I Put the S in Spine

A spine should be straight, however, that is not the case for mine. Around 2 years ago, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, and it occurs most often in adolescent girls. The spine can curve into these three shapes: the letter C, the letter C backwards, and the letter S (two curves). Idiopathic scoliosis, is the most common form of scoliosis, occurring in approximately 2% of the population. It is not caused by activity such as exercise or sports, nor is it caused by one's sleeping position or posture. The cause of scoliosis, in most cases, is unknown.

Generally, the curvature of the spine does not cause pain, but ever since I was diagnosed, my knees have popped out of place many times. Scoliosis is detected through a physical examination, and if the doctor believes you have scoliosis, you will be asked to get an x-ray and go for additional examination. My scoliosis was first indicated by the Adam's Forward Bend Test, in which you bend from the waist as if you were going to touch your toes. Some physical signs of scoliosis are: one shoulder appears to be higher than the other, one side of the rib cage is higher than the other, one hip is more prominent than the other, the waist is uneven, and the body tilts to one side. The physical appearance of my back has become worse within the last 2 years. I always wear loose clothing because my scoliosis is quite clear if I don't, and I can never find a comfortable way to sleep or sit because of the uneven feeling in my back. Although my spine does not actually hurt, the look of it causes a feeling of pain.

There is no cure for scoliosis, but there are treatments based on two factors: how much more the patient will grow and the degree of their curve. A treatment option is observation in which a physician will measure the curve of your spine on a regular schedule. Another treatment option is wearing a back brace. Typically, a brace is not used for adolescents who are already or almost mature. The brace does not straighten the curve. It prevents the curve from growing, and once the brace is taken off, there is a small chance that the curve will progress. The last option is surgery, in which hooks and screws are applied to the spine to anchor rods. These rods are used to hold the spine while bone is fused, and once the bone is fused, it holds the spine in place. Recently, I have been feeling pain in my upper back, so I went to get another x-ray. I will be seeing a spine specialist soon to talk about getting surgery, and I will be going to physical therapy to strengthen my knees. With future surgery and the support of my doctor, family and friends, I know I will get through this and my spine will be stronger than ever.

                      

Sadie Hawkins Dance

School dances are a big part of your high school experience. One that is approaching us is the Sadie Hawkins dance. Sadie Hawkins is a less formal dance held by a middle school, high school or college. Usually, male students invite females to school dances, and pay for their ticket and dinner. This dance is different from others because female students get to invite male students, and pay for their date. This dance allows a woman to take the initiative in inviting the man of her choice to escort her. Even if you don't like to dance, an event like this will create everlasting memories that you will look back on in the future. High school doesn't last forever! Junior and senior year will pass by in a flash, so you should enjoy these experiences while you can.

The Sadie Hawkins dance is named after a comic strip, Li'l Abner, created by cartoonist Al Capp. The character, Sadie Hawkins, was waiting for suitors to go out with her. When she reached 35 years old, her father was worried that she would live by herself for the rest of her life. Desperate to find love for his daughter, he gathered all of the unmarried men of Dogpatch and declared it "Sadie Hawkins Day." She got to chase the bachelors, and marry the men she caught. The town spinsters decided to make Sadie Hawkins Day a yearly event because it was such a good idea. If a woman caught a bachelor and dragged him across the finish line before sundown, he had to marry her. At our school, it is unnecessary to drag the boy we would like to take, to the dance. Accepting whether they say yes or no would be appropriate, and I would much rather go on a date that wasn't forced. 

This concept was created for women, allowing them to choose a date to the dance instead of waiting for a man to ask her. The first known Sadie Hawkins dance was held on November 15, 1938. Within a year similar events have followed, and by 1952, the event was celebrated at around 40,000 venues. A popular style of dance was "speed dancing" which is similar to speed dating. The DJ picks two people to start dancing and periodically, he will shout "snowball." This signals dancers to find new partners, and half of the people asking will be girls asking boys. This dance is used to get the dancing started, and people chosen cannot refuse to dance, thus growing the "snowball" on the dance floor. 

Ladies, this is your time to show men who's boss, so don't be afraid to ask a guy to the dance. Ask the guy you've been crushing on in a class of yours before someone else does! And don't forget to have fun! 

I Can't, I Have Rehearsal.

Singing is one talent that practically everyone possesses, however some are more skilled than others. Singing has always been my thing. Whether I was at home or at school, I would always be singing. I do not have a professional vocal coach nor do I aspire to be a singer in the future, but I have been apart of a choir in almost every year of elementary and middle school simply because I enjoy it. As high school was approaching, my choir teacher in middle school recommended that I continue singing in high school. Unsure of whether to take history or choir in the 9th grade, I made a last-minute decision to join Women's Chorale, and it was one that I do not regret!

There are three choral ensembles at Mira Mesa High School: Concert Choir, Women's Chorale, and Madrigals. Concert Choir is a course for students that are starting out with singing or have little experience. This ensemble is open to anyone, and the only requirement is an interest in singing! Women's Chorale, the ensemble I was in, is an advanced group made up of young women. To be in Women's Chorale, you must be recommended by a middle school teacher or audition to be in it. Lastly, Madrigals is the top vocal group at our school, generally consisting of 10th-12th graders that audition. I feel so thankful to have been given the opportunity to sing with so many talented girls. Choir last year was a great experience, and all of us girls really felt like one big family.

Singing all of these years has taught me many things, and has given me the opportunity to do what I love. I have learned many skills such as how to read music, and how to be an individual amongst a group of people. Performing by myself and with a group in front of many people has helped build my confidence and self-esteem. I was always nervous when I had to sing in front of the 50 people in my class, but once I would start singing, the nerves would go away. Even performing as a group can be scary because we always want to put on the best performance possible for the audience. Singing has given me the opportunity to sing the national anthem at a Padres Game. Seeing my face on a jumbotron was pretty cool! In the 8th grade, my choir was given the chance to compete in San Francisco against other schools. That was an amazing experience, as it was my first far-away trip from my family. From that trip, I received an email to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City! I didn't go, but I was glad to be offered that opportunity to share my talent.

Currently, I am not in a choir due to scheduling, but I have joined the Natural Harmonies club through audition at our school. Modeled after the TV show Glee, the club started last year by a group of Madrigal students. It is a club where students can engage in the arts, even if they can't fit it in their schedule. You can openly express yourself through singing and dancing, and you can make new friends. The club currently consists of about 15 members, and we would like more to join this semester! We rehearse every Tuesdays and Fridays during lunch in room 403. We welcome new members, so if you are interested, please come and try it out! See you there!

Here's a picture of Women's Chorale last year:

You Got it Dude!

Full House was one of my favorite shows to watch as I was growing up, in fact, I was named after Mary-Kate Olsen who plays the role of Michelle Tanner on the show! For those of you who have never seen the show, Full House is an American sitcom on ABC and is set in San Francisco, California. The show follows a father, Danny Tanner, who enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters: DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. Over time, the three men along with the children become closer to one another in the San Francisco home.

The first episode aired on September 22, 1987 and the last aired on May 23, 1995. The show aired a total of 8 seasons and 192 episodes. The series was created and produced by Jeff Franklin, along with Thomas L. Miller and Robert L. Boyett. Jeff Franklin has written many other shows, but is best known for the TV series Full House. While the show's first season was not as successful because it was a new series, the show quickly gained popularity during its second season. The show remained in the top 25, however, ABC announced that the show would be canceled after eight seasons. With the increasing costs of producing the show, it was cut after running for eight years. The final episode of the series was watched by 24.3 million viewers and was ranked at number 7 for a week!

Although the show is no longer releasing new episodes, there is no reason to be sad. The beloved '90s sitcom is not completely gone as it appears on Nick at Nite with reruns. Are you getting tired of seeing the same episode about five times or enough to recite the whole script back to your television screen? Be prepared because the popular series may be returning to your TV. It is rumored that Warner Bros, Television is considering a series reboot with some of the original cast. The show may be in production for a Full House revival series that will follow the adult lives of Stephanie, DJ and Kimmy. Be sure to stay tuned!

Here are a few fun facts that you may not have known about the show:

-The show was originally going to be called House of Comics, following three comedians who lived together.

-Although it was set in San Francisco, only one of the episodes was actually taped there. It is actually taped in Los Angeles, with an exception of a few episodes.

-The Full House set was later used to tape Friends (another one of my favorite shows).

-Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen appear together on screen 4 times in the show.

Here's the cast before, and some of the cast recently: