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Telly (Chantel)
I'm curious. Post your thoughts!
Telly (Chantel)
Q: So, did you end up going to the prom?
A: Yes, I actually did get my act together and go to prom.
Q: Did you enjoy yourself?
A: I did enjoy my time at prom, although I was disappointed by the entire event. I had prepared myself for some bad music, but the D.J.'s ineptitude exceeded my expectations. The actual songs were not necessarily to my liking, but this was overshadowed by the D.J.'s tendency to play with the songs' tempos at random. This made dancing really difficult.
Q: What was the best part?
A: The best of prom was spending time with some friends that I have made over the past four years at high school. Reflecting on the experience as a whole, the strongest memories I have of the night are those of brief moments when I connected with friends. I can remember teasing a friend and making her laugh, shaking a childhood friend's hand, dancing with my date, and other such interactions. These are the portions of that evening that I will smile at when I recall them in years to come.
Q: What was the worst?
A: The worst part of prom was the definitely location. The dance floor was minuscule! It might have been thirty feet by twenty feet. I think that about 200 kids showed up, so it was absolutely choked. Of course, this can be blamed on my school's lack of initiative in booking a proper location, which nearly ruined the event.
Q: What did you do the day of the prom?
A: I left my house at 4:30, met my friends, went out for dinner (which was a blast!), arrived at 7:30, and left prom at 11:30. So, I guess I was there for four hours.
Q: Did you take a date?
A: Yes, and I'm glad that I did. We went as "friends." It was all very casual, but it was also really nice to be there with someone. I asked her at lunch a few days beforehand, and, luckily, she wasn't spoken for! If you listen carefully, you can hear her a few times in the piece. She's the girl whose dress cost about $100. This is the dress she's wearing in the photo.
Q: Did you go to any after parties?
A: Yes, I went to my date's after party. It was extremely fun. Unbeknownst to me, it seems as though you don't have to go to prom to go to the after parties as one of the party-goers did not attend prom. I was glad that she was there though because she's a close friend. All considered, I'm glad that I went to prom and got the opportunity to hang out with some of my best friends from high school.
Q: If others are struggling with this decision, what would be your advice?
A: My decision only became clear as I worked on this feature and tried to assess the reasons for my feelings towards prom. Here's how I see it: if you're going to dance, hang out with your friends, or to just generally have fun, go! As long as your friends are going to be with you, you will have fun. If you just want to go because you are afraid of missing out on the "prom experience," don't worry. If you boil away all of the pomp and circumstance, it's just a high school dance. If this isn't your scene, throw an anti-prom party with your friends and you will never regret it.
(Listen to "Should I Stay or Should I Go (To the Prom)?")
( intro & outro music: "Life of the Party" by Jackson 5)
Okay, I’m switching the gears to Politics this week. Just in case you’ve been out of the loop: last night Sen. Barack Obama won the Democratic presidential nomination. Now it’s back to the talk of the town, will there be an Obama-Clinton ticket? In a conference call with the
What do you think? Post your thoughts!
Telly (Chantel)
I have learned to embrace curiosity, never be afraid to ask a question, but most of all to listen, because everyone, no matter how young or old, has some story, some incredible story that belongs to only them. And only through asking, through being overly curious, can you truly listen, and learn.
Q. How did you get involved in radio, and are you still producing?
A. I got involved in radio because Erica Heilman came and presented at our school. She showed us some really cool samples and it seemed like a new, fun thing to do. I still produce on and off. I just finished a piece for my Hebrew school, where 10-12 year olds collected an oral history of senior members of the Jewish community- it was pretty cool!
Q. What motivated you to do an interview with John Halligan?
A. I had heard John Halligan speak at my school, and was extremely moved, not only by his words and the story of his son, but by the incredible strength he showed in talking about such an enormous pain in his life. Walking away from his presentation, I became extremely driven to know more about him, about his experiences as a father.
Q. How did you prepare?
Q. Where did you interview Mr. Halligan?
A. I interviewed John in Erica's living room, in a calm, quiet space where both of us were comfortable, and not distracted.
Q. Had you met him previously?
Q. What were the challenges you faced when doing this interview?
Q. Are there any questions you wished you had asked?
Q. Would you like to share anything you learned from this experience?
On a more personal, and particular note, I have learned infinite amounts from John Halligan. I have learned the true meaning of strength, and what it truly means to lose. I hope everyone that listens to this piece, will take the time to hear John's words, and learn from his, and Ryan's story.
