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      Shelter Chic = Mismatched Mayhem For This College Girl

      Shelter Chic = Mismatched Mayhem For This College Girl

      You know those clothes that you should probably give away but never actually do? And, the clothes that you have had in your closet for years but have really never worn before because they fit weird? Oh, and I almost forgot... none of these clothes match each other. At all. Well, lucky me, because those are the only clothes I have in my house to wear during the quarantine. My wardrobe has truly become a “mismatched mayhem”.


      I left college early March with a week’s worth of clothes for my spring break trip to Las Vegas. Just so you know, those clothes consisted of one comfy plane outfit, five bathing suits and five nightclub dresses. Not exactly the type of clothes that would be beneficial right now. After coming back from my trip on Friday March 13, I was expecting to go back to school Sunday March 15. Therefore, I didn’t mind wearing whatever random clothes I had left home from school for a few days. 


      Who knew that during my time in Vegas, the Coronavirus situation would escalate so much? And, that the day before I came home from my trip, Penn State would announce that all classes were going to be online for the next three weeks. At first I was kind of disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to go back to school for a little while. But, I just kept reminding myself that it was only going to be three weeks and it would be a nice break between coming back from my trip and really getting into school again.


      And then it happened… Penn State moved the rest of the semester (and graduation :/ ) to be completely online. Shortly after that, New Jersey shut down all non-essential businesses and declared a state lockdown. So now, here I am, stuck at home with only my mismatched mayhem clothes to wear.


      Go ahead, you can laugh. I know you are all probably picturing some girl sitting on her couch wearing the ugliest neon pink sweatpants paired with a 10 year old bar/bat mitzvah sweatshirt. 


      Luckily, I have my mom and my sister to steal clothes from when I run out of wearing the only 5 outfits I have in my closet and the fact that my parents own a retail clothing store doesn’t hurt either. 


      So, in actuality, even though I am complaining about my lack of “normal” clothes, I am extremely lucky. I have family and friends who are safe and healthy. My two dogs give us a reason to get out of the house more. My parents' small business is still able to function online. And, to be honest, who cares about what clothes I’m wearing. You can only see my shirt in Zoom anyway.


      So, whatever, I’ll let my neighbors, and the squirrels in my backyard, judge me for wearing an outfit that doesn’t match. Because honestly, for all I know, I could be starting a new trend. Maybe Mismatch Mayhem really is the new Shelter Chic.

      Why the College Admission Process Makes Me Feel Like a Contestant on The Bachelor

      Why the College Admission Process Makes Me Feel Like a Contestant on The Bachelor

      By: Lily Gold (Teen Blogger)

      As Juniors begin the college hunt, and as seniors have already experienced, we begin to ask ourselves; is this the school for me? Am I ready to commit and fall in love with this school? Will they love me back and accept me too? As I, myself, began pondering these questions, I recognized the uncanny similarity between the college selection process and The Bachelor.

      Being a college applicant is comparable to being a contestant on the bachelor. You want to fully commit yourself and fall in love with the bachelor/bachelorette, but will they love you back and give you that rose? In other words, you want to love a school, but perhaps it’s a reach. Maybe you even want to apply early decision to express your love. But will they accept you? Or will you be packing your bags with no rose in hand, and tears streaming down your face?

      There is also a striking similarity between the other contestants and the other applicants. You want to be supportive and hope the best for them, perhaps they are even your friends in both The Bachelor and the college process. However, they are still your competition. And a rose for them, or an acceptance for them, could possibly mean a rejection for you.

      Being an applicant for college (and a Bachelor contestant) can be painful sometimes as you put yourself out there, and perhaps get rejected. Deciding where you are going to call home for the next four years can be extremely overwhelming. However, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Your rejection from one school will lead to your enrollment in another. What makes rejection easier, is knowing that you will ultimately end up at the school that you were meant to attend...the right rose is worth waiting for.

      Camp Is So Much More Than Just A Home Away From Home

      Camp Is So Much More Than Just A Home Away From Home

      Being alone, without your parents for weeks at a time seems like a scary, and daunting experience for many kids. I once felt petrified at the idea of being away from my Mom and Dad too. However, 8 years after my first summer at camp, (I was 9 years old) I can genuinely say that it was the best time of my life! While many kids may seem apprehensive at the first talk of going, summer camp allows kids to learn and figure out how to care of themselves without their parents showing them the way. While it may be a trial and error process in some cases, it really just seems to work. Camp teaches kids how to find their way all alone, how to make new friends, clean up after themselves, voice their thoughts and opinions, or even figuring out how to do something as simple as dressing themselves in the morning.

      Friends made at camp will remain as friendships for years after camp ends. The environment at camp is so full of acceptance. You are surrounded by a plethora of new faces, backgrounds, and personalities. It allows you to really find yourself and not feel like you need to pretend to be anyone else. I went to Camp Danbee for 7 years, and their motto, that has stuck with me to this day, is “Dance like nobody's watching”. I think that this speaks lengths about the experience you get at camp; the ability to act entirely like yourself without having to worry about being judged. Camp creates a home like no other; a home away from home. It also allows for unique friendships to form. The friends that I have made at camp are similar to me but also extremely different. These differences are what make the friendships that I have so unique from those that I have acquired at home. Typically, at home, you are attracted to those people who are similar to you. I believe which is why having friends who vary from you offer a fresh and valuable perspective. For me, the friends that I have made at camp are the best friends I have ever, and possibly will have had. It has been nearly two years since my last summer at camp, and I still consider my camp friends my best friends, despite the fact that we live hundreds of miles away.

      Last, and certainly not least, camp offers an extensive list of activities for you to try. Just because you aren’t good at something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it! Camp gives you an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, try something you have never done before and learn how to do it better. Camp gave me the opportunity to do things that I never dreamt of doing at home; water skiing, rock climbing, sailing, pottery and so much more. I am not a good dancer (not even a mediocre one!), yet every year at camp I found myself in the dance studio, learning a routine with my friends around me. Was it sometimes embarrassing? Yes. Were there times I regretted signing up? Many. But offered the chance to do it all again, would I change a thing? Never.

      I can whole-heartedly say that I would be a different person from who I am today without the experience I had at camp, and the friends, no sisters, that I met there.