Everything we know could change...will you remember my name?

There is a "syndrome" for every high school class except juniors and freshmen. The sophomore slump. The dreaded senioritis. And with boarding school, such as the one I attend now, there is the "freshman fifteen," but that doesn't really count seeing as most people here are first-years and get the "fifteen" whether they are freshmen or not.

So apparently, freshmen and juniors are perfect, while sophomores slump and seniors battle senioritis. Really? Dude, that's so whack.

Now, my freshman year was spent at home, doing online school. So I can't speak for the freshies, but trust me, NO year of high school is a picnic. And so today I shall talk about what faces every junior in every school...

I'm talking about when it just suddenly HITS YOU that your senior friends are GRADUATING. FOR REAL. And next year THEY WON'T BE HERE. They will be everywhere ranging from Ohio to fricking Europe. And chances are, you will never see some of these friends face-to-face again. And the worst part is, in the Interlochen case, you've only known some of these people for a year because they are first-year seniors or, in some cases, postgrads. And you love them--you really do--because somehow, here at Interlochen it is possible to love someone like they're your own sister or brother after only knowing them for seven months.

And of course the seniors are so happy to graduate they say things like, "Oh, it'll be okay, you'll still have [insert name of freshman, sophomore, or other junior here]." Or, "Maybe [insert name of senior here] will come back as a postgrad."

And the kicker comes most often from the adults in your life: "You can always make new friends."

At the risk of sounding like a little kid...

But they won't be the same!!!!!

Yes. I probably will make new friends. We all will make new friends. BUT THAT'S THE PROBLEM!!! No matter how many good friends I make, they will NEVER replace what I will lose at the end of this year.

Because you see, with close friends it's all about the, "do-you-remember-when."

"Seneca, do you rememver when you DPed my film and kept leaving the camera on at the worst--and by worst I really mean BEST--moments?"

"Josh, do you remember when we went to church together on the first weekend here?"

"Mishka, do you remember when you and Gus and I jumped into the snow by the Writing House?"

"Zac, do you remember trick-or-treating and the Halloween dance?"

"Andrew, do you remember rehearsing behind DeRoy and almost getting eaten by bugs?"

It goes on and on. I already miss them and they aren't even gone yet.

So I do what I can. For me, every day is "Hug-A-Senior" day. Every time I see one of my senior friends I stop what I'm doing and say hello and give them a hug. I plan to write "train letters" to my senior friends (camp alumni, you know what that is, right? Okay good). I make sure that anyone who I will not see next year knows that I love them and I will miss them.

I will get a webcam so I can Skype. I will write those letters and on graduation day, I will scream and cheer for every single friend, enemy, and unknown person who walks across that stage. I will savor every last moment of this year. And next year, I will kick ass in the name of every senior friend who has gone out into the world.



In place of stolen dialogue tonight: A few shout-outs to the seniors/postgrads who made this year memorable--

Josh A.
Zac C.
Mishka H.
Andrew W.
Seneca S.
Tressa G.
Jake F.
Beltran D.C.
Joshua E.
Isabella M.
Patrick C.
Paul M.
Jesse L.
Kimmy A.
Robyn L.
Jess N.
Erin F.
Connor S.
Graeme F.
Malcolm K.
Johnny M.
Rachel T.


I LOVE YOU GUYS. I WISH YOU LUCK AS YOU ALL GO INTO THE WORLD AND KICK ASS AT WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE TO DO!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3