Junior year challenged teens in Catholic highs

The featured teens are Jenneane Butler of Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, Justin Fitch of Catholic Central High School in Troy, Meghan O'Connor of Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady, and Jonathan "Jeb" Towne of Saratoga Central Catholic High School in Saratoga.

Q. What was your favorite part of this school year?

Justin: Playing sports for Catholic High. We won our first soccer sectionals game, and I broke the school hurdle record. This was the first time in recent history that we won a sectional game. I had the best times with my friends who play sports.

Meghan: Cross Country. I won the Big 10 and reached my goal for that. Pretty much, I liked all of my classes.

Jeb: Basketball. We did well. It was a lot of fun. We had a successful year and everything went well. All of my friends did well. We're really close.

Q. What was the hardest thing you had to do this year?

Justin: Coping with many things. I had my job, played two sports and am on a club team. Then I'd want to go out on the weekend and there was homework. There are so many different things going on.

Meghan: Probably chem and keeping up with school work. Chem was the hardest definitely.

Jeb: My grades. I had a tough schedule this year. With classes and sports, I was usually up late doing homework, until around 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Q. What current event struck you the most and why?

Justin: I'd have to say the shootings in Littleton. It was close to me because it was a school thing. If it could happen there it could happen anywhere. For a week or two, we talked about it in class.

Meghan: Probably Littleton. I was in Spain when that happened. I was on the Metro, and this guy said: "Good thing you're not back in America." I went back and watched CNN. It's happening a lot lately.

Jeb: I think the Clinton thing. I can't believe he's our president. What kind of example has he set? How do other countries feel about us? I've also thought about Kosovo. I don't think it's a good spot for our country to be in. It'll be better when it's over. Littleton really surprised me. Our school even had a bomb threat. I wonder if there is something that teachers and parents can do, because it's out of control.

Q. What would you want adults to know about teenagers?

Justin: Basically, we're trying to figure things out. We don't have all of the answers. Not everyone's going psycho. We're doing okay. We're trying our best.

Meghan: That everyone's not like [the Columbine shooters]. Not all of us are like that; you have to trust us. If it seems like we need to talk, be there for us.

Jeb: We look up to our parents a whole lot to see what they do -- what's right and wrong. Parents play a real big part in our life. Society in general does, too -- like TV, and look at our president. We need to make a better world for our kids to grow up in.

Q. What advice would you give incoming juniors?

Justin: You only have two years left of high school. Study for chemistry; it's not an easy course. Have fun. It's a good year.

Meghan: You're going to have to work real hard. It's a tough year. And get involved in other activities.

Jeb: It's a very big year for grades. It's a tough year. A lot of things happen. You get your license, and you get more freedom. You need to be careful to do what's right. It's also a big year for sports. Colleges look at junior year. Do your best and put your best effort in. My grades came before sports. There's not a lot of time for a lot else.

Q. What is one lesson from this past year that sticks in your mind?

Justin: There are so many things I've learned. If you're going to do something, do it to the best of your ability. Do your best; give it your all. Act as if it's your last time.

Meghan: With track this spring, I didn't achieve what I wanted. If I want to get somewhere, I have to work on it because it's not going to just come to me.

Jeb: If you work really hard, good things will happen. Hard work never hurt anybody. Like in basketball -- we were 20 and 2.

Q. How did your faith help you this year?

Justin: In tough times, when I had too many things to do, it gave me hope and helped me accomplish things.

Meghan: I went on a Journey retreat, and that opened me up. It showed me what faith is and how to strengthen it. It changes you.

Jeb: It helped me know what's right and what's wrong. It helped me trust that hard work will pay off. It helped me keep going and to not take anything for granted.

Q. What are you looking forward to next year?

Jenneane: Being a senior. It's your last year. It's going to be sad, too. It's almost over, and you have to grow up after that. I'm looking forward to the senior prom.

Justin: Senior year is your last year. I'm looking forward to doing well in soccer and track and school work. There are senior class privileges. You can come in later, wear the senior class sweater and get to request privileges.

Meghan: Being a senior, definitely running, and getting ready for college.

Jeb: As far as the academic year, it might be easier. And sports because it will be my last year. It will be exciting to look at colleges. It will be a whole new world.

(06-10-99) [[In-content Ad]]