The Environmental Lab, High School, and Changing the World

This week has been a week of many accomplishments. First of all, I found out that my Holocaust project earned 2nd Place in my division in the contest! And I get $100 for that! To put it simply...I'm quite proud of myself. I'm excited for the awards ceremony next weekend. Also, I found out who my advisor is for high school, and met with her and my parents today to discuss my schedule. She's the advisor I wanted, partly because she's the Freshman English teacher and from Yellow Springs, but also because I am - to some extent - friends with the Freshman girls in the advisory, all of whom are good writers. I got into Algebra II Honors, Biology Honors, and Mandarin III next year...so I've got an exciting schedule!

ATAC (Action Through Awareness Club) met on Thursday to finalize our goals and really start some action! We haven't done much in a while - we've been talking a lot about what we should do, and there are only a few people who are really dedicated. Most of the club left our meeting when they were finished eating, and didn't come back, but Cora, Chandler (another eighth grade girl), and I stayed for a while and talked about what we could do. We had a really good discussion - just the three of us, with our wishes and our caring hearts. We've all pursued options for the club and talked to our teachers, and we'll probably be able to continue in high school. However, it seems like the three of us - Cora, Chandler, and I - are the only ones really dedicated to it who genuinely want to make a difference, and whose want for that is coming right from our hearts. I've found our conversations very inspiring, and I can't wait to see where it brings us in the future.

And, last but not least, the groundbreaking ceremony for the environmental lab that is being built at MVS. It was this week, also on Thursday. And I got to represent the middle school. There were two students from each division, along with a couple of teachers and the family who got the project started, who got to scoop up a little dirt. It was an amazing feeling, being part of something that big, something I'm unbelievably excited about. As I was sitting in a chair listening to the headmaster's speech, this feeling swept over me, this overwhelming feeling of being present when something huge began. It was hard to stop and appreciate the full impact of what this building means for MVS and for myself, since it was right after a grammar lesson and right before a big American History test - such bothersome distractions - but I know that I will remember that day.