The flowers are starting to bloom, spring sports are just starting up, and students are in an odd time of transitions. Upper School Director Mr. Sanders spoke to Upper School students about all the transitions that come along with life. It seems like just when you are able to settle into a phase of your life, a new and unfamiliar situation arises. Mr. Sanders himself is in a time of transition. He has about three more months of being at Christ Church until he moves onto Memphis University School. The nerves of moving to a new school can still hover in adulthood. I resonated with many of the words Mr.Sanders said, because this year was a difficult time of transition for me. My first year being at Christ Church, and in South Carolina, was very different than what I was used to. I went from being in a large public school on an island, to a small private school close to the mountains. At first, Greenville was very unfamiliar and I felt far from home. However, given time I have grown to adjust to where I live now. I have learned that no matter what the transition is, it is up to you whether it is a happy or sad one. Mr.Sanders spoke about the difference between happy and sad transitions, and depending on your outlook, most of them can be happy and exciting. Transitions will come and most of them are out of your control. Mr. Sanders ended his heartfelt message to the students he has grown to know with a quote from the poem, Ulysses,

“Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
 We are not now that strength which in old days
 Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
 One equal temper of heroic hearts,
 Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
 To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”

Many CCES students are in a time of transition this time of year and definitely needed those words of motivation. Not much is going on now, but a lot of change is coming for many of us. Seniors are making life changing academic decisions, spring sports are beginning, and many of us are looking forward to our summer break. I guess you could say the spring monotony is just “the calm before the storm.” We are transitioning from the middle of the year towards the homestretch. As CCES students, we are encouraged to finish the year as strong as possible. Especially as a junior, it is critical that I end the year the best that I can. Junior year is the last full year of grades that colleges will see, so it is ideal to keep them up. Other juniors also seem to have the same feeling of nerves and excitement transitioning into senior year and preparing for college. The increase of class meetings regarding college has seemed to be a wake up call for juniors and a reality check that college is right around the corner, meaning another significant transition. Maggie Brooker, a CCES junior, agreed, “It is exciting but stressful because we are starting to get more serious about applying to colleges and choosing the right one.” While this is a very nerve wracking time, it is important to enjoy wherever you are in life at the moment. We spend most of our time looking toward the next transition, and we miss enjoying all the little moments in between. Through this spring monotony, we all need to enjoy wherever we are because you never know what life will throw at you next.