More Musical Theatre Do's and Don'ts

A few more songs for your auditioning playlist...

• DO. "Manhattan Bridge" from Next Thing You Know. This song isn't too popular because it ran off-Broadway, so it isn't mainstream at all, really. Only the people casting will know what you're singing from, most likely.
• DON'T. "If You Were Gay," "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist," "The Internet is For Porn," or "It Sucks to Be Me" from Avenue Q. As much as I love "It Sucks to Be Me" (and I even recommended the first part of it: "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English"), always avoid controversial, inappropriate, or uncomfortable show tunes.
• DO. "The Way To Get a Girl" from Next Thing You Know. "The way to get a girl is to get a girl. When you're taken, they'll flock by the score! But then take it from me: the second that you're free, the girls you thought would want you don't want you anymore! It's a guaranteed get: grab a girl and you're set. They know, they know, they know. ... The way to get a girl is to get a girl. If you're spoken for, they'll line by the block. Oh yes, somehow they know, when you're somebody's beau, that's when they'll go to you sure as tick goes with tock! Although it sounds cool, it's approvable rule. I know, I know, I know!" Of course, you might want to make it obvious these aren't your actual opinions about women.
• DON'T DON'T DON'T DON'T. "No Good Deed" from Wicked. I'm singing the chant, "Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen" in my mind as I type this. This song is so difficult-- worse than "Defying Gravity," actually. If you can't show emotion well, this song will bring out that weakness. Besides, you know my opinions about Wicked. And there's no way to sing "No Good Deed" without shouting "Fiyero!" from the top of your lungs. And while you're at it, you have got to hear Willemijn Verkaik's performance here. I died at 1:03, 1:07, 1:36, 1:56 (I love the way she sweetly sings "Fiyero"), 3:03, 3:08, 3:10, and the way she says "Again" at the end. I also can't get over how she says "Let him never die!" I totally fell in love with her as Amneris, and now I'm obsessed. No fangirl goes unpunished. I only hope to one day be as good a singer as her, and maybe join the long line of Elphabas. But I can only dream of that-- each Elphie sets the bar higher and higher.
• DON'T. "Seasons of Love" from Rent. Even my sister who hates musicals knows how many minutes there are in a year because of this song.

This is all I can think of right now. Who knows-- maybe a part three is coming?

Top Cartoon Theme Songs (Continued!)

6. Avatar: The Last Airbender

So... I can't find anything on YouTube for this one, so here's the ending credits for you.

7. The Fairly Odd Parents

"Odd parents, fairly odd parents!"

8. American Dragon: Jake Long

You don't understand how bad this makes me laugh, knowing that's friggin' Zuko's voice (Dante Basco) on Jake Long! Most actors have a certain type of character they like to play, but TWO firebenders?  A little much.

9. Rugrats (1990s theme)

I may or may not have been caught singing this in biology class once.

10. Cat Dog

"Just a feline-canine little cat dog!"

11. All Grown Up

"All grown up with you!" (Even though they're like, twelve...)

Thanksgiving: A Time to Reflect

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This time last year I was celebrating my fourteenth birthday (didn't land on Thanksgiving this year) and scanning my Facebook profile for notifications. Today, I am relaxing, having a Hey Arnold! marathon and working on creating a business plan. I can say I've changed a lot.

The past few Thanksgivings have been fairly busy for me, but this year, I really have a time to reflect on what I'm really thankful for. 

1. I'm thankful for my family

This one is probably a no-brainer. Anyone in their right mind would write that, right? A lot of people are thankful for their families without even knowing what to be thankful for specifically. I'm almost always complaining about sharing a room with my sister, sharing a bathroom with two sisters, and my clothes getting stolen. I think it's safe to say that 95% of the time I don't enjoy the company of the people that happen to live in my house. However, when I think about what my situation could be, I'm glad I have these folks for a family. My parents have been married for nearly twice my lifetime, none of which are deceased. Their love is still vibrant and well, kind of adorable. I look at their wedding photos just about every day (fun fact-- my mom made her own wedding dress, AND all like, eight of her bridesmaids dresses, AND the flower girl's dress. In case anyone wanted to know where I got my sewing skills from...). I have a good relationship with both of my parents-- my dad and I bond over music while my mother and I bond over dainty things. I also have good relationships with my sisters. Yeah, the steal my clothes and my food and my beauty products, but at the end of the day, I never had to change any of their diapers.

2. I'm thankful for my health

Very few people know how unhealthy I was as a baby. My mother was very ill during the pregnancy and I wasn't expected to make it. But, here I am! I was born with RSV (don't ask me what that stands for) and liver issues, and stayed in the hospital for most of the first year of my life, but now I am completely healthy. I don't even remember the last time I stayed overnight in a hospital, so... I would consider that a blessing!

3. I am thankful for animation

Last year, I would have never said this. But, really, without cartoons and Disney movies, I wouldn't know anything about what I want to do with my life. And you have no idea how much I can't stand not knowing what I want to do with my life. So, I'm thankful that people like Butch Hartman (creator of Danny Phantom), Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Koneitzo (creators of Avatar), and Glen Murakami (creator of animated Teen Titans) exist. I am also thankful for the voice-over artists that inspire me every day. I am thankful for the channels willing to pick up my favorite cartoons, from Nickelodeon to Cartoon Network. I am thankful for production companies like Disney and DreamWorks. Even more, I am thankful for the ways they've shaped me as a person, from The Lion King to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Animation has brought so much joy to my life; I don't know what I'd do without it. I'm thankful for every single person who has had anything to do with any animated project, because they've helped make me who I am.

4. I am thankful for friends

Not many people know this about me, but there was a time in my life--most of my life, really--I was really anxious, lonely, and depressed. Whenever I was in public, I would try to avoid people as much as possible. I could not handle social situations I hadn't been in before... it was debilitating. I didn't want to talk to anyone, but I was tired of being alone. I always had this feeling that everyone hated me, and honestly, sometimes I still feel that way (but much less often, and I know it isn't true). I only had... maybe two or three friends (not including the ones that moved away) up until fourth grade. In fourth grade, one Wednesday, I showed up to a Wednesday night service and only one other girl showed up in my class. I knew her well enough-- she had just moved back from Georgia and I had lived in Ohio for maybe three years now. But we weren't really friends, up until tonight when she'd been super hyper and didn't really leave me with the choice to be alone. I joined in on the fun. I highly doubt she remembers that January night, but I remember clearly. That was the night I realized I didn't have to be alone. I didn't have to spend my days on my bed, reading novels. There were people I could lean on. Now, she and I aren't close anymore, but I am thankful for the friendship that was.

5. I am thankful for different races

This might be weird, but I am so proud to be black, you don't even know. I am so glad we have different colors, different languages, and different cultures. I can speak Chinese, which I love because it's the only advanced class I'm in. I love watching anime (especially Free!)-- can you imagine life without anime? I didn't think so.

6. I am thankful for religious freedom

I'm so grateful that I don't have to risk my life for my faith (not saying I wouldn't, but...) and can live in peace. Really, I'm glad that I have the freedom to believe what I want, even if it isn't always the popular opinion. I don't have to hide being a Christian, being pro-life, being (slightly) Afro-centric, or being a feminist. I am what I am and people just learn to accept it.

No matter what you have or don't have, there's always something to be thankful for (even if it's something you'd rather not have... like having to go to school even though that gives me an education). So, this holiday season, take time to reflect.

Top 5 Cartoon Theme Songs

...In no order whatsoever, here are my top five cartoon theme songs/credits. If none of these songs bring back memories or make you smile, well... I can't help you, dear.

1. Danny Phantom

"He's gonna catch 'em all 'cause he's Danny Phantom!"

2. Kim Possible

"It doesn't matter where or when there's trouble, if you just call my name!"

3. The Legend of Korra

"Earth. Fire. Air. Water."

4. Hey Arnold!

5. Teen Titans

"When the world is losing all control, Teen Titans GO!"
~~~
I can't believe I can't think of any more than this. Maybe I'm not as big a cartoon fan as I thought. Hmm. I guess I'll update this... someday. Maybe. Hopefully. No promises.

Effective Ways to Study

This school year is already 25% over, and for the most part, I am very, very proud of my grades. Some grades haven't been put in for first quarter yet, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm bound to have six As and one B. And that B is in math, so I'm happy.

My grades have improved GREATLY-- my best grades last school year were all As and one B and that was in one quarter. I think I feel a 4.0 GPA for this year coming on if I focus hard on math these next three quarters.

How did I do it? Let me explain how I got my grades up.

I know how I learn best.

I learned that I am a visual learner at the beginning of the year through a quiz my biology teacher made us take. I also looked deep inside myself as Mufasa instructed, and that helped me find ways to help me learn.

Favorite art: Music
Hobbies: Singing, guitar, quoting, studying animation, acting, poetry, songwriting, ballet-style dance, translating
Favorite subject: Chinese
Best subject: World History
Least favorite subject: Fitness
Worst subject: Geometry

I learned to use this information to my advantage. I love music, so I made several personalized playlists to use when studying; fast-paced music for fitness, instrumental music for math, motivational music for biology, music from around the world in World history and Chinese, and songs that include our vocabulary words for language arts.

Sometimes, if I really can't bring myself to remember something, I sing a little jingle about it. I just make my own melody, even if it isn't one I've heard before. Yeah, my songs are cheesy, but they help me remember. There are songs I made as long ago as first grade that I still remember!

I used quotes as ways to motivate me and help me remember things. For example, the stem BENE (which means "good") is one of our vocabulary words. I remembered the "Brotherhood of Man" lyric, "There is a brotherhood of man! A benevolent brotherhood of man!" I know this works for me because in all the vocab tests we've had this year (like, one every week... we've done 125+ stems), I haven't lost a single point. Not even one-tenth. Straight one hundred percents. Unfortunately, my way of studying doesn't work very well for a lot of the kids in my grade who could care less about showtunes, so I've only tutored maybe one kid. But for the most part, we all do well anyway.

I even used my cartoon obsession to my advantage. Do you know how relevant the series Avatar: The Last Airbender is to real life? Well, it is very, very relevant. We just read a memoir about a boy soldier in English, and the whole time I was constantly reminded about the show. How war changes people. How it forces children to turn into adults earlier. How it affects morals. One of the military officers in the memoir was talking about how anyone who wasn't on their side basically deserved death. He kept reminding the boys, "these are the men who killed your parents." The whole time, I was thinking, "That's Jet. He's like, a non-fictional Jet." There were a lot of other resemblances. I was able to use my  fangirling during essays and got one hundred percents on all of them. I would think of an Avatar character they reminded me of and really get into detail about it.

I also learned from myself. My best subjects were history and English because of the ways I studied in those classes. I took note of this to help with others. I ended up with a 99.42% in history. Can I get a boo-yah?

I timed myself.

I know from experience that cramming doesn't work very well for me. I mean, I did get a 98% last week on a test I didn't have time to study for so I waited until the night before to study. But that's not my point.

I learned that I needed a system. So, I made myself a plan.

50 minutes hard work in one subject
10 minutes break to eat/use the bathroom
50 minutes hard work in another subject
10 minutes break to do a stress relieving activity (like guitar)

That way, I get my work done in time to go to bed before midnight (but I can't help being a night owl... sometimes I'm up at 1 and 2 a.m.) and everyone's happy, including my "YOU NEED TO GO TO BED EARLY SO YOU'LL BE THE AMAZING STUDENT WE KNOW YOU ARE" parents.

Flash cards

You probably have already tried this.

On my flashcards, on one side I have a little reminder to help me out. With this Chinese card, what I normally do is start with the Pinyin side and then writing the character on paper. If I don't remember what the English is, I look at the other side and think, "Oh! This word reminds me of Sokka!" or "Oh! This makes me think of that one song." And that helps me remember.

I take the test... BEFORE I take the test.

I always ask myself, "Hmm. If I were a teacher, what would I ask? If I were a teacher, how hard would I make it? If I were a teacher, what kinds of questions would I give? Multiple choice? Long response?" So far, this approach has never failed. Every time I've made a study guide, at least 50% of what I put there ends up on the test. This study guide you're looking at? She asked everything on there-- even a little less-- but at least I was prepared (got a 100%). I've never gotten below an 83% using this approach. This works best combined with other ways of studying, and using this as a night-before reference.

So, what I found got me As more often, was when I used the text, flash cards, and games all throughout the week. Then, the night before, I would give myself the quiz I prepared when I was reading the book. Afterwards I grade it, and then review whatever I missed. And 90% of the time, I make my study guides ten times harder than the actual test ends up being, so I have no reason to be stressed. How do you know your study guide is effective?

It includes:

• Long response answers
• Definitions
• Specific wording
• Labeling diagrams

This works best for visual learners.

Have the day planned.

Another way to make sure you're getting your homework in on time is keeping two agendas and a calendar. Throughout the day, I take notes of the homework I have in my classes on the left agenda. Yes, my school does have an online system, but I am always prepared, just in case internet is down. Plus, some of my teachers aren't exactly the fastest to update their site. That's why I make sure I have absolutely no excuse to not get my homework done. Then, my second agenda is a plan laid out for how I will tackle the day. An example:

1. Bring spare clothes for fitness class
2. Talk to geometry teacher during lunch
3. Study Chinese and vocab during advisory
4. Bring homework to Wendy's (basically the Nasty Burger for our school because we have a Wendy's in our parking lot... so I guess I kinda love my school)
5. Study voiceover and acting on the ride home
6. Finish homework
7. E-mail biology teacher
8. Finish portfolio (I'm launching a business in summer 2014)
9. Take a shower
10. Be in bed before midnight

Then, when the day is done, anything coming up that has a due date any later than the next day I transfer to the calendar. 

No social media in this house!

Oh, you read that right. Maybe I stretched the truth a little; I mean I do have a Facebook button on this very blog. And a link to my Tumblr. But those are weekend hobbies. I'm currently working on limiting the time I spend watching television (something I wouldn't have needed to worry about before I started re-watching Nickelodeon cartoons-- they're so addictive!), but I've mastered internet rehab. I actually have to push myself to use my Tumblr now, so that I won't lose followers. It used to be that I would spend hours reblogging. But not anymore. During the school week, it's all off. And boy, is it worth it!

Read, highlight, annotate

I would never make someone use Cornell notes if I were to become a teacher (I'd kind of like to be a professor) because heaven knows those did not, I repeat, DID NOT work for me. We had to take notes in language arts last year over an e-book that we mainly listened to during class. Hope couldn't use a print book. Hope could not focus without holding the book. Then, my teacher gave quizzes over tiny details and you wanna know something? I passed one of those tests. One. And that was with a C. But I was so proud of that C, you don't even know.

So, what actually does work for me? Annotating. I can feel the groaning of my classmates right now. I just might be the only student to walk through the doors of my school who actually enjoys annotating. It helps me retain information because first of all, I'm re-writing what I see in my own words (and not just a dumbed down version), and I can go back to what I wrote instead of scanning the entire passage. Highlighting and annotating for the win!

These are only a few of the ways I study. I may update when I think of more!

32-Bars for Musical Theatre

If you look up what songs to audition and what not to audition in theatre, the lists completely contradict each other. One website will say it's alright to use "Defying Gravity" and the other considers "Wicked" a taboo word. So, of course it's up to me to write down a list of some under-rated songs to use, and some that people may not warn you that you shouldn't use.

1. DON'T use "Defying Gravity," just to get that one out of the way. Really, using anything from Wicked is a no. I know of one judge that as soon as they heard ANYTHING from that musical, they won't even consider you. But I also read an article by one person that said that the reason many judges don't like it when people sing it is because they've heard it done badly. What's my opinion? What do you know Idina Menzel for? Yes, she is going to play a Disney queen. Yes, she was in Enchanted. But mainly, her Elphaba is the most popular Elphie there is. So, with "Defying Gravity" being a popular song among non-acting people as well, this song is kinda like, HER song. You'll constantly be compared to her. And it's not original at all. I'm sure by the end of the day, the accompanist will want to throw away your sheet music after seeing the word "Leap."
2. DO. "What Do You Do With a B.A. in English?" from Avenue Q. This song has a particular kind of performer it suits best, though. If you are a man who is in college or fresh out of college, then it'll fit you. The original singer sounds young and naïve, just like a lot of kids your age are. What do you do with a B.A. in English? / What is my life going to be? / Four years of college / and plenty of knowledge / have earned me this useless degree / I can't pay the bills yet / 'Cause I have no skills yet / The world is a big scary place / But somehow I can't shake / the feeling I might make / a difference to the human race.
3. DO. "Every Story is a Love Story (Reprise)" from Aida. This song suits a woman in the 20-30 age range who still has a fairly youthful voice (say it's obvious that you're older but you still sound like you're eighteen). From deep within the tomb, a gentle light still shone / showing me my path as I ascended to the throne / certain in my heart that ancient wars must cease / The lovers' deaths gave birth to a reign of peace / and their story / and my journey / and the lesson they provide / drew their strength and inspiration from a love that never died.
4. DO. "Sure As Sun Turns to Moon" from Tarzan. This song especially works because it is an under-rated musical (I didn't know it was ever even on Broadway until this year) and it is no longer on Broadway. You will rarely find someone else use this piece to audition. This song works best if you are of marrying age, preferably at least in your late twenties.
5. DON'T. "My Strongest Suit (Reprise)" from Aida. As much as it pains me to never be able to audition this (I actually sound pretty good when I sing this song), this song is somewhat sad. It is also a duet, and being only a minute long, shortening this would take it below 32-bars (though it could work if you were asked to audition an 8-bar). But the point is, this is not a neutral song or a happy one. Avoid sad and angry songs.
6. DO. "Two Worlds" from Tarzan. This song might be slightly over-rated, but it is gender-neutral, neither happy or sad, can be cut in several ways, and has different variations from singing loudly to quietly to sweetly. This is my audition song. Unless you live near me, you're free to do it. Hope Ezell won't be playing Amneris or Rafiki anytime soon.
7. DON'T. "Easy As Life" from Aida. This is... in a way, a somewhat angry song ("This is how the gods reward the faithful through the ages") and we want to avoid that kind of chemistry. This was going to be audition song, but then I thought, mm, maybe not.
8. DON'T. "Shadowland" from The Lion King. I can't express how I feel about this song and its original Zulu version (the live version from Hans Zimmer's album is probably my favorite though). I know just about every word from "Fahtse leso, lea halalela" through "Giza buyabo." So why wouldn't I audition this piece? It's in my vocal range, it's the song that got me into theatre, everyone who hears it falls in love with it, it can touch the coldest heart, and let's face it: It's friggin' perfect. I wouldn't audition this because it is one of the few songs that has made me tear up. Which means it's a sad song. I mean, come on. "Pride land, my land, tear-stained dry land, take this with you, fahtse leso..."
9. DON'T. "Circle of Life" from you-know-where. Even if you're auditioning to play Rafiki, you won't even be considered if you shout, "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba" and they will NOT respond with "Sithi uhm ingonyama."
10. DON'T. "I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked. Like I said, "Wicked" is a taboo word on some websites, and this is one of them. Remember, no one mourns the wicked, and when you audition with a song from that musical, you'll be left only on your own. Wow, that was a really corny reference. This song is amazing. I could probably work this song. Heck, I could probably play Elphaba really well in this moment because, well, I know how it feels to feel that way (like, literally, the other girl had "gold hair with a gentle curl"). However, this is a sad song so it is a no-no.
11. And numerous others... can't think of them at the moment.

I should probably make a part 2 but you know me... it'll take forever IF I even remember, so no promises.

Love you, chicos!

A Whole New... Semester?

"...What I wouldn't give to have a new life. One thing I have learned as I go through life; nothing is for free along the way." -Jekyll & Hyde

It's a new school year! For those of you who didn't know, I had a very, VERY upsetting freshman year of high school, both academically, emotionally, physically, and mentally.

Academically: I didn't reach the GPA I had wanted to achieve (I wanted a 4.0... didn't happen).
Emotionally: I hated EVERYONE for absolutely no reason at all (for the most part). If you caught me on a bad day that year, I probably loathed you for a month. I'm dead serious.
Physically: I got a bald spot during my first semester engineering class. Must I explain why I want to be a performer and not an engineer?
Mentally: One word. AEROSPACE. Maybe when it's not such a sore subject I'll be able to explain how mentally unstable I was and what we even did.

So long story short, that's a year I would like to erase from my life. Too bad it's everywhere-- on my high school transcript, on my scalp (my hair is still growing back), in my mind.

I can't erase the events of last year, but I can make this one better, right? I can make sure others don't make my mistakes, aye?

Here is a list of "Do's" and "Don't you dares" to make this school year the best year yet, even if you have a while to go before National Honor Society and AP courses are an option.

1. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr-- they all stop on Sunday. You heard me. I ain't having none of that! My sister who is a senior this year has a policy of waiting until her homework is done to get on Facebook and Twitter. That's cool, too, but I need to be more strict with myself to be productive, so I banned non-academic computer use for the entire school week. It works wonders! I'm not distracted and I can focus on the things that matter more to me. Art, of course! Plus I study more often now.
2. Make sure you ask questions. One thing I've noticed about my classmates this year is that the ones that seem to be high achievers ask A LOT of questions for clarification purposes. Of course, I, being the wannabe-good-student that I am, I'm thinking, "Please. You could totally flunk this and still ace this class." But the thing is, the whole reason they excel is because they get help. They make sure they don't do it wrong. They take every opportunity to do it the exact way the teacher likes. This is also why they are set to be in the race for valedictorian; because they make sure they understand, their grades soar!
3. Don't make a habit out of being absent. The students who suffer the most are the ones who are either late for school or they skip for dumb reasons. I've known people who have skipped for reasons such as a sore throat that they totally could have survived being at school with. Lezbehonest, I've skipped for reasons like that before and I regret it. Last year I was absent around seven times. Most of the time I was sick. One of the times I was traveling. I always quiz myself before deciding if I want to go to school or not. Am I avoiding a quiz I didn't study or homework I didn't do? Could I get through the day without throwing up, crying, passing out, or losing my mind? Am I completely miserable or just being lazy? If the answers are "I'm not avoiding homework/quiz/tests, I'm actually feeling terrible; I feel like I'm about to puke/die/get diarrhea (I have a diarrhea phobia, okay?)/faint; I am just so miserable," then go on and skip.
4. Participate in class. Answer questions you know the answer to. Volunteer to read (even if you hate your voice, it's the least you can do). Write on the board. Share your ideas with the class. This shows true effort! I participate in geometry even though people who live on the other side of the world know I can't do math to save the life of a dying puppy (seriously... I had a friend subtract 1.75 from 5 for me). However, my teacher knows I actually care and he often helps me and inquires about my ideas. Do I still do poorly on quizzes? Yes I do. But I'm improving.
5. Whatever you do, talk. Socratic seminars, debates, speeches. You're gonna have to do it, whether you like it or not. So just... just talk, okay? Participate.
6. Read something. Reading for pleasure helps with the vocabulary section on the SAT, so just do it. A lot. Adult level books are probably the best. Theology, law, medicine, etc. I personally prefer to read about psychology, manga, comics, romance, and poetry. Plus, reading is fun! I was a total bookworm up until I was nine or ten, and then I absolutely didn't like reading. I just wasn't reading the right stuff. So find the right stuff.
7. Find a study buddy! Today in biology, the guy I sit next to asked me if I wanted to study with him for a quiz we were taking in like, five minutes. Of course, I said yes. I quizzed him, he quizzed me. The questions I asked were things he hadn't thought of, and he asked me things that were challenging. We got our papers, and what do you know? Our method worked! So, always have a buddy! It can be the difference between an A and an F.
8. Get enough sleep. If you see me when I am having an insomnia flare-up or whatever it's called, I'm not able to speak well, react quickly, and I definitely don't like people which somehow ties into my scores and social life, so just get nine hours of sleep. If you're an insomniac, there are drinks to knock you out, whether it's triggered by depression, anxiety, or just plain insomnia.
9. Don't skip breakfast. You see, I don't eat breakfast which I should probably start doing. I'm hungry up until 12:15 and I can't concentrate without meat. If you're like me, eat breakfast.
10. Get involved in extracurricular activities. It's okay if you aren't athletic; there are other things to do. I'm on one of my school's JCOWA teams with three other girls. We all get along and could easily work together (I live near one of the team members as I volunteer at the library she goes to) and I believe "together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been." This might be fun.
11. Find something that makes you unique. I'm starting a wedding cake business soon and I am a voice actress who isn't in any shows yet (I have a portfolio and that's it. I'm kind of a model, but I'm not counting that). These are things that most teenage girls don't do. Being the director of the school play or being the president of the student body is cool, but... admissions officers have seen it all before. Be unique.
12. Give back to the community. The library has brought so much to me that it only made sense that I applied to volunteer there in ninth grade. I love it! I like being able to keep it running.
13. Set goals for each semester. I have my goal sheet separated in five sections: Academics, Theater, Culinary art, Music, and College prep. I have the list on my wall next to my bed so I have constant reminder that each day I get closer to achieving my goal!
14. Keep an eye open for possible majors and careers. If you don't know what you wanna do, this is very important. If you already know, it helps to find a backup plan. Also, look at universities and colleges! I highly recommend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. 
15. Never settle for less. If you can do better, do better. If you have an amazing idea, use it. You can only go through high school once; make it count! And, always study. Remember that if you did poorly in the past, that doesn't have to make this a bad year. You can do it, chumbanut!

"Each day is a brand new life."

-Deborah Cox, Jekyll & Hyde