hannah ツ

U.S. Marines were asleep in their barracks at the Beirut International Airport as part of a multinational peacekeeping force, along with French, British, and Italian troops during the Lebanese Civil War. at 6:21am, a truck disguised as a supply truck for the Marines drove to the airport, turned on to an access road toward the Battalion Landing Team Headquarters, and crashed through the fence. at 6:22am, the truck drove into the lobby of the BLT building; a few seconds later the truck exploded in a massive detonation, turning the four-story building to rubble and killing 241 people: 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers, along with 75 non-fatal injuries. this attack was the deadliest single-day death toll for the U.S. Marine Corps since the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.

why is this day so important to me? because my uncle was one of the 220 Marines killed that day — and no one seems to know it even happened.

it’s not taught in U.S. history classes, even though it’s a significant event in the history of our country, and i don’t understand why. this attack, happening just 35 years ago, is what started the war on terror that we see happening today.

now, on october 23, 2018, i think about what happened 35 years ago, and it makes me sad.. sad because i know that on this day my grandparents lost a son, my dad lost his brother, and i lost an uncle — someone i never got the opportunity to meet, and never will.

1. have fun

2. cherish your last year, as you won’t be returning to high school in the fall

3. it’s ok to have senioritis, but don’t let it consume you

4. participate in senior ditch day and/or the senior prank.. after all you’re only a senior once (hopefully)

5. go to prom if you haven’t yet.. it’s your last chance (but you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.. it’s really up to you)

6. have friends and teachers peer edit your college essays

7. some friends will disappear, and others you’ll make unintentionally.. that’s totally normal

8. avoid skipping class because it’s hard to get caught up

9. stay safe in cars with your friends.. don’t drink and drive or text and drive

10. don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to do

11. pursue the career you want, not what your parents or anyone around you is pressuring you to do

12. enjoy each day as much as you can, because before you know it you’ll be receiving your diploma

13. college isn’t for everyone, so don’t feel like you have to go

14. if you don’t know what you want to do with your life, but you still want to go to college, community college is great for discovering that and it’s cheaper

1. just because you’re an upperclassman now doesn’t mean you can boss the underclassman around

2. don’t be mean to the freshman.. keep in mind you were in their shoes just a couple of years ago

3. take! the! ACT! or! SAT! you’ll have a better chance of getting into college (if you want to go)

4. make time for your friends and family. junior year can be stressful, but don’t get so caught up in school related stuff that you forget to spend quality time with the ones you love

5. make sure you have time for your hobbies. don’t put them on the back burner because of school work

6. if you want some spending money for when you go out with your friends, you might want to considering getting a part time job. i know that might not be something you really want to do, but trust me when i say having money of your own is great

7. but don’t let that job interfere with school. if you’re working a bunch of hours and don’t have time for school work, talk to your boss and see if they can cut down your hours

8. junior year is (typically) the first year you can go to prom. remember that you don’t have to go with a date. you can go stag with friends and still have a great time

9. remember to be safe, in whatever you do. don’t drink and drive or text and drive

10. make decisions you want to make. don’t do something because you feel pressured by others. stick to your gut

11. junior year is a good time to think about what you want to do after graduation (because senior year you’ll be applying to colleges (if you’re going to college)). start researching majors and colleges, and decide if college is something you even want to do

12. start doing campus visits/tours to potential colleges. if you don’t like the campus, chances are you won’t want to go to school there

13. take little breaks from your school work if you have a lot, because overworking yourself is not good

14. if you have a study hall, use it to study and/or get your homework done, that way you can just chill at home or go out with friends after school

1. just because you're not a freshman anymore, doesn't mean you're all that

2. if a freshman needs help, help them. you were in their shoes last year, remember that

3. if you’re taking an AP class, take it seriously, but don’t stress out to the point you cry

4. it's not a bad time to think about what you want to do with your life. you don't necessarily have to start looking at colleges, but maybe figure out if you even want to go to college

5. if you didn’t get involved freshman year, it’s not too late

6. your grades sophomore year do matter

7. sophomore year is (usually) when you take the PSAT/ACT. while it doesn’t seem like a big deal, they give you a really good idea of what the actual SAT/ACT is really like. plus (i’m pretty sure) you can get scholarship opportunities, which can help, even if it’s just a little

8. if you messed up during your freshman year, don’t beat yourself up over it. take this year to fix your mistakes and better yourself

9. if you can, take drivers ed. having the ability to drive is something you’ll want when you want to go out

10. sophomore year tends to be the year where no one is really watching your every move, so do what you want (just please be careful with whatever you do)

11. please please be careful if you’re dating an upperclassmen

12. friends who drag you down and make you feel bad are not your friends. drop them before it’s too late (speaking from personal experience)

13. reach out to people who are kinda your friends (i call them “school friends”) and see if you can further the friendship. they might just turn out to be your best friend

14. if you can help it, don’t mess up your sleep schedule too bad

1. know your schedule before the first day. know where all your classes are, or at least the wing they're in, that way you don't get lost and/or go into the wrong classroom. also, if you're allowed to have your phones, set your schedule as your lock screen!!

2. get involved. band, choir, orchestra, theatre, sports, a club, whatever.. just get involved in some way

3. but if you don't want to get involved, that's totally fine too. it's really up to you, and what you're comfortable with

4. be nice to your teachers!! (even if you don’t like them)

5. don’t be afraid to ask for help

6. try to keep up with the workload. it usually is a lot more than you’re used to, so try to stay on top of everything as much as you can (but don’t stress yourself out too much. if the workload is too much, talk to a few of your teachers and see if you can get extensions for some assignments if you just can’t get them in on time)

7. do not date seniors

8. remember that relationships aren’t everything (not friend relationships those are good i mean like romantic relationships)

9. be open to being friends with different types of people that you normally wouldn’t think of hanging out with

10. it’s ok if you stopping being friends with the people you were friends with in middle school. high school is usually when you learn who your real friends are and who isn’t worth your time or energy

11. bring headphones and a charger.. they are lifesavers!! (also, @ everyone who gets periods, have a stash of pads/tampons in your locker and/or in your backpack at. all. times.)

12. those big heavy textbooks you have? only carry them when you need them for class. otherwise just leave them in your locker, don’t shove them in your backpack

13. for god’s sake don’t stand in the middle of the hallway. pick a side. also don’t walk slow or text while walking in the hallway.. it causes traffic jams

14. sleep is important. don’t stay up really late or you’ll regret it the next morning

15. dress comfy. no one honestly cares what you wear. so wear what you want :)

16. bring a water bottle (if your school allows it)

17. it’s ok to ask upperclassman for help. if you don’t know where one of your classes is, just ask an upperclassman and they’ll tell you. don’t be embarrassed about it.. they were freshman once too

18. go to football games and pep rallies and just have fun. you might regret not going to those once you’re out of high school

19. stay away from drama as much as you can. don't create it, and try not to get caught up in it

sophomore:

junior:

senior: