11 Signs You Went To Adlai E Stevenson High School
Below I shared 11 experiences I believe every student that—at one point—bled green and gold would have experienced! Read on to see what particular characteristics I think best highlight the life of a Patriot at the best public high school in the nation (thanks Niche.com!) Here are 11 signs you went to Adlai E Stevenson High School!
1. Having no idea who people were talking about when they asked you, “Do you know so and so?”
It was impossible to know every student that was in your grade, let alone the entire school of 4,000 students (and counting!). So, when someone said “Omg! Do you know [insert name]?”, there was a very slim chance that you would have actually responded with a “yes!”. Yet the beauty of it was that you rarely found yourself engulfed in drama beyond your circle of friends. Unless it was something school wide, like a flash mob prom-posal!
2. Feeling very overwhelmed walking into Student Activities and seeing the pamphlets for 100+ clubs!
As if we weren’t nervous enough traveling from building to building during Freshmen Orientation, thinking to ourselves “How the heck am I ever supposed to be able to get around this school?”, we were dragged into Student Activities to see the 100+ pamphlets for various clubs. And oh boy, was that just the cherry on top of a distressing day.
3. Knowing the struggle of parking in The Strip because of the very limited parking spaces.
You didn’t really know how much of a cursed blessing parking on campus was until it was 8:27 and you had circled the Field House parking lot three times, and you were still lacking a spot to park your car. Then you just faced the facts that you had to get to class (after you bought your iced caramel latte from Jazzman’s, duh!), and you turned around and went to park in The Strip. It was like parking in Port Clinton all over again!
4. Looking forward to the best day of the school year: Free Cookie Day!
You had never felt so many emotions in one day until it was Free Cookie Day: the obvious excitement because of free cookies, the anxiety of trying to run back and forth between the buildings to get as many cookies as possible, the impatience of having to wait until the bell rang for the parents to give you a cookie, and the utter sadness and disappointment of having 6th period lunch and having most good cookies run out. Gosh, what a roller coaster of a day!
5. Having to ask “which one?” when your friend says to meet in the Learning Center.
Whether you wanted to use a computer, get a private study room, or get yelled at for having two people sit in one chair, there was a place for it all! You probably also met with your friends during lunch or after school and hung out in a learning center—but you had to be sure to ask which one, so you didn’t each end up in opposites buildings!
6. Constantly stepping on someone’s heels, or having your heels trampled, when you walked through The Link.
For all the vastness that Stevenson embodies within its 76 acres, it sure makes up for it by having quite narrow hallways; you hated it, you passed through it at least once a day, but you couldn’t escape it (unless you traveled outside. Blegh.)—the Link! It was brutal walking through it, especially when you were in a hurry to get to your next class—a feeling you probably shamelessly lost by your second semester of senior year.
7. Being speechless while hearing all the walks of life your teachers have been through.
Whether it is being the former CEO of a company, having worked on salvaging pieces of The Titanic, having written books or taught in Oxford, the faculty at Stevenson have gained immeasurable insight and have lived through the greatest adventures, yet found solace in working at a high school in Illinois—teaching you that doing what you love is the greatest gift of all.
8. Walking in every new school year to see some renovation that was miraculously finished over the summer.
Stain glass windows, a hotel-like cafeteria with myriad options of delicious food (shout out to sushi Fridays!), a second Jazzman’s, new (and narrower!!!) parking spots—the list goes on and on of all the new improvements that surprised you every new year you walked into Stevenson. But hey, those leaky ceilings could wait!
9. Being surrounded by the kindest, most hardworking staff—Sodexo workers.
Whether it was constantly wiping down lunch tables, vacuuming, serving hot lunches to indecisive teenagers, or opening the lockers of forgetful and fearful freshmen, Sodexo workers never disappointed you!
10. Meeting wonderful people during your second semester of senior year (or during the last week).
You probably met people during senior year—people that you wished you would’ve created a bond with four years ago; there was conversation—for the first and last time—with the used-to-be-stranger sitting next to you at graduation rehearsal. You said hello, just to wave goodbye.
11. Realizing you are indescribably blessed and fortunate to have attended a school that offers endless opportunities.
Not only did Stevenson academically prepare us for life, but gave us opportunities are lucky enough to have. We were offered support amidst very critical milestones. The truth is the more you sought out at Stevenson, the more meaningful and unforgettable your high school experience was. And no matter what, you will always be proud to have been a Patriot.
