Loser Like Me

[Rachel Izydorek]

           So this week on "Glee" the theme was “original anthems,” and it got me thinking about individualism and our abilities to step out and be ourselves. Most teenagers find a need to conform to one group or another. We are told to act one way, dress this way, say these words, and if we don’t follow the rules of our group, then we aren’t accepted. High school students are obsessed with their image, whether that image is to be different or to fit in. If you think about it though, what do all these images mean? We work for 18 years to be someone who fits in, but for what? In college people change. You become a different person, and that person you were back in high school is just a distant memory.

            On "Glee" they sang “Loser Like Me”where the cast sang about how what happened in high school wont matter when they are successful and living away from the stupid drama that surrounds them. Now, we pick our friends because they are the people that wont judge us. They don’t care if you’re being obnoxious or spilling your heart out, their job as a friend is to accept you. But what about all those other people? In a graduating class of 748 its easy to get lost in the need to feel accepted. My question is, what if we didn’t feel this need to be accepted? There are some people out there who truly don’t care about what other people think, but even they care a tiny bit, right? If you think about it, the rumors of who’s the biggest partier, who’s dating who, and who’s the “weirdest” won't matter in 6 years when we are out of college and living our completely separate lives. I honestly don’t think I will remember in 3 years who that girl was who stabbed me in the back or that boy who broke my heart. We have other things going for us than our labels and our drama.

So what if we were all completely comfortable with ourselves? How would the high school experience be different? What is your “original anthem”? Who are you, and what do you believe in today that will still matter to you in the future?

 

 

 

[Jack Andersen]

I agree with Whitney. If you can find that core group of friends, it will be very helpful throughout your high school experience and down the road. Many people also branch out and hang out with others. But the core group is the biggest part.

[whitney cummings (caleo)]

I think if you can find those few friends who accept you for who you are, and you feel comfortable around them, then you should be grateful for that. Unfortunately, alot of people are judgemental and not accepting, and you just have to realize that those people aren't worth your time if they can't appreciate you for who you really are.

[Ryan Woodman]

From what I've observed at Fremd, a lot of people have A LOT of growing up to do, but on the contrary, a lot of people here are wise beyond their years. There are the people who put others down, sure, but there's also a lot of intellectual people here, who have a lot to share with the world, and I think once they get out of this place, they'll be able to do just that, on a much grander scale.

[Aly Glover]

Right now as teenagers it's hard to remember that in a few years all these things that we are stressing over and all the drama won't matter. I think that it's okay to stress over drama and things right now because we are still kids in a sense. If we didn't stress over the little things I don't think we would realize how silly it really is. I look back to freshman year and think....."Wow I really got upset about that?" I use that to remind myself to care about what really matters; family, close friends, school, and myself. Like Rachel said, we have other things going for us than our labels & our drama. 

 

I think we would enjoy our high school experience so much more if we were completely comfortable with ourselves but on the other hand, that's how we grow and mature. We have to be uncomfortable with who we are in order to become who we really are & are meant to be. 

[Jack Finis]

I totally agree with Davy. Growing up is all about maturity and still trying to find ourselves and what our true identity is. School is just another activity where people can dress perfect and act perfect, but really who are they outside of school. Life is full of stereotypes and cliques. It'll be interesting to see everyone grow up...

[Duncan Brown]

I don't think the cliques and the need to have an image go away.  I was visiting my great grandma in a nursing home and I recognized old lady cliques that were exclusive and catty.  Maybe its human nature.  The real trick is to recognize that self acceptance is an ongoing effort and to continue working at it.

[Kaity Drahos]

Those of you who know me can clearly tell, I'm not worried about looking absolutely perfect. It makes me confused when people wear the perfect outfits and have the perfect hair every single day. I mean c'mon, who doesn't love sweatpants?! High school is just a confusing time for us, and sooner or later we'll all realize that no matter what we do, our real friends will accept us.

[Davy Mellado]

If everyone was comfortable with themselves, we would have no need for growing up. Even as adults, I see my parents struggling to define themselves in smaller ways than me. I think that we all just happen to find ourselves in groups, and it's a matter of time before we discover that those groups are too immature for us. Eventually, we understand that only we have the power to how we run our lives, and until that day, we will most likely fid ourselves as a "weird one" or a "pretty one."

[megan majewski]

i mean, if you have your group of friends who accept you, you should have nothing to worry about. thats what im like, but i still care what people think. no matter what, your going to have to worry when it comes to getting jobs and stuff because yeah, you`ll have o be yourself, but your going to have to think about if they like you or not. i think its just something that everyone thinks about and i dont think its a bad thing, but i dont think people should change because of someone else's opinion.

[Gary Anderson]

For the record, here I am with my high school friends in 1976.