has Central Perk. Doug has the Honkerburger. Saved by the Bell has Mac's. Every important TV group has its own place to lay aside its cares and dig into greasy food and good conversation. Likewise, Blair's 3,200 hungry stomachs and gossiping mouths need their own cultural Mecca.
For two years, five months and 26 days, I have been a trasher. I've sat on my lazy, privileged butt, scrambling to finish homework, munching and crunching through 539 lunches and leaving my plastic bags, bottles and banana peels anywhere but the garbage can.
For all the naughty kiddies expecting coal in their stockings this gift-giving season, have no fear. There's a guaranteed way to get a present this year. Regardless of pouting, crying, shouting or lying, there is always the option of a Secret Santa.
Nearing the Colesville Road parking lot, CAP junior Kirsten feels panic creeping up inside her. All she wants to do is run, hide or scream, take the wheel and turn back for home. As she pulls into the parking lot, tears leak from her eyes and stream down her face. Her hands begin to shake and her breath quickens. Frozen in the passenger seat, she is unable to force herself out of the car. She pleads with her mother to let her stay home, just this once.
On Friday, Oct 4, the Rolling Stones Forty Licks world tour erupted to a start. Keith Richards rocked out on guitar. Mick Jagger screamed the words to "Brown sugar," while prancing and pacing across the stage. The thousands of fans packed into FedEx field roared in unison with Jagger, jumping and whooping in delight. A gigantic big screen loomed above the stage, projecting brightly colored, high contrast images of the band.
There are five minutes left in sophomore Rocky Hadadi's Algebra II class, just enough time for the students to look over their grades on the last test. "Oh my God,” one of the students says, "I bombed that test so hard!” "Yeah?” one of the others challenges, "Well I got an E; how do you like that?” Two freshmen standing in the circle look sheepishly down at their A's and, in a split-second decision, cast the truth aside to join in on the bragging.