The gray abyss

What sophomore year is really about

 As we make it halfway through the 2013-2014 school year, the classes are beginning to dread school and dream of summer more and more each day. However, the Student Council Association see’s this and has decided to help with their annual “Snowcoming”; however, what this means is the classes get to pull out their defining colors and represent their class. Alas, when one thinks of the color gray, they do not think of promise, creativity, or excitement; coincidentally, this boring, plain color embodies just what sophomore year is all about.

  Unfortunately, it is hard to find a thrilling time during sophomore year, being that they are the young child stuck in the middle of three other busy siblings. The other grades all appear to have something that defines them: freshmen have new experiences, juniors have SATs as well as extremely hard classes, and seniors typically catch their senioritis early on. What is memorable about sophomore year?

 For some, sophomore year is a student’s first exposure to an AP class. The new workload and stress provide something labeling the second year of high school.

“I’ve taken hard classes before, but it’s just a whole new level,” said sophomore Chantal Groot.

Agreeing, junior Gianluca Grignoli adds, “There was a lot of homework and I spent a lot of my time figuring out my first AP.”

 Nonetheless, this is not the only thing sophomores have to show for themselves; they can display their class spirit through the spirit days. But, usually, it is hard for the class stuck behind two others to make a name for themselves.

 “We really have nothing cool to bring or do for the pep rallies, like the juniors have angel wings, what can we do like that?” said sophomore John Phan.

 Without the school’s collective enthusiasm, the second year of one’s high school career can be bland and emotionless.

 “Even the class color for sophomore year is depressing,” said Grignoli.

 Some find the year to be slow, as opposed to the freshness and fast pace that was freshman year, “It’s troublesome and lagging. It doesn’t feel like it’s moving as fast as freshman year did, and we have a lot more work,” said Phan. This, basically, is what all sophomore year is about.

 Although it may seem bleak, sophomore year is not actually as bad as it seems. There are hidden perks about sophomore year that students can soon recognize.

 “I am happy I’m not a freshman anymore because the upperclassmen don’t hate me,” said Groot.

Although most are not fond of their sophomore year, freshman Brenna Lieb looks forward to moving up in the hierarchy of high school, “As a freshman, everything is really new, but as a sophomore I’ll know more about the school and how everything works.”

 Even if life may appear to be very black and white, there are always going to be gray patches to go through to get there.