Promming

Think about it: The dresses, the hairdos, the photos, and all of the fancy experiences that go along with it. To high schoolers, it's basically your wedding day. Everything has to go perfect! All the months of planning that goes into it, from limousine reservations to after party plans, every minute of the day must go according to plan. The has been my life for the past two months. I took on the role of the group planner. So I was in charge of the limo rental, the dinner reservations, the picture location, and the after prom details. Now, as a high school student who has college decisions, daily homework, and drama at school, that is a lot of extra responsibility to bear. 

To be honest, prom became an obsession to me. Within a couple of weeks, I was unnecessarily concerned with how every little detail of my senior prom would play out. I communicated to my group the plans, but I rarely took advice from my friends about anything concerning my plans. I wanted to be a hero, a prom hero. I wanted to make sure that this prom was perfect! And it was going to be,,,,

Until it rains all day and night! Everything is ruined: The dresses get soaked, the make-up runs, the bow ties sag, and us young teenagers feel miserable. But it's all alright because I realized that no matter how hard I try, I cannot control everything. This rain was necessary to remind me that everyone's opinions matter and that Prom will be the most enjoyable when everyone is having fun, rather than just following my dictatorial plans.

Questions

Questions are limitless. They give researchers passion and influential speaker’s their power. Questions are often used in the business world to stimulate growth or encourage new ideas. But in high school, questions are largely suppressed. Asking too many questions can make it seem you don’t understand the concepts being taught or that you are attempting to pull the teacher off topic. Many times there just isn’t enough time in the school day to expand on and really question the concepts behind a topic. However, I’ve discovered to my excitement that asking the right questions and taking the initiative to then answer them can make a positive change in my own environment and impact the people around me.

Unfortunately, no amount of proactive thinking will answer all the questions that will fill my head. But that is the beauty of it! One answered question always leads to another question, another opportunity to create a solution that will benefit my community and my world. In life, we are all researchers, moving from question to question, using our prior knowledge in the challenges ahead of us. One of the tools that we have is brotherhood, the ability for a determined, passionate and driven group of peers to come together in their research and use each other. Clemson will be a place where I can pose my questions to like-minded students and formulate lasting solutions that will positively impact the college and the campus community. Together, we have the ability to make lasting change, and I’ve discovered that all it really starts with is asking the right questions.