Seniors #3 journal --Life is Beautiful
One of the themes expressed in Life is Beautiful is the ability of man to find hope and beauty even in the midst of the most trying of times. Certainly that notion is personified in the character of Guido Orifice, and perhaps more directly, in the person who is Roberto Benigni, the actor who portrayed Guido and who wrote the screenplay for this award winning film. With a Schopenhauer will of steel and a heart of Italian gold, Benigni's Guido displays imagination and an undying hope in the most unlikely setting of the Nazi concentration camp.Benigni's Holocaust fable makes no attempt to realistically depict the horrors of the concentration camp. Instead, his film focuses more on the sudden change that was inflicted on Jews like Guido who were living the beautiful life one day but sent to the camps the next. The Tuscany period of the film is vibrant with colors, music, gags and goofs. It is Guido's spirit, though, his imagination, that is behind every high note and funny caper. His abilities to make people smile (even a serious German doctor), make end runs around officious clerks and inspectors, and to woo and win a woman way out of his league are skills Schopenhauer could only hope to possess. His life is beautiful because he lives his life in a beautiful way, and nothing can deter him from making the best out of the whatever situation falls into his path.
Guido's beautiful life is put to the test as his family and the film move to the concentration camp. Faced with the potential loss of his family and his life, he doesn't despair, but with his comic spirit intact, he cleverly reduces the concentration camp experience to a "fun" game. Within the film, the game serves as a ruse to hide the cruel reality of the camp experience from Joshua.
But the true purpose of Guido's game is for us. We can win points in our own Game of Life by maintaining a sense of humor when confronted with arrogance and bigotry , by not "crying for our mommies" when the mean guys yell, and by being satisfied with a plain piece of bread when we'd really like bread and jam. If this behavior seems too submissive, too silly, too unmanly, well, let's consider how acting any differently would have benefited Guido. Likewise, when faced with challenges as daunting as his, do we always have to arm wrestle them to the ground?
The Schopenhauer gag suggests that a greater strength is gained from the will. Schopenhauer himself said, "Will power is to the mind like a strong blind man who carries on his shoulders a lame man who can see."
This game of life that we play, as it was for Guido, involves other players, too, and is not just for personal achievement and glory. At the camp, Guido risks his life to pronounce his love to Dora over the camp loudspeakers, to play the Offenbach opera for her, and to save her at the end of the film before the Nazis can truck her away to her death. And Guido winks, smiles, and goosesteps off to the prefect's office and eventually to his death, not allowing his own fears to crush his son's hopeful spirit.
Oh, no, you say. I could never be this heroic. Well, you could, and maybe you have been, especially if you have ever really cared for someone. Real heroes, like Guido, realize "life is beautiful" when they are willing to love and to take chances for others.
Consider these four situations that might apply to you and your beautiful "heroic" life. Complete any one for your THIRD JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT. Post before Friday, December 11.
1. Describe a trying personal situation in which you were able to persevere, especially if you did so for the sake of someone else. How did you keep thinking positively and how did this help?
2. Relate a situation where you (or someone who know) was able to prevent a potentially troublesome situation from boiling over by using a good sense of humor or some other means.
3. Tell about a situation where someone (parent, sibling, friend, etc.) risked his own safety or reputation to protect you. Or vice versa. Whom did you save?
4. In your best imitation of a David Letterman Top Ten List, write a either a serious or mildly comic(but NOT mean spirited) Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School. This option might not speak to your personal heroism, but it will make you consider the blessings you've been given already.
posted by JTF @ 9:08 PM
66 comments
66 Comments:
#2
My father had always wanted to go on a family camping trip. Not being a nature kid myself, this idea did not seem very appealing. I reluctantly agreed to go, only after, my mother secretly promised me to take my shopping the day we came home. The trip started off as a common camping trip would go; we packed our bags, loaded up the car, and set off. Arriving at the campsite, we set up our tent, emptied our belongings from the car, and began to cook lunch. Halfway through cooking the burgers and dogs, my mother realized that she had forgotten the buns. My father, quick to avoid conflict, pulled out some eggs that he had packed for his own special breakfast. The rest of the day continued in my dad’s words “smoothly,” although getting bitten by mosquitoes, the lake being dried up from a drought, and not having buns for lunch is not what I normally called smoothly. Feeling the urge to complain, I pictured myself shopping my day away and the anger subsided. The rest of the weekend was manageable enough until it came to our final night. We all got into the tent to get ready for the bed. Soon enough the rain started. Then, the thunder came. Finally, it was winds, thunder, lighting, and extremely, hard rain. My dad made the situation fun, by letting us all sleep in the car and cracking jokes about the rain “damping” our weekend. What seemed like a terrible situation, turned into something to laugh about and, it became a trip I greatly enjoyed.
Cos'è un ottimo inizio AMS red! Your father is an American Guido.
#2
About a week ago on Thanksgiving all of my family gathered together to share the traditional Thanksgiving food. My mom is in charge of most of the food while my one aunt brings sweet potatoes and another aunt brings deserts. My family loves cake so my aunt decided to order a cake from a bakery near her house in Newark. She was so excited because she ordered a white cake, with chocolate frosting and strawberry filling. All she talked about was the strawberry filling and how we are going to love it. A little while later after we sat down and ate dinner it was time for dessert. My aunt grabbed a cake knife out of the drawer and starts to cut it. Unfortunately she notices that there is no strawberry filling but only chocolate icing in the middle. This doesn’t sound like that would be a big deal but my aunt was furious because she had paid extra money for the strawberry filling, plus she is very obsessive about everything being perfect and the way she wants it. So all she did was complain. In, result the rest of the family grew very irritated and started getting angry with her because she kept complaining. My aunt then took a piece of cake for herself and walked away for a cup to fill with water. Trying to avoid a family quarrel I looked over at the fruit tray and noticed there was strawberries. Then I came up with a genius idea to lighten the mood. I grabbed a strawberry and placed it on top of the cake trying to push it in the middle to make it like the filling. Suddenly my aunt sat down back at her place and started laughing hysterically along with the rest of my family. They were thankful that I had stopped her from complaining and stopping a family argument and making light of the situation, which is a very ridiculous thing to get upset about. But, what can I say I love my family and it wouldn’t be a holiday without a problem or joke to brighten our day.
MH purple
Excellent quick thinking! Sort of like Guido when he was able to serve the School Inspector a late-night dinner. Can you answer riddles, too?
#2 If there is anyone in the world that I know who is similar to Guido it would definitely be my father. My dad constantly uses humor to help me get past all the little things that go wrong in my life like a bad test grade. Sometimes, it can even annoy me how high-spirited he can be when facing an obstacle. One time, while on vacation, we went fishing on a fairly secluded lake at about four in the morning. Things were going great until we ran out of gas in the middle of the lake. It was about six when this happened so no one else was around to help us and I forgot to bring the oars on the boat before we left. I expected him to get mad at me, but instead, he just laughed. He turned to me and said, "O well. We came out here to catch some fish, so we might as well stay out here until we do." I was still upset and getting a little impatient because I wanted to go back to the cabin, but my dad remained content and kept making his corny jokes to make the situation better. Then, at about nine, I got a bite. It was the biggest fish I have ever caught. My dad then said, "Good thing we stayed out here," in a sarcastic but funny way. Soon after another boat spotted us, brought us back to the cabin, and complimented me on my fish. After reaching land my dad was still really happy, so I asked, "How are you so happy right now? You didn't even catch a fish." Then he just turned to me and said, "I didn't go out to catch a fish." Only then did I realize that he really just wanted to spend more time with me and that he was so happy because to him, the whole situation was a blessing in disguise.
Last Christmas eve, my dad decided he was going to do something special for my brother and me. My dad made reservations to a really fancy restaurant named Harry’s Savoy Grill. When we got there, they told us to sit for a minute. One minute became two hours, and we were still waiting for a table we had reserved. People kept bumping us because we were in a tight space. My dad, being a psychologist, remained extremely calm and figured he was not going to let this ruin the nice dinner we would eventually get. Unfortunately, they had us waiting right next to the bar. All of a sudden, a drunk lady tripped and spilled her entire glass of beer on my dad. Being in the Christmas spirit, my dad stayed fairly calm instead of exploding into a rage of anger. Finally we were served our food, and they gave me fish instead of filet mignon. The waiter was very apologetic and corrected the mistake. The restaurant ended up giving us a price reduction on the bill and manager of the restaurant came out to apologize. My family did not let the mishaps ruin our Christmas Eve spirits. My dad jokes about how the one time he goes above and beyond, it gets all messed up. However, he thought the situation was hilarious, but at the same time he does not want to go to Harry’s anytime soon.
JA purple,
Great story. "I didn't go out to catch a fish." Great line.
CB purple,
Thanks for the tip about Harry's Savoy. I'll be sure to avoid it. Amazing that your dad could keep his cool through this.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School
1. School does not occur on the weekends so we only have to attend five days out of the seven.
2. I am a senior and therefore will be graduating at the end of this year.
3. The water from the fountain closest to my locker is always very cold.
4. I get see my friends every day from 8:15 in the morning to 2:41 in the afternoon.
5. Having mass often is nice because it means we will be on the hour late schedule.
6. St. Mark’s serves spicy chicken for lunch.
7. I have three different free periods in my day time.
8. If you try hard enough, you may not have to take finals for your classes.
9. I actually do learn in school, and feel prepared to go off to college.
10. In creative and critical we get to watch good movies like Life is Beautiful.
2. about three weeks ago i got in my first car accident. hopefully it will be my last. every time i get into the car on my way to school i get anxiety. my heart starts to race and my palms get clammy. i cant help it because the car wasn't the only thing damaged in the accident, my confidence was too. it was like every other morning i woke up at 6:00, got dressed in my uniform, and was out the door by 7:15. i was on route one and there was traffic as usual but i didn't mind i was in no rush. my current favorite cd was playing and i was singing along as i always do. i had my foot on the break, the car was stopped & i was waiting patiently. as a glance in the rear view mirror i see this huge Ford Explorer coming at me and it didn't look like he was slowing down. i press harder on my break to keep my car from hitting the one in front of me; because i knew the inevitable was going to happen. there was no where i could go. there was a nonexistent shoulder to my left and cars to my right. i just sat there in my heated seat. waiting. waiting to be hit. i gip the steering wheel even harder and tuck my elbows close to my body. it felt surreal. it felt like bumper cars. it felt like a nightmare. i didn't move. i couldn't move. i was shaking and crying and frantically calling my mom. my brother and mom finally arrive to the scene. and get all the mandatory stuff out of the way. when we got home all i wanted to do was go to school. i wash my face and change my clothes and i'm ready for school, again. my mom is going to drive me and when i step onto the drive way i notice something on my car. my brother had duck tapped the bumper, tapped a frowning face on the huge dent and tapped the Volkswagen sign next to the face. then he runs out and says “wait its not done” and places a band-aid on the cheek of the frown face. i couldn't help but laugh. he said that was what all the cool Volkswagen kids did when they got in accidents.
After a volleyball game at Padua, I was going to drive some of my teammates home. We didn’t know which way to leave, but our coach told us which way was towards home so we decided we would just figure it out. Bad idea. We ended up driving around, lost in the city of Wilmington. It was really late at night and we were worried about finding our way home. Just to make things worse, it started pouring rain. I decided to try to lighten the mood by cracking a joke and everyone started laughing. We were all in a better mood and started joking about the situation we were in. Finally we found a familiar road. On the way home we stopped at Friendly’s and got ice cream and ended up laughing about the whole thing.
2. My dad has always been the one to make jokes about situations that are potentially bad or not funny to begin with. About two years ago, my sister was involved in a car accident. She slid onto black ice and actually broke through a fence, ending up in a frozen pond. It was a cold February night, and was the night of one of the St. Mark’s dances. I was getting ready to go, having no idea what had happened. I got a call from my other sister asking me if I knew what had happened. Being oblivious to the situation, I said I had no idea. She then informed me that she heard of the accident. I immediately hung up the phone and called my parents, wondering if they knew. Thankfully, they did know and were already at the scene, with my sister. She had to wade out of the freezing water she was in to get out of the car, soaking her clothes and herself up to her chest. Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt and everything was okay, minus the car. When they all got home safely, my dad was already cracking jokes about it. “Hey Allison, if you wanted to go ice skating, you could’ve just told us.” Or, “You should’ve waited for me to go swimming.” Leave it up to my dad to make a bad situation into a good one.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark’s
10. Hey, if you students are dressing down, I probably am, too
9. So how much do you pay for an A line lunch? Teacher A line costs two bucks.
8. I enjoy watching The Young and the Restless, not the soap opera, but my former students who are now SMH teachers, like Albanese, Muscara, Strocko, Biafore, O’Keefe, Widdoes, Kuczmarski, etc.
7. Low teacher pay teaches me humility, one of the four pillars of a St. Mark’s education
6. I get a chance to keep my writing skills sharp drafting letters of recommendation
5. I really do feel safe with Johnston & Johnston and Cocco & Maegerle walking the halls
4. Boy, I love my sophomore classes this year (Class of 2010 punk)
3. I’m digging that gospel music that the chorus has been singing lately
2. Now I’m a HUGE Justin Bieber fan
1. If I don’t get into heaven with all of the blessings from Sr. Redempta, then no one will
2. The one person that I can think of that can relate to Guido’s heroic and selfless act for his family is my grandfather. My grandfather grew up in Ecuador, where he got married and had two children. He decided to move to the United States, so that he would be able to make more money practicing medicine and so that his children would be able to have a better living environment. He brought his family over, and in the years after he would be blessed with eight more children. Having such a large family came with it’s own complications. A majority of the money my grandparents made went directly towards their children, whether it was for school tuition, medical needs, food, clothing, and whatever else they needed. My mother and her family lived in poverty for quite a while, usually living from paycheck to paycheck, required to get their bread from the leftovers from Bing’s Bakery. All clothes were hand-me-downs, and usually were ill-fitting and faded. He persevered through these hard times, and finally crawled his way out of debt. He established a very profitable practice, and remains very happy with his life. When I think of all of the struggles and hardships he went through to provide a good life in the United States for his family, it shows me that with hard work and perseverance, we can do anything we want. He has truely showed me how beautiful life can be, if only we put all of our heart into our work.
A few short weeks ago, I came home from school to find my mom crying in the back study room. The first thought that came rushing through my mind was "who died?" because that's what I'm so used to hearing after seeing my mom that upset. I stuttered as I blurted out, "What’s wrong, mom?" She sat in the chair hiding her face from me as if she were ashamed. I wiped the tears from her face as she rubbed her red eyes. "Mom", I said beginning to grow impatient. "Daddy lost his job!" she shouted back to me. At that moment, I didn't know what to think. I slowly covered my mouth with my hand in disbelief and sat on the chair. We had always depended on my dad's steady paychecks to support our family. "What's going to happen now?" I thought. "How are we going to survive this?" I started to have visions of my family and I, losing everything we had. Our clothes, our possessions, our cars, our house, gone. I was panicking inside, but I didn't want my mom to worry even more than she already was. I interrogated her with questions on how this could have possibly happened. Of course, the economy was forcing the entire Valero Oil Refinery to shut down causing hundreds of people to lose their jobs. I felt more angry than upset. Angry at the people who let this happen. Even though I was furious and nervous upon hearing the news, I felt I had no other choice but to stay positive. "It’s going to be okay," I said in a high pitched voice with uncertainty. I reassured her that we would be able to fight through this as long as each of us are willing to make sacrifices. I explained to her that we could preserve our money by watching what we spend. I offered to get a second job if my father does not find another line of work after his sixty days are over. My mom could work more hours, and Nick could possibly get a job. My grandmom brought over prayer cards for the unemployed the next day. Every night at dinner, we sit around the table and say these prays in hopes that they be answered soon. We devote our free time into helping my dad find another job. We have an enormous support system. I know that with our sacrifices as a family and the help of our many friends we will be able to get through this! As it is said in a famous quote that I have become very familiar with, "Bad things happen to good people."
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St.Marks High School
1. School starts at 8:15 so if I’m swamped with homework, I can go to bed at 11 every night and still get the recommended 8 hours of sleep.
2. Often times when it’s rainy I can take my time getting out of the house and maybe even stop at Wawa on the way to school, because I know they will forgo the welcoming committee that morning.
3. Every once in awhile the catholic schools will get off for a religious holiday which means the public school kids still have to get up bright and early while we St.Marks students get to sleep in.
4. If you’re knowingly going to be late to class, there’s almost always a teacher willing to give you a get out of jail free card, (also commonly known as green passes) excusing whatever would normally be considered and unjustifiable “excuse” for your being late to class.
5. If you absolutely can’t stand your teacher or just plain hate the class you’re taking, there are many ways to avoid spending the whole year suffering through it. You can A) take the really easy way out and drop the class. B) If you’re struggling in the class, ask to phase down. Or C) work really hard to keep a high A average as well as play the roll of teachers pet for a few weeks and phase up. Which in the end will result in a win- win situation.
6. Frequently, foods class gets to apply their knowledge of cooking in the kitchen. If you have a friend in the class you can usually convince them to let you “judge” their cooking. Unfortunately if you do not have a friend in the class you have to suffer all day smelling the cookies, apple crisps, or whatever else they might be filling the air on the second floor with.
7. Saint Marks likes to have as many pointless assemblies as possible throughout the year, and they show the same ones again and again annually. This gives the students plenty of time to do homework from the night before, or cram for a test later on that day.
8. Saint Mark’s is definitely going green! They try to conserve energy as much as possible, which would explain the extremely cold classrooms in the winter, and boiling hot classrooms at the close of the school year.
9. Our library has tons of books, magazines, and other resources available to students at their disposal. But I would advise anyone thinking about going during free to do so only if absolutely necessary. The reason for saying so is because sleeping, eating, drinking, talking, and breathing are not allowed in the library during the school hours.
10. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it but there’s this thing called a spicy chicken sandwich?
#2
One time my parents decided to take a trip up to Shenendoah, Virginia to go hiking. I guess it was really my dad who decided this because he is the only boy in my family and likes the whole outdoorsy thing. So, my mom, two sisters and I went along. What started out to be a nice four mile hiking trail turned into "The Hike from Hell" as we call it today. The trail was originally supposed to be a giant circle, but apparently we missed the circle part and it turned into a huge rectangle. The little four mile hike turned into a 12 mile hike. Needless to say my mom, sisters, and myself were dying. We ran out of water, I was having heat exhaustian, and my mom rolled her ankle. My dad felt bad for all of us and decided to try and make the trip better by telling jokes and saying "we're almost there." Every time we would come around a turn he would say, "It's just around that turn." None of us believed him, but it still helped to imagine he was right. When we started to get closer he left us girls and hiked all the way back to get us some water. We (the girls) eventually finished and made it back to the car, but my dad was no where to be found. He decided to walk back into the trail to try and find us. So not only did we have to wait by the car for a few hours while he completed the trail again, we did not have the keys to the car. Luckily I have skinny arms and stuck a stick through the cracked sun roof and jammed it into the car door locks and unlocked the car. Obviously everything worked out alright and my dad met up with us. But looking back I realize how much I needed his words of encouragement, and how lucky I am that he would walk to get me water AND walk the entire trail again.
My mom is one hundred percent Italian and has a huge family, and she is very close to every member of her family. They live about three hours away in Pennsylvania though, so we do not get to see them that much. Last Christmas we up there to visit for a few days. At the time my mom's uncle was very sick, and was put in the hospital. My mom went with my grandmother to visit him, and while they were there her Uncle Mike passed away. Since we only had enough stuff for two days, we had to go home, get more stuff, and then come back for the funeral the next day. My mom and her whole family were devasted by his death. He was a terrific man who lived his life on Earth very well. The funeral was very hard because I had to be strong for my mom. I am a really sensitive person and it does not take much to make me cry, so holding it together in front of my mom was very hard. Walking up to view the body was the hardest part. As hard it was I am very happy that I was able to stay strong and help my mom get through a difficult time in her life.
1) My mom and I are almost an awful comedy duo when we're together. When she comments on one thing, I'm quick to fire out a joke and she plays off of that until we eventually stop and start all over again. When my mom was going through a tough time concerning the way people were treating her, I decided to use my sense of humor in order to brighten her mood. There was a certain situation when we were driving to Chesapeake City and I had remembered my mother telling me a story about my great grandfather, who barely spoke any english being from the Ukraine, and how he used to visit my grandmother and the whole family would drive to pick him up and drive him home every time he'd visit. He would know exactly when they'd reach Chesapeake City when they'd drive him home and as soon as they did, he would say, “Quiet. You in my country now. This is my country.” As soon as my mother and I hit that border, I had recited that line and my mother chuckled and smiled, continuing the line with the little Ukrainian phrases she had remembered growing up. It may not have been the funniest thing if you were in the car at that time, but when my mother told me that story for the first time, it was possibly the greatest story I had ever heard. We still laugh about it every time my mom and I drive to Chesapeake City.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark’s
1. The whole saint marks community is working hard to go green, and recycle as much as possible.
2. There is tons of school spirit at all the sports events, and some great cheerleaders too! ;]
3. Teachers (most of them) are on your side. Whether you need help with homework or before a test because you don't understand the content, teachers are always there to help you out.
4. Lunch is always great. You can choose between salad, soup, pasta and pizza ever day!
5. You have atleast one free everyday, if you need time to cram in homework or studying.
6. There is always a teaching willing to save you from trouble if you're going to be late to class.
7. There are always plenty of opportunities to dress down and get out of your uniform.
8. All of the saint marks events and dances are fun to go to and get together with all your friends.
9. Your guidance counselor is always working hard to get you into college!
10. Chocolate chip muffins are always available for breakfast, so you can start every morning off right!
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School.
1. Students are provided areas where they may converse with each other.
2. We get more early dismissals, shortened periods, and off days because of all the catholic celebrations.
3. We get to wear matching outfits everyday of the year.
4. It helps me develop my creativity during all class by practicing writing and drawing composition.
5. We get to sleep in a little more than the public schools that go to school at 7:30
6. The students come from all around with various backgrounds, so you can meet a variety of different people.
7. There are a variety of different teachers so if you don't get along with one, there are always others.
8. After completing certain courses students get the option of choosing other courses they have interests in, which makes them happier to be in classes they want.
9. If you are part of a select group of students, you get to become part of the Schoolsville community.
10. The possibility to never have to take finals during High School.
10. Waking up early is a necessity, not a hassle, if you want to get a prime parking spot in the morning.
9. You learn to stretch your money. Who wants to pay extra for 2 cream cheese? I don’t, so just get one and make it last.
8. You also learn time management from getting to class to class. You can stop at your locker or talk to friends, maybe even both if you’re a speedster.
7. If you don’t have any drama in your life you can hear about everyone else’s in almost every class.
6. Being a senior you get your own lounge. Seniors only, no annoying underclassmen allowed.
5. If you play sports you can get out of classes early for away games.
4. If you don’t play a sport that’s ok, you can get a great workout from climbing the stairs every day.
3. Having masses and assemblies are amazing, they shorten you class periods to only 30 minutes.
2. During the Holiday seasons, in usually every class, we watch a movie or do not do any work.
1. At the end of everyday there is a school wide game, the racing to your cars. The prize is you get out of prison with no traffic.
#4
1. I'm a senior and will soon be graduating St. Mark's.
2. We wear uniforms everyday so I do not have to pick out an outfit the night before school.
3. I get to see my friends every day during the week.
4. We watch movies in all my classes at least once a month.
5. Seniors have 3 frees during the day with no study halls.
6. We get off of school for 2 weeks for Christmas break.
7. The school year is almost half way over.
8. St. Mark's gives us hour or 2 hour delays when it's raining or for an inch of snow.
9. We have a delicious spicy chicken sandwich served on a regular basis.
10. If you go to St. Mark's you most likely somehow connected to everyone in the state of Delaware.
1. Every flip day I have a second period free. This means I can indulge in breakfast and do homework I didn’t finish the night before.
2. St. Marks seems to get off school, or at least have a delay, for even the minutest bit of snow or ice. This makes me feel safe.
3. I get to interact with my friends for over 6 hours 5 days a week.
4. The majority of my classes are enjoyable and I learn quite a bit.
5. On C and F days I get to go home early because of last period free.
6. I always seem to be hot, but I never have to worry about that in the winter at St. Marks because it is usually the same temperature as the cold outdoors.
7. The cafeteria serves an array of different food. My personal favorite is buffalo chicken pizza.
8. The view from the 10’s hallway is breathtaking during the fall or when it’s snowing.
9. Every morning I get great exercise from walking from the back row of the parking lot to my third floor locker. It is especially nice when it’s raining.
10. I’ve learned the importance of speed and agility when it comes to getting out of the St. Mark’s parking lot.
#2 My dad frequently gets sick days that only he gets. Just him, none of his siblings or any of us have them. He gets bad headaches and sleeps all day and throws up a lot. He saunters around the house in his jammies and we know that he’s sick by one look at his face. My family is really big Seinfeld fans and we quote lines, dialogue, and scenes several times a day. In one episode, Jerry and George write a TV series for NBC, but the president, Russell Dalrymple, cuts the show, and they visit him at his apartment to convince him to air it. Of course, Russell had food poisoning during their visit and kept having to interrupt their conversation. Russell also added some words of amazement while hacking up his food. One time when my dad got one of his personal diseases, he was throwing up in the bathroom downstairs…and included the hard core disgusting sound effects. It sounded just like Russell when he got food poisoning from his pasta primavera. We were all in the kitchen, obviously not able to escape the sounds. As my dad was imitating Russell’s actions, my brother then started to imitate Russell’s words. We felt bad for my dad, but we started dying laughing at my brother’s way of lightening the mood because it fit. It would have been much worse to just sit there and listen to my dad. Most people compare Guido to their father, and my father is by far a Guido, too, but in this situation Guido’s my brother. He and I both act like our dad at times, kind of how Joshua begins acting like Guido. Maybe someday I’ll be a Guido, too.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark’s High School
1. School doesn’t start until 8:15 so I can leave by house at 8 and have plenty of time to get there.
2. I have 2 free periods plus lunch to finish homework I didn’t do the night before.
3. We have spicy chicken, the best A line lunch ever…but whatever happened to sushi Wednesdays?
4. Whenever the food classes are cooking, the smell of their creations fills the whole 240s hallway, right where my locker is.
5. If you’re lucky and keep an A in your classes all year, you’re exempt from your finals.
6. At sports events we have an awesome student section full of Go Green shirts and more importantly…school spirit!!!
7. Every year we have a magazine drive and you can easily dress down for the whole week by selling only 5 magazines.
8. Our band rocks! As a cheerleader, I loveee dancing to the band!
9. If you miss breakfast you can always get something to eat in the cafeteria before school or in your early morning free.
10. If you get behind in class or don’t understand anything, teachers are always willing to sit down and help you.
1. Well, this probably gets old, because I talk about this when ever I talk about struggling or persevering. My senior year playing soccer for Saint Marks highschool. I made it through preseason just like the other players, except in my case I was told once preseason ended I could play on the team but I was not going to be eligible for the state cup tournament. Which basically meant that I was on the team to be a practice player, atleast I thought. Games went by and seeing less and less time on the pitch becasue scrimmages were over and we started real games, I started to feel down and be really hard on myself. The thought crossed my mind about quitting, but i didnt want to be the quitter on the team. So i kept going on sitting bench every game. Then we hitt a rough patch in the middle of the season when 4 people quit and we had 3 or 4 injuries. This was very unusual, for any team but my hopes went up and I started making the best of the situation, I started to become apart of the team. We eventually made it to the state cup, I was eligible to play, because of the overall circumstances. We lost but, in my mind it was still an amazing season, and i felt like i really grew up during it. I could have just quit like the other starters did, but even though i was just going to sitt bench I stuck with the team. I didn't quit because i would always think of my grandfather and all the struggles he had in his life but he never gave up, and he made it through. I will always look back at that season, when im going through hard times and i will just keep going through them with a good attitude.
Top ten reasons why Life is Beautiful at St.Marks:
1. Snow doesn't even have to accumulate to an inch, and we already have off.
2. You never have homework; that's what free periods are for.
3. You spend half the lunch period deciding what you want for lunch; we have it ALL.
4.Football games on Friday nights MAKE your weekend.
5.It is not hard to get a demerit, but it is hard to get kicked out.
6.Spirit week for seniors is so big that we wake up at three in the morning just to go to school and scream at people who drive by.
7.The dress code rules start to die down after the second semester.
8.Father Cocoa is considered one of your best friends.
9. You have so many friends that if you lose a few, you always have millions of others to go to.
10. You have plenty of oppurtunities to pray when you feel the need to do so.
The Top Ten Reasons why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's:
1. You pretty much have most of the same people in all of your classes, so you get to have a lot of classes with your friends.
2. We have a lot of school spirit during our sports events, there seems to always be a green-out.
3. We're working really hard to go green, there are recycling cans everywhere.
4. This year at mass we all wait to listen to the amazing girl sing in chorus, which makes mass go by much faster.
5. There's only six months until graduation.
6. You always have at least one free during the day, I have three.
7. Mrs. Drazich is probably my savior this year, she has helped me so much with the college process.
8. I have learned a lot in my classes, and my teachers have been very helpful.
9. We have many pointless assemblies, which allows us to have half hour classes that day.
10. You get to pick from a huge variety of classes your senior year.
Top 10 reasons why life is beautiful at St. Marks!
1. One snowflake on the ground? Hour Late Schedule! 2 or more, and we're off for the entire day!
2. We get off longer than public school kids for things like easter, christmas... random saint's feast days!
3. What other school has over twenty periods in one day?! ...alot of time to get things done.
4. Who else, other than a spartan can say that they are genuinely on the verge of having an asthma attack each time they switch classes? Those stairs are.. awesome, and give you exercise!
5. The maps that are located on each floor are very helpful, especially if you are a freshman.
6. Cold rooms, 5$ lunches, itchy sweaters... what could be more spartan than this?! We live up to our mascot's namesake everyday!
7. There are plenty of holy tights everywhere! Such a catholic school! (haha)
8. Instead of feeling like you didn't meet enough people in your four years at st. marks, you can just say that they are in a different phase than you and everyone will understand.
9. Speaking of Phases, a D in a phase 5 class can be equated with an A in a phase 2 class! ...sweeet.
10. My 35 minute drive to school everyday gives me alot of time to think!
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark’s
1. I have three free periods every day to do most of my homework from the day before.
2. The welcome dance is easily one of the most fun events at school. I would probably pay 20 dollars to come again next year.
3. Once fashion show practices start, you know the next 2 and a half months of school are going to fly by. Once fashion shows over, you know school is coming to a close, especially for seniors. January 26 can’t come soon enough.
4. Seniors guys are allowed to wear a sweater for winter dress code so we don’t have to deal with the sport coat.
5. Most of the teachers are willing to help if you make the effort to come to them.
6. If you’re going to be late to class, you can usually find a teacher in the halls to write a pass for you. You will probably miss more class and will stay clear from receiving a demerit.
7. Church at St. Mark’s means hour late schedule, plus we get off for religious holidays. There’s one thing we have over public schools.
8. This does not apply to everyone, but I can literally leave my house at 7:55 and make it to homeroom by 8:15. That can’t be said for a lot of people.
9. You can come to school and go through a couple classes before figuring out there’s a 1:41 dismissal that you didn’t know about. This will certainly brighten your day.
10. With all the help from the guidance counselors, applying for colleges is less of a nuisance when trying to keep up with your school work.
#2
My Pop pop use to babysit me and my sister after school on mondays when we were little. Monday after school my Mom was dropping my and my sister off at my grandparents house. My Pop pop wasn't home from work yet so my Mom walked into the house with us. Me and my sister noticed that there was mud all over the floor in front of us. We followed the trail to my grandparents bed room where we found the room torn appart. Everything was open and searched threw. My mom saw the disaster and made us go outside to play on the swings while she called my Pop pop and the police. My Pop pop got home and ran up to me and my sister giving us a huge hug. He seemed so upbeat and didn't care that his house was just robbed and most of his special belongings were taken. He told us all he cared about was that we were okay. Me and my sister were calmed down by the positive attitude he displayed. When the cops arrived they finger printed the house and reported everything that was stolen. Even when the cop told him he would never see anything that was taken again he still smiled and said he has all that matters with him, unharmed. It takes a strong person to lose a lot and still be thankful for what they had.
Top Ten Reasons Why life is Beautiful at St. Mark's
1. Since St. Marks is a Catholic High School, we get off more than other schools for Catholic Holidays.
2. We have mandatory Theology classes, so we dont have to go to church during the week.
3. Lunch is so expensive we get to help our parents save money by bringing our own lunches.
4. We are so good at sports, we always make it to the championships.
5.Not winning too many championships helps us be humble christians.
6.The teachers are so nice, that they give us thousands of fun interesting homework assignments.
7.We have school from September to June, that way we get to enjoy the pleasures of school for 9months.
8. We get a senior lounge with one t.v. and one great channel Fox News.
9. You can drop most classes, that way i get to stay at school for 2hrs and do nothing.
10. The Dean's are so nice, they give you detentions to let you stay at school longer.
Top Ten Reasons why St. Mark's is Beautiful:
10. I'm not Catholic, yet I feel more religious than the average church-goer.
9. The hardest decision I have to make in the morning is a green or white shirt.
8. I get my daily exercise in by rushing to homeroom to avoid welcoming.
7. My friends and I have coordinated a plan for the times we can say a quick "Hello!" before we're late to class.
6. Based off personal experience: Don't pierce your face. St. Mark's WILL suspend you.
5. Even though lunch is expensive, at least the cafeteria strives to keep us healthy!
4. Spring break lasts a good 5 days longer than public school. Thanks God!
3. Townsend and Taylor are always looking to bring the school together.
2. Our school has created the superlative: Most likely to text in class.
1. Our school mascot, the Spartan, is an incredible dancer.
10. St. Mark’s is the only school I know that gets up at 4:00 A.M to tailgate for a pep rally.
9. St. Marks has a countless number of clubs sports organizations that satisfy anyone’s needs, ranging anywhere from Ultimate Frisbee to Intramural Bowling and everything in between.
8. Surprisingly, St. Mark’s provides delicious, but expensive lunch.
7. Because of St. Marks’s phenomenal English teachers I have become a much better writer and I actually read for pleasure nowadays.
6. St. Marks has become much more involved in modern day technology, implementing such things as studywiz, powerschool and many brand new computers that let me check Schoolsville at any time
5. Since we all get to wear the exact same thing everyday, I am able to wake up at 7:15 and still get to school on time.
4. The ridiculous lunch prices have done an excellent job of keeping me skinny and in shape.
3. St. Marks offers hundreds of different courses to choose from, ranging from European History to Culinary Arts. They’re even contemplating adding more sciences courses, like Forensics and even Astronomy.
2. There is rarely a week during which we go to school without any early dismissals or assemblies
1. Mr. Freund will call school off if there is even a slight chance of snow.
2. My brother is one who makes jokes in bad situations. One time was particularaly memorable to me. It was a normal sunday morning that atarted with my family going to church. After church we came back to the house and were going to have breakfast. This is also normal and it seemed like this was going to be liek any other sunday morning. My mom asked my brother and I what we wanted for breakfast. We debated a bit and came to a choice, sausage egg and cheese sandwhiches. My mother began cooking as normal. She reached into the refridgerator to get the eggs out and placed them on the counter. SHe placed them a little to close to the edge and the entire carton fell onto the floor breaking every egg. Now if you knew my mother you would know how she would react to this situation, getting completely worked up and stressed out. Then out of my brothers mouth follows a series of jokes. "Hey mom, I think you need to practice you 'eggs'-ectuion." "Hey mom, breakfast looks 'eggs'-cellent." As i sit at the table craking up, my mother doesn't think the jokes are to funny. Whenever my mom gets stressed she gets a few hives on her arm and naturally the next joke out of my brothers mouth was, "What's the matter mom, do you have 'eggs'-ema?" I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard but that's just the type of person my brother is. He's the one to make fun of a seemingly bad situation.
Top Ten Reasons Life is Beautiful at Saint Marks.
10. We don't start until 8:15! I have plenty of time to get to school and get ready for the day.
9. We get off for random religious things, like getting a new Bishop. All my public school friends and my younger brother are so jealous of that!
8. We get off school for the smallest amount of snow.
7. Spicy chicken, and other great lunches!
6. We have to oppertunity to take some really cool classes, like creative & critical!
5. I have liked almost all of my teachers throughout my four years here.
4. Do you have a last period free? Lucky, you can go home when you're done for the day!
3. If you play a sport you get out early for games! For example, the swim team gets out at noon to travel to the Rehoboth YMCA to swim against Cape. :]
2. I have met some friends who I know I want to keep in touch with for the rest of my life. Sometimes I wonder what I will do without them next year.
1. There are only 173 days from today to June 5, 2010...Graduation!
2.
My family and I are huge Penn State fans, as well as football fans. Put together we enjoy Penn State football games. My sister attends Penn State and goes to every game so we use this time to visit her as well. This year I was begging my dad to get tickets so we can go to a game. He asked his friends many times with out success, then finally he was able to get tickets for the Iowa game. I was excited because the Iowa game was the white out game, where all the fans dress white to support Penn State. They only do one white out game so they usually save it for the biggest game. I was so excited to be going to Happy Valley and support the Nittany Lions. My parents told me it was going to rain all day so I packed all my water-proof white clothing and I was set. My sister called my dad and told him it was very cold so dress warm. My mother bought white ponchos, and we were set. Off to Happy Valley we went. Well this happy valley turned sour quick. We arrived and parking was nearly impossible. It was pouring out and the grounds were all mud. My father soon found a parking spot about a mile away which really was not too bad. We put on our gear and headed off in the rain to our seats. Sure enough my poncho ripped and was not doing its proper job. I tried not to be miserable because my dad worked hard for these tickets. My dad saw some friends who were tailgating and got the idea to use a trash bag as poncho. I could not help but laugh at how ridiculous I looked. We reached our seats and they were really good. I was ready for the game and very excited. The rain was picking up and it became very cold and windy. My dad and I were miserable, but neither one of us wanted to admit it to each other. My dad started cracking his cheesy jokes to lighten up the mood by saying how were turing into icicles and soon we would be frozen. My dad always knows how to make me laugh. For as cold as it was and the Lions losing, it was still a great day with my dad.
Two summers ago, my mom had this “great” idea to go hiking trip in Maine. My mom was so set on going to Maine. My brother, sister, dad, and I were dreading this five day trip where we would “admire nature,” according to my mother. My brother, sister, dad, and I assumed hiking in Maine was like taking a walk through White Clay Creek Park. To entertain ourselves we brought a football, which my dad and brother would pass around to pass the time. My dad thought it would be interesting to throw the football around on the rocks. In less than a minute the football fell into the freezing ocean water. My dad told my brother to jump in and get it. My brother refused since the water was freezing! My dad threw off this shirt and dove into the ice cold water. We all got a great laugh, watching him struggle trying to climb out of the water. The next day, even after the first football incident, my dad and brother continued to throw the football around. My mom warned them that they would fall into the water. After another bad pass by my dad, my brother goes falling into the water. He is yelling for help, but my mom, my sister, and I laugh, point, and take pictures. My dad tries to pull him out, and falls straight into the water. My mom, my sister, and laugh harder and take more pictures! My dad and brother made out hiking trip to Maine actually fun, and is the trip I always tell stories about.
Top Ten List!
10. We have a pool on the fourth floor.
9.Prayer can take up almost half the class in a lot of subjects.
8.You have some of the same teachers that taught your parents.
7.We have more periods than any other school in Delaware
6.Thanks to the fashion show we know every person that will be spending the summer in dewey beach.
5.We get off school for one rumor of a snow shower.
4. Everyone misses the old spicy chicken, but we deal with the new ones.
3. We can blow through more than $100.00 a month if we buy our lunch every day
2. School doesnt start until 8:15
1. We get half days so that the faculty can have department parties.
About seven years ago my family went on vacation to the Grand Canyon. Our trip was going well until we went horseback riding. At first I was very excited. We were all assigned horses according to size. My horses name was Smokey. I was expecting a small white grayish horse, but instead I got a huge white-spotted gray one with dark deep-set eyes. Before heading on the trail the guides instructed us to stay in a certain order, so the horses would not become agitated. That should have been warning enough, but we headed out anyways. Smokey from the beginning was difficult; stumbling over rocks and grazing at every tree. Lightning, my mom’s horse became angry and snapped at Smokey’s backside. I tried to kick the horse many times, but he would just turn around and stare me down with his dark black evil eyes as if he was ready to attack. I started to panic. As we headed around a corner, Smokey decided to go straight. Despite my kicks he didn’t stop. I noticed he was trying to get to a tree which was at the edge of a cliff! My brother screamed from behind “kick harder,” which I did. Everyone was trying to stay calm. As I came closer to the edge I kept on pleading, “please stop, please stop!” Smokey did stop and began to munch on the tree. I fearfully looked below me and saw hundreds of feet of rocks. These were the most terrifying moments of my life. After our trail ride we returned to our cabin. My cousins and brothers were relentlessly teasing me. That night we were playing charades. My uncle, knowing I was upset that everyone was making fun of me, pretended to be my brother and cousins who were scared of rock climbing. He held his hand to his face and acted like he was screaming and said, “Who am I?” This of course made me laugh.
1.St. Mark's Spartans come together in times of need and celebration.
2.Waking up to the house phone ringing at 6:00 AM doesn't mean that someone's dead, it means we have an hour late late or snow day.
3.St. Mark's campus looks beautiful with autumn leaves, a blanket of snow, or new buds of spring.
4.I really appreciate the Christmas Concert before break, it gets me in the mood for Christmas.
5.Walking around the halls during class, you can always pass by a classroom that is having a party. We are very spirited people.
6.You cannot start a class, assembly, or meeting without a prayer.
7.People clap during mass because the chorus rocks the gospel music.
8.On flip days I have a last period free.
9.Father Cocco is a big old teddy bear and everyone loves him.
10.Pep rally in your senior year will be the best day of your life.
1. St. Marks keeps my cell phone bill low! Since whenever I use my phone in school it is confiscated it’s a lot harder to go over texts for this month.
2. St. Marks helps me fill all the free time I have with homework! Whoever said I might need a job for some money. Or maybe just a few hours to do chores around the house.
3. St. Marks prepares me for the military! Obeying authority, following orders, phew! School doesn’t skimp on those.
4. St. Marks teaches anger management. Man I sure would like to tell this teacher off who is giving me a 10 minute lecture on gum! Wait, I’m in school I better hold this one back.
5. Since I took four years of Spanish now I should be just about fluent in the language. Yet for some reason when I try to speak with someone who is Spanish they tend to look at me funny.
6. The schools parking lot keeps me in shape! Running those sprints at 2:41 everyday should definitely improve my speed.
7. St. Marks improves my self esteem. Those gym teachers telling the wimpy kids in class their pathetic sure makes me feel good.
8. St. Marks offers a 5 star dining restaurant on the premises. The cafeteria food may not be 5 star but the prices are.
9. St. Marks keeps my business style up-to-date. My oxford shirt and tie matching skills are amazing!
10. St. Marks keeps my blogging skills high. With all my posts on schoolsville I’m almost ready to start my own!
The top ten reasons why life is beautiful at St. Marks is:
1. All of the friends I have acquired over the years.
2. The ever so delicious spicy chicken.
3. That St. Marks is one of five schools to have a mens volleyball team.
4. The St. Marks community.
5. Great teachers like Mr. Fiorelli and Mr. Ingram.
6. The Blue Gold program.
7. How the uniform forces everyone to dress the same.
8. Classes are only 41 minutes long and not an hour and a half like at some schools.
9. For the most part there is never a full week of school.
10. There are great spiritual leaders like Sr. Redempta.
I think laughter is a good way to prevent any situation from becoming too overwhelming or stressful. At the time, many times things seem much more serious than they do in retrospect. For this reason, it is always important to have a friend or family member to go to during a stressful situation that helps calm you down through laughter. Whenever I need someone like that, I go to my best friends. For example, if I get into a big fight with a family member or someone else, I can call any of my close friends and they know exactly what to say to help out. However, the ones who really know how to make things better and ease the stress of the situation are the ones who know how to make me laugh. They help me realize that even though I am going through something troubling, that in time it will all get better. They help me remember that worrying won’t help a thing. Sometimes helping a friend out is as simple as distracting them. For instance, one time I got into a big argument with my parents and simply left to go see a friend. My friend got me to calm down and eased the stress of the situation. Then afterwards when I went back home, I felt ready to deal with the situation in a more levelheaded, optimistic manner. These friends have taught me that laughter sometimes really is the best medicine.
Life is Beautiful @ St.Mark's...
10. I am a senior leader therefore im in the senior leader homeroom, so if I show up a minute or two after the 8:15 bell I am spared from welcoming.
9. StMarks starts at 8:15, unlike the other high schools i live around, that start at 7:30. No chance I would ever be to school ontime there.
8. If you drive for five you get to dress down.
7. The cafe possibly has the best chocolate chip muffins ever.
6. You almost always can get your homework done in school because of the free periods you get.
5. People clap after the chorus sings the hallelujah at mass.
6. We get the swine09 shot for free this thursday.
4. Watching blue gold fashion show, because its the absolute best.
3. Even now you can sit in class as a senior & realize you've never seen the person sitting across the room from you before in your life. But when you ask them if theyre new, they say no theyve gone to StMarks all four years.
2. We have 31 minute classes at least once every week for assemblies that never make much sense.
1. ITS SENIOR YEAR & WE'RE GRADUATING :)
1. We almost never have a full week of school, between 1:41 dismissals and assembly's we always have shortened periods.
2. I can go to lunch knowing that no matter what I'm hungry for i'll always find something I want to eat.
3. We don't start school until 8:15, which is a lot later than most high schools, the little extra time to sleep really does make a difference.
4. No matter what sporting event you go to you'll always find a group of people you know the cheer with.
5. You know everything about each and every teacher before you even have them because of stories you've heard.
6. I never have to stress about what to wear in the morning, because I don't even have a choice.
7. Being a senior is great, especially when you get lucky with a last period free, and get to leave early.
8. There's so many different classes to chose from, so you get to take courses you actually want to!
9. You have so many options as to where you can spend before, after or during frees.
10. There are tons of people just like me at St. Mark's that I can relate to, and will be friends with for a very long time!
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School:
1. Schools officially starts at 8:15 unlike those public high schools in Delaware
2. You at least have one free every single day.
3. Were getting used to the idea of classes shortened because of events
4. The cafeteria is recently stressing the "healthy choice" option.
5. Teachers actually help you when you need help
6. Our school is huge and not filthy
7. The uniforms are very, uhm, "comfy".
8. We have such Spartan spirit in this school. Green and Gold all day.
9. St. Marks doesn't do it old-school. They cyber our day up with computers and power points.
10.Father Coco
My mom tends to make the best out of every situation whether it is positive or negative. About a year ago on thanksgiving, my mom was excitedly preparing the meal for all of the guests that were coming to dinner later that night. She got up bright and early to put the turkey in the oven so that it would have enough time to cook to perfection. She then went on preparing all of the other dishes for the feast. About 6 hours later with the time ticking away towards dinner, disaster struck. My family started to realize that we didn't smell the warming scent of turkey that should have filled the house by now. My mom decided to check the turkey and made the horrible discovery that it was still frozen solid. How could our oven break down on Thanksgiving? My mom called our neighbors with a smooth tone and asked if we could borrow their oven. We ran the turkey to our neighbors and when we got back my mother had another chore for us. She told my brother and I to go to the acme and find a chicken. She did not think that the turkey would be done in time and suggested that we have a backup for our hungry guests. When dinnertime arrived. We all sat around the table with a chicken sitting in the center. Just as we finished saying grace, the doorbell rang. It was our next-door neighbor with the turkey. My mom told us all that the she wanted the turkey to have a big entrance. My family will never forget this Thanksgiving or my mom for making the best out of a bad situation.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School
10. School is three minutes from my house therefore I can sleep till 7:30.
9. The back in parking spots are always there for me for a quick escape at 2:41.
8. Always knowing Miss. Brown is lurking to catch me at the worst moments.
7. I get to look good in my shirt and tie every day.
6. When summer is coming to a close and your not looking forward to school, there is always a bright spot. Welcome Dance.
5. Two words. Spicy Chicken.
4. Wawa drinks. Can't live without them.
3. When you choir is so good that they get a standing ovation for the hallelujah, it makes church bearable.
2. As soon as you see one flake hit the road and not melt, you can just turn that alarm clock off.
1. Blue-Gold Fashion Show. Best time of my life.
Going through life, the only way to persevere through the many obstacles that get thrown your way is to lighten up and laugh it off. I feel that this applies to subjects both light and heavy, although to varying degrees. This way of thinking was perfectly exemplified in the move Life is Beautiful, Guido has the right idea. My great-grandmother is and has always been the “Guido” in my life. Anything from helping me through rough emotional times to teaching me life lessons, both large and small, she has always been there to help me, all while giving everyone around including she and I a great laugh. Not only does she help other people this way, she also helps herself. She has been very sick for the past couple of years and she still jokes around with her doctors, family and friends. When I go over to visit and ask how she’s doing after a critical doctor’s appointment or emergency trip to the hospital, her immediate response is to let out a little laugh, smile and say something along the lines of, “Oh! Don’t wooooorry! Everything is fine! None of boyfriends could pick me up and I just really wanted to go visit my friends at the hospital and you know me, I can’t drive anymore, my legs are too short and my eyes are too bad! Now really, stop worrying about me and go out and have some fun!” When you have some one who thinks, speaks and acts the way she does and is so full of life even in the face of the opposite, it really translates into your own life and makes you want to live the way that person does. Life and the people it inhabits truly are beautiful.
#4: Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's
1. We have outstanding teachers like Mr. Fiorelli, who show us amazing movies like "Life is Beautiful."
2. Wawa drinks are available at every lunch, every day.
3. If you're late to a class, Mr. Townsend will always right you a pass, saving you from the wrath of your teacher.
4. We rarely ever have a full week of school, free from early dismissals or shortened periods.
5. Spicy chicken is served every other week, the greatest lunch known to man.
6. You can be late to school three times without any punishment.
7. The St. Mark's Vs. Sallies "Holy War" is the most exciting sporting event in the state to attend.
8. I always feel so holy when I walk by Sr. Redempta, and so safe when I walk by Father Cocoa.
9. I have an hour of free periods in between 8:15 and 2:41.
10. We have the opportunity to dress down more than a public school does.
#4.
1. Its okay if you fail a class at saint marks if you're on the football team, they'll make sure you pass.
2. I have three free periods throughout the day so I',m always eating with my friends, therefore I never go hungry.
3. The crossing guards are so sweet they always send me to welcoming.
4. The teachers always make me stop chewing gum because they dont want me to get cavities.
5. The lunch ladies love serving spicy chicken because it puts a little kick in my day.
6. We have mass once a month so i'm guaranteed at least one day of shortened periods.
7. Saint Mark's has department meeting aka christmas parties once a month, so you get out of school an hour earlier!
8. We have two temperatures at Saint Marks, freezing and boiling. There is no in between.
9. When its the end of the quarter and we have testing days all the teachers LOVE to put them all on one day to save us from the others.
10. We have a great security guard, he makes sure his coffee is hot and his donuts are fresh.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School:
1. There aren't that many weeks where every day has full length periods.
2. Having only 41 minute classes makes time seem to fly by.
3. Multiple choices for lunch unlike the two or so choices at my old school.
4. Being able to not take finals if you have an A average for the class.
5. How classes start at 8:30 instead of 7:35 at my old school.
6. That St. Mark's is expected to at least win one championship title per year.
7. That the teachers know the best way to get through to the students and permit them to learn.
8. The vast amount of computers available for use during the school day.
9. Unlike some schools which are now applying a year round schedule, St. Mark's keeps summer vacation.
10. St. Mark's prepares you well for success in college and in life in general.
During last year's lacrosse season, we played a particularly difficult game against a very talented team. It was the semi-finals of the state tournament and we were not going to settle for anything less than a win. This team had been state champions and we knew that they would be aggressive and quick, but we thought we could out-play them. However after a few quick goals, they began to pull away and take over the game. My team mates were becoming anxious and worried, and our coaches were losing patience. They were frustrated and we began to feel the same way. I knew that if we didn't remain positive, we could kiss the game good-bye. I began, along with some of my fellow team mates, to cheer everyone on no matter what. We told everyone to keep their heads up and hussle to every ball. Exhaustion and pain does not last forever, but a state championship would always be remembered. After battling for 60 minutes, we lost the game. However, no one had expected us to play so well. Not one person on the field gave up or slacked off. Even though our season came to an end, it was impossible to be angry after such an amazing game. Everyone was happy about the way we played and our coaches were so proud. If we had not persevered and stayed positive, the game could've made a turn for the worst. Despite our loss, I will always remember that game and be proud of the team that never gave up.
#4
1. At St. Marks education is not the most important factor... Money is.
2. At St. Marks we don't go to school on the weekends.
3. No school for three months over the summer!
4. Being a senior i have three frees.. none at the end of the day though.
5. School lunches are expensive yet quality food.
6. School store sells pop tarts during the day!
7. At St. Marks if you tell a teacher how you really feel.. You get sent to the dean.
8. Faculty is understanding about being late to class.. however not when your five min late.
9. At St. Marks your self esteem is always boosted when kids a grade below you are in your class!
10. At St. Marks our rival school is a school with a bunch of guys.. how hilarious.
Life is Beautiful at Saint Mark's High School Because...
10. I don't have to worry about what to wear everyday, so I can pretty much just roll out of bed. Which is great.
9. We have Wawa milk in the cafe.
8. I have three free periods a day as a senior; which means I always have alot of free time at home after school not doing much homework.
7. Someone keeps sticking post-its saying "You are beautiful" inside of the girls bathroom stalls. How nice!
6. There are so many kids in this school that I only get corrected every once in a while for not wearing my sweater.
5. The library is a great get away, I usually spend most of my frees here.
4. I'm always hungry and most of my teachers don't mind if I eat my goldfish in class.
3. There always seems to be something going on that causes shortened classes.
2. If you're freezing, there's ALWAYS a hot classroom to go to. If your hot, there's ALWAYS a freezing classroom to go to. (But if you're hot in a hot classroom, or vice versa, well...)
1. I really do learn a lot from my teachers.
When my friends and I found out that our beloved teacher, Mr. Shannon would be leaving next year, we were devastated. Many people were angry and some wanted to cry. However, I felt like that was not how he would have wanted us to react and I voted to create a peaceful petition. While many teachers and students believed that it would not work, we kept fighting and tried to keep a positive outlook. Eventually, our petition was shot down and Mr. Shannon still lost his job. But, we preserved and took it as something that happened in our lives. We even held a surprise going away party a month later. So, what I learned was even though people tell you that you can't do something or something doesn't work out the way you want it to, you have to be strong and fight through it with a smile.
Top ten reasons why St. Marks is Beautiful
10. I wake up every morning and never have to decide what to wear.
9. I f I forget to pray at night I get 7 more chances to pray before every class.
8. I get to see Father Coco often in which I can great a blessing and a free piece of candy.
7. We have mass once a month guaranteeing an hour late schedule every month.
6. If I am ever late to class I can use the 26 period schedules as an excuse for my confused lateness.
5. If you don’t get exercise everyday, there is this race to your car everyday that can really increase your aerobic skills.
4. There are tons of computers and printers so the “my printer broke last night” is never an excuse for late papers.
3. Free periods can be the highlight of your day when you find out there is a test next period and you haven’t even opened the book.
2. PEP RALLY- no further explanation needed.
1. There’s this class taught by called Creative and Critical writing taught by the best bird watcher and golf player known to man, Mr. Fiorelli.
1. At St. Mark's you learn to conceal yourself because know when and where it is safe to use your phone
2. At St. Mark's your hands get great excercise with all the homework that you get
3. At St. Mark's they make sure that your cell phone battery doesn't die because if you use it they take it
4. With 4 minutes between classes, you get great excercise running back and forth from class to class
5. St. Mark's makes sure that you are productive on the computer because half the time the computers don't work when you want to play games and the other half you get caught by the tech center lady
6. St. Mark's teaches you to save your money with the ridiculous prices in the cafeteria
7. St. Mark's makes you want to get a good spot in the parking lot every morning because with the amount they charge for the pass you should get front row
8. St. Mark's teaches you to dress to impress because if you don't you'll hear it from atleast fifteen different teachers
9. No need to go to the dentist because at St. Mark's it's a crime to chew gum or eat candy during class
10. St. Marrk's teaches you to clean up after yourself because if you don't you'll be in the cafeteria all day
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's High School:
1. I get a chuckle every time someone, not of the St. Marks community, thinks my ‘Go Green’ shirt means I recycle.
2. I get a morning workout when I run into school in the freezing rain.
3. We have shortened periods or early dismissals at least once a week.
4. I do not have to pack my lunch or eat in a classroom anymore.
5. The entire faculty has parties after school so they let us out early, I can’t complain.
6. I think it’s funny I still get confused when people say it’s period 21-23
7. Who came up with saying “specials” when we say prayer?
8. I love waking up at noon on snow/fire days
9. The teachers here are always so funny
10. Fio is the best English teacher EVER!
top ten reasons why life at St.Marks is beautiful:
1. We get to sleep in a little bit more because we start at 8:30, but somehow i always still manage to be late?
2. We have an assmebly for everything you can think of.
3. You get to hear the dramatic stories of all the St. Marks girls everyday and realize how glad you are to be a boy.
4. We watch a movie atleast once a week in one of my classes.
5. We get 2 lunches, what could be better?
6. There is always that one teacher you can count on to make your life alot easier by getting you out of trouble.
7. You get to see the freshman trip up the stairs and try and walk it off like nothing happened.
8. I get my daily dose of cardio running out to my car at the end of the day to beat out the hour of traffic you end up sitting in anyways.
9. We get off because it snows half an inch.
10. Im graduating this year and cant wait to go to college and laugh at the fact kids are still stuck there for 2 or 3 more years.
Top Ten reasons why I love St.Marks
1. We wear uniforms therefor I dont have to put extra time into getting ready.
2. I will be graduating at the end of the school year.
3. Most of my classes are on the same floor so I do not have to walk too much.
4. Welcome Dance and the Blue Gold are the best dances all year.
5. Sports teams are usually always good so it is fun to watch them play.
6. St.Marks is only 15 minutes away from my house so i do not have to leave too early to get to school.
7. We always seem to get out early or we are on the hour late schedule.
8. For a week in November you get to dress down.
9. St.Marks is always off of school when it snows.
10. I get to see my friends everyday of the week.
DF Red
A few years back, I went to a naval academy wrestling camp over the summer. I had been going now for the past three summers and this summer was going to be different. This year I was old enough and mature enough to enroll in the naval seal wrestling camp. This camp was different because it was a fourteen-day camp and I was going to be away from home for two weeks. This was extremely intense compared to what I was used to. At the time, I was only thirteen years old and this is the first time I will be away from home for this amount of time. Another wrestler from my team was going to the camp and was going to be my roommate for the two weeks of hell. He was a couple years younger and much less experienced. A couple days into the camp, my friend Kyle was getting home sick. He missed his parents and was going to be miserable the entire week. I realized early that it was up to me to help get through. Each day I would keep his mind of his family as much as I could. I would bring up stories and talk about wrestling and other things. This seemed to work quite well. By the end of the second week at the Naval Academy we were ready to go home and be with our families. The camp was invigorating and pushed us beyond our normal limits. I felt that I did a good job in making Kyle’s experience better and helped him get through his long and stressful week.
Dm Red
#1
Ever since i can remember, I have been a huge football fan, and up until eighth grade i also played. I started playing in sixth grade for Holy Angels football and immediately fell in love with the game. The team camaraderie to me was incredible, as many of my closest friends were on the team. My only problem with playing football was that I had a problem with anxiety, which hindered my ability to perform. I still played well, but I don't think i reached my full potential. In the summer going into eighth grade, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. Being favored to start at quarterback was too much pressure for me to handle, so i called the coach and quit. This left me feeling a void in my life at first, a void that music has since come to fill. Now that I am medicated for my anxiety I always wonder about the possibilities. If i hadn't quit, I might still be playing today. But overall, I have learned to live with no regrets and I am completely happy with the person I am today.
Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark’s:
1) We get to wear really cute matching uniforms instead of having to pick out an outfit every morning.
2) I have three free periods a day, and on C and F days I have a free last period, so I get to leave at 2:00.
3) St. Mark’s is a Catholic school, so we get days off on Church holidays.
4) We have some sort of assembly, mass, or early dismissal just about every week, so classes are only thirty minutes on those days.
5) The bookstore sells Gatorade, water, and every flavor of poptarts during the school day, but they are only to be consumed outside the academic wing.
6) Students get their daily exercise walking up and down three flights of stairs between classes, and of course running out to the parking lot at 2:41.
7) Our school day starts at 8:15, which is much later than public schools.
8) You get to go to Welcoming if you are late to homeroom.
9) On flip days, I get to eat breakfast at school during my free.
10) You can always count on drama in the hallways for entertainment.
My life is beautiful as a St. Mark’s Spartan because…
1)The kind and supporting staff have been a huge influence on my life. Mrs. Drazich has helped a lot with the college process, Father Coco enlightened me on many things about faith, all of my English teachers have made me a much better writer, and all of my math teachers have gone above and beyond themselves to help me grasp challenging concepts.
2)Coach McCartan, Deej, and of course O’Neill have been there for me at all times, and helped me achieve my fullest potential in athletics. It is also fun and inspiring to watch my classmates play their sports with great passion.
3)It wouldn’t be a beautiful life at school without a beautiful campus, now would it? Late in the evening when I finish my daily run, my favorite thing to do is add on around the neatly kept athletic fields and nearby woods.
4)I like how there are 5 phases of learning so that I can get extra help in harder subjects and thrive in classes that come more easily to me. The orderly system of “phasing up or down” is also helpful in picking the right classes for your self.
5)There are many clubs, sports and organizations at St. Marks’s where all students can become involved. I am involved in several activities which benefits the school and me, making my high school experience the greatest.
6)Gym class is definitely my favorite subject. We play all my favorite sports such as soccer, basketball, hockey, and speedball. Now I am a senior leader which has improved my leadership skills and has also granted me the opportunity to play sports in the morning everyday.
7)The school’s snow policy is amazing! All we need to get is an honest 2 inches and we off, which allows extra time to get scholarships, homework and sledding done.
8)All of the St. Marks student events are very special and a lot of fun. Senior Ball, Prom, Homecoming, Pep Rally, and Sophomore Semi-formal have all been great memories.
9)Although expensive, the food is absolutely delicious! I give props to big Ben and Mike in the back for cooking up meals fit for a king. The pasta and spicy chicken are my personal favorites.
10)Last but not least are the friends that I have made during over the last four amazing four years at St. Mark’s. Everyday I come into school is, for the most part, a good day because of them. I am truly blessed with my fellow Spartans.
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