A lunch box can either be a student’s pride or fall. Junior Caroline Burns is one that takes c­­omplete pride in the contents her lunch box holds. “The variations and colors incorporated into my lunch are usually quite appealing. Grilled salmon salad with cranberries, walnuts, bell peppers, an apple, crackers, and cookie can immediately bring the whole piece together. I would say my lunch is fit for a king.” Not only does her array prove to be beneficial for her health, but it takes no longer than 30 minutes to fix up a lunch.   Packing healthy brown bag lunches can be a challenge, but it is …

Furtive glances at the clock and longing gazes out of windows can only mean one thing: the school year is coming to an end. With about 20 school days left, some have begun an alphabet countdown, while others choose to celebrate with a boycott on homework. With the end of the year, comes the end to homework, alarm clocks, and schedules. However, I like to think that these last few weeks of school aren’t so much about the end of the year, as they are about the beginning of summer. Summer brings with it warm weather, freedom, and a chance to make your own plans. One Barrington High School …

It’s a Saturday night. I should be spending this evening with friends, enjoying the break from academic work that the weekend implies. But unfortunately, I’m working on yet another ACT practice test. Mom says that I’m grounded until I get it done. All five sections and two-hundred some questions. The way she’s acting, it’s like my score on this test means life or death. But does it? As a high school junior, ACT mania has successfully spread throughout my class. Pages of books are turned rapidly. Checking accounts are trained for tutoring costs. Words of panic are uttered when my classmates …

Having time to spare on a casual Saturday morning, I decided to Google my name out of sincere curiosity. A list of profiles appeared giving me a broad range of women who simply had the same name as me. Every time another name came up, I couldn’t help but wonder what significance my name held. Was I just a lost face in the midst of hundreds?  When I glance around my classrooms, I tend to ponder the identity each student holds for themselves. I see a room full of mixed expressions, none of which hold much more than a genuine love for learning. Although most will be categorized one way or …

Life is composed of an endless number of struggles, from performing well at school or work to staying on top of the latest fashion trends. Often in a pursuit to please everyone else, one forgets to take care of oneself. After listening to many adult conversations, I have always heard that nowadays life is too fast paced. Over time, I have come to acknowledge the previous statement as a fact. While I have not done research on the matter, quickly glancing around, I remember all the different aspects that make the statement true. For one, why are Americans becoming more susceptible to health …

A collective hush falls over the fancy tables of the country club. Our audience sits up straight in their seats and stares at us. I adjust my flowery headpiece and smoothen my long black dress. An alto on the other side of our group blows a D into her pitch pipe. "Christmas is Coming," mouths the girl on my other side. I nod, and we begin.   Choir, for me, has always been a whirlwind of excitement and anxiety. Ever since that fateful day in second grade when my music teacher pulled me aside and told me that he recommended me for the Barrington Children's Choir, I have been enthralled by the …

I remember something that happened to me my freshman year of high school. No, not the awkward puberty part, we can skip that, but the first time I learned about "The Waffle." I'm sure most of you realize that was far too dramatic of an entrance for a breakfast food, so I'll explain further.  "The Waffle" necklaces and the weekend they follow go by many names:  "Waffle Gang Weekend" "The Hive" and my personal favorite "The Kai-High Hug Fest." "The Waffle" of course isn't really an icon of the beloved breakfast favorite (sorry to disappoint) but rather a cross, or a series of five crosses …

Scrolling down the Formspring site, I read each anonymous comment thoroughly until I found one that caught me off guard. Although it might have been insignificant in the eyes of the writer, I couldn't stop myself from feeling that throbbing pain in my chest. Who wrote it? Teenagers are being drawn to this appealing social networking known as Formspring. Formspring is a website where people can ask questions or comment anonymously to the user.  Though it is a common notion that Formspring is completely harmless, it has become an idealized website full of nasty remarks and comments. When I set…

It is a common known fact that a yawn is contagious. In school, I am surrounded by yawning students. Some of the students do not sleep at all and others sleep nine full hours. Now, while yawning is also associated with stress, overwork, and boredom, it is most often associated with sleep. Regardless of how much sleep a person gets, he still finds himself yawning and tired. Then why is it so important to get the prescribed amount of sleep every night? According to science, the prescribed amount of sleep per day for me, a sixteen- year-old, is ten to eleven hours, equivalent to half of the day…

"Hi Kelsey! I'm Nick, and I'll be your tour guide for today!" A friendly student grinned at me as he shook my hand. My eyes darted around the tiny room of the administrative building.  Where were all of the other kids? My tours at the previous schools I visited consisted of dull-eyed tour guides leading a herd of prospective students, or "prospies," as they call us these days. But as Nick led me out, it became apparent that the only ones on this tour were me and my mom. "A private tour," Mom whispers in my ear as Nick holds open the heavy oak door for us. "Now this is service!"  I clutch my …

High school is all about appearances.  As a teenager, I get up every morning worrying about petty things like the clothes and "bathing." Girls put on make up, guys pick out their favorite shirts, and everyone secretly frets about acne. And now, as a junior taking the ACT, I worry about a huge fat number being stuck to my forehead.  Since my freshman year, my classmates and I have had the ACT hanging over our heads. The simple, terrifying idea that one test - one number - can completely dictate your success in life. Sounds ridiculous right? Not to us. You see it by how we behave every day. …

Ever since we were children, we were taught to be grateful. Grateful for what we have and others have to live without.  Many of the nation's schools are facing extreme financial problems, and compared to those of Barrington High School, their problems are greater in severity. Yet, many teachers and students, myself included, cannot help but feel disheartened by the effects of the economic issue at hand, the budget cuts. Budget cuts have recently been enacted as the board of education has cut $2.4 million from the 2010/2011 school year budget. Not to mention, $1.5 million was already cut from …

It was the day before the Filly Football game. I was in the car with a few of my teammates on the way to my friend's house to decorate our jerseys. As we nonchalantly drove along, we discussed what our nicknames were going to be and debated whether to embellish our jerseys with silver or gold glitter. We rolled down the windows, sang along to Eminem, and enjoyed being teenagers.  Within a split second, everything changed. The world around me spun rapidly, and every part of my body ached. "Get out of the car, guys"  urged one of the girls, who had seen that the front of the car was smoking.  …