Seussical Is Off to a Running Start by Linda Liu

Verbatim March 2011 Brownell-Talbot Vol. IV, Issue 2 Seussical is off to a running start By Linda Liu

Have you ever wandered upon a talking speck yelling for help but realized that nobody else could hear any of the voices coming from it? Yeah, me neither… but one courageous, loyal elephant decided to protect said speck from a world of dangers on a clover in Dr. Seuss’ magical world. This year’s musical, Seussical, features many of the world’s most- loved doctor’s stories intertwined in the story of Horton the elephant, Jojo the imaginative Who, the Cat in the Hat and other famous characters as they interact to help (or to hinder) his efforts to protect a tiny planet. Brownell-Talbot’s involvement in Dr. Seuss’ world all started the week we returned from winter break with auditions. This year’s musical requires a large cast, so it is a combined Upper School and Middle School production. So many nervous voices belted out to their favorite songs to earn a spot in the musical in front of several judges including Mrs. Amy Becker, the director, and Mr. J. R. Gould, the music director. Then came the waiting. And waiting. And more waiting as the judges deliberated to find the best combination for the cast. Callbacks were during 6A and after school and still the judges deliberated. News spread that the cast list would be posted on Becker’s website. Anxious singers refreshed the page every second hoping, nay, praying that the list would be posted, and they would get a spot they so wanted. Would I get the part I wanted? Would my friends be performing with me? Of course, I was not one of those people… okay, maybe I was. Three weeks before Seussical opens, the set comes together. Members of the theater Well finally, at 4:45 on Thursday, Jan. 14, the cast list was posted and the class, under the guidance of director Mrs. Amy Becker, work during class time and play will be staged in the BT theater on March 31 and April 1 at 7 p.m. after school to ready things for the musical. photo by Marjorie Waterman and April 2 at 1:30. Yakkin’Raiders start the year right By Tory Wilson

Jerry Seinfeld put public speaking in a nutshell: “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” To many, speaking publically is an intangible, lurking idea that inspires fear, cold sweat, and incomprehensibility. Others, many at B-T included, thrive on the competition, challenge and potential to be heard. Of late, Yakking Raiders have been the forensic juggernaut of the district. This season – with a largely green team no less – remains far from disappointing. The Raiders have managed to defend an array of their tournament titles. Fremont High School’s ‘Tiger Tourney’ on Jan. 21saw the Raiders winning second in sweeps, for the second year in a row, a big win considering there were 40 schools attending, and many with large, Class-A teams. In fact, the Yakking Raiders lost only to Millard North, who eked out first place by 30 points. The Raiders beat both Lincoln Southeast and Raymond Central. The team departed from Fremont roaring, “RAIDERS, RAIDERS, RAIDERS!” for their success. On that note, the forensics squad continued to garner wins the fol- Chris Ames, junior, and Katie Gurtis, senior, practice their OID before competing at a dual meet. Also in the OID were senior Tory Wilson, standing in the background with lowing week at brand spankin’ new Elkhorn South’s first ever tournament, her back turned, and Geoff Kuhn, junior, not pictured here. photo courtesy of Tory ‘The Babbler Battle.’ The Raiders snagged first in sweeps, a big win over Wilson Marian High School. Hopefully, this streak will hold over the next few come.” weeks as the Yakking Raiders defend their championship titles at David The Yakking Raiders have accomplished much in the 2010-2011 City, Conference and the District tournaments. season, yet there remain gauntlets to overcome on the path to success. Senior extemper Katie Gurtis said, “The team is excited to de- Seinfeld may have been correct in his summation on the fear of public fend our titles and maybe gain some more individual wins in the weeks to speaking. If so, rest assured the Yakking Raiders remain undaunted. 2 Swim Team Boys’ Basketball By Alison Brockman You’ll find us sulking into school at 5:45 By Austin Taylor a.m. three times a week, fretting about our times The 2010-2011 boys basketball team is off down to the last millisecond and continually to a strong start this season. Many solid wins smelling of chlorine (our preferred fragrance). Yep- you guessed it- we’re the swimmers! have allowed the team to be cautiously optimistic And it is these ridiculously early mornings and in- about making their way to District Finals on Feb. tense daily afternoon workouts combined with the 28th. “It has been a long time since our school rather obvious discomfort to the rare student or has had a basketball team make it to State,” said parent attending a swim meet which has caused Varsity player Jonny Trinh, a junior. swimming to coin the nickname, among us, as the Whether or not the team makes it to State “best kept secret of high school sports.” should not be a reflection on how hard this team Despite its tendency to be quite under-the- radar, this year’s team was off to a racing start has been working. As with all B-T students, they Junior Zach Ehresman, a member of the Basketball are keeping up with their grades and numerous team, brings the ball up court during a home game. with many state qualifying times already in the photo by Molly Helm bag and hopefully many more, especially for the other extra-curricular activities while still practic- girls’ and boys’ relay teams. ing every day after school. In fact, the students The team is comprised of athletes from have to keep academics and sports in balance: a four different schools: Concordia, Mercy, Ron- student with any grade below passing will not be calli, and Brownell… but make no mistake, we’re allowed to play at all in any basketball games. likely one of the most cohesive groups of any ex- And students are constantly battling between bas- tracurricular activity (being nearly naked sans all ketball and other sports—especially speech: the makeup/hair accessories with the same group of weekend meets come into conflict with the con- people for four months tends to do that to you). ference and district tournaments. And for those of you who dismiss this clandestine sport as a simple afternoon pasttime, Even though the Raiders suffered a loss to put it in perspective, in a regular two-hour prac- (48-43) to Weeping Water on Jan. 20, Weeping tice, we swim anywhere from two to three miles (a Water head coach, Jeff Kezeor had this to say mile is about 72 laps of the pool). about the Brownell-Talbot team: “They have Practices are held both before and after great shooters and do a nice job of getting them school during any given week, and we also attend open for quality shots.” various swim meets and competitions where each “So far the team has been really healthy individual swimmer can compete in individual events and as a team for different relays. with no major injuries,” said JV player Tripp Brownell-Roncalli Swim team: Emily Bergquist, Skutt, freshman. Hard work, dedication and stay- Michaela Higgins, Alex Totusek, Blakely Heckman, So take the time to bear the intense heat Alison Brockman, Dane Surbeck and Alex Plam- and soaked pants of a swim meet and you may ing strong seem to be the right formula for success beck.photo by Julie Lasto discover why senior team member Blakely Heck- for the Brownell-Talbot boys’ basketball team. man advises, “Swimming is like a huge party, except you have to hold your breath the whole Girls’ Basketball time.” By Sadie Kent Robotics The girls’ basketball team has had an impressive season. Their record at press time is 11- By Ally Washka 3. As a first-year freshman at B-T, I didn’t know what clubs to join, and I was really at a loss. The team celebrated senior night after a However, after talking to Mrs. Carrie Rise at orien- win against Cedar Bluffs on Jan. 15. The two se- tation, I knew what I wanted to try: Robotics! niors Megan and Rachel Fowler were honored for I really had no idea about anything to do their contribution to the school’s athletics. Rachel with Vex Robotics, and I didn’t know what I was Fowler broke the school’s free throw record by getting myself into. After attending the first meet- making all of her eight free throws at the Weeping ing during a lunch hour, I was excited to understand Water game. how to build a robot. The Raiders have let every team know that At the first meeting after school, we broke Members of the Robotics team work on climbing the up into our teams: Freshmen, Sophomore/Junior they are a high scoring team. Throughout the sea- photo courtesy of ladder, part of the competition. Boys, Sophomore/Junior Girls, and Seniors. It was son, junior Haley Mathews has consistently been Carrie Rise really intimidating to see everyone jump right into one of the top scorers every game mostly in the building. Rise, however, noticed this and had the double digits. beginners build a simple chassis to get us comfort- The outside shooters are juniors Molly able with the materials that we had. After building Burkley, Jennifer Coccia and Rachel Fowler. our box-bot, we had a pretty good idea of what a Without a doubt they are a strong team, and each basic structure of a robot was. student is very dedicated to the overall success of The next big challenge was adding an ar- the team. mand all the bells and whistles that come with an Recently, both basketball teams advanced exceptional robot. Rise helped us, and we soon got into the swing of things. We were coming up with to the Conference Championship, and may even ideas and learning how to properly execute them, all be the Conference Champions. the while keeping our robot within the 18-inch limit. This season’s success shows potential for Girls’ Basketball team: back: Nicole Vazquez- Chanlatte, Cami Oyler, Mercedes Kent, Molly Herz- The first big competition was on Dec. 11 and the future, with a strong underclassmen presence berg, Dave Brown, Michael Kroupa, Hannah Emery, was a great learning experience for all of us. Our ob- on both Varsity and Junior Varsity. Chloe Dana, Sonya Schindler; front: Molly Burkley, jective was to score rings onto goals to earn points Haley Mathews, Rachel Fowler, Grace Bartels, Me- Hopefully, the victories of the season will gan Fowler, Precious Moore, Jennifer Coccia photo for our alliance. Once we failed, we got right back advance on into the rest of the year. courtesy of Molly Herzberg up and kept trying until we finally got it right. The experience taught us to work as a team, which is something that can’t be explained in words.

3 Up for an Oscar? The top 10 Movies of 2010 according to Bret Perry and Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson’s Opinion Bret Perry’s Opinion 1. The Social Network—one of the most blatantly 1. Black Swan—this psychological thriller keeps your fabricated “true stories” in recent memory, but the eyes glued to the screen right until the dramatic end. elaborate mesh of reality and imagination makes for Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis convincingly portray great storytelling: full of betrayal and an interesting rival dancers. perspective on the birth of an online phenomenon. 2. Restrepo—filmed in the deadly Korengal Valley in Afghanistan, Restrepo shows what soldiers serving 2. The Fighter—a boxing movie that breaks the abroad encounter. normal boxing movie mold, steering clear of stale clichés by mixing in creative and thoroughly realis- 3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo—this foreign lan- tic characters. guage film contains a plot full of surprises and action. Viewers will become obsessed with Noomi Rapace’s 3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World—a well-executed character, Lisbeth Salander, but are also sucked into movie with astonishingly impressive set and art the tangled web of crime in Sweden. design, maybe even the best of the year. 4. Inception—Director Christopher Nolan creates a 4. Inception—a complexly mazelike and thoroughly unique environment with stunning effects, accurately intriguing story with an all-star cast, delivers an transcribing the atmosphere and attitude of a dream. interesting look into the subconscious. 5. The Town—Ben Affleck directs and acts in this traditional bank robber movie: Jeremy Renner also 5. The Town—a unique heist movie with an inter- provides a strong performance. The sound editing in esting twist that allows development of depth for the particular is superb. characters and their personal lives. 6. The Social Network—a strong cast helps this film describe the beginnings of Mark Zuckerberg’s Face- 6. True Grit—this genre is rarely found in modern book. Make sure to “Like” it on Facebook. movies, but when a Western comes out, it is usu- ally a hit. This film has the perfect balance of dark 7. The Other Guys—Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg humor and a dramatic story. team up in this hilarious comedy about NYPD. Samu- el L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson also play interest- Image from IMDB ing roles. 7. Iron Man 2—one of the best comic book-based Editor’s note: I was actually rather movies of the year providing interesting characters 8. The Book of Eli—this film describes a man on a stunned at the lack of animated and a great mix of humor and action. journey with a mysterious book in a post-apocalyptic movies on this list--this summer world. The score captivates the audience. saw the likes of Despicable Me, The Amazing Mr. Fox, How to 8. Predators—one of the greatest re-boot movies of 9. The Losers—this action film is packed with explo- Train Your Dragon, and Pixar’s all time with great action, great characters: makes sions and plenty of funny one-liners; it’s a fun roller- annual offering Toy Story 3. While any sci-fi fan proud. coaster from beginning to end. not the emotional rollercoaster of Black Swan, they still proved that 9. The Other Guys—finally, a Will Ferrell movie 10. Robin Hood—Director Ridley Scott and Russell cartoons aren’t just for kids. that I find actually funny, contains a great balance of Crowe tell the legend of Sherwood Forrest. Despite action and comedy. the unusual plot, the film and acting is excellent.

Verbatim is an online student Rascal Flatts By Jennifer Cocciacomes to town newspaper published quar- terly at Brownell-Talbot “Nothing Like This”: a fitting name for a tour that no one will ever be able to forget. One cold Saturday School night in Omaha, NE, Chris Young and Luke Bryan opened for their band Rascal Flatts. Many thought that the 400 North Happy Hollow concert would be canceled because of the frigid and danger- Boulevard ous weather, but luckily for the fans, the concert was still held. Omaha, Nebraska 68132 More than 10,000 fans came out on Saturday to see the 10th year anniversary of the found- ing of Rascal Flatts composed of (402) 556-3772 Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and JoeDon Rooney. [email protected] Young was the first to come on stage; he opened with [email protected] “Voices,” his new single, released in May of 2010. The other opener was Luke Bryan, who was nominated Editor-in Chief: Britt Fossum and won Top New Solo Vo- calist and Top New Artist at the 2010 Country Music Awards. He played “Rain is a Good Thing,” We welcome your comments. a single from 2010, forcing the entire arena up on their feet. He Please send them to the e-mail followed with his hit single from 2007 called “All my Friends addresses above, or bring them Say.” to the journalism office. Up next was Rascal Flatts, keeping the energy from Editorial staff reserves the Bryan by opening with “Bob That Head” from their 2007 album right to deny offensive and/or “Still Feels Good.” Not only was the vocal performance great unsigned letters. but the lighting and visual aids were spectacular. After Rascal Flatts went off stage a giant screen started to flash “Rascal” then “Flatts” to the beat of “We Will Rock You.” Hearing the crowd chanting their name, they returned for an encore and performed their hit from May of 2009, “Summer Nights.” From all the performances I think it is truly safe to say that “Nothing Like This” has ever come to Omaha. 4 From the Theatre Our voices By Grace Bydalek By Anonymous The lights burn the skin on your face. You feel a mixture of sweat, tears and Certain voices have been silenced throughout the history of our nation. makeup slide down your cheek. The grease paint pumps through your veins with For example, women in the middle of the 19th century to the early years of the every beat of the tympani at your feet. The footlights illustrate your every wrinkle 20th century were not given the right to vote in this country. and blemish. The beauty of each moment is so real, so irreversible, so raw. This Nearly a cliché in the concept of the silencing of valuable opinions, is the stage. And you have never been more completely, perfectly, incandescently Martin Luther King, Jr., led black Americans into a world of freedom and equal- happy. ity where they were judged by the content of their character and nothing more. For the people who love theatre, and choose to pursue it, things like mov- Today, there is a new voice that is being muffled in the interest of “tra- ies, novels and TV shows just don’t cut it. The differences in each performance, the dition.” It is a voice heard not along streets in marches or from the shoulders of raw interpretation of the characters, and the excitement behind each climactic note our forefathers but echoing from locker to locker in our school hallways. bring fresh energy to the performance each and every night. Each actor brings more The purpose of this article is not to rally troops against the proverbial to the role then was written in their script, or on paper. And, they bring this to eight “Man,” it is merely to satisfy the hunger for students to be heard. Being a nearly shows a week, I might add. 150 year old school, Brownell- Talbot is anchored tightly to the earth with the But the excitement is not what keeps actors and audiences coming back. roots of tradition, something that should be exalted, but also relaxed. My discussion with Dave Barrus, a Broadway artist and vocal coach, came to one Every day I hear students talking about their issues with the school. solid conclusion. He stated, “Artists have a point of view. Artists have something to These voices are largely ignored, not because of color or gender, but because of express. Artists have something to say, and this is how we get people to listen.” age. Well, Mr. Barrus, you couldn’t be more right. Through countless musicals We students are very aware of the fact that the respect of elders is at the like Hair, West Side Story, Spring Awakening and Rent, people have found strength top of our list (right next to beating our top scores in Halo and getting a date for and voice. Musicals such as these allowed people to share their point of view to no the prom). Without a doubt, the faculty and staff know much more about the shortage of audience. challenges of life and the world in general than we do. However, when they were Hair, produced in the mid-1960’s follows a “tribe” of hippies, experiment- our age, they would not disagree with our distaste for certain rules and regula- ing with drugs, long hair, and their sexuality. The musical was originally fabricated tions. They should respect us and our young and fresh ideas. Many adults in to fuel an anti-Vietnam War revolution but wound up protesting more than the draft. the school act as if the once cherished teddy bear they slept with as children has Through the navigation of racial integration, the sexual revolution and burnt draft been replaced with a cold glass book of rules commanding not only our lives but cards, we find Claude, at the peak of his internal struggle. He is debating whether theirs as well. or not to go to war for his country, which he eventually does, and is killed. It’s no We would like to give voice to a few of the concerns overheard in stu- surprise that the original musical was nominated for two Tonys, but beaten out by dents’ conversations around the school. The students will remain anonymous in the militant musical 1776. Hair has had no dearth of remakes, either. In 1976, it the text below: was made into a movie, as well as having two Broadway revivals in 1977 and 2009. “Teachers already know the information they teach us. Parents who in- Hair has no shortage of outlets for expression. stantly try to blame a teacher for the way their child is performing should look at Another revolutionary musical is Spring Awakening, a rock approach to the the broader problem at hand--the child might simply not understand the concept 1891 play by Frank Wedekind. Because of its open interpretation of rape, suicide, and the teacher’s methods may be completely sound.” abortion, homosexuality and child abuse, the play was banned in Germany. In the “Administrators and teachers should be limited to the amount of times early 2000’s it caught the attention of Duncan Sheik and Stephen Slater, the men they give demerits a day, and to whom. One of my fellow classmates was given behind the music and lyrics. They began adapting it into a folk infused rock musi- four demerits on the same day by the same teacher last semester, which seems cal, set in 19th century Germany. The show focuses around Wendla and Melchior, unfair.” two adolescents, ignorant to the world of sexuality. The star cast includes Lea Mi- “I feel like other students are insanely competitive about everything, chelle and Jonathan Groff, made famous by the hit TV series, “Glee.” Awaken- even things that don’t matter. I can’t even be late to class without feeling like a ing was nominated for eleven Tonys, winning eight, including Best Director, Best classmate will judge me for not being on time like they were.” Score, Best Book, and Best Featured Actor. As if this wasn’t enough, it bagged “Homework should be scheduled more often among teachers for the in- four Drama Desk Awards, and its London production clenched four Olivier Awards. dividual student, that way, I do not have a test, quiz, or essay due in five classes. I In recent news, Warner Brothers has taken a particular interest in the script, and know we are in high school now, but still, we should not have to pick which class bought the rights to a feature film. we study harder for, and ultimately do better in.” “I wish we had a class during the day to wind down and relax in. Like The beauty in a musical lies not in the lighting or in the energy, but advisory, a place where we can vent our feelings and sit down and talk about in the raw interpretation of each character. It lies in the differences in each how school life is going. I don’t feel like we get any chances like that.” performance,and the ability to hand the audience an experience of a life- time. The beauty lies in personal expression, and in the outlet for voice and Numbers communication. From the mind of Barrus, “Artists have a point of view. by Mary Cornish Artists have something to express. Artists have something to say, and this is how we get people to listen.” I like the generosity of numbers. The way, for example, Poetry Out Loud: they are willing to count anything or anyone: two pickles, one door to the room, a worthwhile competition eight dancers dressed as swans. By Christina Fossum I like the domesticity of addition— Poetry Out Loud, supervised by Ms. Jackie Byers, is a fantastic add two cups of milk and stir— opportunity offered at Brownell-Talbot, an extension of a national com- the sense of plenty: six plums on the ground, three more petition where students in high school are encouraged to both read poetry falling from the tree. and speak it out loud. And multiplication’s school It is a hybrid of traditional poetry taught in schools—along the of fish times fish, whose silver bodies breed lines of Robert Burns and Emily Dickinson—and more modern poetry, beneath the shadow inspired by the poetry slam. Although it is primary targeted for juniors of a boat. and seniors, it is open for any interested high school student. You simply Even subtraction is never loss, pick out a poem from the Poetry Out Loud website and perform it at your just addition somewhere else: five sparrows take away two, school competition. If you win, you have the chance to compete at larger the two in someone else’s competitions and possibly even make it to Nationals! garden now. Brownell-Talbot has already sent a student to the national com- There’s an amplitude to long division, petition: Tabia Yapp in 2010. Although this is the programs second year, as it opens Chinese take-out box by paper box, great things are already expected from the highly skilled poetry fanatics inside every folded cookie that come from each classroom. a new fortune. This year’s school winner was sophomore Ryan Segur, but plenty And I never fail to be surprised of other students showed their potential for poetry during the heated com- by the gift of an odd remainder, footloose at the end: petitions. Segur’s mentors: English teachers Darin Larsen and Kirsten forty-seven divided by eleven equals four, Macdissi have their fingers crossed as he progresses in the competition. with three remaining. However, you could also speak to junior Jonny Trinh, who wanted to Three boys beyond their mother’s call, broaden his breadth of speech to not just his state champion Humorous two Italians off to the sea, Interp title, but also Poetry, and had an amazing experience despite ul- one sock that isn’t anywhere you look timately being defeated by Ryan Segur. He stated, “I myself was truly convinced that this is a great opportunity.” At left is his selection. 5 Mother India: Local flavors ensure long-running Success

By Christina Fossum

Driving down Leavenworth Street, you find yourself passing many unique locations: maybe the discount 70’s clothing store or a creepy cemetery. But that small white building on 36th Street rarely rings a bell. It wasn’t until one rainy Wednesday afternoon on the way home from school that I decided for the first time to make some sort of effort to finally look at what the red writing was on the side of this unpretentious building. After driving down the street and walking into the building, I discovered what I would come to know as the harbor for the best Indian food in all of Omaha: Mother India. Obviously, I returned to this fine establishment at a later date, and sat, surrounded by a less than 10 other tables. It was a remarkable culinary experience. The Tandoori chicken , rice, and naan at Mother India. Below, the outside of the restau- The food is always wonderful, and the service is great rant. photos by Britt Fossum (family run). The small store even offers take-out. They have spectacular naan, samosas, curry, and well…just about everything else on the menu. I specifically recommend ordering their vegetable curry, served with a traditionally spiced rice (complete with an entire cin- namon stick) and a mango lassi to drink. Located in a tiny building you wouldn’t be able to find if you weren’t looking for it, Mother India has authentic Indian food in an area where you wouldn’t expect it! It is by far not only the best In- dian food in Omaha, but the cheapest as well. It looks like kind of a hole in the wall, so you won’t see it if you aren’t looking for it. Just look for the tiny white building in the intersection of 36th and Leav- enworth. Take a chance, and step inside. You might just be surprised by what you find! Coping with The Epidemic Angst By Grace Bydalek

You sit in front of the TV. The constant murmur of its compliant “personalities” fills your head with shallow celebrity news. Are there people with original opinions, people who shape their lives from their childhood and imagination? People who don’t just watch others live theirs? The confidence of and rebellion of the teenage population is covered up with their notorious teenage angst. Any attentive parent of an adolescent will reassure you, the generic teenage angst can be found in every teenager. But do you, adults, recognize this feeling? I’m sure you do. The thought is familiar, the feeling of youth and excitement. Guzzling four cappuccinos and staying up all night, just to realize that you had no logical reason. The petty drama, classroom politics, or that one person that made you tick, the crazy stress you feel to conform to social norms, to raise your grades, to fill your resumé with credible marks. Living in the shadow of your siblings, parents, even past accomplishments helps the situation none. Most will pass your troubles off as teenage angst and refuse to delve into their own past in an effort to help you with your future. Adults of the world, do your pasts haunt you? Do you refuse to put yourself into your children’s shoes for the fear of uncovering the skel- etons in your closet? We know you’re busy, and we know that life can get in the way. We’ve seen opinion it happen numerous times. But please, stop ignoring the Killers’ dissonant guitar harmonies, and at least try to remember. “When You Were Young,” although it may seem ages ago to us, really isn’t far behind you. Because really, what we want more than anything, is your support. Don’t get us wrong. We could do it without you. While angst is widely recognized, we have confidence and understanding. We have gone through years of managing hectic schedules and writing ten-page papers without the helping hand of adults. Although we have major issues with authority, we understand that there are superior forces at work. We know the full import of the college application, the need for perfection on the SATs. We see our future rounding the corner and don’t flinch away from it. We see our lives, riding on our decisions, and on the paths we take. The drinking and the sex: we realize that the decisions that we make may not always seem logical. But, lo and behold, the beauty of the teenage mind lies here. The ability to take the world and its theories in a dissimilar light differentiates us. The heightened emotions that we feel take our resolutions down paths that you won’t understand. Your hearts are hard. And before you refute me, think of your first love. Enough said. While you question our sanity, we question people’s ideas and philosophies. This is a crucial point in our lives. We form our own opinions about this crazy blue marble we call earth. Breaking away from you is difficult for us too, but it gives us a sense of self worth and importance. You have to let us go.