Bullying.. not just an issue with classmates

Recently, I've been following @dosomething.org on Twitter. For the past couple of days, I've seen lots of tweets regarding The Bully Project. The Bully Project is a documentary film exposing the violence and harm of bullying. This unrated movie (at first it was R rated) follows the lives of students who are senselessly bullied by their classmates. Usually, there is very little discipline from teachers or administration. It is an issue that has been taken by national storm. I think it's a fabulous project. Sometimes I feel like I'm unfortunately supporting this horrible act. Not saying anything, watching my friends destroy someone's self worth, even me laughing or agreeing with them. It's something that all of us have possibly done whether we mean it or not. Everyone is important. Everyone needs one another. Our self-worth is worthy. That person with that awkward personality.. maybe he needs someone just to say hi to him everyday. That girl who consistently never stops talking.. maybe she actually has a good idea. We are all entitled to our own opinions but we should never use them to personally hurt someone.

While this project deals with interaction between classmates I think another issue that needs to brought up is the issue of respect between the student and teachers. I've been in situations lately where students have no respect for the higher authority. Teachers work hard to be in the position they are today. They took time to obtain an education beyond high school and devote their time to educate the youth. Now, I'm not trying to say that all teachers deserve to be viewed as equally. There will also be those few who have no respect for their students or have personal issues themselves. There are teachers who do work hard and don't deserve the respect they deserve. Students take advantage of them for no apparent reason. Some students might scoff at this post and say, "Whatever, can't you take a chill pill. We're just joking." Yeah, you can say the same thing when your bullying your classmates. By I think they need to take a double look at themselves. Teachers are people we can look for advice, earn trust, and develop a good relationship with. We respect them because they are doing something that will benefit us and we must do something in return. Some of these teachers may be the ones that we may even look to for college recommendations and more. It's more disturbing when I see everyone pitching in trying to get the teacher off track, not follow their lesson plan, or try to take over the class. I feel awful and helpless. I wish I could stand up to them and say "Look, he's here trying to do his job. Let him do it." 

My final consensus: Respect your teachers. They teach for a reason, not to ruin your life. Bullying is not just an issued between classmates but teachers as well. Do something about it.

It's Time To End the Madness

It's the last day of March. To be honest, I'm not much of a collegiate basketball fan but it doesn't mean I haven't been feeling crazy this month. This past week has been quite emotional. It's been hard to focus in class and it felt like the world was moving in slow motion. This past week I heard from the last few colleges. I was rejected from Dook. (I was expecting that one to come though. I would have been honored to have been waitlisted.) Also, I was waitlisted at Wake Forest. This one really surprised me. I was happy to be waitlisted but I knew I couldn't go there because of the price. Then I found out about Davidson College. Upon opening the email, I discovered I was rejected. It was highly disappointing. Davidson College was one of my top schools. Everything about it was perfect. I knew it was going to be tough, but I still had some hope that I would be one of the 490 chosen out of 4800 people who applied. Reading the admissions letter was one tough pill to swallow. Perhaps though this was a blessing in disguise. The last three schools all have something that would prevent me from attending even if I was accepted: the price tag. The only possible way I could have attended any of these schools was through some sort of merit scholarship. Also, if I was to be accepted, I would have been pretty hard headed about attending the school and much tension would have occurred between my parents and me.

 

The night I learned of my painful rejection turned out to be a positive evening. After discovering my rejection, I finally made a choice. I finally decided where to spend the next four years of my life. I decided to become a Tarheel. Everything felt so surreal. It hadn't hit me yet (and still completely hasn't) that I didn't have to wait anymore. I didn't have to mark the days of a calendar. I could finally just sit back and say, "Yes! I'm going to be a freshmen next year!" My family was so excited when I pressed enroll on the computer. I still haven't been able to completely accept the fact that I'm started a new chapter of my life in the next few months. The past two days I've signed up for orientation (June 18-19 anyone?) and completed housing registration (I mainly chose all female dorms and also applied for a living learning community. Oh I'm going potluck!) Today, my mom bought my siblings and me some Carolina apparel since I currently didn't own any. 

I've also been researching more and more about all the academic opportunities at UNC. I recently discovered that Carolina has a Cognitive science minor. This sparked great interest in me because I've also been interested in how music, learning, and the brain correlate with one another. I think it would be awesome to pair this up with my music major. 

I have five more weeks until my college classes at LRU are done. FIVE MORE WEEKS. It will be probably the most stressful last weeks of my entire K-12 year. I have to prepare, practice, and prepare for the Science Olympiad State Competition, my Senior Piano Recital, Prom, College Exams, AP Literature and Composition exam, Music Festivals, and Band Concerts. It's time to end the college March madness and push for the finish line. I have to be consistent and intense (my swim coach would love me saying this) in my academic studies in order to successfully finish. I'm ready to finish this year with a bang. I'm not going to let anyone ruin it for me. All I'm going to do is try my best and ignore distractions. I'm not going to let anyone's opinion or sarcastic comments effect me. I'm going to do my best in whatever I do and if anyone has a problem with that.. well, maybe they need to to take a good look at themselves before they attempt to hurt me. Guess what? It's time to make the impossible, simply possible.