A Day in the Life of a Guinea Pig

I should like to introduce you all to my school-life. So I should like to post for you an article I have written.

***

Call us test subjects, guinea pigs, or—my personal favorite—lab rats; the first graduating class of a school is no joke. At least, we try not to be. So please don’t laugh at us. We’re not that weird.

My school is a small, SMALL, classical school. Seriously, it is tiny. There are 63 students in the 7th-11th grades. That’s the Logic and Rhetoric stages… we don’t do “middle” and “high” school. They add on a new grade every year (starting with K-1st grades in 1999), and I am at the top!

There are 4.5 people in my class. There is me, the curly-haired eccentric; my other telepathic triplets, a.k.a. Amazingness and Princess; Sir Apathy, who is… apathetic; and the Televenth-Grader, who is in 11th grade but takes all 10th grade classes. Now that you are acquainted with my class, I shall acquaint you with my day.

7:30 a.m. Wake up. Stick hypothetical tongue out at public school students who are already in class. Silently thank Headmaster-who-realized-teenagers-need-more-sleep-than-kids. Hit the snooze button until…

7:48 a.m. Why is the “sleep” on the alarm in increments of nine minutes? That’s so random. The box advertises it as “convenient.” Hah. After thinking about this for several minutes, I jump out of bed and dress in my khakis (skirt or pants) and logo-ed polo. I then attempt to tame the bush on my head. I threaten it with weed clippers. I give up.

8:15 a.m. Do devotions. Eat breakfast. Check Facebook. Brush teeth. Pack backpack.

8:30 a.m. Realize I should leave. Kinda wish I could drive. Remember I still need 55 hours before I can get my license.

8:35 a.m. Stroll into homeroom and catch up with Princess. Both of her parents are teachers, so she is always there early.

8:40 a.m. Homeroom! We have homeroom divided by grade and gender. I have homeroom with the 9th-11th grade girls. We never do anything. Sometimes they take attendance.

8:48 a.m. AP Calculus. We’ll pretend it’s Friday. I have different classes every day, so it takes me about 3 weeks to memorize my schedule every semester.

I take Calc by myself… it’s just the teacher and me. He’s awesome. He is Princess’ dad. We usually spend 25% of the time talking about life and/or throwing sarcastic remarks back and forth with Amazingness, who teaches herself “Advanced Mathematics” in the same room. We spend the rest of the time on previous homework and new material. I love that class, for the most part. I’ve taken one test all year, but I’ve learned a lot.
This is a definite PRO of being a guinea pig.

10:10 a.m. Break. During break, I usually talk with my triplets or we all head downstairs to the dilapidated piano-thing. There I attempt to scratch out songs; Amazingness and I sing somethingorother; and Princess (who is also a ballerina) dances. Then I eat food. I have a doctor’s note.

10:20 a.m. Latin. RUN upstairs, because the teacher is not soft on tardiness. Did I mention that the Latin teacher is also the Calculus teacher is also the World History teacher is also the Greek teacher is also the guys’ Gym teacher? Yeah. Small school.

This is one of my favorite classes. Amazingness, Apathy, and I have already had 3-7 years of Latin, each. The teacher gives us some translation work then pretty much sets us loose, as long as we get it done.

After we’re finished, sometimes we play with our class pet, Oscar the Hamster (who has a Facebook fan page). More often, we all go slap-happy and have rambling conversations that go from a bird flying into the classroom window to Cookie Monster, within 7 steps. Documented.
We couldn’t be this free with a larger class. So, it is a PRO.

11:45 a.m. Lunch. Lunch is awesome. I sit with my triplets and our favorite tenth grader. We discuss things like theology, philosophy, and the love-that-is-Regina-Spektor. We are not normal teenage girls.

12:15 p.m. Junior Thesis. This is the class period in which we are supposed to work on our big 16-20 page paper. We choose the topics, we write the papers, we do the presentations, and some poor people have to grade them. I wrote mine about truth, goodness, and beauty in Russian literature. Our Senior Thesis will be something like 25-35 pages. Yay?

At least, that’s what we’re supposed to do. In reality, we organize our binders and do other homework. It’s really hard to work on a paper like that in school.
This paper is probably a CON, but for the school in general, not for being a guinea pig.

12:58 p.m. Bible (Doctrine). I love this class. The teacher is pretty strict, but he does a mean impression of Vizzini from The Princess Bride. We get awesome discussions, and he doesn’t really expect us to agree with him in everything.
This class is totally a PRO. You don’t get discussions like that with huge classes.

1:45 p.m. Break. Second break! What we do varies. Whatever we do we do together, because we go together like Switzerland, Mongols, and the Black Death. Thank you, AP World.

1:55 p.m. Teacher’s Aide. Princess and I grade papers for her mother or the Headmaster while Amazingness and Apathy take Spanish. Sometimes we laugh at silly spelling mistakes (who knew that “morph” is spelled “murf”?), but we’re not supposed to do that.
Teacher’s Aide is totally a PRO. It gets us out of Gym.

3:18 p.m. Dismissal. I catch a ride with somebody to the Grammar School campus. Grammar School = 2nd-6th grade. The PreK-1st graders also find their abode here.

3:45 p.m. Chorus. There are five of us, including two Grammar School-ers. I play the (very un-dilapidated) piano, and everybody sings some song. We usually have fun.
This is a CON. It is the sum total of all music programs for Upper School-ers, as we call ourselves.

4:30 p.m. Home! This is the best part of Fridays. I return to my house, change out of my uniform, put a hat on over the bush, and relax. Until I get to my homework… yeah. I actually DO homework on Fridays. Dork.

Recap. My day is full of edification and entertainment, writing and rambling, awesomeness and alliteration. I love being part of a small class. I suppose I would like more electives or choice in my class load, but what does that matter, really? I love the community. I love that my teachers are like family. It’s very writing-intensive and we get a lot of homework, but it is worth every bit. My school is 30% discussion, 40% independent work, 23.782% random, 6.218% lecture, and every bit of a family.

***

Katie

I give up.

I've been kinda-sorta sick all weekend. But then...

I woke up today with zero voice. Zip. By the time I got to school, I could talk a little, but there was no way I could sing... unfortunately, I am in a group of 6 girls that was supposed to sing tonight at a school event. We were going to sing Come Thou Fount in 4 parts, and then Revelation Song.

Problem: I had considered myself pretty much indispensable in that group.

Solution: I'm not. And it took a case of laryngitis to prove it to me.

I got the flu/laryngitis at the Awards Ceremony last year (in which I was supposed to sing, again, with my other chorus). I got my mini-lesson then. I wasn't indispensable in that chorus either.

Both of these times, I ended up playing piano. Both times, I only was playing piano for the groups in the first place because I was the only one who could sing and play.

Problem #1: I didn't end up singing.

Problem #2: I don't play piano in the first place!!!

Solution: none in sight.

Both times, I missed chords, was not all that interesting, etc. Nobody looked at me. My name was in the program, but all the lights were off and the spotlight was not on me... literally and figuratively.

I've never been one to pretend that I was humble. I struggle with pride, yes. So... I guess God sees it fit to take away what I do think I do well, and put me in a position to do something I know I do badly.

He gives and takes away, but blessed be His name.

Silver Lining: my parents didn't feel it necessary to come!

Just look at the verse that was in my devotional today (irony? yes)~

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

I concede. fold. surrender. whatever. YOU WIN.

Katie

Horrible, Terrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day

(Okay, so it wasn't THAT bad, but neither was it anywhere near good. And yes I feel like being a pessimist today... OKAY?!)

My day was really awful.

There is no worse way to begin a morning than the cold way. Yes, it was cold. And it is MAY, for crying out loud! It was cold, gloomy, and the clouds looked like they were so sad about it all that they might start crying any minute.

I hit the snooze button several times. Too many times.

Then I rushed to get ready, but apparently didn't rush enough, because I didn't begin my breakfast until 8:15.

Then there was Lit class, which was actually okay.

THEN. Chemistry.

I got to the class feeling somewhat decent. Megan and I had our little chat-about-everything that we do. And then... "okay, clear your desks!"

WHAT?!?!?

Okay. No. It's alright. I never study for tests anyways. It's acids and bases... hah!

Open the test.

Mmmmm, okay, I know those. Molarity, ah, that's fine. Blah, Blah.

Woah.

Hold. The. Phone.

Those do NOT look like the equations we did in class. Not that I understood those either. And the book is stupid. Stupid book.

I'll ask her about them. Maybe there's a typo. In order to have one molecule gain an electron and the other lose one, you have to have two on each side, right? Otherwise it's just combination...

WOAH.

Okay. Yeah, I didn't study. But I never study. I have a photographic memory. I. Do. Not. Get. This. Never did. Explain please?!

Oh, she makes me upset.

This test makes me upset.

This class makes me upset.

I want to go home.

Oh, okay. Retest later. But that doesn't mean I get this!!!

Fine. I'll guess. Um.... Brønsted-Lowry. And... Arrhenius. And... how do you draw the Lewis structure for NH4?? That's kind of impossible.

I give up.

***

AHA! I get it now. Why didn't you say that earlier? erbuhaerpitryvaefuy!!!!!

Okay. Then there was Chapel. But, being tired from the earlyish, unpleasant morning, I couldn't focus at all.

Lunch... meh. I do not want to go on my senior trip combined with some other school. No thank you.

Bible! Double period! time to work on the questions! AND he postponed the quiz!! ...oh, wait, we just have 90 minutes of lecture. yayyyy?

*happy insert*

okay, 90 minutes of lecture is worth getting the homework waived :)

*happy ends*

Surrealism in Art Class.

Art is not easy. In fact, it requires almost as much thought as Math.

I have this wonderful idea that I've worked on for several cumulative hours, but it isn't all that surreal, and I haven't begun the final project yet. I don't even know for sure what I would do with it. I sit and stare at Megan's laptop screen for most of the class.

Mrs. C comes over and talks to us for a long time. I finally get it. My idea is dumb. I need to come up with something better. I have 90 minutes of class time to work on it... total... before it's due. OH, GOODIE. homework.

I joke with Megan and Rachel. Rachel attempts to growl. It's too cute. hehe.

"Rachel, your growl is too cute. You need to make it ugly, like Megan." Wait. That wasn't supposed to come out like that. I meant that Megan's growl is ugly, like growls are supposed to be. But it sounded like I said Megan is ugly. stupidstupidstupidstupid. Uhhh, we'll clarify this one. Maybe. Oh, nope, they've changed the subject. DRAT.

Home!!! yayyy!!!

Homework!!! yayyy?!

Okay.

So, question number 7 uses the lines "y=x^2" and "y=3x-2" ...very nice.

Question number 9 uses the lines "y=|x|" and "y=4xe^(-x^2)" ...how do you skip that much?! that's, like, 5 levels higher. UGH! This is not a math sort of day.

Kristen is going to start Mrs Bond's birthday bread! and I am going to read out loud to her! Fair trade, yes?

...What?!?! There are DEAD BUGS in the.... ohhh, Kristen. And you used it anyways. Yeah, yeah, there were only 3, and it is the only flour we have, but... ewwwww.

I guess we're keeping this loaf.

Hey, Mom? What's for dinner?

Barbecue ribs?!?! ACK! the world is against me! I don't like mega-messy-finger-food, and I don't like ribs, and I don't like barbecue.

Last night it was tuna and shrimp. I'm allergic to tuna and I hate shrimp.

Junior thesis now. ugh.

Kristen is making disgusted sounds at me because she doesn't like Regina Spektor. I'M SORRY. I happen to like her. You have a laptop; go somewhere else!!!!

Oh dear. The bread didn't rise. Well... it was a flop anyways.

Katie

AUGHH!! "Cannot complete your request."

Well, sorry Blogger for trying to POST!!!

Seasons

So, today Mr Brian talked about seasons in the sermon.

My life has seasons. See video at the bottom.

My day had seasons. See following list.

• Oversleep- bad.
• Go to church- good.
• Realize forgot food- scary.
• See Christine- AMAZING.
• Get Philly Cheesesteak- yummm.
• Do History homework- ew.
• Argue with Dad because I don't want to drive- stressful.
• Go to Praise Service practice- intimidating?
• Realize have not eaten since lunch- shaking.
• Practice- fun.
• Still have not eaten since lunch- crying.
• Eat semi-freezer-burnt hotdog bun- yum?!
• Praise Service- awesome.
• Want dinner- hungry.
• Talk about books with David- diverting.
• Still want FOOD- impatient.
• Finally leave- hopeful.
• EAT- ecstatic!
• History homework- endless.
• Stressed- itchy.
• Finished- yayyy!
• Hungry again- lazy.

Well, that about sums it up.

Katie

FRUSTRATION!!

This is a rant.

Prepare yourselves.

1) Why, may I ask, do people use Facebook? To connect with friends, or maybe acquaintances. To learn more about (*coughfacebookstalkcough*) people they see but don't know so well. To keep in touch with people who ARE friends. Real friends.

2) Why, may I ask, do people add others as 'friends'? Well, see #1. Usually out of cordiality, curiosity, or camaraderie.

3) Why, may I ask, do people unadd others from their 'friends'? When I've done it in the past, it's been because of something offensive (i.e. language) or just as a cleanup of sorts. People I never see anymore and will probably never see again.

...so then, why have I been serially unfriended by a certain clique? I see them semi-regularly, I have never posted anything offensive on my Facebook or anyone else's, and I never did anything to offend them personally... I don't think.

What is protocol, then? It puts me in an awfully awkward situation. Knowing that I have been defriended, that is. We aren't "tight" by any standards, but I didn't know there were bad feelings. Do I just walk up to them and ask why we're no longer 'friends'? Do I re-request them? Or do I sit on it and try to avoid them, knowing that something must have sparked this?

I repeat: we are not "tight." This is not impacting my life. I could move on. But I still see these people. I know I'm taking it all too personally... there might be other reasons for this... but I don't know what they are and I don't know how to react.

Katie

Things You Can Learn From Cleaning Your Room

Today I have dedicated myself entirely to cleaning. Maybe some homework, but mostly cleaning.

I spent the better part of the day on my bedroom. Some parts of it have not been cleaned for years, like my desk.

Things you learn cleaning your room:

1. You really are an introvert. 2 hours straight shut up in your room and you hardly notice :P
2. Textured paper towels work much better for dusting than tissues.
3. Always dust the top shelves before the bottom ones. Always.
4. You got really cute birthday cards from your friends when you were in elementary school.
5. Never post videos of yourself singing on your blog, or else your cleaning will be interrupted by your mother (who wants to send said video to your relatives).
6. You need a better way to organize... everything.
7. And all this time... that's where 95% of your single socks and pencils went!
8. Velcro rollers stick to everything.
9. That sparkly eyeshadow? Well, maybe there's a reason you haven't worn it since middle school. The stuff gets in your eyes and ITCHES!
10. If you run out of time and/or motivation and you haven't finished, your room will look significantly worse than when you started.

...yeah, so, it's still a mess, but at least my desk is dust-free!

Katie

Rantish. Young Adult Fiction.

I cannot read young adult fiction.
It is bad for me. You know why?

1. It has awful writing in general that is wayyy below my standard/what I should be reading.
2. The content is just not helpful. Seriously?
3. All of the books have the same plot.
4. They are either about teens who have magical powers and/or enemies with magical powers, or they are about teens with "average" lives but absolutely ridiculous circumstances.
5. An AP Lit student reading the majority of YA Fiction is like a vegetarian eating this.
6. Every time I try to read YA Fiction, I end up wondering why my life is not like the protagonist's.
7. Why I don't have my Cinderella moment.
8. Why I don't have a boyfriend.
9. Why I don't show up to a social event, looking way too pretty for my own good despite not spending any time at all on my hair.
10. Why; halfway through the night when I am depressed, alone, and not expecting it; that one guy who is way out of my league doesn't come up to me and confess his love to me.

Honestly? My life is not like that.

Honestly? I don't think I want my life to be like that. Can you imagine the pressure?

Especially if you are busy having your Cinderella moment whilst trying to deal with wings growing out of your knees and an evil arch-nemesis with super-X-ray-laser-4D vision. That is serious stuff!

Also, Cinderella has to clean a lot, and I don't like to clean.

Katie

laaaa, laaaa, laaa, DONE!

(to the tune of "La Cucaracha")

I am finished!

My Junior Thesis!

And now, I'll finally get some sleep!

All except for that

Most annoying fact:

My normal homework load's still steep!

Katie