Tuesday, April 27, 2010

"I just love you. I just wanna go to the rooftops and scream: 'I love my best friend, Evan.'"

Me: I'm going write a blog post about Olivia Bass and Yaya all in one!
Yaya: This is a good idea.
Olivia: It's cosmic. Write about how pretty we are.

I absolutely adore Olivia and Yaya. Olivia further proved this theory by just now singing Best Of Both Worlds. You don't meet people like these two everyday and if you ever do, be extremely thankful.

I'm not going to go on and on about them as you just need to meet them to understand what amazing people they are. But I will talk just enough about them to make them feel loved.

I will start with Jackie also known as Yaya. She is the photo editor and takes absolutley amazing photos. Every time I would peek over an editors shoulders and see an amazing picture, it was always taken by Yaya. The type of pictures you see and immediately feel envious, even going as far as to question your own ability to take photos.

Besides her incredible talent, she is always there for you. There were times I couldn't take photos during a certain period. Usually 6th period, and you can't exactly skip Chemistry. And no one was willing to help, ever. There was always some pitiful excuse but it's understandable. No one wants to do someone's dirty work. But then there was Yaya. She was always willing to help. Of course it would take some convincing, the consistent "You're pretty" usually got it done. And of course I was always extremely thankful, she had saved me again.

And then there is Olivia Bass. She is the boss and will push out every ounce of work in each and every one of us, until the book is, well was, done. But in reality, she is possibly one of the nicest people I have ever met. She is funny in her own Olivia Bass way and never fails to tell me I'm weird. Thanks Bass, I appreciate it. I like to believe it's her way of saying she loves me. Lets put it this way, Olivia likes to 'Boop' me on the nose Superbad style and then not let me do the same.

My Yearbook experience wouldn't have been the same without either one of them. Both of them have inspired me, as cheesy as it sounds. If I am ever editor-in-chief, I hope to be half as good as Olivia was. And I hope one day to take a photo as remarkable as one of the many Yaya has taken.

By the way, I only like them because they are pretty. That is all.

Monday, April 26, 2010

"Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is."

We had finished another deadline and weren't ready to start the next one. Meaning all of sat around texting, eating band cookies, and talking about nothing. Personally I didn't mind. Yearbook wasn't exactly a breeze so doing nothing was quite all right with me.

But Ms. A knew that this wouldn't cut it. A yearbook staff always needed to be working or the book wouldn't be made. She decided that a contest would be the perfect way to fill the idle time. Hopefully we would gain some skill, get a great photo, and maybe even win. But if not atleast be out of everybodies hair.

The contest was to take a photo and create a caption, that wouldn't bore you to tears, and also re-write a caption from a previous yearbook. Me & Kristine decided to work together as we were ready to kick some butt. We took the camera and we were off.

We brainstormed random ideas of kids running down the hall and other things. But the photo that we end up using just happened. We went to Mr. Hill asking to borrow a student and a note pad. We had our victim. While walking to the cafeteria we saw the perfect spot. After the first double doors which led to the vending machines, but before the second double doors to the new cafeteria. There lay our ideal picture spot.

Next to the vending machine where the mirror had been before, was a sort of cabinet, perfect for sitting. Our student happily sat down when we noticed it. The side of the Vitamin Water vending machine. It was a poster of every single Vitamin Water in rainbow order. In the mood to win, Kristine got down on her knees and took photos from every angle. We kept laughing as Kristine wasn't usually this professional.

But in the end it was worth it as we won. We were both incredibly happy and we had worked hard. It was a good moment for both of us, as it meant we were good enough to be staffers. And we deserved to be there.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together."

I honestly believe cliques are a waste of time. What good do they do you? Nothing. I try to be friends with everyone. Even the weirdest of the weird have something in common with me. And of course, not everybody see's like me (which isn't a bad thing), but most people are in some sort of group.

Yes, I have a group I hang out with more as we have the most in common with one another, but I don't restrict myself to just them. I just be the person I am, and hopefully make some friends along the way. It's not like I'm shy and making friends is a challenge to me. My rule? Be nice to everyone because you'll never know who you will meet later in life.

Don't get me wrong, there are just some people I cannot stand. But it's life and it happens. And I don't go out of my way to hate them. Hate just takes up WAY to much energy and I have to deal with it. I'd rather be friendly with them and just not dwell on it.

I've seen the weirdest friendships and those are often the best. One of my best friends in the whole entire world lives miles away, in California. But I tell her everything, every single day.

Look at this way in Legally Blonde Elle and Vivian aren't friends in the beginning. I mean who would be friends with the girl who is now dating her ex-boyfriend?! In girl world, no one. But by the end of the movie they become best friends. An unlikely pair yet both have more in common than both of them realize.

I know this is a lame example as it is a movie, but as of now I have no better ones. Oh! I have come up with a better one. Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox are incredibly close, years after Friends was filmed. What made them become friends? They created something together just like us. But instead of an award winning show a yearbook. Woo :)

All I'm saying is, all how ever many of us there are, we created a whole book together. One that obviously a took a lot of work and without ALL of us, it wouldn't be completed. We created this together and went through A LOT of the same things. Alright everybody...group hug :)

"Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today."

I soon realized a perk in Yearbook was getting to miss class to help out. My first experience with this was Picture Day. By then I hadn't really bonded with anyone and we had barely started working on articles. I was still slightly terrified of the seniors or maybe I just thought they were weird, regardless I wasn't close with anyone. But this was my opportunity to miss a class or two and retake my photo!

I came after math class, as missing Mr. Reid's class was a no-no. The whole class was either sprawled on the floor or animatedly talking at the table. I was sent to position the kids in lines and kept quiet. Basically the job no one wanted. Of course there was drama, as this was Yearbook. Something about Chicken Kitchen. Honestly I don't remember. It wasn't exactly legendary.

In reality it was a fun day. I made my first friends in Yearbook and laughed more than I thought I would. I re-took my photo 3 times and of course the last photo was the worse. The one that will be in the yearbook. But that's besides the point. It was my first taste of being a yearbook staffer and something I will remember for a long time. It made me realize that everything was starting to fall into place.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

"Every Batman needs a Robin."

During the next semester, Ms. A decided that it was times to switch partners. That the people who worked the best teamed up together and the slackers did the same. She split up partners and paired them with someone else. Meaning me and Kristine would no longer be partners.

I was then paired with Alejandra, who for weeks I could have sworn her name was Alex. To this day everyone still calls her Alex, but when you look at her name that wouldn't make sense. There is no x in her name, hence no Alex. After some time I realized her nick name was Ale. And of course every single time I say it, I sound like a dork.

Ms. A had made it pretty clear which person was the slacker and which person was the well...not slacker. Ale told me she was not a good writer and unless forced to write couldn't. So we decided I would write and she would take photos. We soon realized her photo taking skills weren't the best. So in the end we both wrote and took photos. Her excuse "the camera doesn't like me." And while I helped her write sometimes, she wrote almost as much as I did.

How to explain Ale? She's a really good person but she's very to the point. She will say when she's mad at you and if she thinks you are being a b*tch. But she will laugh for hours about just one thing you say. She's kind of crazy and doesn't like to work a lot. But when she does it's always good. She just needs a kick in the right direction.

Basically our days consist of taking the longest route possible, laughing so hard we can't breathe, and then interviewing the person. She likes to tell me how embarassing I am when she's just as embarassing. Singing at the top of her lungs in the hallway, telling me about her ridiculous weekend, and explaining why her hair is like an Inca's.

For someone who tells me "You're hilarious!" and "I missed you." she sure has an odd way of showing it. In her most recent blog post she wrote "...even though she can be mean sometimes." In reality she is definitely the mean partner. (It should be noted she isn't the evil 'I hate you' mean. It's the 'kid who steals your crayons but we are still friends' mean.) While I do steal her french fries everyday and hunt her down until I make her do work, I'm not mean. I just make sure every things gets done because that's how I like it.

Regardless of our fake hate she is a really good friend. While I was upset Ms. A switched our teams, I'm happy I became friends with Ale. She listens because she want's and not because she has to (because she does HAVE to :), she is exactly what a friend should be, and my year wouldn't have been the same without her. <--- Ignore the cheesy-ness. To Inca hair, the purple car, and french fries. By the way I am Batman. You are Robin.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Less than 3.

While reading Kristine, my first partners blog I stumbled across a post about ME! So humble :) And I love this qoute so much, I thought I would share it with you. "But soon enough, she (Ms. A) realized that Rowan and I possesed too much awesomeness. So SHE SPLIT US UP! :'( It was terrible."

If you would like to read this lovely post, click here --- http://kickinitwithkris.blogspot.com/2010/04/lil-row-ho.html :)

Less than 3 = <3

Friday, April 9, 2010

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”

You usually have the same partner for months even years. But not in my case. By the end of the yearbook process I had two partners. But for now lets keep it to my first partner, Kristine. When I arrived at Yearbook I was partner less. I had talked to Kristine, whose schedule was wrong, and knew she would be coming to Yearbook soon. We had decided we would be partners as we barely knew anyone else.

I had met Kristine last year in AP World History. We talked every once in a while and were friendly. But it's not like we were best friends. I think we had exchanged numbers for a project and commented on a few Facebook pictures. But I needed anyone to help me and Kristine was incredibly nice and smart. And of course willing to be my partner.

I would sit in class, partner-less and Ms. A would ask, everyday where 'Kristina' was. And everyday I would reassure her that Kristine with an e, would be here soon. I guess you could say I was was so thankful when she finally did come. The second she arrived we were assigned our first article.

Kristine and I experienced our first weeks of Yearbook together. From getting lost in rooms we never knew exsisted, to dealing with the unwilling, we were a team. We recieved our first A's together, laugh harder than I thought possible, and ate more cookies than neccesary.

And now I have to go because Olivia Bass is serenading me. Interpretive dancing and all.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

There were a few things I was looking forward to on the first day of my Sophomore year. One of them being, one of my electives this year was yearbook. I had taken yearbook in my 7th and 8th grade year of middle school and by 8th grade I was editor in chief. It had become sort of a comfort zone for me and I wasn't really worried about the class.

When I got my schedule for the year, yearbook wasn't on it. I later found out since I had applied late, my schedule had to be fixed. Meaning I wouldn't be in Yearbook for a few days maybe even weeks. I would have to survive the first few weeks of school without the class I was (oddly enough) looking forward to.

A week or two later my schedule had been changed and I was placed in yearbook. I arrived late and everybody already looked like they had been best friends for years. The majority of the student's were seniors, way taller than me (minus a few), and payed no mind to me. (Little did they know, my voice was louder than all of theirs combined.)

I was throw into the life of a staffer, new assignments every few weeks. This wasn't the yearbook of middle school days. Every day I was running around with my first amazing partner Kristine, interviewing everyone from the shorter than last year's freshman (Is it just me or do they look tiny?!) to the kids who look old enough to be in college.

Before I knew it I was part of the yearbook staff.