Ask Blair is an advice column run by a GPHS student under the alias of Blair. Its purpose is to provide advice to students in search of it. Keep in mind that your responses will most likely be in the next issue of The Scroll. See below for our advice request form.
Submission: Blair, I have a dilemma. I really want to do the next musical, but it m ight be FINDING NEMO. I do NOT want to be a fish. Should I get over my fish-fears? Or not do the show? Theatre is my life, Blair 😔
Blair: I doubt that the next musical will be Finding Nemo but, if it is, I say get over your fish-fears. Embrace your inner aquatic vertebrate. If being in a musical is truly what you wish, then you have to embrace whatever the musical will be. I can understand feeling apprehensive about being a fish on stage in front of a crowd of people. Stage fright can ruin dreams and careers in the entertainment industry. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, “In facing your fear, it becomes possible to overcome performance anxiety and find comfort and ease in expressing yourself in front of others.” If theatre were truly your life, you would face your fears of the fishes and embrace the scales of life. Chase your theatre dreams, no matter the fishy situations you may find yourself in!
Submission: I feel the need to rip my skin off whenever I hear people making chewing sounds or something of the like. There's this one chick in my class who gnaws on her fingers and clicks her tongue and makes these absolutely revolting mouth sounds throughout the entire period... UGHHHHH. Like I'm down with ASMR and stuff but not IRL.
Blair: It can be difficult to deal with mouth sounds from other people. One option is to ask the person who is clicking her tongue if she would cease fire. Make sure you ask politely so as not to cause any conflict. Another option, if your teacher allows it, is to use headphones. You can listen to music to drown out the sound of the people chewing and clicking their tongues. If your teacher does not allow headphones, try having a conversation with them about why you feel you need them. They may either grant your request or still not allow you to wear headphones. If you are not allowed to wear them, then try asking your teacher if you can move to a different seat. Chewing sounds can be bothersome to most people, but if it is affecting your ability to stay focused in class (therefore affecting your grades), then there is a way to overcome this disturbance.
Having a strong aversion to certain sounds, such as chewing or mouth sounds, is a condition called misophonia. According to Cleveland Clinic, “Treatments for misophonia-related conditions, such as anxiety or OCD, may also help with misophonia symptoms.” This is not an invitation to self-diagnose as someone with OCD, but if you feel that other symptoms or habits align with those of someone with anxiety or OCD, then I would recommend talking with your doctor to find a solution that works best for you. A medical provider would know the best ways to treat those types of conditions if you were to be diagnosed with them. However, chewing sounds are annoying, so if you have a regular annoyance from people chewing in class, I would opt for headphones.
Submission: Is senior year easier than junior, because this year has been really busy and pretty stressful with my part-time job, clubs, classes, and personal life. I just want to know because the college scholarship applications start. So, is senior year easier than junior?
Blair: I feel as if junior year and senior year are both difficult for different reasons. During junior year, you may be worried about passing all seven of your classes, as well as possibly having a part-time job, friends, family, and clubs that you enjoy being a part of. All of that stress can add up quickly, so I would say senior year is somewhat easier. However, if you plan on going to college (or even a trade school), then senior year has an added stress that no class in high school has prepared us for. There are scholarship essays to write, schools to apply to, and federal aid applications, many of which nobody tells you the deadlines for. If you plan on furthering your education after high school, then make sure to apply for FAFSA, the Redwood Foundation, and OSAC as soon as they are open to you. Unfortunately, I was unaware of OSAC until the deadline had already passed, so it was too late. Make sure to hassle staff members, specifically in the Career Center and your counselor, for help with finding and applying for scholarships. Personally, I have had a hard time finding scholarships, aside from the Redwood Foundation, from our Career Center, which is why you have to— politely— hassle them. The Redwood Foundation has a main application, but also make sure to check on their additional scholarships for which you must write more essays. The deadlines can creep up on you if you are unaware that the scholarships are even out there. Make sure you get teacher recommendations, as well, as many colleges and scholarships require one to two letters of recommendation. I wish you luck in your upcoming senior year!
Submission: Why can't fictional characters be real.
Blair: Fictional characters cannot be real for that exact reason— they are fictional. They are a figment of someone’s imagination and put into a book, movie, or TV show. They exist within pages and screens for our entertainment but, sadly, they provide nothing more. Many people find comfort within characters that they either relate to or hope to become someday. Idolizing a fictional character can be dangerous, though. Since they are fictional, they do not have the same thought processes as real people. Their entire life is simply a plot that has already been written out before you have even experienced their story. Real life is not so simple. We have to make decisions every day without knowing the outcome. In most (but definitely not all) stories, we can rest assured that the main character will turn out to be alright, but we cannot do that in real life. If you idolize and look up to a fictional character, then you could put a burden on yourself to live up to expectations that match the life of the fake person. It is never a healthy mindset to idolize someone who can be so easily perfect. Those who write about fictional characters make their own mistakes while writing said characters, but we only get to see the greatest outcome they produced. We do not always get to experience the highs and lows that the creators of those characters experience, which is why it can be fun to love fictional characters, but we should not idolize them too much.
Within the last few years, we launched the advice column Ask Blair! Everything is 100% anonymous, from who sends in submissions, to my own identity. Though I go by Blair for the purpose of the column, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you know me outside of The Scroll. I’m a student at GPHS, just like all of you. My goal for the column is to reach out to everyone and do what I can to help you during your times of trouble. Please keep in mind that your submissions will all be completely anonymous and your name will not be written in any of the issues here, so don’t be afraid to send in questions for next month’s issue! I look forward to writing for you guys in the months to come. Scroll down to enter your own questions for me: Blair!
*A Note from Blair: Since I reach such a wide audience and cater to people of so many different lifestyles and beliefs, it is my goal to remain as unbiased as possible when giving advice. It is for that reason that I ask you to refrain from asking for my personal opinions on politics and the like, as I don't want that to get in the way of being able to help as many people as possible. Thank you for helping me keep Ask Blair! a safe space for everyone!
*Editor's Note: The Scroll's Ask Blair! column is to solely provide advice, care, and support to students in need. We want to hear from you, and we understand that some of the topics that will be discussed will be emotional and sometimes distressing, but this advice column is not meant to be used as an alternative to any sort of professional therapy or counseling.
Thank you 💜
