Fads In My Seventh Grade Year

School is ending. The long road, which everlastingly stretched beyond a visible horizon, on which I stood back in September, is now close to termination. My seventh grade year has disappeared into the clouds in a matter of what felt like only a few months. I can only imagine being in high school in a year. For the next two weeks, I will be posting about seventh grade, the memories, the teachers and the fun. This post is called “Fads In My Seventh Grade Year.” Since the beginning of the school, people have been obsessing over various dance moves, celebrities, and youtube videos. Whether or not these fads represent anything, some are still prevalent among the student body, while others have slowly withered away. This is a memoir; this is a memory; and this is one slim glance at seventh grade.

The Whip Nae Nae

This video has 868 million views. Seriously. It’s sudden fame and capricious withering is what I will remember most about this fad. Emulating this dance move was recess competition and it somehow represented being “cool.”

The Running Man Challenge.

The dance move with crossed legs and shaking hands. The dance move that almost every boy in the grade attempting to imitate. Drama class. Science class. Every class.

Dabbing

This seems to be a move that demonstrates “coolness” and being “chill.” What does that even mean? Head in elbow, other arm outstretched behind your head…

Hello, by Adele

The lyrics in the first verse of Hello by Adele were input EVERYWHERE! I mean, teachers generally start the class by saying “Hello” to the class. The response was, “It’s me.” Even emails included lyrics from Hello! It was talked, it was sang, it was danced to: it was Hello.

Illuminati

The sign on money. I frankly do not understand what it means. I don’t know if I ever will. It was particularly prevalent especially during the winter months. It was used if you were taking some test and you didn’t know the answer. If you were a seventh grade teacher giving a difficult test, expect some answers on some students tests to look like this:

Illuminati confirmed.

Kimchi

It seems that kimchi made its way to one of the fads of seventh grade along with the illuminati. There was a boy in the seventh grade who just really liked kimchi and South Korea. He would jump around and flap his arm around and say in a high, squeaky, yet blissful voice, “Kimchi! Kimchi! Kimchi!” He also frequently sang a song involving kimchi and “sous” korea. Apparently it was called the Kimchi Song.

Navigating Through Trails

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. ~George Bernard Shaw

Inspiration of the Week: Think Win-Win

Wednesday, May 11, 2016. It’s the middle of the week. The beginning is past, and the end seems miles beyond the horizon. I am caught in the middle. Middle of a commodious ocean, where I cannot glimpse the slightest sliver of land in either direction. Yes, seeing the horizon is serene and calming, but after staring at the same old ocean too long, I begin to crave inspiration. I look for the wind that will push me towards the horizon, a.k.a. Friday.

Of course, one of my favorite books of all time, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

Think Win-Win

supplies a bountiful supply of this desire. On Wednesday, I continued reading the fourth chapter of the book, which is titled Think Win-Win. This chapter primarily considers building friendships and how different levels of success/failure can affect those relationships. I was completely surprised at the reality of Covey’s statements! I frequently experienced unhealthy attitudes especially when it came to comparing with other people. This is what I learned.

There are four types of people in the world. The first is the Win-Lose attitude and it seems to be the top scorer of the four attitudes throughout a mediocre community. Here are common “symptoms” of the Win-Lose approach:

What someone does…	Win-Lose attitude
Your friend wins first prize in the writing contest	Feels ashamed of self; feels the need to avenge own reputation; feels the need to prove that one is better
You ask your dad to borrow the car, but he says no	You argue with your dad until he is forced to give in; you won’t let go of the situation and use it against dad in another conversation at dinner

Lose-Win, or Win-Lose

The second type perspective is Lose-Win. If you’re suffering from Lose-Win, you’re most likely a doormat and people are stepping on you. The disadvantages of Lose-Win is that others will often exploit your uncertain character. They will step on you, and they will wipe their feet.

What someone does…	Lose-Win attitude
Someone tells you that you look bad in those jeans	You give in because you have low self-esteem and trust that others won’t lie to you
Someone encourages you to play the final spelling bee round because you’re good at spelling	You give in and say that someone else should do it because you’re not good at spelling

As you can probably tell, both of these approaches to relationship construction are unhealthy and result in one person losing or winning. However, as Sean Covey puts it, when two Win-Lose people encounter each other, the worst of all possible acquaintances occurs: Lose-Lose. In this scenario, both people feel a loss, the situation is not resolved, the friendship will be fractured, and the world does not progress any farther. However, sometimes there are also people who purposely act accordingly the Lose-Lose attitude. In general, a Lose-Lose approach defines itself as daunting others from success when you have been let down.

What someone does…	Lose–Lose attitude
You do not get the lead role in the school play	You notice that your best friend is really good at acting, and think that they will receive the lead role, so you work to prevent that from happening.
You do not score as high as your friend on a math test	You tell them that you could’ve scored as high as they did, and that they’re grade is really not all that great.

The fourth approach to life is Win-Win. This attitude is suggesting that there is something for everyone. As Sean Covey states, success is not a pie. You do not have to be the first at the party and cut the largest slice. There is an infinite amount of success. That line, “infinite amount of success” sparked something in my brain when I first read it. I think it triggered a realization in my head: there is no point in being jealous of someone else’s success or judge one’s failure.

A Win-Win attitude recognizes that no one is good at everything. Whether you win the competition or receive last place, obtaining a Win-Win perspective will bring forth a sense of self-accomplishment. It will help one understand that even though the first place ribbon is in someone else's hands, one can has still learned and gained some type of knowledge through the experience. The best way to go: Win-Win

What someone does…	Win-Win approach
You’re friend gets first place in the X-country race	You compliment him/her and are genuinely happy for their success, knowing that you excel in others areas.
You become first chair of the orchestra	You go up to your friend who tried really hard for the same position and say something encouraging, genuine and appreciative about their efforts.
You get good grade on English paper	You help your friend, who didn’t score as high, improve their writing.
You make a mistake in your math homework	You understand your mistake, you learn from it, but you also share your discoveries with the class, endeavoring to prevent others from making the same mistake.

Thinking Win-Win is personally one the most challenging, yet most effective tips in the 7 Habits. I fully read this chapter on Wednesday, May 11. During the rest of the school week, I practiced being mindful and happy for my friends’ successes while celebrating my own. For example, when English paper grades were returned, I observed and reflected upon my own grade. However, I was truly proud of my friend who received a better grade than me. Here is a poem about success that I have written:

Success is not a pie.

There is no “100%.”

There is an infinite amount of success,

And it comes in all forms;

grades,

art,

friendships.

But the most meaningful,

is when one discovers the power

of celebrating others.

                                                                                    ~Ava Long

Conversations from the Walk For Hunger

May 1, 2016. 35,000 people. 10 miles. Last Sunday was my second year participating in the Walk for Hunger. This annual event, hosted by Project Bread is held around the greater Boston area and unites a large group of people in making a statement about hunger in Massachusetts. [Last year and previous years, the walk has been 20 miles. Due to construction, it has been cut down to 10]. The money raised is dedicated towards purchasing meals for those in need.

Conversations are almost essential to surviving and enjoying a 10 mile walk. The route takes about 4 hours to complete and there is very little time for rest. Blisters. Sore muscles. Fatigue. I push these potential consequences behind because I believe the walk is a great opportunity to form stronger relationships and build meet new acquaintances. Come on, how can you not talk to the person who will be walking besides you for 4 hours?

For four hours, I walked along the Charles River. I watched the sailboats rocking through the petite waves quietly and the runners panting with each step. The sky was an ominous gray with imminent rain. The gloomy mood of the weather did not hinder bright conversations.

After lunch, we commenced rapping. This was no ordinary rapping. We sang raps about our names, relating them to our personalities. We excluded the first letter of our names and thought about how many words we could make with the remaining letters. Then we thought about our talents and hobbies. We inserted the rhyming words producing a single line rhyme. We described our rhymes as a rap because of the strong beat. For example, one girl I was walking with, Grace, said: Hi my name is Grace, and you better watch out ‘cause I’m gonna ace you in a race.

Another interesting topic in our conversation was sicknesses and illnesses. Many kids at school were home sick this year and more than two viruses traveled through the community. I was one unlucky student who received influenza earlier in April. Some of my friends were seldom sick and some [like me] are sick every year. We talked about the sicknesses that our families suffered through, like Mono and the Flu and how we reacted to illness.

I encourage all readers to walk next year! It doesn’t matter whether you finish all ten miles or just 1! Participate, participate, participate! I’m sure you’ll learn something new about a friend or meet some new companions. You will definitely make a statement about hunger even if you don’t raise a bucketful of money. Also, it’s never too late to donate!