What Was Your High School Persona? - Andrea Dietrich's Blog

Hey, guys, sorry I don't come to blogs as often as I used to. Just crazy busy with school these days. In the ESL school where I teach, they gave me an elective class called FILMS, and I am allowed to make worksheets using any Youtube videos I desire, trailers for movies, documentaries, songs, movie scenes, you name it. 

The other day was musical movie week and I remembered my love of the old classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It was probably one of my most favorite of youth comedies from the 80's. Does anyone remember this line from Grace, the assistant to the school principal as she responds to her boss, Mr. Rooney?

Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.

This quote is so hilarious to me because it comes from the mouth of a middle aged conservative woman! Also, it's a great springboard for a discussion of American slang with ESL students. I am still not sure I know exactly what a dweebie is!! 

I could add to this list:  the cheerleaders, the GEEKS and NERDS (which maybe are DWEEBIES) but what about  the player, the romantic, the FLIRT, the shy kids, the bookish kids, the comedians, and all those cliques with the popular kids in them,  etc? And maybe there was even The POET!!! I know we had a BRAINIAC scientist kid in our school! HIs name was David Bunker and he went on to become a famous doctor!!

Maybe some will not believe me, but I was a bit quiet. With my friends, however, I was outgoing and always trying to be funny. On the other hand, I was always studying too, so I was also one of the HONOR ROLL kids. yeah, I bet some of you hated that group!! I hated the CHEERLEADERS because I tried out in JR High and got nominated by the teachers to be in the top ten, but the student body voted for their top six and I did not make it. I've had a grudge ever since against cheerleader and the popular types. hahaha. 

What is all this leading to, you may ask? I want to know. What was YOUR high school persona? If you could select any of the bold print words I showed in this blog, which did you come closest to being? For me, I tried to be a comedian, but I guess in the end I was just the ordinary high school kid but with a pretty good grade point average! What about YOU? Tell me how were YOU!!!!

Cory Long Date: 6/6/2013 6:22:00 AM High school was hard for me.. I was quiet and kept to myself. I did my work when I was there and stayed out of everyone's way.My parents were nowhere to be found, so I came and went as I pleased. I had my first apartment when I was 16 and I fit in no where among my peers. I was too busy trying to make ends meet while still trying to graduate. Do I regret my decisions in High school yeah I do, Would I do it differently now if I could? Yeah I think I would have been a better student, But I also know I did what I had to do in order to graduate. Login to Reply

Nette Onclaud Date: 6/4/2013 6:28:00 PM yipers, i don;t think you'd like to know...simply though, i was a concoction of many flavors: rebel, clown, artist, party-freak, nerd, free soul, cheerleader, teacher's pet,etc... it was a time to spread my wings though i didn't smoke, do drugs or get into steady relationships... oh well... nice to reminisce..:) huggs Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 11:34:00 PM Nette, I think you had a very full life in a very short time. And I am glad to know you were a "nice" girl like me, not doing drugs and stuff like that.

Good Night Date: 6/4/2013 5:35:00 PM idk i guess i was quiet but at my high school we really didn't have groups like that everyone used and hang out with everybody... i was cool with everyone there... nobody really bullied each other either, me and my friend would always ask the mentally disable kids to come sit at our lunch table.... Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 11:32:00 PM that is really sweet that you were so good to the disabled kids, Christopher. I really admire that.

Carol Eastman Date: 6/4/2013 3:01:00 PM I was the ultimate brainaic nerd. Always into serious stuff and Science. It must have been a bit intimidating because I was never ask out or went to any dance I didn't volunteer to work at. The truth was I carried my books everywhere because I had memory lapses and couldn't remember where my locker was or it's combination. I studied hard to try to remember things for when the test came around. I couldn't keep friends because stress made me forget who they were. No one could tell because my epilepsy didn't give me fits... just forgetfulness... I didn't have any problems, because social occassions spurred on my forgetfullness It didn't matter. I made lots of lists to stay in the here and now. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 11:31:00 PM wow, I am friends with a brainiac!! Did you go into science, Carol? sorry about the stress and all. I'm glad to get to know you here at Soup.

Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 1:50:00 PM wow, lots of comments. I am off to a tutoring job and just peeked in. I'll read the rest of these I never saw later tonight. thanks, guys, for your participation at my blog!! Login to Reply

Carrie Richards Date: 6/4/2013 8:53:00 AM I was always on the borderline "edge" of being bookish (a good student) ...considered a "nice girl",...but also on the edge of being popular....but not quite cool enough to be in the fast crowd....too shy to be mega-popular, but I think I was well liked, and loved high school. Our school had 4 cheerleaders and 4 song leaders....I was a song leader with pom-poms no less!! I loved it! (now seems embarrassing)... was on the yearbook staff, girls athletics, 4-H...all that stuff.....but had a great time. Met my future husband...2 yrs older in my junior year.....we married when I was 19....and still together after all these years! :) Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 11:28:00 PM you were the ideal, Carrie, just like you are today for me at soup!! I think you have a blessed life! Tim Ryerson Date: 6/4/2013 2:17:00 PM Not one bit surprised at your post Carrie...We have known each other for quite a few years now and somehow I just knew... Heather Ober Date: 6/4/2013 12:35:00 PM I fully agree with Su below! I love hearing about young couples who last through the years :)

Painted Hunter Date: 6/4/2013 7:46:00 AM I was a mega athlete in all sports, honor roll student, the comedian, a book-reading, poem writing, motorcycle riding, body of a greek god with a face to match it, friend to the friendless, bully-pounding, oddity. I was friends with the jocks, the nerds, the pot-heads, and everyone else. I had the chance to play college baseball but took an academic scholarship instead. I hunted and fished a lot (of course). I didn't date much although I was constantly bugged with it, and I did not do dances. Login to Reply Cyndi Macmillan Date: 6/5/2013 4:35:00 PM Did you say, "Reckon?" LOL... I am now picturing a young John Wayne, eyes twinkling, that swagger... how close am I... lol Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 11:29:00 PM AWESOME! Especially how you were nice to all different kinds of people. Sorry you didn't get to play college baseball. Tim Ryerson Date: 6/4/2013 2:21:00 PM Caleb...I was a jock too...You seem to be a younger version of me, minus the complications... Painted Hunter Date: 6/4/2013 1:12:00 PM Ha...I reckon so...;) Heather Ober Date: 6/4/2013 12:34:00 PM Hahaha Caleb. "Body of a greek god with a face to match it." Only you could get away with saying that. Painted Hunter Date: 6/4/2013 10:02:00 AM Thanks. You sound pretty darn awesome yourself. I never got caught skinny-dipping, but I did get sent home one day during homecoming week...it was "wear camo day" so I painted my whole body camo and came to school barefoot and in a speedo

Tim Ryerson Date: 6/4/2013 7:34:00 AM The closest I could say was the PLAYER...Always popular and ran with the 'in' crowd...Ironically, I paid a heavy price later for this role. I was a male 'dumb blond'...always getting by on popularity and so called 'good looks', never developing any real sound personality traits. I had to get knocked on my ass a few (many) times before I woke up - Tim Login to Reply Tim Ryerson Date: 6/4/2013 2:11:00 PM Thanks Heather...You are definitely right about that (At least in my case) However, I am still a real dumb-ass with a long way to go... Heather Ober Date: 6/4/2013 12:32:00 PM So that is why your poetry is always so full of wisdom! You have to be young and stupid to eventually be wise ;) Tim Ryerson Date: 6/4/2013 7:44:00 AM I was also a hell-raiser...I do not know how or why I ever survived some of the crazy things we did...

Mandy Tams The Golden Girl Date: 6/4/2013 3:21:00 AM Hi Andy I only did one year of high school, and it was the first time comprehensive schools were introduced in this country but we had no teachers only student teachers... for twelve months while the system settled down, after that i was hospitalised after an accident and never finished school so I was none of the above lol xx Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/4/2013 11:25:00 PM Mandy, I'm sorry you were in an accident so close to finishing school. I think I would have loved knowing you in high school.

Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 11:39:00 PM Tex, I can see you as the popular girl. I have to retract something I said. I did not look down on all the popular people. I remember this one popular girl who was SO sweet. She would look everyone in the eye like a human being and make you feel so lovely. I hope you were like her in high school!! Login to Reply

Nato Calubiran Date: 6/3/2013 11:00:00 PM I think Im the comedian with a twist of an evil side. Huehuehue Login to Reply Nato Calubiran Date: 6/4/2013 1:00:00 AM nah that was the olden times i got savvied by the evil part. hahaha Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 11:40:00 PM cool!!! I'll have to read some of your poems and see how funny you are!

Kim Merryman Date: 6/3/2013 9:12:00 PM In high school I was pretty much invisible. I was shy, introverted. I was always reading something, so I guess you could say I was bookish. I also made the Honor Roll most of the time. I spent my lunch hour in the library. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 11:41:00 PM Kim, you would have been a person I would have been talking to in high school. For sure.

Poet Destroyer A Date: 6/3/2013 8:07:00 PM i'm not here to brag... but, believe it or not Andrea, I was the most popular girl through out the jr high... everyone wanted to be my friends... geeks, freaks, jocks, cheerleaders, the good gals, the bad boys, and the cool kids, even the Teachers... But, I had my own crew. And everyone wanted to follow me. people at my school, would get happy when I showed them attention. I treated everyone the same. and guess what?? I had a very xool reputation. I was bad, funny, and very pretty. I was the girl who took a rattlesnake to school, and released it down the drains.. LOL, school was dismissed for the rest of the day. I was suspended for 3 days. I was the girl who got half the school bus suspended on a field trip. *what a bummer* Login to Reply Poet Destroyer A Date: 6/3/2013 8:13:00 PM ps... during my high school years we moved. Everything was different at the new school. I was the most wanted girl.... LOL,,, by the BOYS, all 9th - 10th.. that made all the girls at my new school hate me. i figure it had to do with my double d's. and that fact that i was fresh meat. Poet Destroyer A Date: 6/3/2013 8:09:00 PM every now and then, when i see an old friend from school, they will ask about my poetry writing. I laugh and say, you still remember that. I don't tell them i still write it's kind of embarrassing.

Suzanne Delaney Date: 6/3/2013 7:38:00 PM I was from a different State and having been to boarding School where we had elocution so I was accused of trying to speak too posh and excluded from one group that used to hike their skirts and tease their hair. They tried to act like sluts but really weren't. I was good at sport yet enjoyed reading and drama. I felt comfortable by myself and would hang out in the library. We had Surfers and Rockers and I identified more with the Surfers and going to the beach on weekends. Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 11:41:00 PM I like your style, Suzanne. Sounds so fun.

Heather Ober Date: 6/3/2013 5:55:00 PM I'm with Cyndi! I didn't really fit into any of the categories above. I was an honour student, so perhaps I could have been called bookish. But I pretty much got along with everyone and didn't have one specific clique. This is a fun post, Andrea! Thanks for posting :) Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 11:42:00 PM Heather you are a girl after my own heart.

Cyndi Macmillan Date: 6/3/2013 5:47:00 PM I was the cleaned up version of Ally Sheedy in the Breakfast Club, a strange artsy fartsy with friends from a variety of cliques--- I'd hang with the "sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads" with ease and oddly enough they never tried to railroad me into a mold-- the only thing I expected out of friendship was just let me be me, which I guess holds true today. I loved art, did some acting, even hung out with the sound and lightening crew. I think it was because, even then, I was a writer... and so I found EVERYONE and EVERYTHING interesting... the differences, the similarities. Maybe I was just an accepted outsider, belonging nowhere and everywhere... Login to Reply Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 11:43:00 PM LOve your answer, Cyndi. I like to think that would be me too. Cyndi Macmillan Date: 6/3/2013 5:51:00 PM so, one more to add to your list: CLIQUE-LESS

Andrea Dietrich Date: 6/3/2013 5:46:00 PM Here are some more: Macho, Class Clown(just being silly all the time), the Dunce, the BORED ones, the ones always asleep, the WEIGHT LIFTERS (I guess any sports could be listed: the track star/ tennis champ/ chess addict. The list goes on and on!!! Login to Reply