[This was written on June 18, 2009]
Feelings on this? Personally, I'm extremely anxious and nervous.
I can honestly say that this is due to a combination of orientation and my older sister's graduation from college. I'm having second thoughts, not unlike those stereotypical ones before marriage, about whether my decision was correct. Don't get me wrong--orientation was great!--but I fear that college will be too much like high school. A big part of my college decision was based on the fact that I will be residing about 5 1/2 hours away from home, which is exactly how I wanted it! As the youngest of three children in my family, I feel as though independence is something for which I should strive. It's not the distance from Rhode Island that gives me the jitters--it's the people. I don't know any of you!
My humble little high school's graduating class of 2009 was composed of a very diverse 281 individuals--before drop outs. My group of friends consisted of the drama kids and the drama friends. And we were like apples and oranges, or however Forrest Gump worded it: We were really close. Basically, all of my close friends were involved in drama in some way. That being said, drama at Pilgrim High School in our little "city" is not all that it should have been. Audiences at shows were basically family members and best friends. Occasionally, we got some people from the senior center down the street. Actors in the shows were nothing but dedicated--sometimes as much as 36 hours a week in preparation for shows. Yet we never seemed to get an audience worthy of our hard work. It was all family that would stand and clap even if we all had forgotten our lines and danced the Hokey Pokey for two hours. We loved them dearly, but we craved an interactive audience that would walk out of Pilgrim's auditorium with smiles on their faces and eyes lit up because of, well, us!
That was what had happened to me, at least, about two years before I was going to join Pilgrim's student body. I saw a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar that pretty much shaped the foundation of my high school career. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of this phenomenal group called the "Pilgrim Players." I did become a part of it--freshman year, fall musical. It was a student-written version of Christmas Carol. It was the spring musical, however, that secured my dedication to the world of the dramatics.
Footloose, if you've never seen it, is crazy. It's a 1980s musical about a town that isn't allowed to dance. It didn't matter that I was ensemble--all the more fun! Then, after two shows with the same director--the director who had constructed Jesus Christ Superstar, also--we got a new one. Fortunately, it was an English teacher with whom I was familiar. Nevertheless, our small group of Pilgrim Players were unsure if Mr. D. would be able to keep up with the outrageous personalities in "his" drama club. It wasn't that he was old--actually, he was very young--but he always maintained a relatively composed attitude and behaviour in the front of the classroom.
Now, after three straight (non-musical) shows, three musicals, and two murder mystery dinner shows, my group of friends knows Mr. D. very well. Though he'd never admit it, I think we're all his friends and favourite students. It's difficult not to get to know people very well when you spend practically every hour that's not already taken up by sleeping and school on a high school auditorium stage, which is probably why it is so strange thinking about not going back to that auditorium to try out for the next show in the fall. Even now, though my iTunes in on shuffle, a song from my sophomore year's production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying is on. I can't seem to escape Pilgrim Drama Club's grasp, and I don't know if I even want to.
As you can hopefully see, Le Moyne has a lot to live up to. While everyone loves to complain about their high school's flaws and inconveniences, truth be told, I'm sure we could all come up with at least a handful of fond memories that took place in those halls and classrooms. I've made so many relationships that I'm quite scared to lose. Nevertheless, I'm completely hyped up to make some new ones. Therefore, as my last summer like this one--my last summer under the direct influence of Pilgrim--I hope it doesn't go by too fast, even though I know it will. Let's all enjoy it, eh?
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