Dear Pico

Dear, Pico Ski Way

I love skiing! I love Pico! I've been skiing since I was a very very little girl. My mom had the little kid ski leash hooked onto me and taught me how to pizza and french fry at a young age. I used to unhook it when she wasn't looking and book in town the mountain. I went to Newton in Strafford VT. They had a half day every Friday and we would all go skiing at Dartmouth Ski Way. It was so much fun! I miss it. When I got to high school I found out about the student season pass at Pico and immediately bought it. It's an amazing deal. 89$ for  season pass with no black out dates along with other perks. Usually a season pass is 400$ to 500$, so its obviously an amazing deal. I'm sad for two reasons. I am going to loose my ski buddy because he is going to China this year, so I need to find someone else to go with. Not easy. I'm also sad because this is my last year to get the student pass because I'm a senior. The pass doesn't apply to college students. I will miss the mountain when I go to college. I have had some amazing memories at Pico. I will see you soon!!!

Love, Iva

Pickle Juice

Does anyone else like drinking pickle juice? This might sound weird but pickle juice tastes pretty good. It's one of those guilty pleasures where you know it's something your not supposed to do, but it sure is rewarding. This is strange coming from me since I used to hate pickles, but after my brother brought a jar home I thought, why not? One day I tried to drink some straight out the jar and it tasted really good. That started turning into something where if I got a chance I would drink straight out of the jar.

Bless the Snow Day

Honestly, I am so grateful that today is a snow day. I had so much work due in so many classes that I can finally sort out. There are still so many college supplements I have yet to finish, which I am finally going to have the chance to start writing and/or editing today. I need to work on polishing my two violin pieces that I want to record and send to colleges, as well. There’s a large variety of work I need to get done. But, despite the fact that I seem to be academically drowning right now, the snow is indeed very pretty. It’s been snowing for the last four or five hours I believe, and I love snow. It looks gorgeous, the brisk cold air is refreshing, and despite the fact that sometimes limbs freeze outside, the festivities and beauties that come with the winter season make it totally worth it. I have been downhill skiing since the age of five, and I’d really love to get out and ski more this season. I haven’t been able to ski a lot over the past few years, and it’s so unfortunate. I really hope I change that this year, especially before I leave to go who knows where next fall (even though I know I’ll be able to come home and visit for a good amount of the vacations, winter ones included). I also just realized that with the joy of this winter season and the vacation, I still need to buy all my gifts for my friends. Oops. Oh well, that will be sorted soon enough. HD is this weekend, and it’s super fun to see everyone look really good because they actually put in effort. So, I suppose, amongst the disaster that is school and everything pertaining to it right now, everything else is pretty chill (no pun intended).

My Opinions on the Dress Code Motion

I care much less about whether people can show their belly buttons in this school than I do about the underlying patriarchal norms that the dress code motion brings to light. What does it say about us that we are establishing rules that regulate/police women's bodies in a very different way than they do men's? Because, let's be honest, wording which allows/disallows people from showing their belly buttons in this school will affect girls, not boys.

The patriarchal, heteronormative powers which have constructed the norms of our society have defined what a woman should look like and how a woman should dress. As a result, women's clothing is more revealing and tight, displaying women's bodies in a way that would look ridiculous if done to men. Women are praised and appreciated for wearing revealing clothing in certain contexts. In others (and as in the proposed dress code), however, they are punished for wearing the very clothing which our patriarchal society deems "attractive."

I understand that school is a work environment. I understand that wearing revealing clothing makes teachers uncomfortable. And I don't personally feel compelled to wear clothing which shows my belly button. But I think that any conversation about regulations for what women can/cannot wear needs to take into account why women wear what they do. It needs to acknowledge how the patriarchal powers which govern our society encourage women to wear revealing clothing but consequently punish those who do.

#freescott

Dear Scott,

Hanover High misses you so much. I don't understand why you got fired really. People have told me it was because the caf stopped making a lot of money because you were serving healthier food. I don't know if that is true, but if it is I am discussed. Students ask for you to sell healthier options and things that they actually want to eat and when you tried you were fired? This plays into wrongful termination and the problem in America with obesity. It's amazing that kids at this school even want to eat healthy, now was are going to tell them they can't because it will cost to much? And in the rich town we live in? You knew everyone names in the school. That's amazing! There is over 700 kids here and you care enough to learn their names? Your a great person. I don't know about other kids but coming in and talking to the caf guys helped calm me down when I was stressed. It was like taking a break. From the moment I walked into the caf everyday since I was a freshman you all said hi and talked to me about my life. I appreciate every conversation you had with me. After you left the school started to boycott the caf. They wrote letter to the company, made complaints, and calls. We made you letters that everyone signed. We cared. I just wanted you to know that we all miss you and won't give up hope that you'll come back!

Salty

Something I noticed during my job is people want soy sauce with their sushi even when the eel sauce is already on top of the sushi. I can understand people wanting to dip sushi in soy sauce when it doesn't have any other sauce on it, but doing it with eel sauce on makes the sushi taste really salty. This is just my opinion, but I feel at that point the soy sauce detracts from the flavor more than it adds.

So Much Stress, for Such Little Gain

This is kind of just a vomit of ideas.

There just seems to be such little point to getting so worked up over every little thing that happens to you in life. It just seemed to be the norm in this school, so I didn't really question it for a time. "You have to work hard, get into college, get a 'great' job, and live the dream," that was the motto to live by, but what does that truly get you. Sure some great education, but also debt and probably some mental breakdowns. Sure a high paying job to buy more stuff with, but what if it's something you don't want to do and what if it's not even stuff you need? Everyone seems to want and want and it turns into a need, a lust, for what? It is all happiness that we are seeking in the end, so just do what makes you happy what you think will make you happy. Sure you might mess up, but what's the harm of starting over. Everyone in this school is already better off than most of the entire world, privileged, I think you can afford to make a few mistakes. Life is short, so make it meaningful to you (not society or "the man").