Jennifer Weaver
Period 2, English
May 15, 2000

The Senior ("this is your last essay, I swear!") Year Essay
   
As I sit here and listen to the rain and my MP3 player, I am reflecting
on my senior year.  Senior year is always a dreamed of thing, from the time
that we are children.  We always dream of "When I am a senior" it seems that
we will be indestructible and totally free to do as we please, just because
we had completed 12 years of school.  I have come to realize that senior year
is not much different then any other year, except there is more to worry
about.  College, SAT's, clubs sports, and many other things!  For me, senior
year was probably worse then some.  I came to a new school, and had to start
life pretty much all over again, a little more then 130 miles away from what
I had known.
   
I came from a high school called Buena High School, in which, I was a
rather popular person.  Many people knew me, or knew who I was.  I had many
good friends, and quite a few acquaintances in a few groups and the drama
club.  When my parents told me, at the end of last year, that we would be
moving to Bakersfield only three days after my 17th birthday, I was crushed.
I can't even count how many times I cried on my best friends' shoulders over
having to leave.  I was convinced that my senior year would be spent alone,
with no friends, and no enjoyment.  Lady knows how much I was wrong, yet
right at the same time.
   
Academically, I was not impressed with this school.  The classes
available, versus the facilities available are very sad.  There is a
photography lab, yet no photo class.  There is a poor choice of electives for
those students who wish to broaden their palates in different areas of
learning.  I had only a few good teachers this year, and only a couple of
really enjoyable classes, among these are Mr. Jetter's English class (I
enjoyed studying religion), Mr. Coleman's Government class, Mr. Arneson's
Technical Theater class and Mr. Stanton's Advanced Art class.  Other then
that, the classes either had bad teachers, bad lessons, too much work, or a
mixture of all three.
   
Socially, my life was a roller coaster this year.  I made a few friends,
whom I later learned were not the people I had thought them to be.  However,
I did make one really good friend, Caitlin Sutton, and a few good friends
that I enjoy spending time with. There was Tabitha's birthday party at Chuck
E. Cheese's, which was a load of fun!  That was right after the car accident,
which affected my life in countless ways. That really was not enjoyable,
however, it did improve my relationships with my parents and a few friends.
Also, it gave me a whole new idea of life, and how precious it is, and how
much I really do want to live, no matter what kind of emotional turmoil I go
through.  Always the good within the bad, as they say.
  
I belonged to two clubs this year, the guitar club and the drama club.
Neither did too much, as far as meetings go.  In fact, I was made the
president of the guitar club right before winter break, and before I got a
chance to organize anything, I was in the accident.  My other school's drama
club did a lot more then Centennial's drama club.  Which is rather
depressing.  Just this last weekend, Buena had the drama camp out, where the
whole drama club goes camping and plays lots of games and has a lot of fun
for three days, two nights.  I do not think that Centennial's drama club even
had a single meeting.
  
I do miss my friends, and the people that I loved and spent time with
still.  The pain is very acute, however, I do believe that living here has
taught me many valuable lessons.  Such as how to survive alone and to make
friends out of complete strangers.  My father told me that when I was in
Ventura, I was headed towards a stagnant life of staying there because of my
friends, while here, I applied to college, and got accepted to the one of my
dreams, rather then settling for community college.  I am excited and scared
about what the future will hold.  I am heading into "undiscovered country",
as it were, and the thought is invigorating.  I am awaiting my new grand
adventures, new friends, and new places to see.  However, just because I am
gone, does not mean that I will forget those who meant the world to me in the
past.  When I was in girl scouts, we learned a song called the "Circle Song",
and I think it would end my essay appropriately, and show my feelings towards
the future.
Make new friends, but keep the old
One is silver and the other's gold.
A circle's round, it has no end,
And that's how long I want to be your friend.