The bucket list

Admittedly, we can't all be like Morgan Freeman or Jack Nicholson, and carelessly dispense dough on tattoos and exotic trips to the Great Wonders of the World before we graduate. But there are some pretty wicked Blair traditions to partake in and in-house landmarks to explore before we leave the motherland. Graduation means nothing when Blazers haven't accomplished everything on Silver Chips Online's Super Bucket List for Amazing, Zany, Interesting, Nifty Humans, um...Of Today (S.C.O.S.B.L.A.Z.I.N.H.O.T.).

This handy-dandy checklist will show the path to enlightenment - or true Blazer-hood. Forget homework; S.C.O.S.B.L.A.Z.I.N.H.O.T. should be the top priority in your mind until all the items are completed. Better than a flimsy Blair diploma, a completely checked-off bucket list will be the most imoprtant piece of paper you'll ever possess - the achievement you'll frame on your wall and kiss before you go to bed.

Pen? Check. The force of a great typhoon? Check. Strength of a raging fire? So let's get down to business. You're well on your way to being a man, er...a true Blazer. The only thing left is the bucket list:

1. Appear on "InfoFlow"

Forget "The Real World." Nothing says stardom and fame better than Blair Network Communication's (BNC) "InfoFlow." Watched by millionsthousands, the daily Blair news report broadcasts to channel 19, the most popular channel on cable after C-SPAN. Yes, sometimes looking like a fool with friends on camera while yelling "Did you know?!" down hallways is kind of embarrassing. But when all those Blazers and teachers recognize you as that "InfoFlow" boy or girl, pump out your chest and embrace those precious six minutes of Hollywood-esque fame. It's not that tricky (Blair-wide inside joke!) to shake down a BNC kid and harass him or her until they agree to tape you, so profess your love to the camera before graduation creeps up.

2. Explore Blair's surroundings and interior

There's more to Blair's schoolyard than the surrounding sports fields, tennis courts and parking lots. Many hidden treasures on Blair's campus include the late Earth Systems Science teacher Leslie Rogers's labyrinth and the Blair ecosystem. Where are these places? Well, that's your job to find out! Even more fascinating is the inside of Blair. Ever wonder where BNC produces "InfoFlow" using that enigmatic million-dollar switchboard? Or what backstage looks like? What about the covert lounge in the auditorium? Blazers, the school is your oyster. Explore, but don't get hurt (or caught).

3. Go all out for spirit days and pep rallies

Prancing around in kindergartener clothes and red body suits is really attractive. So before you leave Blair, make sure you embrace spirit days and pep rallies to the max - all the cool kids are doing it. A double reward is guaranteed: school spirit and turned heads for your freaky fashion statements.

4. Get featured in Silver Chips

One of the best feelings in the world is knowing that what you do or who you are truly matters in the scheme of all things. The two award-winning Silver Chips editions are sure to cater to that feeling. Need something to assure you that you're awesome? By merely looking at your quote or smiling face in the paper or online, you can get a quick and simple ego boost. Oh, and did we mention Silver Chips is über-cool and prestigious? So by being featured in Silver Chips or on SCO, you're automatically rad and impressive enough for the world outside of high school. Plus, you'll finally have something real show up when you Google your name.

5. Eat in various places around school

Munch near the lockers, in the SAC, in the general courtyard and for seniors, in the almighty Senior Courtyard. Once you're crisscrossed that terrain, take it a step further: the second floor, the English office, the arts hallway, the band room. With so many different places to eat lunch, experience all Blair eating locales to get a sense of what 5A and 5B are really like.

bucket list - lunch in the bathroom

Photo:

Okay, maybe our hatred isn't as bitter as the animosity between the Redskins and Cowboys, but Blair and Northwood's "Battle of the Boulevard" still goes pretty far back. Show true Blazer pride and commitment when you scream your lungs out for Blair football and boo Northwood. Missing out on the intensity of the crowd, the passion of Blazers and the enormous sea of red would be plain heart-wrenching. Blair. All day, everyday.

7. Ride the elevator

Find a friend on crutches. 'Nuff said.

8. Meet people outside of your academies and programs

Blair is one of the most diverse schools in the county, so there's no reason why your acquaintances shouldn't reflect Blair's prized diversity. Meet and greet people who aren't like you ethnically, intellectually or emotionally. Introduce yourself to freshmen and seniors, along with those "nerdy" Magnets, I-write-poetry-for-fun Cappies and students from various academies. Maybe you'll learn a few a few calculator tricks or Fashion Club struts along the way. A great way get this checked off quickly? Stop by Diversity Workshop, a Blair club and staple.

9. Shine onstage

Singing, dancing or giving a speech onstage can be frightening but also incredibly memorable. From SGR Spectacular to a Blair play to SGA elections, being onstage is a magnificent experience that comes with butterflies and later ecstasy. If you don't want to deliver to an audience, find some time to walk around the stage by yourself. Looking out to rows of empty maroon seats is a refreshing perspective and a once-in-a-lifetime Blair opportunity.

10. Play a good-humored teacher joke

There's no greater sense of camaraderie than when a whole class unites to play a nice teacher joke. Once in a while, with your love for your teacher in mind, make sure your class does something thrilling. For a great example of teamwork and friendship, look to two years ago, when student bonding and teacher fun was captured on video. It's important to have a blast before saying "bye bye bye" to Blair.

Are you ready to "be the very best like no one ever was?" Well, get going on becoming a true Blazer! Break a leg (your own? someone else's?) just to ride on the elevator. Paint your body red. Stalk Infoflow cameramen. Hide your teacher's staplers, tape and whiteboard markers. Just remember S.C.O.S.B.L.A.Z.I.N.H.O.T., and the road to awesomeness will be incredibly clear.