Seize the Homecoming

Amber & Kate modeling mums

This past week was homecoming for all of us at Ray High School. Being a freshman I'm new to a lot of these things. One of them being mums. The Wikipedia definition of a homecoming mum is this: "Southwestern United States.The garters are then worn to the game and dance. These are usually very elaborate and consist of many ribbons and ornaments with a chrysanthemum in the center. The decorations are usually related to the wearer's interests and school." and the Urban Dictionary definition is "a big ass bow thing made out of ribbons, that you get for homecoming from your date." 
     I am one of those forever-alone girls so I figured I would just make my own mum. I am also one of those creative, outside of the box, kind of girls. So the part about my own interests really let me be creative. I don't  do sports and that's usually what is on mums so google helped none. Who wants a mum with football crap on it? Umm no one, that's who! 

     Most Fridays we have school-wide pep rallies. All the grades sit in specific sections and at the end, there is a battle cry contest. Whichever grade has the loudest and best one gets bragging rights. It's really competitive and intense. So when it was the freshman's turn, we did our best but all the upperclassmen began boo-ing us. The boo's were louder than our cheers and sent us down to the bottom. Not a cool moment for the class of 2016...
     That day on my way home I was still peeved about the pep rally. I was listening to my iPod and Newsies came on. Then it hit me like a pape to the face. Freshman are just like Newsies! Our Pulitzer is all of the upperclassmen. We have to be brave like the newsboys and let the school know that we been here!
     The following week all the freshman got their act together. We organized ourselves with the help of our Human Geography teacher, Mr. Roberts (shout-out!),who donated his classroom for all our pep rally supplies. We made signs, shredded newspapers and had lots of air horns. I also got to work on my mum. I decided it was going to be a Newsies mum. The ribbons were newspaper, the logo was on the middle  bow and the word Newsies was spelled along the center. It came out pretty well.
     Friday finally rolled around and everyone was ready for that pep rally once and for all. Right before it my friend, Amber, surprised me a mum she made for me. It was a traditional mum and when she saw the one I had made, she loved it. So did all my other theatre friends, they said they totally got it and "that's rich"! 
     So when it was the freshman's turn to do our battle cry, we threw shredded newspaper in the air, yelled at the top of our lungs and jumped up and down. We really gave it our all. Even the seniors stood up in surprise. Freshman don't do this sort of thing! When our principal was announcing the winning class she said, "This week's winners went from the bottom to the top! It's the freshman class!" The announcement was met with another flurry of newspaper and cries of joy. It was the first time ever in the history of our school that the freshman class won the homecoming pep rally. Put that in your juice box and suck it, upperclassmen! 

  

Show Tunes and How Apparently They Aren't Normal People Music

     When asked what kind of music I like best, I usually answer with country music. Really I only listen to two genres; country and show tunes. Broadway show tunes are just so underrated it's sad. I'm sorry if wanting to be involved in a story while singing. That's what these songs do, they help tell a story. A wise person once said, "There is a show tune for every occasion." That wise person was spot on because there are just so many!
      Having a bad day? "Hasa Diga Eebowai" from The Book of Mormon is your song. Going on a date you are really excited for later? Try singing "Tonight" from West Side Story. Getting mixed feelings from a "friend"? Then "Mix Tape" from Avenue Q is for you. Just met someone special? "I Can Hear the Bells" from Hairspray. Feel like eating your town? "A Little Priest" from Sweeney Todd. Trying to learn Spanish? "Sunrise" from In The Heights. Trying to write a newspaper for rebel newsboys? "Watch What Happens" from Newsies. Stripper? "Out Tonight" from Rent. Do you dream of being a house wife? "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" from How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Are you a perky blonde who is giving your abnormally green friend a makeover? "Popular" from Wicked.
     There is always a good moment for a show tune because there are so many musicals about really crazy things! Some are believable and even have historical accuracy like Newsies, Rent, In The Heights, and West Side Story. Others go off of stereotypes like The Book of Mormon. Some come from movies like most Disney musicals and Hairspray.
     Some people however, like my mother, don't appreciate them at all. Apparently "normal people" don't listen to this kind of music. This really sucks because how cool would it be to pull up to a red light next to some gangster who is blaring some ghetto rap music and be able to thwart him with "Ohmigod You Guys" from Legally Blonde The Musical. Wouldn't that just feel great?!
    

Jeremy Jordan and How I Can't Believe He's From Corpus

     The Tony awards are only a week away and Mr. Jeremy Jordan is nominated for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical. Jordan stars in the musical, Newsies. Newsies is based on the actual Newsboys Strike of 1899.
     I had never heard of this new show and when I first heard about it, all I heard were two words; Jeremy Jordan. I live in Corpus Christi, Texas and apparently so did he. "That's cool." I thought and blew it off.
     Later one of my friends told me about someting that happened in choir that day. Ms. Byus (yes, like High School Musical but I'm 100% serious), the choir director, was telling the class about Jordan. "  He is nominated for a Tony this year and we all should be very proud of him not only because he is a Corpus Christi native, but he also went here to Baker." I had never heard this before! This guy could win a Tony and I'm walking the same halls as him?! At this, everyone started talking so Ms. Byus had to hush down the kids, "Yes, yes, kids. But I wasn't his choir teacher when he went here."
     "That's why he's gonna win the Tony!"retorted some kid in the back of the class. The whole class laughed but Ms. Byus was less than amused.
     So that night I went home and listened to the Newsies soundtrack on Spotify. It was really catchy and soon I was singing right along. I wanted to know more about Jordan and the whole show itself. In one interview he said "This is a huge responsibility. I remember being eight years old and seeing it in the theater. This movie means a lot to people in my generation." I was clueless. What movie was he talking about? It turns out that there is a movie of the same name that the musical was based on. I had never heard of it because it is a few years older than me; it's from 1992 to be exact.
     That weekend I was at Half Price Books and found an old VHS tape of it for one dollar. That's how you know it's old. What else can you buy for a dollar? When I was paying for it I made small talk with the cashier. "Hey I remember this movie! It was pretty good." I told him it was on Broadway now but he didn't really seem very interested. It wasn't until I mention Jeremy Jordan that it clicked for him. "Oh! That guy?! He went to Carroll. I remember now. A Tony, huh? Maybe we should be selling this for more than a buck..." Too late! I had bought it already.
     So I developed my opinion of the show through the 1992 movie, YouTube clips and other people's reviews. I love Newsies now and I wish I could play one but I am a painfully tall hispanic girl so I seriously doubt that will ever happen. The more I think about it, the cooler Jeremy Jordan seems. He came from my city. He probably ate a few Whataburgers, put up with our crap weather, and was frustrated with our miniscule theatre life down here (it pisses me off all the time). He was one of us but is now a star. As I type this it's hitting me; what if I know a future Tony winner...BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Yeah right! A city like Corpus Christi can only produce one person like Jeremy Jordan.