Your Official FSHA Bucket List Before You Graduate

As a second-semester senior who has seen the past four years on the Hill fly by, I feel there are so many things I still have yet to do as the prospect of graduation looms ahead. Here is a bucket list of things that any Tolog can accomplish at FSHA:

Make your friend’s birthday special. Order Georgee’s, make a sign and decorate one of your friend’s locker to commemorate another milestone year.
Join a sports team and stick with it. There is nothing worse than wistfully passing the Gym wishing you had stayed for the senior nights, secret sisters or simply learning the sport. Anyone can join a team; it’s the endurance and drive to show up every day that truly matters.
Carpool with one of your best friends. Make the way up the Hill a little bit better by asking a friend who lives closes to you to carpool. Make a good playlist, roll down the windows and relish the ride.
Remember your freshman synchronized swimming routine. I know this is a weird one, but the majority of people outside of FSHA don’t do this in health class. So show off your circle splashes and keep your toes pointed!
Attend every dance, with or without a date. As someone who has gone both with dates and with a group of girlfriends, I have learned you can always have a good time getting dressed up and dancing the night away. Never let not having a date stop you from going.
Go to at least one football or basketball game at Saint Francis or Loyola. Surprise yourself; you will have a good time talking to your friends and meeting new people (if you don’t like watching the game, don’t worry, because nobody really does).
Take a ride on a FSHA golf cart. Unrealistic, but it would definitely be fun!
Perform in the dance concert. Take dance as an elective one year, even if you are awful you get to wear a costume and perform in front of your friends and family. If you actually can dance, try out for Junior or Senior Salt.
Have a meal in the dining hall with the resident students and stay overnight. Junior year, my mom purchased “Principal for a Day” for my sister, Abby, and me. This experience included getting to spend the night in the resident hall. It was definitely interesting waking up and just walking up from the main building to school.
Enjoy Catalina. Junior year is tough so take advantage of this week to relax, snorkel, hike and kayak.
Become the president of your class or favorite club. Make sure it’s something you care about because it’s a major responsibility.
Plan an amazing promposal. I know it can be really embarrassing to put yourself outside of your comfort zone, but getting creative is a great way to get excited for Prom. Plus you’ll get a defi-nite yes from your future date! Bring a few friends with you to make sure you actually get out of the car to ask.
Master the Alma Mater and the Tolog Beat by heart. Knowing all the cheers makes going to all the volleyball games and the Spirit Assembly much better.
Try out for homecoming court. There is an application and an interview. Remember the Knights' colors are gold and brown and go for it!
Know which teachers have the sweets. If you are having a bad day and need a piece of chocolate, Hershey’s Kisses can usually be found outside the campus ministry room or Mrs. Singer’s office. Remember to say thank you!
Surprise a sophomore or senior going on a retreat with an unexpected letter. Once you have experienced how special it is to hear from all your friends and classmates, pass it on. Next time you see the boxes in the hallways collecting letters, write a note to the sophomore on your tennis team or the senior in your math class—some of the best letters are the ones you never see coming.
Go to the art room. If you aren’t an art student, you most likely have never been there. Haven’t you ever wondered what it looks like or how long it really takes to get down there?
Fill your blazer with pins and keep them. Pins are a form of self-expression while wearing a uniform. Plus, they are a great conversation starter while waiting in line to buy your lunch after an assembly or Mass. Personalize your pins, even if they aren’t academic, with ones from Disneyland or a favorite Broadway show or sports team.
Aim for first and second honors but don’t be discouraged if you don’t get them. There is nothing more exciting than getting called down during the awards assembly, but it’s not everything. Remember how hard you work daily.
Audition for a play. Try out for the fall musical or spring production. Even if you don’t make it you could work backstage doing lights, hair or makeup for the actresses.
Try out for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. Just trying out guarantees you a ticket to the Royal Ball. It’s FSHA tradition to show up in a black dress and matching purple leis, so don’t miss it.
Rock your junior ring. Once you get your ring, never take it off! Embrace being an upperclassman. Remember if you lose your ring, the warranty lasts four years… Trust me, it happens.
Create friendships that will last forever. Someone once told me “high school is not a time to find your groom; it’s a time to find your bridesmaids.”
Be on the morning announcements at least once. Smile and try to look up while you speak! You could even ask one of your friends to take a picture of you on the screen to remember it.
Throw roses at graduation. You have finally made it. Enjoy graduation, take a bunch of pictures and remember to come back to the Hill. —DeeDee Durkan, Op-Ed Editor

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Your Official FSHA Bucket List Before You Graduate

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