2005 saw the transition into arguably the worst year of high school for me, freshman year. This was quite an interesting year. I was a part of the Freshman Advanced Curriculum Team – which was an honors program in high school – where we ended up having classes with the same cohort of students.
9th grade was a super dramatic year, mostly in my interactions with people. I was probably super emotional and intense at the time, declaring war on two of my fellow students (how mature). The first war was declared on a friend because I thought he supposedly hacked into my computer to steal a study guide I wouldn’t send to him because he called my friend a stupid slut after she almost (supposedly) overdosed on painkillers. I declared war on a second person because after I told him who my crush was, he made a puzzle to have others figure out who it was. LOL.
I made study guides for my class this year, and I sent them out to many of my friends. They eventually spread like the plague. Study guides provided me a mechanism by which to put what I deemed important in a course on paper. I typed up all my study guides for all my classes – from history, to English, from science, to even Spanish. Based on the type of test or quiz we were having in class, I would provide the necessary details needed in order to succeed. While other people in class often reviewed their own notes, looked at their previous assignments, studied with flashcards, or simply read from their books, I tried my best to intertwine everything together into a Word Document, eventually printing it and highlighting it when I was all done. I still make study guides for my students, even to this day.
I talked to 0 girls in fact this year. My communication-with-the-opposite-gender skills were horrible. My social skills were horrible. Eventually, because of the final FACT project, I was able to talk openly with some girls, who opened the door to end my shyness. I made some newspapers this year that pretty much communicate the gist of what happened this year:
DOWNLOAD THE FACT NEWSPAPERS UNEDITED HERE.
In summation: 1) I got mad at one of my teachers (Mr. Durand) for giving me a 4 on the time machine project. I still don’t think it was justified at all, considering I did all the work. 2) I had two crushes this year, both of which obviously didn’t reciprocate their feelings for me. 3) As much as I despised FACT sometimes, it was a fun experience being able to bond with classmates on that different level. In a way, it was kind of like an Advisory setting (even though our school didn’t have Advisory or anything like that), because we were all able to get to know each other on a deeper level. Eventually we would follow one another into different Honors and AP classes, but I’m getting ahead of myself here. Outside of the classroom and the Rancho environment, I didn’t end up doing much.
Mr. Murray came in halfway through the year and was a chill teacher after my history teacher got pregnant with kid. Mr. Martin was the English teacher who oftentimes was very funny in my opinion. Mr. Durand was also laid back and wanted (generally) what was best for all of us. I try to intertwine all elements of their teaching into my teaching style, as much as I possibly can.
I also got obsessed with Runescape, the game this year. It was super fun being able to fish for Lobsters, fight enemies, bury bones, and do all that stupid stuff in 2D graphics. I didn’t necessarily like the game when it transitioned into 3D, because I believe it took away all the magic.
The top grossing movie of the year was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Didn’t watch it at the time, but I am a fan now. The number one song of the year was Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together”, which ironically enough had one of the stars of Prison Break in the music video – one of my favorite shows of that year.
This was the year I also started watching 24 and got obsessed with it ever since. The most serialized show on television at the time, it truly won me over with its plot twist and ticking clock scenarios. Jack Bauer was, and remains the greatest superhero I have ever encountered on the big or small screen to date.
