The Catalyst

By Ellen Laase, Reporter

The end of another school year is once again approaching. In May, another class of seniors will bid farewell to the halls of Fruita Monument, sophomores and juniors will turn into juniors and seniors, and freshman eight-niners will be welcomed to the school as sophomores. As your high school career advances, the advice (and your stress level) will increase as you are told which classes to take, which colleges to consider, etc. My advice concerns none of these things and is quite simple: enjoy high school while it lasts.

As an underclassman, I was one of those people who longed to be out of Fruita almost as soon as they arrived. However, as my grade level increased and my stress level reached the boiling point while I filled out countless college applications, I longed for the days when I actually had time to do something other than homework after school. Rather than simply having the time to go to the mall or the movies after school, I had to make the time. Although teachers will probably not be happy with me saying this, sometimes it is alright to turn in an assignment a day late if you’d prefer to watch a movie rather than do thirty math problems on a Thursday night (don’t make a habit of it though). Revel in the days when you don’t have to write a five-page essay, and take the time to hang out with friends or family, or just watch television (even if it’s something like Rock of Love Bus).

So in short, take the time to enjoy experiences like driving on the interstate to Utah before you have to be at play practice, watching movies like “Killdozer” and “Pigeons from Hell” on the weekends just because you know they’ll be terrible (but also terribly hilarious), and eating a whole loaf of Cinnabread while watching “The Mighty Boosh,” because eventually you won’t be able to find the time to have these experiences. Don’t continually wish for the day when you will no longer have to attend Fruita Monument because after high school there’s college and then the inevitability of employment. Enjoy every bit of high school while it lasts. In the words of Bobby McFerrin, “don’t worry, be happy,” and remember, everything will turn out fine.