One of the things I am hoping for in Maud Lovelace Public High School is diversity of fat.
I am not fat. I am not even plus-size. But at the private high school I attended in Faulkner, everybody is skinny. I kid you not. All the "pretty" girls have to be skinny, and if you were un-skinny (like me!) you were un-pretty and definitely not dateable. The only exception is if you wore your extra weight in your bra.
Part of this is because there was such pulchritude in the private school, and a smaller number of boys, that the guys had way too many options. They could become too picky. And the smart, unskinny girls are left in the skinny dust.
Community College was a nice change. People are normal sizes in Sayers, and that is one of the things I appreciate about this place. I have no vendetta against skinny people (most of my friends wear a size 5) but I like diversity in all things. Especially fat.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Fashion Fast-Forward
When I began ninth grade, my wardrobe was sad. I was still in the mommy-buys-all-my-clothes stage in a bad way. My mother has good taste, it's just that I didn't have any (taste, that is.) I was chubby. Didn't wear makeup (... I don't know how I survived.)
When I began tenth grade, my wardrobe was much improved. I wore makeup, and had a general idea of what was cute. This would improve as the year went on. However, my fashion show-abilities were hindered by a strict dress code... even though I was known throughout the school as the girl who got away with breaking dress code. That's the benefit of being a smart and well-behaved student: the teachers don't mind what you wear.
When I began eleventh grade, I had decent and improved taste but community college is not a place you go to strut your stuff. Nobody cares what you wear, and so there I did not care what I wore. This poor, sad Gabrielle was dressing in rather hideous, bulky clothes. Some even had holes in them.
I am not so poor as to be unable to afford good clothes. I just didn't care what I wore and was in a comatose-state of depression for the semester.
So now, as I re-enter my eleventh grade year into a school of 2000 students (2000!!!), into a nonrestrictive dress code with some fabulous finds from NY&C holiday sales, I intend on looking good. I am out of my faux-Bohemian stage although I still hate polos. Call me a fanatic of What Not to Wear, but... I like looking good.
When I began tenth grade, my wardrobe was much improved. I wore makeup, and had a general idea of what was cute. This would improve as the year went on. However, my fashion show-abilities were hindered by a strict dress code... even though I was known throughout the school as the girl who got away with breaking dress code. That's the benefit of being a smart and well-behaved student: the teachers don't mind what you wear.
When I began eleventh grade, I had decent and improved taste but community college is not a place you go to strut your stuff. Nobody cares what you wear, and so there I did not care what I wore. This poor, sad Gabrielle was dressing in rather hideous, bulky clothes. Some even had holes in them.
I am not so poor as to be unable to afford good clothes. I just didn't care what I wore and was in a comatose-state of depression for the semester.
So now, as I re-enter my eleventh grade year into a school of 2000 students (2000!!!), into a nonrestrictive dress code with some fabulous finds from NY&C holiday sales, I intend on looking good. I am out of my faux-Bohemian stage although I still hate polos. Call me a fanatic of What Not to Wear, but... I like looking good.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Community College: As a High-Schooler
Ah, community college. Where I spent the past four or five months of my life, bored, depressed, bleak... those old days.
Comm College is actually a brilliant idea. The flexibility allows people from all walks of life to complete their education without having to deal with too many other people. It's a check-in-the-box kind of place, not a sit-and-wonder-at-the-beauty kind of place. In fact, it's quite ugly.
The problem is, as a junior, I don't want a check-in-the-box. I want some place where I can talk with friends and comment on fashion choices and gossip about celebs. Or Chaucer. Chaucer is good too.
Granted, Maud Lovelace Public High School is not Princeton when it comes to looks. But it's prettier than a lot of high schools in Faulkner. And it's big.
Comm College is actually a brilliant idea. The flexibility allows people from all walks of life to complete their education without having to deal with too many other people. It's a check-in-the-box kind of place, not a sit-and-wonder-at-the-beauty kind of place. In fact, it's quite ugly.
The problem is, as a junior, I don't want a check-in-the-box. I want some place where I can talk with friends and comment on fashion choices and gossip about celebs. Or Chaucer. Chaucer is good too.
Granted, Maud Lovelace Public High School is not Princeton when it comes to looks. But it's prettier than a lot of high schools in Faulkner. And it's big.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
What I'm Doing in January
Well, since my semester doesn't begin until late January, I'm off.
My plans are to finish a book that's 1.5 years in the making, finish several freelance projects because I have no idea how much time I will have post-public-school. I'll probably volunteer a few days at my dad's office, as he's low on staff right now. I'm psyched about visiting my grandparents for a week, and then afterwards I'll have a fab birthday celebration with three close friends. And then school starts.
One month of freedom. Populated by Full House reruns, the return of House and Project Runway when my dad doesn't steal the television (like he did last night.) If you, too, have missed out on PR, I like to surf www.bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com. I will also be using Google Reader, since Susan Johnston recommended it and it's a great idea.
My plans are to finish a book that's 1.5 years in the making, finish several freelance projects because I have no idea how much time I will have post-public-school. I'll probably volunteer a few days at my dad's office, as he's low on staff right now. I'm psyched about visiting my grandparents for a week, and then afterwards I'll have a fab birthday celebration with three close friends. And then school starts.
One month of freedom. Populated by Full House reruns, the return of House and Project Runway when my dad doesn't steal the television (like he did last night.) If you, too, have missed out on PR, I like to surf www.bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com. I will also be using Google Reader, since Susan Johnston recommended it and it's a great idea.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The Guidance Counselors
Today I met with two guidance counselors at Maud Lovelace Public High School, and my mother. We were there to a) explain why I'm coming in at half-time b) figure out what kind of classes I'll take besides Basket Weaving and c) check out the school (it's pretty hot.)
After the whole rigamarole of greeting-explaining-exchanging SAT scores, we started playing Match-that-Class. It looks like I will be enrolled in Honors English 11, AP Chemistry (God help me), Keyboarding, Creative Fashion/Cooking/Finance, Journalism, and possibly Latin.
Latin is fast becoming the bane of my existence. I have taken Latin since the third grade and quid pro quo, I am finis.
Apparently, we've semi shot-ourselves-in-the-foot because I am going to have a hodge-podge transcript for those big colleges to look at. Oh well. I can barely explain myself, how can I ever explain my education?
Because, as my mother pointed out, my college of choice is sadly Princeton. And then Columbia. Cliche, cliche, cliche.
After the whole rigamarole of greeting-explaining-exchanging SAT scores, we started playing Match-that-Class. It looks like I will be enrolled in Honors English 11, AP Chemistry (God help me), Keyboarding, Creative Fashion/Cooking/Finance, Journalism, and possibly Latin.
Latin is fast becoming the bane of my existence. I have taken Latin since the third grade and quid pro quo, I am finis.
Apparently, we've semi shot-ourselves-in-the-foot because I am going to have a hodge-podge transcript for those big colleges to look at. Oh well. I can barely explain myself, how can I ever explain my education?
Because, as my mother pointed out, my college of choice is sadly Princeton. And then Columbia. Cliche, cliche, cliche.
The Backstory
This summer, my family moved two hours away from Faulkner to Sayers (where I live now.) I was OK with moving, because I like change. I was a senior (did some grade-jumping) and was OK. It was OK until about October, when the realization hit my system that I was taking a full college load plus two advanced high school classes and I had a breakdown.
We de-grade-jumped me back to a junior, dropped classes and activities so that I could have a quiet life. The problem was that life was too quiet. I had no friends. Have no friends. Hear me? No friends. All mine are in Faulkner or other parts of the country. I need a social life.
It all came to one, final head when before Christmas I came home from the second party I had gone to all semester. This second party was my baby sister's playgroup party. I couldn't take it any more.
So now, I am going to Maud Lovelace Public High School at the end of January. Yes, I use fake names. But they are much more interesting than real ones.
Later posts will cover: What Community College is Like as a High Schooler, What I'm Doing in January, The Guidance Counselor Meeting.
We de-grade-jumped me back to a junior, dropped classes and activities so that I could have a quiet life. The problem was that life was too quiet. I had no friends. Have no friends. Hear me? No friends. All mine are in Faulkner or other parts of the country. I need a social life.
It all came to one, final head when before Christmas I came home from the second party I had gone to all semester. This second party was my baby sister's playgroup party. I couldn't take it any more.
So now, I am going to Maud Lovelace Public High School at the end of January. Yes, I use fake names. But they are much more interesting than real ones.
Later posts will cover: What Community College is Like as a High Schooler, What I'm Doing in January, The Guidance Counselor Meeting.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Who am I?
Nothing like starting out a New Year with your basics.
I am smart. "Smart" should be trademarked by the world's educational system, or re-defined in Webster's as describing a child belonging to the advanced track of education. I began my elementary education in a Mandarin-speaking country, which taught me much about diversity and culture, but did little for my English. So I became home-schooled, and continued to be so after several moves.
I also move a lot, because of my father's job. This has always been all right, because I love change.
Part of the "smart" thing was that I read. A lot. While in said Mandarin-speaking country, I read about 300-400 pages a day. I was gifted with speed-reading and a love of books, an excellent combination for any library-loving kid (I am.) This means that my SAT reading and math scores differed by 210 points (my math was lower.) I am not genius-smart. Just book-smart.
I write, too. I am the editor of a small-but-growing webzine for teen writers. I have been published lots of times, in magazines you might have heard of (or not.) I write unpublished books. I also have a knack for getting cameo parts in school musicals (always the cameo, never the lead.)
I love people. This is part of my undying love affair with stories, and part of my undoing as far as breaking-my-public-school-vow. I need time by myself (books) but I love parties, love getting dressed up, love talking. In a big family like mine, we're almost never quiet. If we are quiet... it's an ominous silence.
I'm also a Christian.
All of these things have contributed to my decision to leave the safety of my new(ish) home and venture several miles away, to a public institution of learning. But why, exactly?
I am smart. "Smart" should be trademarked by the world's educational system, or re-defined in Webster's as describing a child belonging to the advanced track of education. I began my elementary education in a Mandarin-speaking country, which taught me much about diversity and culture, but did little for my English. So I became home-schooled, and continued to be so after several moves.
I also move a lot, because of my father's job. This has always been all right, because I love change.
Part of the "smart" thing was that I read. A lot. While in said Mandarin-speaking country, I read about 300-400 pages a day. I was gifted with speed-reading and a love of books, an excellent combination for any library-loving kid (I am.) This means that my SAT reading and math scores differed by 210 points (my math was lower.) I am not genius-smart. Just book-smart.
I write, too. I am the editor of a small-but-growing webzine for teen writers. I have been published lots of times, in magazines you might have heard of (or not.) I write unpublished books. I also have a knack for getting cameo parts in school musicals (always the cameo, never the lead.)
I love people. This is part of my undying love affair with stories, and part of my undoing as far as breaking-my-public-school-vow. I need time by myself (books) but I love parties, love getting dressed up, love talking. In a big family like mine, we're almost never quiet. If we are quiet... it's an ominous silence.
I'm also a Christian.
All of these things have contributed to my decision to leave the safety of my new(ish) home and venture several miles away, to a public institution of learning. But why, exactly?
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