Musings of a Senior as the End of the Year Approaches

Your intrepid blog author steps aside today.  Today’s post was authored by Middletown senior Thomas Northrup.  

As we approach the end of the school year, we all desperately look forward to our inexorable graduations, which in addition to being the end of our high school careers, also represent the deadline for base school grades.

We have had time to breathe a large sigh of relief now that we have finished our challenging, though often fun, MVGS work. Our finals for each class were very Mountain Vista-esque: For Humanities II, we wracked our brains relating any topic learned throughout the entire year to Joss Whedon’s Serenity; in Government we analyzed various aspects of the US government and suggested possible improvements; Calculus and Physics finals were giant comprehensive exams (which this blog author was happy to see finished); and while our Senior Research Papers have long-since been completed, many students  are still competing at the Virginia Junior Academy of Science, even today.

Despite having completed our governor’s school grades with a bang (or just the resounding clack of a pencil being put forcefully on a desk), many of us still have a final week of grades at base school. And although, as governor’s school nerds, we all crave having our hard work graded and seeing that A (hopefully!), even our nerd senses have depleted so much so that we have all been reduced to stammering Charlie Browns… You know the monologue I’m talking about: “If I start writing now…when I’m not really rested…it could upset my thinking which is not good at all…I’ll get a fresh start tomorrow…and it’s not due till Wednesday…so I’ll…have all of Tuesday unless…something should happen…Why does this always happen…I should be outside playing…getting fresh air and sunshine…I work best under pressure and there’ll be lots of pressure if I…wait till tomorrow…I should start writing now but if I…start writing now when I’m not really rested…it could upset my thinking…which is not good at all.” Being a nerd doesn’t necessarily mean that you do all your work on time, and many of us succumb to the lure of procrastination, especially on these last assignments.  

Having worked so hard these past two years at Mountain Vista, I look forward to graduating. There was that sad sense of finality at the Senior Banquet last Sunday, and I know for sure that I will miss all the quirky things that we do here, and I am so glad that I made the decision over two years ago to apply.

I don’t regret a thing, and I will miss it all (even the hard exam weeks). For that matter, I will especially miss the difficult finals weeks because they are ultimately followed by a week of awesome FLEX day activities. We have been well prepared for college, and now our hard work will be recognized and rewarded with seminars on Hamlet, robotics, coil guns, and pottery. No doubt the teachers have some other fun surprises planned for the last week, too (perhaps a little quiz bowl?)!

For Rent: Birdhouses

Mr. Burton’s seminar this session did some old-school construction. This seminar was limited to a handful of participants, and entry to the course was hotly pursued. Now, the lucky few who got to build are ready to share their work with the world.

Classifieds – For Rent 1BR Birdhouses
Set up on a hill, this sprawling one-room estate offers all the amenities: a panoramic view of wetlands and access to power and cable. Built in a great neighborhood which is just a quick drive from the forest. -Corey Cochran

Wired for Whatever

Looking for a new house, birds? Look no further! This house is built to last! There are friendly neighbors, free cable, it’s right beside the park. Perfect for one bird, or the whole family! – Justin Bowen

Amenities

Cheap abode for birds! This non-traditional bluebird home is perfect for the trendy/hipster family. It is an efficient home for smaller families and is close enough to allow flight to just about anywhere! – Thomas Northrup

Renting is difficult for some landlords. They may have developed an attachment to their property.

Nice, cozy birdhouse! Newly vacant! Beautiful and unique outside features: nice round window and ventilation perfect for any size family. Sweet and intelligent neighbors with a nice, grassy view. – Anna Szentirmai

The creator with her work!

Plenty of pre-drilled holes for hanging outdoor decorations. Ready to furnish. Plenty of ventilation holes allow for easy interior design, while ascetic aesthetics make it easy to express your personality for all the world to see. Flowering dogwoods and beautiful mountain views with friendly neighbors! – Rachel Stocker

Personality!

MVGS Community Service PAL Group

This post was authored by Warrenton student Patrick Kyle.  I, his mere editor, commend him.

MVGS students understand the following scene very well: you step out of the warm car, or off of the warm bus, and begin the frigid trek to the LFCC Warrenton Campus doors at 7:15 AM. You ponder what awaits you…

Fifteen sleepy minutes before a long first period with (Insert Strangely-Way-Too-Cheerful-for-7:30-AM-MVGS-Teacher Name Here).  Excellent.

Eyes still half shut, you miss the first half-hearted grab for the door handle.  It’s going to be a good day?

You muscle the ridiculously heavy door open to… whoa. What’s that smell? And why is everyone smiling so much? Then, without warning: the aroma of rich, warm, frothy hot chocolate (available with marshmallows and/or whipped cream upon request) is suddenly… overpowering. What an incredible discovery! You, a half-asleep governor’s school student, can purchase a conveniently-sized cup of chocolate-y morning delight for a bargain price, with all proceeds going to a noble cause! It’s so… steamy! And rich! It’s almost too good to be true! – No. It CAN’T be a dream. That would be too cruel…

Don’t worry. You really did get out of bed this morning.

The MVGS Warrenton Community Service Group has been busy.

With two official Smoothie Days, some impromptu cookie sales, and one (most recently) Hot Chocolate Day already under their metaphorical volunteer belt, the MVGS Warrenton PAL Community Service Group is constantly looking for creative ways to fundraise.

With proceeds from these sales going either to the Fauquier County SPCA or to the construction of a school for girls in Soroti, Uganda, the ambitious juniors pride themselves as much on the uniqueness of their fund-garnering methods, as they do their wide variety of selected causes. They look to help on a local level as well as a global one- which, although it may sound like an impossible task, is really not so hard to do. And, it’s not just about fundraising, either.

Food drives, marathons, the D.C. Walk for the Homeless, and events planned around Autism Awareness Month in April are all on the agenda, as well as a continuous Facebook/Email-driven correspondence with troops deployed overseas in order to put together personalized care packages. Running out of ideas just isn’t a problem for our group. Mandatory volunteer-hour requirements? They run in fear.

However, the members of the MVGS Warrenton Community Service PAL Group are always open to new ideas. If you have one, or feel like you are just plain missing out, feel free to contact their PAL leader, Dr. Felts at afelts@lfcc.edu.

Thanks!