Which Seat Can I Take?

Ok, that title was mean.  I must admit, I have a lot of respect for one young Rebecca Black.  Friday wasn’t that good of a song, but she has a nice voice.  I don’t know how many of you saw her on Good Morning America, but she sang part of the National Anthem and she really has talent.  I think it’s just that stupid Ark recording thing adding too much autotune to her voice, and the lyrics for that song weren’t great either.  What really pissed me off where those terrible comments about her.  She was saying how the worst thing someone said was that they hope she cuts herself and gets an eating disorder so she looks pretty and then dies.  I hope that happens to the person who commented that because Rebecca is just a sweet innocent girl who wants to express herself through music.  If that song was sung by an emo guy with a guitar everyone would have loved it.  Well fuck you, everyone.  I really hope she continues to record music because she needs to show everyone how good of a singer she really is.  If you’re reading this Rebecca (which you are not, most likely), please continue pursuing a career in music and don’t let anyone else bring you down.  Good luck 🙂

Continuing with the arts, they are getting rid of all the music programs at my high school.  They say they don’t have the money to keep one of our teachers there.  This teacher is Mr. Mark Mercer.  He is an amazing teacher.  he came to our school 2 years ago and started 13 music programs including show choir, chamber choir, etc.  He also had plans to start and acapella choir.  Last night we had a town meeting and everyone from the show choir went and there was a lot of crying.  I watched in online today and I cried…I don’t cry a lot.  The show choir only has about 30 people in it, but they are truly talented and they are dedicated to what they do, and so is Mr. Mercer.  I’ll post some things people said about him.

“I hate how our town puts such an emphasis on sports that they cut music to make up for the shitty teams. Mr. Mercer is a better teacher than any of the coaches” -Marcel

“MR. MERCER IS OUR TOM BRADY!” -Evan

“I never met Mr. Mercer but I have only heard great things about him. I haven’t seen people so animated about music until Mr. Mercer came along. I can tell that he has made a difference in all your lives and he truly seems to bring the best out of his students, which marks him as a phenomenal teacher. I hope you all suceed in keeping the music alive at our school.” -Katie

My favorite though, was Rebecca’s..

To whom it may concern:

We were shocked to learn that there is a very good chance that Mr. Mark Mercer will not be with us next year. I cannot fathom how much we will lose with this decision. In only a few hours, tears had been shed, and a storm of incredulous emails and phone calls came pouring in. There was almost too much sadness and disappointment to bear.

 Mr. Mercer first came to our town last year in September. It was immediately apparent that he was unlike any other choral teacher that our town has ever seen.  Teeming with humor and optimism, he started the year with energy and brought smiles to all of our faces. Last year was when I finally decided to join chorus. Hearing my friends go on and on about how funny, or how amazing, or how much of an improvement Mr. Mercer was compared to our previous choral instructors was enough to sway me.

 I don’t regret it. In a mere year and a half, Mr. Mercer has transformed our choral program beyond recognition. He has managed to make our town’s music program stand out from the other ones in the area. Since last September, the number of students participating in chorus as nearly doubled in size. A show choir and chamber choir have been added to the program, and he planned to add many more in the future. This year, our show choir managed to take back a Grand Champion trophy from our varsity division at the New England Show Choir Festival, the school’s first trophy in choral music since 1992. The chamber choir showcased a collection of pieces titled Mid-Winter Songs, which had never been performed in the United States before.

 This man is one of the most hard working, diligent, persistent, and ambitious people that I have ever had the honor of meeting. He poured his heart and soul into everything that he did. Last month, he sat the show choir down and showed us his plan for the next three years. He was preparing to add a middle school honors choir, another show choir, an acapella group, and even more choirs before the freshmen graduated. Before this year was even halfway through, Mr. Mercer began planning the song selections for next year. He said to us during rehearsal, with the biggest smile on his face, “It’s going to be awesome.” It pains us to imagine the fact that it may very well not happen at all.

 Ambition and excitement is what our program really needed to get it in the direction it is headed now. There is an unbelievable amount of hope and potential resting in the students, parents, and Mr. Mercer himself. He has told us numerous times of the pride that he has for us, given us too many inspirational speeches to count, and has made us laugh in even the worst of times. He has managed to transform the members of all these choirs into a warm, welcoming family. We have come so far in a year. There has been so much progress.

 Years of research have shown that progress and education in the arts correlates with academic achievement and emotional and social development. Students involved in the arts improve in critical thinking, math, reading, cognitive ability, and verbal skills, as well as motivation, confidence, and teamwork.  Decreasing the funding for the arts will yield more negative results than beneficial ones.

 Taking away Mr. Mercer will take away more than just a gigantic chunk of  our town’s music program. With him will go the spirit, enthusiasm, and influence that he embodies. In the short time that he has been with us, he has touched each and every one of our lives. You will not only be affecting the life of a man who will be looking for a new job next year, but also all of the lives he has changed here. He has done so much and has given us a reason to do what we love. You are taking away from anyone who loves to sing, anyone who loves to perform, and anyone who had never expected to become so attached and close to this fantastic chorus director. We hope that you will reconsider.”

I cried when I read that for the first time.  I was actually going to audition for show choir in the spring.  That will no longer be happening.

So…school..

In World Civ, my teacher is annoying.  She always will be.  We got our projects back after a month of waiting and I got an 88 and I’m pissed because I told her TO HER FACE it took my 6 hours to make it.  Whatever.  NO.BIG.FREAKING.DEAL.  We also had a test today which I know I failed because it was one of those weird moments where you look at this test and you don’t know the first question.  I think I did really good on the essay though.  Every in class essay I’ve done in that class has been a 100% so I can only hope for the best.

In Study I listen to music and copy Songee’s homework.  Oh funny story.  When my mom asked me how schoolw as today I was telling her how i talked to Songee in study and she goes “What the hell is a Songee?”  And I just started cracking up..I hope Songee knows I love her.

In Gym, our teacher was absent so we played Mat Ball and I just talked to Stephi and she told me her relationship problems..

In Environmental we have a quiz Tuesday and I know from a certain Naomi that it is not easy.  But she got a 96%.  She’s a liar.  Haha no..Naomi doesn’t lie.  I don’t think…nah.  Also on Thursday we have a field trip (to the auditorium) to go see a power point on something about the Earth.  What’s amazing is the period after that there is a presentation for the Health classes but I’m going to that because the health teacher likes me and said I so I will be in the auditorium with my friends for 3 hours yay.

In math we learn stuff I learned last year but me and all the other idiots in my class were too lazy to pay attention too.  But that’s ok.  I’m learning it now.  And I feel smart knowing it when half the class can’t find the median of a set of data.  We had a test today.  I think I did really good.  Rachel had to stop taking it because she thought she was gonan throw up.  The whole time in the hallway I was like “If you faint I’m running” because last time she fainted I was so embarassed and at least Sophie was there today.

WAIT.  Today I was tardy for the 4th time in a semester so I have to stay after school with my gross World Civ teacher for like an hour on Monday.  I really don’t want to.

Glee went on hiatus for 3 weeks.  So there are only 24 days left!  Yay!  I know what songs they are doing but I’m too lazy to say them.  What I will say is that in a month Kristin Chenoweth will be reprising her role as April Rhodes and will sing an original song called “It’s 10 a.m. and I’m Drunk”.  I offivially can not wait.

Tomorrow I was supposed to go downtown with Naomi, Sophie, and Rachel.  But Rachel is sick and Sophie has a life, so me and Naomi aren’t gonan go alone.  So I guess I made plans with Brooke and Mary.  I’m not sure..

Well that’s it for now.  Bye!

-Matt!

2+ Feet of Snow and Still Not Pleased

Oh, hello.  I did not see you there.  My name is Matt and..hmm?  You know who I am?  But how do I not know you?  This is an outrafe.  With a g.

Haha, I got released early from school today and I got very bored very quickly.  The bus ride took about 30 minutes when it normally takes 10.  The only plus side to the slow voyage home was that Rebecca and Caralyn were planning a secret-fest.  I haven’t had one of those but apparently it is being held at my house.  Naomi is invited too.  We are gonna have pie!  Ok, so on Halloween, Naomi, Rebecca, and Caralyn came over my house after we got our candy and my mom offered them pie but then they had to leave.  So, me and my mom were at Bertuccis last night and she suddenly out of nowhere remembers she offered them pie and now they are coming over this weekend!

Ok, umm.  Glee in 5 days!  I’m super excited!  They’ve put the songs on iTunes early so I downloaded them right when I got home.  I’ve been listening to them all day.  I’ve always realized that when they announce the songs they’re doing, I get really really excited about one specific song, but then a different one ends up being my favorite.  Like, I was wicked excited for Thiller/Heads Will Roll, but Need You Now is my favorite.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Actually I have no idea.  Moving on.

There’s this vlogger that I watch on youtube named meekakitty and she has to be the funniest person alive.  Well, she was talking about this song called “Mario Kart Love Song.”  So I looked it up and it was a love song combined with stuff from Mario Kart and it’s amazing because I’m a video game geek.  You should listen to it.  It’s on iTunes, too.

I’ve switched my classes now that it’s second semester and I don’t like them that much.  I have World Civilizations, where my only friend is Christina and the teacher talks to herself.  Then on blue days I have study with Songee, but I made some (one) new friend(s).  Gold days I have gym, or project challenge, it’s called.  I don’t like the idea of a whole year in gym bent on improving teamwork.  I wouldn’t mind if I had friends in my class, but I don’t.  I only have Jianna (who I haven’t had an actual conversation with since 6th grade) and Stephi (my worst enemies ex girlfriend).  That’s no fun.  But at least we all have one thing in common: we all hate everyone else and the class itself.  Environmental Science is alright.  I love the class itself and what we’re going to be learning, but the kid I sit next to is really awkward and annoying.  Everytime I look up he’s either looking at me or staring intently at his worksheet as if trying very hard not to look at me at all.  That bothers me.  My teacher said that after she learns our names we can sit where we want.  I’ve always hated when teachers say that because no matter what you want to say, changing our seat does not change our appearance.  Last block I have math and I must say it’s my favorite class.  That’s strange because last year I failed.  Literally.  I got an F.  but this year I’m in Level 2/3.  I signed up for Level 2 but because of the number of kids who signed up we got mixed with the stupid kids so class is a breeze.

So, living in the North, we typically get a lot of snow.  This year however, we have over 2 feet on the ground and will be getting  about 2 feet more starting tonight.  Most people want it to stop.  I want it to get to the point where we have like 7 feet and I have to push snow out of my way to leave the house in the morning, because that would be like an adventure.  Adventures are fun.

I have a story.  There’s this kid in my environmental science class that harassed me in 5th grade.  Apparently, he’s in level 3 science but he’s in my class for whatever reason.  So, we had a pop quiz today and he took so long we had to wait an extra 10 minutes AND he was allowed to use the book.  Like, what the fuck, seriously?  So I guess what they say about the bullies going no where in life is true.  I’m a happy child.

I guess this is where I’ll end tonight.  Actually I have a video for you.

I know none of you liked it.  The majority of you probably didn’t even watch it.  Anyway, bye!

Matt

Bye 😀

Uncreative Title

Hey…That’s right, I didn’t ditch you (“you” as in the 2-6 viewers wordpress says I have).

So, I’m not quite sure where to begin.  There’s been so much that happened.  Oh, I got an A+ on my English midterm!  My teacher said it was by far the most creative interpretation of the play any of his student (in 8 years, either that, or 15) have ever performed!  It was awesome!  When he gave it back to us, we were like, “Yeah!!!!!” and then our class looked at us like we were idiots.  But accodring to my English teacher, we are the exact opposite, so yay.  Currently, in English, we’re learning about the French Revolution to prepare us for when we begin to read A Tale of Two Cities next Monday.  I’m not excited.  It’s a long book.  And it’s really old it smells weird, and the print is so small it hurts my eyes.  Also, I’ve realized that Charles Dickens seems to describe things endlessly, as an example, in A Christmas Carol, it took him like, 3 pages to describe how Marley or whatever was as dead as a doornail.  That is totally un-necessary.

Hmm, Thanksgiving was quite good for me.  It was definitely different from all other Thanksgivings.  Only my grandparents came over this year.  Everyone at turkey except me, I hate about 30 croissants.  They were delicious.  After my grandparents left we went to my aunts.  They didn’t come over this eyar ebcause they wanted to watch football and not be disturbed.  While there we ate dessert, and it was fair.  After that we went to my great aunts house and just did nothing.  It’s always boring there because they are all oldish and every time I see them they ask how old I am, what grade I’m in, and say “You’ve gotten so tall!”  That gets on my nerves.  We had to leave early, luckily, because my brother and sister got into a fight over the couch and my brother bit my sister and it was all purple and the bite marks were big, but that’s also because he has buck teeth.  I went home, thought about blogging, and then was told I had to go to bed.  Too bad.

Today during first block, my teacher brought us to see the mock trial thing in the auditorium.  It was kind of interesting.  There were 3 debate topics.  Illegalizing tobacco products, whether or not to have sales tax on alcohol, and whether to illegalize religious symbols in monuments.  I found the religious one to be especially interesting, because I was with my friends, one of them is an Atheist, one is Jewish (I’m pretty sure), and me and the two others are Christian, so we all had different opinions.

Foundation Studio lately has been terrible, but it kinda always is.  Like, I love my table group because I’m friends with all of them, but the teacher is a bitch.  She grades us on artistic ability which is completely unfair, because me, along with many others in my class, are terrible artists.  Also, she has this really annoying voice that literally sounds like nails on a chalkboard, and when she gives her little lectures like every 20 minutes, you kinda wanna shoot her.  And what we really hate, is when you’re like, getting up to sharpen a pencil or something, she walks over to you and asks why you’re not doing work, and she’s like an inch away from your face, and it’s like, personal space, please.

The time for Glee is almost over, and I’m quite upset.  Next tuesday is the Christmas episode and then it goes on it’s 2 month hiatus and comes back Sunday, February 6th for the Super Bowl episode, and then get’s back it’s normal schedule that Tuesday, and that means Glee 2 days in a row. 

So, about 3 weeks ago, my friend showed me this song by Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over.”  And then, like 2 weeks after I find out Glee is performing that on their Sectionals episode (which was yesterday, and it was awesome).  So, I looked up other songs by that band and they are my new obsession.  Yay obsessions!

Also I wanna congratulate Naomi (also my Florence + the Machine buddy xD) for completing her NaNoWriMo thing!  Yay!  It took like a month but I’m sure it all payed off.  She gets a cookie tomorrow ^_^

That’s it for now, I’m gonna try and post very soon.

Bye

Midterms and Goth Doctors with a bit of Christmas

The title of this post may make no sense since I said I pretty much love my life, but not right now, oh no.  It’s not drama, it’s much worse.  Midterms.  They’re tomorrow.  I know I’m going to fail, but I’m going to worry and complain until they’re over.  Oh I’m actually going to go study now.  So bye.

(The next day…)

Midterms were SO easy!  I completely, and I mean COMPLETELY, over exaggerated.  But I’ll get to that later.  So, school yesterday was fun up until English. 

In French, we went to the language lab and looked at random French websites.  There is this mall, and it’s underground!  And it has a movie theater which makes it a million times cooler.  But I live in the United States so that has no effect on me at all.  In Science we took our chapters 6&7  test and everyone was mad because we didn’t get to use that class to study for midterms which was the day after, so today.  In English, my teacher was mad, for the very first time.  We had this really bitchy sub who turned out to be the head of the english program at our school.  She told the groups that were filming their skits they couldn’t film because she didn’t want them in the hallway.  But instead of midterms we are performing these skits, and they needed the day to do it.  So my teacher came in yesterday and said the director lady yelled at him and embarrased him at a meeting and he kinda hates my entire class now, but he said “The only group I’m not worried about is Sarah’s group,” and I’m in Sarah’s group, so that made my day, kind of.  In Foundation Studio, which is basically Art, my friends case manager showed up and made her switch seats cause she was distracted, so me and MT had to sit alone, but we still made the best of it.

Ok, so midterms.  They were easy!  At least easier than I expected.  For physical science, everyone, no matter what level class you take, everyone’s midterms were the same.  I found that to be strange because if level 3 and level 1 have the same test, a lot of the level 3 people probably failed.  And probably, the level 1 kids studied a lot of what wouldn’t be on the test.  But there’s really not much else to say about it.

In English, we decided that when I’m Paris, I need to be goth, for no reason.  So I bought black jeans, a gray button down shirt, and a black tie.  It’s gonna be awesome, I think.  My Capulet costume that’s supposed to be a combination of Juliet’s mom and dad isn’t finished yet but my group thinks it is, and when it’s not done for Tuesday they’re all going to kill me.  Though, I kind of wish I didn’t have to be both, because I’m going to look like an idiot if I’m up there talking to myself wearing a half dress half suit outfit, with half a mustache and half lipstick and eye shadow.  I already know I’m going to look ridiculous.  At least Pond’s idea of it being a musical didn’t go through well with the rest of the group.  I’m an ok singer, but I would never sing in public unless it was with my friends and no one else could hear. 

Lately, I keep forgetting it’s only November, and I think it’s winter break.  I’ve spent this entire day in pajamas, except when I took a shower, then I put on clean ones because they were comfortable.  And during this lazy day of mine, I keep listening to the preview of the Glee Christmas album and it’s not helping with trying to get a grasp on the fact that Christmas is over a month away.  As much as I love the warm whether of summer and stuff, I love the snow.  I could spend hours just lying down in my front yard in the snow.  “For we need a little Christmas, right this very minute, candles in the window…”  I’m going to kill myself before Thanksgiving even gets here waiting for this holiday.  Now I’m in the mood for fruit cake which I’ve never even had.

TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL GLEE!  That’s not long at all, but every time I post I’m going to make one paragraph dedicated to Glee with a countdown to the next episode.  This is a special episode because this is one Kurt meets his possible boyfriend, Blaine.  Blaine sings Teenage Dream and it’s kind of awesome.  Sometimes I feel like this show is my entire life.  It actually may be, since I spend my free time looking up spoilers for it.

Hmm, music… Lately, Kesha has bene really annoying.  It seems like she always has a song on the iTunes Top 10 thing and she’s not even good.  Her songs are so autotuned it’s ridiculous.  I heard her live at the Kiss Concert, and the only reason I thought it was so good wass because she’s a good performer.  I will admit her songs are catchy, but that’s really it.  When they’re played at dances I’m not one of the kids jumping up and down.  Umm, yeah..

This post was still short for me, but I had planned to post yesterday and then my uncle was here from 8 until past midnight so I didn’t have anytime to blog, and now I’m just tired.  So expect a post Wednesday, because Tuesday is my Glee night and also I have CCD that night right during the show.

– Matt