I learned something very quickly when I got back for the second semester. College is not near as easy as I thought it was going to be. My spring semester classes seemed to be three grade levels more difficult than the classes I had in the fall. First of all, I made a huge mistake when I accidentally signed up for two history courses, U.S. History and World Civilizations. Macroeconomics does not seem to be that hard but it's a 9:10 class which means that it is very difficult for me to get there considering I do not like getting up at any time before 10. My two most difficult courses came in the form of English 1020 and Intro to Theatre. I did well in English last semester and should have stuck with the same professor this time. However, I did not think that it would make that much difference. Needless to say, I was wrong and I have now dropped the class. I plan on either taking it this summer or waiting until next fall hopefully to take it with Mr. Erwin. I expected Intro to Theatre to be an easy course so I chose it as my Honors class for this semester. That was definately a mistake because now I am in a class with theatre majors who are very serious about their drama whereas, I have only watched, like, one play in my entire life.

The last month has brought emotional conflicts as well. I have lost two people who held very special places in my heart. Mike Nix, a long-time family friend and father of former teammate and current friend Dillon Nix, died in a car accident a few weeks ago. Mike was a great husband and father and the love he showed towards his family and friends will never be forgotten. Likewise, Mary Margaret Pilcher, an 18 year old senior at Fayette Academy and captain of the cheerleading squad, was also killed in a tragic car accident on Valentine's Day that took multiple lives. Mary Margaret was driving home from cheering at a basketball game. I went to school with her for many years and we had become pretty good friends in the past six months. I can honestly say she may be the sweetest person I have ever met and she touched many lives in her time here, mine being one. She had been voted as "Most Likely to Succeed" by her senior class.  A headstone in Ireland states, "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." This fully explains my feelings toward the lives and deaths of Mike Nix and Mary Margaret Pilcher. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Mike and Mary Margaret and I ask that each of us take time to appreciate the preciousness of human life.