Welcome to Wednesday—the perfectly unremarkable day smack dab in the middle of the week. You know the one I mean: not terrible, but also not exactly anything to celebrate. As usual, school’s doing its best to keep me on my toes… or make me stumble in style. Between the fresh semester kicking off and the serious conversations about ICE, the past week has been a rollercoaster. Plus, we were forced to be in advisory for how long? It’s felt like a wild mix of the predictable and the painfully real.
New Semester, What is That?
A new semester always feels like this awkward “New Year’s resolution” version of school. Everyone acts like they’re going to be super organized, buy all the right supplies, and maybe even turn in homework on time. Meanwhile, I’m just over here trying to remember what room I’m supposed to be in and whether I’ve already used the “I forgot my homework” excuse one too many times.
The classes are new, the teachers are new, but the cycle feels all too familiar. New notebooks get decorated, only to be tossed aside three weeks later in a pile of “maybe I should have studied.” The cafeteria may have slightly upgraded the ‘mystery meat’, but don’t get too excited—it still leaves you wondering what you just ate.
ICE Rally
Let’s get serious for a second: this semester didn’t just take a turn—it did a full-on, screeching U-turn into reality with ICE (yes, Immigration and Customs Enforcement) suddenly dominating the school chatter. We’re not talking about some distant political drama; this is the kind of stuff that stops you mid-scroll on social media and makes you wonder if the world is actually breaking through the school walls. It’s heavy, it’s everywhere, and it’s impossible to ignore, no matter how much you’d rather focus on your algebra homework.
The big moment? Our teachers from all over the district organized a rally against ICE. Seeing them take a stand like that was honestly powerful. They made it clear this isn’t just political drama—they’re standing with families and classmates who feel scared and vulnerable. It’s a heavy topic: not what you expect to pop up between math problems and history tests. Yet, it’s real and important.
Trying to keep up with what’s happening without letting it rip my brain apart is a challenge. But if anything, that rally showed me how well one community can come together when things get tough.
Advisory: Where Time Goes to Pretend to Exist
Advisory is… still advisory. If you don’t know, it’s supposed to be this chill time to check in with friends, do school business, and maybe even talk about mental health. The mental wellness part is well intentioned, but most of the time it students feel as if there are better uses of your time. During advisory (if you’re actually in attendance, not pretending you got lost and stumbled into Safeway), wildcats can be found trying not to fall asleep and planning their next snack.
Seriously, the best skill I’ve learned is the art of looking really engaged while my brain is doing a whole other thing. Sometimes, there are moments where conversations get real, and it’s actually kind of nice. But mostly, it’s a gentle reminder that time moves slowly.
Wrapping It Up: The Beautiful Mess of It All
So that’s a slice of my life this Wednesday—not glamorous, not effortless, but honest. Between trying to survive the chaos of a new semester, processing the weight of ICE’s impact on my community, and toeing the line in advisory where time moves more slowly than a Monday morning, I’m learning one thing: school is messy.
School is a cocktail of stress, serious conversations, awkward silence, and tiny victories—like finding a free moment to breathe or laugh with friends over something ridiculous. It’s not at all perfect, but somehow, it’s real.
Wednesdays might not be the dramatic highlight of the week, but maybe they’re the small reminders we need: to keep going, to notice the serious stuff even in the middle of the chaos, and to find little moments of humanity to hold onto.
The semester is just getting started, and honestly, I have no idea what next week will bring. But I’m here living it, laughing through it, and sharing it.
Catch you next Wednesday.
-Nevaeh
