For Sisters By Sisters » friends

Living the ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Dream

Morgan E. — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:33:32 +0000

As what seemed like the entire senior class hopped on a plane to Mexico, I went my separate way. This year, I had my most memorable spring break to date. I was fortunate enough to travel to Italy with 100 members of my high school choir. We traveled across Italy to Rome, Florence and Venice. In between each new destination we went to smaller cities. It was an experience of a lifetime to get to perform all over Italy.

When we arrived in Rome we took a walk to the Parthenon. As we walked inside and snapped pictures, our choir director called for our attention. We gathered around into our sections and sang our first song of the trip. Throughout this trip we sang in more than 10 different cathedrals across Italy. The most memorable performance was in the Vatican at St. Peter’s Basilica. It was an incredible experience getting to sing on a Sunday mass during Lent (though the Pope was not at our mass, he was in Rome). I will never forget the acoustics in St. Peter’s—it made our choir seem three times its size. We were so lucky to get to perform for people from all over the world who came to St. Peter’s that day.

Every day was a new adventure. Gelato was consumed at least twice a day by most of us. It was our goal everyday to try a new flavor, and it was a goal that was successfully accomplished, along with eating pizza and some form of pasta daily. (This was a trip full of magnificent food!) Another goal my friends and I set was to live the Lizzie McGuire Movie and find Paolo—and we almost accomplished that one. We got to sing in the most amazing places, met an Italian man named Paolo and even fell in love…with our bus driver Mateo (who was beautiful!). Our tour guide surprised us on one of the last nights and took us to a discotheque (club). Needless to say, that was definitely one of the major highlights of our trip. My friends and I had so many day-to-day adventures, and at the end of the day there was always a new story to be told. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience—I was lucky enough to be with more than 20 of my closest friends in Italy. I will never forget my trip, and hopefully someday I will go back.

My TV Family (and Friends)

Megan S. — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:05:55 +0000

We have so many favorite TV shows in my family—don’t get me started on how much my family and I love television. One of my all-time favorites is for sure, without a doubt, “Castle”! Crime shows used to scare me sooo much, but one night when I was about 9, I went downstairs when I couldn’t sleep and saw my mom sitting on the couch. I came and sat by her, and when I asked her what show she was watching, she said, “Castle.” I had NEVER heard of it, but it looked kinda good. I watched the rest of the episode, and it was sooo good. I really liked the way they found the clues and put them together.

Now, I always watch it whenever it’s on. My favorite character is Castle himself because he always has the answer in the beginning but doesn’t share it till the end, once he gets all of his clues. I think he’s the smartest character on the show. Plus, he secretly likes Becket but won’t tell her, so there’s always so much suspense! I hope you start watching it and maybe enjoy it as much as I do.

When I watch “Castle” with my friends, we have so much fun. We usually record a bunch, and then all get together at someone’s house, where we make popcorn and sit and have a marathon. It’s so great, because all of us love it. But when I watch it with my family, it’s different. We kind of watch it whenever it’s on and sometimes not together—but it’s still a really good show to watch.

The show we always watch together as a family is “American Idol”—don’t get me started on that!

What Is Facebook, Really?

Hania — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:53:37 +0000

Facebook screenshot by Jelene Morris http://www.flickr.com/photos/jelene/2715774596/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Facebook is a place to chill, comment on friends’ pictures and update your status according to what you did during the day, what’s happening tomorrow or exactly how you feel right in that moment. So, according to some, it’s nothing more than teens attempting to catch others’ attention purely out of boredom! Check out this article to see the latest thoughts.

An interesting approach to the world of Facebook, this article has bits with which I agree—and that is the unnecessary exaggeration of letters and constant use of “lol” that many teenagers use. However, being a teenager myself and looking at it from that perspective, I disagree with the idea of it being a novel we are all writing.

Facebook is a place where people communicate with others whom they may not see very often and no doubt a place where you update close friends whom you probably do see daily. So what if we comment on what our day has been like or what we’ve got planned tomorrow? These are things we would tell our friends in real life, so why not announce it to them all? Granted, you might not know everyone on your friends list personally, but Facebook can be a place to get to know them—or, if not, what’s the harm in keeping them there? They’re not strangers, right?

I am aware that some teenagers get carried away and spill their life stories within a few sentences and more often than not use a few cursing words; these are the things that should be written or complained about. But commenting on teenagers’ approach to Facebook as being callous and just a place of screaming and being overenthusiastic is the complete opposite of how we more mature teenagers approach it: a place of social networking with those whom we do not see much and where we can chat and chill with friends.

Back to School, Back to Reality

Taryn M. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:30:23 +0000

This summer has come off as somewhat of a dream, a dream that I don’t ever want to wake up from. Sadly, my sun-kissed skin has already started spending its time under fluorescent lights, and my alarm blares every morning at 6 a.m. In my last few weeks of summer, I tried to live it up and fit in everything I could before I packed up and moved to school.

After two months at my first real job—an internship at the PR agency Euro RSCG Worldwide PR—then field hockey camp with my high school team in Disney, numerous hockey games and tournaments, unforgettable concerts and nights with friends, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I missed this summer. Those three months were almost as jam-packed as my schedule during the school year, but I argue that summer 2010 was the best ever. Not only did I have so much fun, but this summer also opened my eyes to the world of PR, and I truly believe it is what I want to do when I get older. My passion for writing has flourished so much that I have considered joining my school newspaper just to get more writing experience. It was a fun and productive summer, to say the least.

Although I made some amazing and unforgettable memories this summer, I do feel ready to be back at school. Attending a boarding school is especially exciting because this year I will be in a new dorm and have a new roommate, and I haven’t seen most of my international friends all summer! As every day passed and every hour got closer to the end of summer and the beginning of school, reality started to set in.

Our tans will fade, but the experiences and memories shared will last a lifetime.

Information Overload

Amy W. — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:13:54 +0000

With all of millions of people participating in social-networking sites and programs today, it can be hard to remember sometimes that this common hobby can still be dangerous. You may think that the only people who are able to view your information are the “friends” on your page, but that is a common misconception. Child predators, police officials and the government all have their ways of accessing your pages—putting you at risk of possibly attracting unwanted attention or, at worst, getting busted.

Facebook, for instance, is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and stay in touch with people from out of town, but you never really know who you are communicating with behind that computer screen. I personally think that putting information on Facebook such as your telephone number and e-mail address are far too personal. You never know who will try to contact you, and what they will do with that contact information. Finding the right balance between letting others know what is going on in your life but still staying safe and private at the same time is key to not putting yourself in danger.

One test for knowing when enough is enough: Is there anything on your social-networking sites or pages that you don’t want the entire world to see? You may think a comment or picture is deleted just by pressing the “delete” button, but trust me, it is in cyberspace for good. So the next time you put a new piece of info on your page, just make sure you’re comfortable with you and—potentially—the whole world viewing it.

Late-Night Munchies

kelsey — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:27:59 +0000

How many times has this happened to you? It’s midnight, and you’ve been out since 9 P.M. with your friends. The night is winding down, and all you want is some greasy goodness that comes in the form of a 24-hour diner or McDonald’s. You and all your friends pile up into a car and soon find yourselves at the mercy of a giant menu and your cravings. How about a Belgium waffle with three scoops of ice cream on top, or a double bacon cheeseburger? When all your friends are getting the same thing, it is just so hard to resist.

Okay, you reason with yourself, it’s for just tonight, and tomorrow you will do 1,000 crunches to make up for it. You finally decide to get a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, shoving the little voice in your head telling you to order a salad instead far into the back of your mind. The pancakes, of course, end up being delicious, and once the check has been paid you go back over to your friend’s house. Then after much debate as to which movie, you decide to order The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants from the TV. You end up crashing on your friend’s couch in the middle of the movie at 2:30 in the morning.

Waking up Sunday is never fun, yet somehow you make it home, just to go back to sleep and wake up who knows when! So what happened to the 1,000 crunches? And more importantly, was it really just for that one night? I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in this situation far more times than just once.

Now it seems like it’s almost every other weekend, increasingly more as more of my friends start to drive. Now, I am not one for counting every calorie until I get so psyched out that I will only nibble on celery, but I am a fan of healthy eating. This extra meal every weekend is an easy way to get myself into trouble. I tell myself I won’t do it again—until the next time I’m out with my friends on a late-night snack run…

Friends

Isabelle D. — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:48:34 +0000

Wherever you are, there is always that clique of girls everybody loves. The pretty girls, the popular crowd or whatever you’d like to call them. Then there are also the few girls who don’t have many friends, the ones who sometimes sit alone at lunch. The ones who some people might refer to as the losers or the nerds. What does that even mean? Not having any friends qualifies them as losers? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? And when you see or hear this, what are you supposed to do about it? Do you just ignore these girls suffering and walk away with your friends, or do you go and sit with them, maybe flash a friendly smile?

When I look at these people in the hallway, I don’t want to feel bad for them! They are normal girls just like you and me. These girls just need someone to have fun with, somebody to cheer them up! Of course, that doesn’t obligate you to be that person. But friendly acts throughout the day can really make a difference in somebody’s life. Polite gestures like holding the door or sitting together at lunch can make the day of a girl who’s longing for friends so much more meaningful. A simple smile in the hallway can mean SO much to someone.

So when you ask yourself, ‘What if it was me?’ or ‘What can I do to make this girl happier?’ don’t just ignore them like other people do or call them names behind their backs. Show respect! Everyone deserves a friend.

Leaving for the Summer

Remy G. — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:59:02 +0000

During the school year we dread waking up every morning to go through the daily grind, we count down the days until summer vacation and when final exam week arrives, we jump for joy as each one finishes. Finally, it’s summertime!! It’s the best feeling to know that after a hard year at school, you finally get a break. Summer plans consist of many things; for many teenagers summer means going away for some time and leaving friends from home for a few weeks, or even the whole summer. Mixed feelings are always hard—the ambivalence of, yes, you’ve been waiting for months for this time of the year, but you also are saddened to leave your home life behind.

I’ve been going to the same sleep-away camp for seven years and this summer is our last “camper” year, so we go on special trips and do special activities. I’m so excited to go back, of course, as I love my camp friends and camp is my second home. On the other hand I am going to miss my home friends when I’m away for seven weeks! I’m used to talking to my sisters every day, whether it be going on Facebook or texting all day. The bittersweet feeling for me is approaching as I leave in only a few days. Excited as I am (and there is nothing I would rather do this summer than go to camp), I am definitely going to miss my friends at home.

I guess it is safe to say that coming and going is a part of life, and many things are bittersweet—so we must accept the bitter part but enjoy the sweet part, especially when it’s summertime!

NKOTB

Taryn M. — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:33:31 +0000

There’s a recent Saturday I will never forget. It was my last opportunity to take an overnight at home, because the next weekend would be a closed weekend due to final exams. Of course, I decided to go home, but I wasn’t alone. My two best friends, Carly and Gadea, accompanied me for a wild night we never had intended on.

Upon getting in the car and driving to my beachside residence, Carly, Gadea and I had no definite plans for that night. None of the ideas we were throwing around seemed that fun or exciting. It was our last chance to loosen up and have fun before final exams, and the last weekend I would have with Gadea before she moves back to Spain for the summer. After a few minutes on the road my mother received a phone call from my father, proposing we go to Foxwoods casino. All three of us, very excited to dress up, go out to dinner, and walk around the casino, began to anticipate the night. Suddenly my mother received another phone call, once again from my father.

“Do you know the band Backstreet on the Boys?” My mother shouted over our loud gossip in the backseat. Mortified, I looked at Gadea and Carly. “Yeah it says here they’re performing at Foxwoods tonight. You guys should go!” Confused I asked, “Do you mean the Backstreet Boys?” thinking my mother must have gotten the name wrong. “Oh, yes. Excuse me, it’s actually New Kids on the Block.” I’d rather see the Backstreet Boys… Carly, Gadea and I had never heard of this band, and we were extremely bummed. Now we were going to be all dressed up with nothing to do but walk around and look pretty (which we did very well, thank you very much). “Girls, I think you should go. It might be fun…” My mom announced gleefully. I looked at Gadea and Carly anxiously, hoping they wouldn’t think it was stupid. Within a matter of seconds loud but rather catchy music blared through the tiny speakers on Carly’s blackberry. “Guys this is NKOTB. This sounds so familiar!” Next thing you know, everyone in the car was singing to their single “Summertime”! Immediately pumped after this exciting discovery, I agreed to attend the concert but with one exception—my mom buys us new shoes.

“Donna, get us to Marshalls!” I shouted jokingly from the backseat. Marshalls is a large department store that has lots of designer clothes for very cheap prices. Every girl’s dream? I think so. Immediately making our way to the shoe section, we went crazy! We frantically searched for a cute pair of heels that matched our dresses while offering our advice to each other freely. Being best friends, it was acceptable to tell one another what we really thought, even if it was a little harsh. My mother stayed far away, knowing that once we set our minds on that perfect pair of heels there was no going back. Gadea decided on simple, strappy brown pumps, Carly with midnight black pumps; I went with brown and gold pumps. You could say we all fell in love…who needs boys when you have shoes!

Pulling up to the casino, we were dressed like celebrities—but in a lame ride. Gadea, Carly and I were squished into the backseat of my dirty Suburban. Complete with the clutter of McDonald’s toys on the floor and the sweet smell of my hockey equipment in the air…it wasn’t exactly A-list status, but we made do. My parents, off to a nice dinner for two, had previously set up reservations for four: Carly, Gadea, my younger brother Jimmy and I ate at a restaurant called Junior’s. After a delicious meal we headed over to the MGM building for the concert, connected to the casino by a long and narrow glass tunnel. We had never anticipated how much fun it would be to go to a concert for a band we had just discovered that day.

We had reached our seats and within the first couple of seconds of being there, butterflies started to flutter in our stomachs. Even though it was a popular band in the ‘80s and ‘90s, we still knew how to have a good time. There was an expression of pain plastered on to my brother’s face. He was in a roomful of screaming, aged women, talking about how hot the boys in the band were. Poor kid. On the stage was a giant clock counting down the minutes, seconds, till the show would begin. With thirty seconds left, the room filled with girly shrieks counting down. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1!!!!!!!!” and the room erupted in screams. Gadea, Carly and I, immediately standing up and screaming too, decided to pretend as if we knew the band like the rest of the people in the room. That’s what made this concert so much more fun. My brother sat down, took out his PSP and tried to beat his high score…

Throughout the concert Gadea, Carly and I were attempting to sing along, even though we knew none of the words, and of course, we danced like maniacs. We were dancing so hard that we even decided to take off our heels! Most of the concert was spent dancing, laughing or both at once. We kept trying to sing the lyrics we didn’t know, imitate the boys’ dance moves on stage and scream their names like we were in love with them. I have never seen my best friend Gadea as funny as she was that very night. We found out one of the band members was named Joey, so at the end of every song Gadea would scream “JOOOEEEYY!! MAARRYY MEEE!!” It was absolutely hysterical. Our screaming and dancing got to the point where the people in front of us asked us rudely to shut up. Obviously we didn’t—the concert was too fun!

On the way back to the car, we had a long hike through MGM, the glass tunnel, then Foxwoods to find my parents. My brother took my Canon Rebel Xsi camera, which has a pretty bright flash, and decided to run around, in front, and behind us, taking numerous pictures, as if he was the paparazzi. If it wasn’t for the fun time I had at the concert I would have gotten mad at him, but it was just so fun, and who doesn’t love pictures?

Since then I’ve purchased almost every New Kids on the Block song on iTunes (sorry, Mom!), and they are somewhat of an inside joke for Carly, Gadea and me. It’s funny what you’ll find when you decide to try something new.

Sillybandz, A New Trend?

Isabelle D. — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:22:52 +0000

creativecommons.org/by MGShelton

Not long ago, I was walking down the hallways in my high school when I noticed these bright rubber bands around the wrists of some kids in the grade above me. They seemed to have almost every color band strapped around their wrists while they made their ways through the hall. It wasn’t until math class that I actually got to see one up close. My friend was playing with her “rubber band bracelet” and I finally became aware that this wasn’t just a normal rubber band. I asked her what it was and she took it off her wrist to show me the wonderful invention of Sillybandz. Sillybandz have made their way to being the one of the newest fashion fads of the summer. Not only are they bright and fun, but they come in various shapes of animals, instruments, sports, etc. You name any shape you can think of and Sillybandz will have it in stock. They are at almost every convenience store and are sold in packs ranging from seven to 24.

These inexpensive “bracelets” might be mistaken as childish bands packing up on a kid’s arm, but they are so much more than that. The bands originated in Alabama almost two years ago. The way they became popular is specifically appealing. Once Sillybandz were made, they were originally bought and given out by teachers to their students as rewards. Kids all over started trading them with friends. This is one of the most exciting attributes of the Sillybandz. When kids see other people wearing the Sillybandz, they get excited to see which ones they have so they can trade and get “newer” or “better” ones. My first couple Sillybandz were “very rare” says Ava, the girl I babysit. I used to have a light blue Indian teepee that Ava made me trade her for her blue star. She was as surprised as I was that there even were Sillybandz in the shape of teepees! I couldn’t resist her persistence, so I gave her the teepee band.

The other Sillyband that I still have today is a green trumpet. I was sitting in English class and my friend took off all of his Sillybandz and placed them on his notebook. It was the most creative collection of instruments I had ever seen! He had a drum set, guitar, trumpet, and piano. He saw me gazing in shock at his collection and started laughing. He offered me the trumpet because he saw that I only had one Sillyband on my wrist. At first I felt bad taking it from him considering he had a full band upon his arm. I couldn’t possibly break up the band just because I wanted another Sillyband for my own collection. But he insisted. It is very exciting that something of such little value is treated as a huge trend in today’s market.