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Xavier High School Seniors ‘12 4 Leave with no regrets Fill up my cup! As my high school career comes to a close, I am finding myself more excited than ever to leave these Xavier halls. Looking back, I know a lot of people say that this time goes too fast and they would go back and start over for anything, but for me, my feelings are the exact opposite. Yes, my years here at Xavier have flown by, but that doesn’t mean I’m emotional about it. I have done the things I’ve wanted to do, and I feel as though I can walk out of this school with no regrets. I’ve worked hard, suffering through AP US History and never feeling more proud as when I got a C- on the final. I’ve learned when it’s okay to slack off a bit (yes, those times do exist). I’ve taken time to smell the roses as senior year comes to a close, and I’ve also made as many countdowns to as many different senior events as possible and anxiously waited for those countdowns to reach zero. I’ve been told countless times to not wish my high school career away, but for the past six months, I’ve done it anyways. While I will miss some things about Xavier like football games and playing basketball, I won’t miss seeing the same people everyday that I’ve been around for years, or the drama that comes with planning a group for a dance. My advice to younger kids is this: make as many countdowns as your little heart desires, but make sure you do what you want to accomplish during those numbered days. Don’t waste your time worrying about little things. Yes, high school is about your education, but if you spend every moment worrying about your grades, you won’t get anything but a diploma out of your high school experience. Make memories. Xavier is a great place for you to succeed, and a great place for you to fail. There are people all around to tell you you’ve done a good job, and people to correct you when you screw up. Learn to fight your own battles. Your mom isn’t going to be there in the real world to stand up for you; stand up for yourself. Take risks, work hard for things you are passionate about, and aim to walk out of this school excited for the future and without any regrets. Sitting down to write this so-called “senior article,” I have come to realize one thing: high school is not all it’s cracked up to be. Anyone who has ever said “wow, high school was the best four years of my life!” lived a sad life because if this is all my life has to offer, I am sad to say I am extremely disappointed. High school comes with its highs and lows, just as any other thing would. I’ve failed tests, over- booked my schedule, had terrible dates, ruined friendships, and had bad days going on for months, but through all of that I discovered what high school is actually all about: finding yourself. I am proud to walk out of this school knowing who I am and exactly what I stand for. Without all of the things that Xavier has given me, I don’t know who I would be, but I certainly would not be the person I am today. As I head out to Boston, Massachusetts for school next year, I can easily say that I am proud to be a Catholic- vegetarian-photo-taking-Harry- Potter-obsessed girl that is living on her own for the first time. I am painfully optimistic about everything and sometimes need a reality check on what is really happening. I have come to realize that not everything I do will work out, but I am okay with it. The first step of my self- discovery was freshman year when I did the play Beauty and the Beast. None of my other friends were in it with me and I did not really know anyone participating, so it was really my chance to step out of the little freshman shell I was living in and be myself. Immediately, I was accepted and by golly, I was even liked for my quirky qualities and overused Xavier has taught me who I am Since my four years at Xavier are coming to an abrupt halt, I would like to address an issue that has yet to be fixed. This unresolved problem has been nagging me for almost this entire school year and I feel it would be a disservice to this fine institution if I did not say something- someone, please fix the upstairs drinking fountains. The sad trickle of water that the one working water fountain emits takes up my whole passing period to wait in line and fill. Then I drink my water and I have to go to the bathroom. Do I take wait in line to fill up my water bottle, or do I go to the bathroom and forfeit my hydration? OR there is the option of just blowing both off and talking to my pals at the T. But what about stopping by my locker to get my text books? This decision has easily been the hardest one I have had to make throughout my years here, and I have had to make it every day, every passing period. Hearing the minute bell and only having a fourth of my CamelBak filled really my little heart flutter. The stress! If I do choose to be adventurous and ignore the minute bell, by the time I get enough water for my liking and hustle to class I get a tardy. Then when I get enough of those I get a Saturday, and then suspended, and then I get expelled. And then I can’t graduate or go to college or get a job! I will inevitably be homeless. I only wanted a drink of water… One may ask why I don’t just go to the Jesus fountain, with the beautiful high arching water stream that quickly fills up my empty water bottle. Have you read any of this? I HAVE NO TIME. I know I am not the only one who rides the struggle bus during passing periods, and it is my hope that the future generations to pass through these halls can have the luxury of having the best water fountain their little eyes have ever seen. You’re welcome, underclassmen. I try to leave places a little better than how I found them. To my fellow seniors- it’s been real, it’s been fun, but it hasn’t been real fun. It’s mostly just been pretty weird, but I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up with any other group. Don’t be afraid to c/t :) Emily Walvoord Co-Editor-in-Chief Caitlin Mahr Opinion Editor Hannah Brown Co-Editor-in-Chief smile. Ever since that two short months of rehearsal, I have never attempted to be something I was not. I have embraced myself in every way and through the years of newspaper, art, campus ministry, and every other activity I have been involved in, I have learned that I am okay with who I am and continue to develop into the person I want to be. E v e r y mistake or failure I have done or been through has been a learning block and something beneficial always came out of it. When a teacher called me out for speaking my mind freshman year, I learned it was okay to tell the honest truth, as long as you are willing to deal with the consequences (and by being falsely accused of plagiarizing a paper a few months later, I did). By being over- scheduled during the fall of this year, I learned it was okay to say no if people ask me to do things, even if I really wanted to. By going through some failed friendships, I have learned that there really is no better friend than my mom. I really have learned a lot these past four years at Xavier, both inside and outside the classroom. Xavier has given me a safety net to always fall back on whenever I need it, and I know exactly who I am when I walk down these locker-lined halls. I know that my next steps in life will bring me to something bigger and better than what is here, but the lessons I learned as a Saint will always follow me wherever I go.
