Meet Nina…

Though freshman Nina may appear to be just another face in the hallway, walking confidently with her solid group of friends, unlike most other freshmen, Nina has things on her mind other than the latest gossip. Nina worries about the freshman social scene on a much larger scale.

“I was surprised this year because I feel like our grade’s the one grade where Oak Hill and Brown did not mix as much as other grades,” she said.

Nina admits, though, that she herself has stuck pretty close to the friends that she had prior to coming to South.

She has reasons, however, has reasons other than the barrier between the two middle schools as to why she has stuck close to certain old friends. “A lot of people in my grade are really judgmental, and just kind of fake,” she said. “That [people’s fake personalities] really gets on my nerves,” she said.

In the end, however, it is the friends that Nina cherishes that get her through the day. “I have five of my classes with one of my best friends,” she said.

The one subject that Nina looks forward to regardless of the social scene within the classroom is English, her favorite class “by far.”

Nina is not unique in the academic pressures she feels from going to South. “I know this sounds really clichéd, but actually getting good grades is such a concern,” Nina said. Nina says she feels the need to “live up to expectations,” such as “being in curriculum I classes,” because a lot of her friends are.

“It’s just assumed that everyone’s going to do well in school,” Nina said.

Nina’s supportive friends, her family and pursuit of her passions help ease the strain of life at South. Outside of school, Nina takes dance classes four days a week and enjoys singing.

Though Nina’s only sister is in college, Nina feels that their relationship has strengthened over the years and that their fighting has minimized. “She always comes into my room and wakes me up and we watch a movie at like one [o’clock] in the morning and stuff,” she said.

While many adults look back at their adolescence and laugh at the petty problems which consumed so much of their time, Nina predicts that she will think otherwise. “I mean I’m sure people would argue [that problems now will be seen as stupid] — but I tend to think it’s legitimate and reasonable.”

Meet Jack…

Though Jack, a junior, excels at many different sports, he fails to fit the stereotypical jock archetype in any way, shape or form. While Jack has met many of his friends through the various sports teams he has played on, Jack doesn’t find himself bound by a clique of athletes. Instead, when it comes to friends, Jack feels that “it’s about who the person is, not the group they’re part of.”

“I wouldn’t like to be defined by a clique either,” he said.

Jack describes his friends as “pretty easy-going … the kids that care about school, but are not completely obsessive … kids that care about their future and stuff and aren’t just in high school just to have a good time.”

As far as school goes, Jack takes his classes very seriously. A self-described “math and science guy,” Jack takes honors classes more in those areas. For Jack, doing well in school is definitely a top priority. “I always feel that I should give my full effort on school assignments and stuff,” he said. “Maybe it’s something my parents put into me, or maybe it’s just who I am as a person.”

Unlike many other South students, Jack’s strong focus on succeeding in school does not cause him too much extra stress. “Stress obviously depends on different people … if I do get stressed out, I don’t mentally shut down or anything like that,” Jack said. “I’ve always been able to sort of deal with it and get everything done.”

However, like many other soon-to-be seniors, the pressures of choosing and applying to colleges constantly loom over Jack. “It’s kind of like weird to think that like, the grade I get this year in this class could affect where I get into college,” Jack said. “When I pick a school, I want it to be the right one.”

Other than working towards going to a school where he can be happy for the next four years, Jack doesn’t think that high school problems should have a great effect on the future.

Jack feels that the transition from children to adults, particularly in the eyes of parents, however, is an inevitable step to take during high school. Jack has found that as he’s grown up, he’s had to deal with parents in a new way. “You’re growing up. You’re no longer like their little kids,” he said.

“I’m much more friends with my dad right now than I was when I was younger,” Jack said. Though Jack wishes to keep some things about his life private from his parents, he still talks to his parents often. “Our relationships have changed but I still talk with them and communicate with them in a positive way.”

When dealing with problems regarding family, friends or school, Jack maintains that it is key to persevere. “You’ve just got to sort of push through,” he said.

Meet Cody, a rising Freshman …

Cody, an eighth grader, my not have to deal with the heavy load of work and stress that South brings, but he has his own problems that he must work with.

Like many who live with siblings, Cody’s brother “gets on [his] nerves” and is most content when his sister “leaves [him] alone.”

Though his main problems are not as pressing as some, they are problems that cause unease nonetheless. When he did have a problem he felt was pressing enough to bring to school administrators, they only “made it worse.”

“They were like ‘let’s get your parents, they should be involved,’ but it’s like, no, what if they were the problem, that’s not really going to help, it’s only going to make it worse,” he said.

Cody’s homework load is a problem he must deal with on a daily basis. He is also very worried about the increase of homework he will face at South. Though homework is a constant problem for Cody, it does not get in the way of the most important thing in his life: his friends.

“All my friends are usually free, so I can usually hang out with my friends whenever I want,” he said. “Most kids at my school are always busy, with after school activities or sports or something like that. I next year might be doing sports but not this year.”

Just as his friends help distract him from his homework load, they ease Cody’s problem with A.D.D. “All my friends, everyone I know pretty much has A.D.D now, so it’s not really that big of a problem,” he said.

Cody and his friends also deal with the pressure of dating together. “Teens are always worried about dating,” he said, “like ‘oh my god am I ever going to get a date … Does this girl like me, does this guy like me?’”

Overall, whatever problems Cody faces he can count on his friends or support. “My friends are always there for me,” he said.

Meet Elise…

At a glance, sophomore Elise could be compared to a handful of kids at South. She enjoys snowboarding and working on her artwork. Her favorite subject in school is history. However, these facts only hit the surface of who Elise is. She may share a favorite subject or activity with thousands of others, but they are not the things that make her who she is.

Elise must deal with more problems at home than most at South. “My parents don’t get along with my sister, so there’s always yelling or problems or people crying,” she said.

While some are more concerned with their latest test or worried if anyone will ask them to prom, Elise’s problems at home are the ones that matter most. “I do my best in school but my family always comes first,” she said. “So if my family needs me or if my family is having a problem then I don’t really care about my schoolwork.”

Nevertheless, Elise deals with these problems with surprising optimism. Her family may cause her stress, but they are still the “most important.”

Not all of Elise’s problems are connected to her family, however. She must cope with her own problems. “I have to work on learning to trust people,” she said. “I’ve been hurt a lot in my past. I find that when I open up to people I get hurt, so it’s safer for me just to stay to myself.”

Elise believes that the depression and addiction that runs in her family sets her aside from most at South, but thinks that there are other main problems that she deals with that many other students also deal with. “A lot of teens have trouble finding a place where they belong, like finding a social network they’re comfortable in and really be themselves,” she said. “I struggle with that and I know a lot of people who struggle with that as well.”

Though Elise’s problems are considerable, she does not look to the school’s resources for guidance. “I don’t talk to people who work at South, but I do think they have a good network for that,” she said.

Elise not only values the experiences she gets out of past problems, but also thinks they contribute to the person she is today. “You always learn, and what you learn stays with you,” she said, “So some [problem] that might not have been relevant five years ago, I still learn from whatever that thing was. Everything is a learning experience that helps you be you.”