Halloween is coming and with it an oppressive air of terror and apprehension. Not every fright, however, is obvious from the start. Some of the greatest horrors are brought by revelation, and even Wesleyan holds secrets; under the visage of green grass and high test scores lies some of the scariest realities a Wesleyan student can face. Keep Reading
The holidays are approaching quickly. With fall comes Thanksgiving, which brings Christmas and then winter. These holidays are no doubt the best time of the year. It is a time for giving and receiving, a time for family and friends. But as we approach this season, many people are discontent. Whether it be about the election or the stress of schoolwork with exams approaching fast.
These factors are creating a dark cloud over Wesleyan. Holidays are a time for happiness and love, but these elements are making it hard to focus on the joy of the holidays. So this holiday season, take a step back and truly look at everything God has given you. God has given us so many gifts to be thankful for. We have a beautiful school with teachers who care about us, loving families, accepting friends and of course delicious holiday food. Everyone goes through rough patches in their lives. We always hear that God uses the dark times in our lives for good, but do we really listen when people say that? We go through bad times for a reason, but God uses every single part of our lives for a reason, even if they seem miserable at the time.
Whatever you are going through, look at these holidays as a time to truly be thankful for what God has given you. Looking at the parts of our lives we are thankful for instead of the dark times will inevitably bring joy into our lives. Whatever burden is weighing you down, know that God is here to help us with those burdens. We should not look at these dark times and think that we have to endure them alone. God is here to walk with us through these times.
So this holiday season, focus on the blessings in your life. Do not get weighed down by the sadness in your life. God is here to walk with us through the worst times and we are not on this earth to walk through life alone.
College is an expected destination for Wesleyan students. With every new week of school comes new tests, quizzes and papers to write, and everyone works hard to keep their GPAs eligible to get them into their dream college. Between tests and quizzes, students give up their nights and Saturday mornings for ACT and SAT tutoring, and let’s not forget sports and play practices. So how are students expected to have any fun?
The ultimate goal for Wesleyan students is to work hard enough to get into the college of their choice. Although we often believe that high school doesn’t matter because we are learning pointless subjects, it does matter for our futures, with colleges and even life after college. Keep Reading
“There’s a hundred and four days of summer vacation/ ‘Till school comes along just to end it/So the annual problem for our generation/ Is finding a good way to spend it…”
High school, though primarily associated with academia, intrinsically functions as a catalyst for social experimentation, discovery and growth. One could certainly argue that the social ramifications of these four years even surpass those of academic nature. Education at the high school level is intended to cultivate and expand intellectual interests while preparing students for productive careers, but the byproduct of so many teenagers meeting in the same place for hours a day comes in the form of social development that is invaluable to the individual and to society.
Simply put, high school is the place where people really start to figure out who they are and how they interact with other people. Because the social facet of high school education accounts for such a large portion of its overall value, it is exceptionally worth-while for students to evaluate their social habits and interactions in order to ensure that they impact the high school experience positively.
Ultimately, the distinguishing factor between positive and negative social interactions and habits is attitude. By now, most students are sick of being told to change their attitude; adolescents are bombarded by parents, teachers, and just about everyone else telling them to improve their attitude. As monotonous as the message may be, it is so heavily emphasized for good reason. As it relates to social interactions, attitude is central to behavior. A positive attitude inevitably yields healthy, encouraging interactions and conversations. Alternatively, a negative attitude leads to insecurity and petulance. 100 percent of humans would rather find themselves in the presence of an encouraging, selfless person than a cantankerous, irritable bully.
Although many teachers and students are far too susceptible to hypersensitivity, many others refuse to acknowledge the harm they are capable and often guilty of inflicting. The only thing worse than an overly sensitive cry-baby complaining about a harmless joke is a bully who consistently hurts his or her peers without ever admitting to it or receiving retribution. Too often our desire for acceptance exceeds our urge to confront those who put down innocent others. Unfortunately, we are generally afraid to admit that sometimes people actually do hurt our feelings, and sometimes that is enough to do real damage.
I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that this editorial is intrinsically riddled with hypocrisy. Although I am guilty of all of the aforementioned wrongdoings, I can honestly say that high school has taught me to take far more pleasure from encouraging others than hiding my insecurities by putting others down. My favorite thing about the Class of 2016 is that my classmates and I have arrived at the realization that applauding and supporting each other in everything we do produces more joy and excitement than exploiting each other because of our differences. In conclusion, high school is about a lot more than learning. Take a break from stressing about grades every once in a while to evaluate what high school really means for you.
