10 Finding a home away from home Sophia Canabal
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lifestyles or finances, and the rush to leave home can put unwanted pressure on those who can’t. “I’m most wary of being in the same place while others are somewhere else, but soon enough, I’m going to be moving out too,” Nayak said. Moving out isn’t as jarring if a student has already had a grapple on their independence.
Staff Reporter
eginning as just a speck on the vast horizon of a typical high school career, the concept of “adulthood” becomes almost tangible as graduation day approaches, and seniors are forced to confront the reality of entering adulthood. Independence marks the beginning of life free of nagging parents, restrictive schedules and the overall inconveniences of being a high school student. Under this pretense, adulthood may sound like the light at the end of a four year-long tunnel, but for some students, life after high school is anything but. Upon moving out, students are met with an onslaught of expectations set by peers and parents. “People give you more responsibility,
and it feels weird,” senior Aren Nayak said. “You’ve been dumped into the real world, and it’s impossible not to miss the past.” Students at Hagerty are highly interconnected, which is partly due to the number of extracurricular activities accessible to students. Nayak has had the opportunity to participate in the debate team for a substantial amount of time, and participating in clubs, sports, and school initiatives are what brought him and other students closer together. This is why leaving the school behind is much more than an unsentimental parting of ways. Even the thought of being left behind in the race away from home is a nerve wracking process for those who are unable to move out straight away because of a lack of preparation
Given the opportunity to have freedom early, students find the transition easier. Like many others, Nayak defines adulthood as a “first step in life” that signifies the beginning of both newfound freedoms and hindering responsibilities, the most common being taxpaying, time management, and cooking. These tasks are commonplace during adulthood, yet are what students are least prepared for during their high school career, and some students move out with almost no knowledge on how to fill out tax forms, pay their mortgage, or outline a simple budgeting plan. “I wish that we had learned more about taxes and finances in high school before moving onto college” UCF sophomore Maya Pommet said. “I’m still struggling to learn those, yet they are an essential part of adulthood.” Recently, students who are planning to leave home and take residency on a college campus have been put under yet another stressor, with Senate Bill 86 threatening to reduce Bright Future’s financial aid. “I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship that covered housing and tuition fees,” Pommet said. “I would be lying if I said it was attainable for everyone but if you get scholarships, have a job, get parental assistance, or some combination of all three, I think it’s doable.” After graduating in 2020, Pommet immediately moved away from home to relish in the opportunities that an independent life would offer her, and she did so with only a few misgivings. Besides encountering struggles in financial management, Pommet has also learned to refine her time management, a skill necessary in order for her to juggle both a job and
college classes at the same time. “Procrastination doesn’t just magically go away in college. You just have to find your limit and not surpass it and allocate your time differently each week according to what you need to get done,” Pommet said. Meeting new people and becoming familiar in new social environments is a struggle, often overlooked when starting adulthood. It takes time for a student to find their place in a foreign setting, whether it be in their large college class or on the unfamiliar street in front of their new apartment. It is especially rare to find a college campus that is as interconnected as a high school’s student body because of the surplus of students. “You have to go out of your way to talk to people instead of relying on teachers to group you in class,” Pommet said. “While it’s great to not have to talk to people you don’t like, it’s hard to make connections with people you do.” Gaining a stable, social footing becomes even more difficult in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions such as mandatory quarantine, virtual learning, and social distancing that might make it difficult for a student to make friends. “Living independently, I feel like loneliness will be a challenge, but I will do my best to combat it. Despite these fears, I will try to
push myself to try new things and meet new people,” senior Tai Markman said. As concerns about the future arise, independence begins to look more like a fatal blow to their stability than a fleeting chance of freedom. The thought of leaving high school and taking off into the unknown territory of independence is slightly unsettling to both Nayak and Markman, solely because of the heartfelt memories and strong friendships that they’ve made at home. “Hagerty is your home, it’s where the good, the bad, and really everything happens, and you have a lot of memories in it and friends too,” Nayak said. “But something [that] helped me get over it is that this is your first step in life, and you are not alone.”
CHAY’S CLOSET Pretty in Pastels
Chanson Cadet
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s the weather gets warmer and the end of school draws closer, the stress and tension that builds after excruciating eight-hour days can finally melt away to reveal to first glimpses of actual joy. If this happiness could be defined by a color, it would most certainly be pastel. A nice spring green, sunshine yellow, or a pretty pink will bring a smile to anyone’s face. Pastels are a lighter, toned-down version of colors that are naturally calming and reflective of childhood nostalgia with the bright and inspiring colors of youthful kid’s clothing. With vaccines rolling in, and the cargo ship that was blocking the Suez Canal finally being released, pastels are what we need to lighten the mood. The pastel color trend failed to stick in September, and an attempt to make light colors the newest fad during winter was quickly brushed over as nudes and browns were embraced as the new black and white. Brown, in truth, is an amazing color that almost anyone can pull off, and its recent popularity is well deserved. However, it is time for pastels to take their place under the spotlight. This trend can be found most notoriously in the “kawaii” aesthetic which is known for being“cute,” “happy,” and “positive.” My issue with the dismissal of pastels is that people are missing out on looking like they belong in their favorite childhood cartoons, especially any in the Sanrio world. Hello Kitty and Bloom from “Winx Club” would never be caught dead in a drab, allneutral outfit. Truthfully, pastels are not appropriate for all settings, like a funeral or office, but that should not hinder you from adding more cheerful colors into your everyday wardrobe. Although pastels are not the classic black and white, they match just as easily. The soft hues of pastels can be mixed and matched while still looking monotone. Baby pink with light green, lilac, and yellow, light blue and orange, pastels make it easy to have colorful outfits without having to worry about a clashing color scheme. It is the same with clashing patterns, as the toned-down colors allow you to explore new combinations without looking loud. Pastels have yet to receive the recognition they deserve. After the year we have had, we deserve to see calming and playful colors emerge from the drab fashion seasons of the past. We deserve to be reminded of our childhood when the only issue we faced was whether or not we would be allowed to stay up till 8 p.m. to watch the newest episode of “Fairly Odd Parents.”
SCAN THIS CODE
View a Pinterest board with pastel clothing inspiration that will allow you to radiate happiness and childhood nostalgia.