50 years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was shot. But this post isn’t focusing on him, this post is focusing on his wife, the beautiful Jackie Kennedy. I am starting a blog series about role models in my life, and I am starting this series off today with Mrs. Kennedy.
Photo by Richard Avedon
“I said, ‘I want to be in there when he dies’… so Burkeley forced his way into the operating room and said, ‘It’s her prerogative, it’s her prerogative…’ and I got in, there were about forty people there. Dr. Perry wanted to get me out. But I said ‘It’s my husband, his blood, his brains are all over me.'” Jackie Kennedy in The “Camelot” Interview on November 29, 1963.
Jackie Kennedy obviously wasn’t a normal wife. But the way that she carried herself was amazing and admirable. Even with her husband having multiple affairs, she is quoted saying that all she kept yelling to the president after he had been shot was that she loved him.
So on May 31, 2013 I, Rebecca Tapp, graduated high school. It is still pretty sketchy in my mind how exactly that night went due to all of the anxiety causing it to be a blur, but I know that I graduated.
So here it is, the part two: my senior year.
I started off my senior year not knowing where was going to college, being on three different publications, two of which that would take up a lot of my time. Not only this, but I had my boyfriend, Brandon, was going into his freshman year of college. On top of all of that, it was my last year of high school…
From the football games to prom, senior year was full of fun and interesting experiences. As in all times of recency, there are a lot of memories one has. There are no real words that I can say to amount to how my senior year has impacted me, so instead I decided to put in my senior goodbye from shsnewsbureau.com:
Wow. This is it. The end of high school is finally here!
Cliché to think, right?
The reality of the fact that your life is about to drastically change is something that you can’t really help think about. In fact, it’s kind of scary. I’m going to be moving an hour and a half away from my family and the surroundings that I’ve known the past 18 years of my life. And at the same time, I can’t help but look back at all of the memories and life lessons I have gained over the past four years. Memories like joking around at the lunch table with friends, taking journalism and photojournalism (when they were still separate classes) from the crazy, energetic teacher that looks like George Clooney my freshman year, which led to joining the Journal and Bureau staffs, etc. All of these events have made my high school experience unique. And not only that, but they made me who I am today. Again, cliché, but it’s true.
I wouldn’t be who I am today without publications. Joining Journal brought me out of my shell so much. I was so quiet and reserved before halfway through my sophomore year, but because of Journal, I am more outgoing. Also because of Journal, I had the honor of meeting my favorite teacher, Mr. Michael Klopfenstein. He became one of the most influential people in my life over the past four years. He has taught me a lot about growing up and responsibility. The fact that he was another father-like-figure in my life is reason as to why I can honestly say that he will be one of the people I remember most after high school. He is the hyper and sarcastic teacher that can juggle coaching baseball, teaching classes, and advising two publications that most students can easily connect to and relate to. He will be one of the teachers that I make sure to come back and visit.
High school is one of the most roller coaster times of your life, but it’s worth it. You grow up a lot and learn things you never thought you’d learn. You will experience stress and late nights, but it’s part of the experience. Take it all in, because you can ask any of us who are about to walk across the stage in less than a month, it goes by fast.
The most important piece of advice I can give is this:
Get involved.
Get involved in things that you have an interest in because there you will learn to branch out and meet new friends and teachers. Whether it’s theater, sports, publications, anything, join because you will make friends that you normally might not have met otherwise. Joining publications was one of the best choices I made in high school. Not only did it bring me out of my shell and help me mature, but it also let me make connections with faculty, administration and other students. It showed me that I can assume responsibility and make a good product that I can be proud of.
I’m proud to have worked on these publications the past three years and am really going to miss it.
If I had to say one last thing about Southport, it would be this:
Even though you already can’t wait to get out, even though construction can be annoying and even though the hallways are really crowded, it’s not as bad as you think. You’ll make it. Don’t wish it away.
I’m not going to lie, I’ll miss Southport. I’ll miss seeing my friends every day in the halls. I’ll miss going to my best friend’s locker at the end of the day and seeing her. I’ll even miss Mr. K’s witty commentary and splurs, but it’s all memories that I will take with me. I’ll miss Southport, but I’m really excited to see what Ball State, and my future, has in store for me.
So that’s it, I’m officially done with high school. Done with most of the people I have known for the past 12 years of my life. Done with the teachers I have grown to admire the past four. But two things that I am not done with are journalism and photography. Those are two things I will never, ever, be done with.
So here is to the next step of my life: the reality of college.
Tonight as I walked out of the doors of room 400, it truly hit me that it was my last production night. What I’ve spent the past 3 years doing will be all done after tomorrow and I don’t know if I’m ready to be okay with that.
So it’s just now truly hitting me that I’m entering my last week of high school. My last production night for the journal is tomorrow night. And to top it all off, we are graduating in 2 weeks. I mean is this real life? I’m going to miss so much. Mainly practically living in K’s room like I have all year. I don’t want my life on these publications to end. It’s been practically all I’ve know the past three years, and it’s brought me to meeting so many new people and making new friends, including my boyfriend whom without publications I wouldn’t have met. I can’t thank K enough for the life lessons I’ve gained just from being on Journal and News Bureau. They will be lessons that I carry with me the rest of my life. So I’m here, the night before my last week of high school starts, this is actually happening. Wow!
I am sitting here in my last month of senior year. I am in the mentality of soaking all of the “lasts” in. Lasts like my last newspaper issue, my last play helping my mom’s kids choir at church., etc. But at the same time, I am reflecting on my last four years of high school. While, granted, most of all, if not every, senior does this, looking back at the years, my life, and I myself, have changed a lot.
Freshman Year:
Freshman year I was that awkward and shy girl lost in the big maze that was the high school. Crushing on that cute guy in a few of my classes, dating the boy and then after breaking up questioning why I dated him in the first place, having my first kiss and then my first heartbreak. All in all, freshman year was a big year to grow up, and a year for realizations. I took the classes journalism and photo journalism, which led me to meeting to two of the most influential people in my life. It led me to meeting my boyfriend four years later, but then, it led me to meeting my future newspaper adviser, Mr. K., who would become like another dad to me. It lead me to find and verify that journalism is what I want to do for the rest of my life, along with what I want to do on the side, which is photography.
Sophomore Year:
I don’t remember much from sophomore year. I joined the newspaper staff, which ended up taking up most of my time (and life) and would for the rest of high school. The downside to being on publications I guess! But no, I loved it and will miss it greatly.
Junior Year:
I have to say that junior year was the most important year of high school for me, or the biggest. I became photo editor for the newspaper, took drivers ed, started looking into colleges, went to NYC for the first time ever and met the most amazing guy. With photo editor, like spider man, came great responsibility. I was in charge of all of the photos that went into the newspaper, along with making sure my photographers were doing their jobs and taking photos for, along with designing, the photo page. I can honestly say that being photo editor is what I’ll miss most. I’m not afraid to say it, I like being in charge of something, but it was also something that I cared about greatly and enjoyed doing. I took drivers ed, still no license but whatever lol. Then came looking at colleges, taking visits, and choosing one. Obviously, as everyone who goes through that stage of their life knows, it’s a huge step and very exciting time in one’s life. Then with spring break, going to New York City for the first time with my Aunt Connie, Uncle Michael and cousin Abby! Okay, you have no clue how exciting that was for me. Wanting to be a broadcast journalist and photographer, New York was heaven on Earth for me. I didn’t want leave. I stood looking in the Today Show studio window for five minutes. There was nothing going on, the studio was empty, but I didn’t care. It was the Today Show studio! Before spring break came the boyfriend. (Reference here to read about him) So there is not much to say on him other then that he is amazing and I love him so very much. He takes good care of me and I am very lucky.
My senior year reflection will be another post that I plan on posting not long after graduation, which is May 31! Tune back then! (:
You’re going into your senior year. You’re excited about being the top class in the school. You’re beyond ready to graduate, and on top of all of that, construction is starting so you have to deal with more annoying people in the hallways.
Just stay calm.
You will make it through.
There will be times that you feel like time is going so slow, but don’t worry, tomorrow will go by so much faster. Next thing you know it’s May 1st and you only have 30 days till graduation.
Just stay calm.
Don’t kick your brother out of your room all the time. He just wants to hang out with his big sister who won’t be around as much after this year. You’ll realize that he isn’t as annoying and twerp like as you think. He’s actually nice and does love you. When you’re standing in my shoes at the end of the year, you’ll realize how much you will actually miss him next year.
Just stay calm.
Journal. Don’t stress so much about Journal. The things that come up are not as big of a deal as you will think they are. Don’t worry about your page as much as you will either. You already have a year under your belt, you know what you’re doing.
Just stay calm.
Don’t fight with Brandon as much. It’s not worth it. You’ll just end up making up, and chances are the fight was over something not worth it to begin with. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. Also, love him as much as possible. He will need it. This year is going to be the hardest year he ever goes through, and when he takes things out on you, just let him vent. That’s all he is truly doing, he’s venting. Just breath and help him in anyway you think possible. When he cries dropping you off after lunch on Sundays, just hold him and let him cry. Stay strong cause him seeing you cry will make him cry more. Keep reminding yourself through the rough patch that in the end, it will be worth it. Also remind yourself that he is the most amazing guy ever, and that you are so very lucky to have him.
Just stay calm.
Lastly, don’t hate your parents as much. They aren’t as bad as you think they are in the moment. They are going through this all blindly with you too. Your dad just wants what’s best for you. When he yells at you and says all the things he does, it’s just cause he cares. At the performance for jailhouse rock, run up to your mom at the end and just hug her and cry, you both will need it.
Just stay calm.
Don’t wish it all away. It’ll go by fast enough as it is. Just take in all the football games, journal production nights, theater performances, kids choir practices, etc. It’s the last time you’ll be able to do most of it.
I am here sitting in the car, stopped in traffic. I’m on spring break and my family and I are going to D.C. We are dropping my dog off at my grandparents in Kentucky and then heading north Sunday. I don’t see how traffic is stopped in the middle of the day on a Friday, but I’ll go with it. Last year on this day I went up to my aunt Connie’s to go to New York for the first time. This year is it good ol’ Washington D.C.! I’ll be posting each day, hopefully with pictures!
My school’s student ran website that I am a part of.
I am a part of my school’s online website and this week (from Thursday, March 7 – Thursday, March 17) is what we call Biggest Week. We have to pass the highest number of visitors and page views than the year before had in order to get a passing grade on the project. On Thursday we got 328 visitors and 2.032 page views. The most in Bureau history. Its all about learning marketing while continuing to raise the number of visitors that come to the website on a regular basis. Hope we pass!
So sitting here now, I am almost three-fourths of the way through my senior year of high school. While senioritis is kicking into high gear, I am trying to maintain a focused state-of-mind, as much of one that an ADD kid can have that is.
After being accepted to the college I want to go to more than anything, I started to slack off. It wasn’t until recently when I realized that even thought I’ve been accepted, I still need to actually work in school because, sadly, grades do still count.
But the reason for me being ready to graduate is not all because I’m ready to go to college, even though I really am. The reason I am so ready to graduate is because I am so very tired of the petty drama that comes with being in high school. From middle school to senior year, drama will follow you where ever you go. You can’t really help it.
When I started out my senior year, I was doing fairly well with not being involved with drama. There was a little here or there, but nothing big. Second semester hit and thats when things started to get bad. Relationship drama came about some, the anxiety of it being our last semester of high school, school load got bigger, hormones started playing a huge part and the drama overflowed.
It’s part of life though, right? Things don’t always go the way you planned them to?
I guess for now, I just push through the last 46 schools days left, and after that count down the days till I move out and go to college.
As I sit here typing, it is becoming more and more apparent to me that everything in the world seems to be negative lately.
From deaths to shootings, everything seems to be going wrong. The gloomy weather doesn’t help anything either, but that’s beside the point. The point is that through all of the things going on in this world, people need to try to stay positive. Thats the only way we are going to survive. So that is why I am creating this blog. As a way to vent about things going on around me, around the world…anything.
So here it is.
My blog: beccamaesay
(I love how my middle name works with this! Can I just say that?)
Becca Tapp 