Class of 2016

     There are only 5 days until my graduation....5 days stand between me and my next step in my life!

I feel like it was not that long ago that I was sitting in my kindergarten classroom learning about the pilgrims around Thanksgiving and dressing up in colonial wear with big buckles on our shoes. Wasn't just last week my first day of middle school? I was a scared 6th grader, walking into a large unknown building, with my older sister by my side leading me to my first class. 

And now, its all coming to an end. My journey from a Sherwood Superstar to a Carver Cougar and now a Parkview Viking has been very rewarding, confusing, and emotional. But now I am beyond ready to start college and get into the profession I have been interested in for so long. There won't be the same kids I grew up with all around me anymore, or the familiar faces of the teachers who have taught me for 4 years. Now, I'll have strange professors, and fellow students from all over the world.

This fall, I will be going to The University of Arkansas, majoring in political science/Pre-law. I might be minoring in criminal justice, but I haven't decided on that yet. Next week, I pick my dorm and my roommate. It's all happening so fast but I have been waiting for this for 13 years, and I couldn't be more excited! It still hasn't sunk in that I'll be moving away from the familiarity of Springfield in 3 short months. My life is about to change pretty drastically! I won't be able to call my dog's name when I get home from class, and hear the jingle of his collar as he runs up to me. I won't be able to just walk into my parent's room and talk to my mom face to face. I won't be able to just drive from one side of town to the other and know the streets and side roads by heart. I won't be able to call up my best friend and tell her that "I'm on my way over, lets hang out girl."
Deep down, I know that I am ready for the change and I will adapt well to Fayetteville, but I also know that not seeing my mom and dad everyday, not seeing my dog, not being able to hangout with my best friend whenever I want.....is going to be hard.

My cap and tassel are hanging on my dresser, and my gown is ironed in my closet. By this time next week, I will be a graduated Springfield Public Schools student! It seriously doesn't feel real yet. 

"What would you do?"

     I think watching these episodes of "What would you do?" is an interesting insight into our societal and cultural norms. It shows us how people react to everyday situations. Our faith in humanity is either let down or restored after watching these.
     The episode with the male couple and the pregnant woman made me very angry. This person in the diner with them thought that she could just intrude on their business. No, that is not okay, and what was going on between the couple and the mother was none of her concern. She was trying to persuade the mom to not give her baby to a same-sex couple, just because of her personal opinion on homosexuality. If two people (or maybe even one person)-regardless of age, gender, relationship status, culture, or identity- are willing and able to take care of a baby, then who is to say no?? This lady was just sticking her nose in their lives and that is one of my pet peeves.
     If I were to get pregnant right now, I have full confidence that I couldn't give it the life it deserved and I would probably want to give it away. I don't have the financial capacity to provide for it. If a male couple or a woman couple were wanting to adopt it then I wouldn't have any problem with it. Some might call this being non-discriminatory, but I call it being humane.

紓緩

       I loved having the MSU exchange students here at Parkview! In our group, we only had one student named DouDou. She is majoring in wine making, which I didn't even know was a major!
My word was "relaxed" and in pinyin it is "fang song do".
DouDou was really excited to see our school, since this was her first time in an American high school. We took her to the theater, showed her the animals in the science classroom, and even took her to the wood shop class. She looked kinda terrified at all the power tools in that room, so we left quickly! We also showed her the darkroom up in the photography room, and she really thought that was cool. I asked her how going to MSU was different than her school in China. She replied saying "less pressure on us from the teachers, and we have more freedom in between classes."
She added all of our group on facebook, so we can still keep in contact with her!

           I hope they can all come back and visit us soon before the seniors graduate! I would like to get to know some other of the exchange students too.