Negative Nelly and Positive Polly

Negatives: Sarah Delaney
Positives: Sophia Yonezuka

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A glass of water can be interpreted in two ways: half full, or half empty. It’s these attitudes that make us different. Everyone has that friend who sees the good in a situation, and another who is always a pessimist, reminding you of the darker realities. Who do you agree with, Negative Nelly or Positive Polly? Let us know in the polls below…

School Temperatures:

N: In our school we are lucky enough to experience the many extreme climates only Eskimos and Bahamians have the privilege of, but we can’t be expected to do it all in one day! For 180 days every year! The reality is this is very annoying, and carrying your jacket around from class to class is a taxing burden.  At one part of my day, after walking up 4 flights of steps (from the locker room to the third floor), I enter the Sahara desert that is my French class.  For this drastic change in season, I am forced to dress in layers and peel them off as the sun from the windows beats down on my back. Next period, I travel to Alaska on the first floor and re-layer myself to endure an ice storm. The vent roars over my teacher’s voice as goosebumps rise on my skin and I begin to shiver. My body goes into hibernation, my lips turn blue, my skin dries and my teeth chatter.  Why, as I travel from class to class, does it feel I am traveling over the borders of the equator?!

P: Yes the extreme temperatures in our school may seem annoying and bizarre at times, but you always have to look on the brighter side of things. Right? Thanks to these climates you now have the perfect excuse to drag your mom out to the Grove to buy you some new clothes that can treat those goosebumps or sweat stains! Now you have a closet filled with gorgeous new clothes, and you are actually excited to go to school! When you walk into your wintery classroom, all heads will turn in admiration of your trendy and simply adorable winter jacket! Now you have a more optimistic approach…in the summer your chilly classes have the perfect breeze that cools you off, and in the winter your hot boiling rooms seem more like toasty nooks!

Poll:

Powerschool:

N: I’ve just had a good day at school; made a new friend, got a 97% on my history quiz, and had a delicious and nutritious lunch. But as I walk through the doors of my house after taking a refreshing walk to my front door, I can almost feel the heat from the fire coming out of my mom’s ears. You see, the day before was not quite as fun. I recieved a 60% on an impossible pop-quiz. Mom decided to suddenly become tech-savvy and finally found out how to log onto PowerSchool. My heart sinks into my stomach as I walk towards her as she scrolls down the page. I would like to thank the makers of Powerschool for getting me grounded this weekend and for taking away any privileges I formally have during the week.  I hate you, Powerschool.

P:  PowerSchool can result in a boring Friday night or your parent’s disappointment, but it can go both ways. You can thrill your parents with an A- on a math quiz, and get a skyward bump in your allowance. In another instance, your parents andteachers are nagging you about improving your Spanish grade. You have three zeros on homework and you didn’t do so hot on your last test. You start to feel the pressure, and decide to try harder. Every day you enjoy the easy access of logging onto PowerSchool and checking where you stand. Three weeks into your hard work, you log into Powerschool and become ecstatic because your grade has moved from a D to a B!  I love you, Powerschool!

Passes:

N: Rushing in the doors of RFH at 7:41, I fly up the steps, tear apart my locker, grab my books, and run back downstairs, realizing the late bell is pending. I run as fast as I can to the science wing and into my classroom.  As soon as I open the door, the bell rings, and my teacher gives me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry,” she says,  “I need to ask you to go get a pass at the attendance office.” Of course she does.  Solemnly, I take the walk of shame back to where I had just been. After all thatrushing, none of it was worth it. I was late anyways, even though it was only by about 30 seconds. Late passes are a silly rule that cause more stress than any good.

P: What is it about those pink or yellow slips with your teacher’s signature that make students’ heads spin? Passes can be an annoyance when all you’re doing is going to the bathroom or going to get a notebook from your locker, but if you are running late, they can be a life saver! I get in line outside of the attendance office, pleased to see that I am not the only one who overslept. When I receive my pass I felt a sense of relief, knowing I no longer have to rush to my locker, because I have paper authority in my hand. I take my time as I stroll to first period class, and I am greeted with a friendly “good morning” by my teacher.  Passes give a sense of security and relief to students, and help to eliminate the stress of rushing to class on days you happen to be running a little late.

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