Summer vacation has come to a close as quickly as ever, and like it was just yesterday a new school year lies ahead for all Vikings. The leaves are soon to fall, snow day rituals will be upon us sooner than we realize, and at the blink of an eye, Mrs. Soderberg will be dispatching the next batch of Academy seniors to the tunes of Pomp and Circumstance.
As I have now learned after two years at Academy, time flies when you’re working hard.
The Columbus Academy is a self-labeled college-preparatory school with every member of our student body taking part in this four-year process designed toward sending our young men and women onto the next stage of their education. Life at Academy is a balancing act and juggling school work, extracurriculars and a social life is no easy task.
Academy has embraced this aspect of balance, and more specifically how to stay composed amidst chaos. Nonetheless, at some point this year the odds are that you will let this seesaw with homework, sports, clubs and everything else weighing it down tip in the wrong direction.
I know I sure have.
Stress is inevitable, and through it all we must not forget to take a step back and realize that our report card is not an end-all-be-all, and more importantly, it does not represent any form of self-worth.
Challenges within the classroom and outside of it will afflict us all on varying levels throughout the course of this year, and it is up to ourselves and each other to choose how we tackle them. As Mr. Dow talked about in our first assembly, the purpose of our studies is to have us “reaching” in the classroom and not drowning in our work. We will all be tested in the upcoming months, and not just in the classroom, so it is always important that we never forget to hold each other up, as we truly are all on the same ship for this expedition.
In June our nation mourned as the television star, Anthony Bourdain, and fashion icon, Kate Spade, passed away from suicide. These celebrities might not be the first people you’d suspect to be affected by depression, and that just might be the most powerful lesson from these tragedies.
No one is immune from traveling on a downward spiral.
We as a student body are generally supportive of one another and empathetic towards our classmates’ struggles. If someone’s head is hanging low in the hallway, a smile and wave will do more than you might think. You never know what’s going on in someone’s life until the time is taken to ask, and we as a school all become tighter-knit and more compassionate with simple acts of kindness. Whether it’s a freshman you’ve never seen before or an intimidating upperclassman, anybody can make a difference. Lending a helping hand or just taking just a moment out of your day to cheer someone else up will do absolutely no harm.
If someone you know is feeling down, allow for dialogue. Discussing these issues is not a sign of weakness and when you allow for your thoughts and feelings to be shared with someone you trust, you might be surprised at how good it feels to let it all out.
Kindness never hurts.
