The Friday Flyer welcomes new teen columnist

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The Friday Flyer appreciates every one of its columnists and is sad to see anyone leave. However, the nature of Teen Talk is such that young people take on this position some time during their high school years and leave after graduation. The time comes every few years to say goodbye to one teen who has become a part of the family and hello to another young person ready to tackle the task of writing a column once or twice a month.

This week, The Friday Flyer welcomes new teen columnist Spencer Massicot. Spencer is the only child of Bill and Lori Massicot. He is preparing to enter his freshman year at Elsinore High School and says he chose EHS for its athletic and academic programs.

He hopes to write about subjects most teens can relate to such as school, social networks, sports, Canyon Lake activities and problems a teen might face in the more serious part of his school career.

Spencer does a good job of introducing himself in his first Teen Talk column.

An Introduction

New teen columnist Spencer Massicot is pictured with his parents, Bill and Lori. Photo provided by Spencer Massicot

Hello, I am Spencer Massicot. I am 14, and I am going into the 9th grade at Elsinore High School.

Some of my hobbies and interests include spending time with my friends and family, playing with my dog Beatrice, and watching my favorite show, “The Amazing Race.”

A couple of months ago I was promoted from middle school to high school. I was sad because I realized a lot of my friends were going to different schools. When I first came to middle school, I didn’t know anyone because I had just moved to the area. I remember not even wanting to go to school; but in a few weeks, I had made a new group of friends.

At the end of 6th grade, I interviewed for Associated Student Body (ASB) and got in. In 8th grade, I was in charge of the activities committee at my school, so I planned all the dress-up days, games for our assemblies, and I kept a calendar for all of the other clubs on campus. At the end of the year, I won the award for the most school spirit.

Throughout 6th, 7th and 8th grade, I got all As and one B+. During my middle school career, I blossomed from a shy 6th grader to a spirited and energetic 8th grade graduate. I met so many new people that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Even though I will miss a lot of people, I am super excited to start high school after summer is over. It is a chance to start fresh and get focused on my life after graduation. I plan to get involved in every activity possible, continue with ASB, apply myself in the classroom and enjoy myself, because I am never going to get this experience again.

This summer I started practice for the cross country team at my high school. I have been training to build my stamina, strength and overall athletic ability. I have really enjoyed getting to meet some of the people I will be spending a lot of time with for the next four years.

I think of the practices not only as a practice, but a way to get involved with a tight group early in my high school years. It will give me scholarship opportunities for college, and it will teach me discipline. In life generally, people need to be disciplined. I have a lot of goals for my future and they will only be possible if I try my hardest to succeed in every way.

In Canyon Lake there are a lot of ways for teens to have fun. If teens have dogs, they can take them to one of the parks in Canyon Lake where dogs are allowed on leashes. There are plenty of parks where kids can hang out, or they can go to one of the beaches.

I recently discovered the movie night (Flick and Float) at the Canyon Lake pool, which was a lot of fun for my friends and me. We all met at my house and went over there early; we swam for three hours and had a lot of fun. You can bring rafts and floats and everybody just has a good time.

As a teenager, there are so many things that I have that I don’t appreciate. I’m sure most other kids feel the same way. Something that seems so common now, like a cell phone, wasn’t even in existence when most of our parents were kids.

A lot of us just don’t appreciate what our parents do and sacrifice for us. I have started to realize more and more that I should never have an attitude or act in a bad way to my parents because they don’t deserve that in return for everything they do for me. A lot of teens just need to understand that, if they were in our parents’ situations, they would be so hurt if they were treated that way.

Part of growing up is being able to change. It can be going to a different school, leaving a friend or even changing into adulthood. People put so much time into shaping us to survive after high school and helping us become amazing citizens to represent our generation. All kids my age have most likely gone through a situation where their skills were put to the test, and I think that is where we grow as people.

Sometimes being a teen is really hard. Kids can be really cruel to one another; and at some point, a kid will be caught in some drama. But we should all just remember that it won’t ruin our life. One fight with your best friend or one bully won’t matter in the future. We are all our own person, and whatever we turn out to be should be appreciated by everyone we have touched.