I think one of the most important ideas I learned from my research was just how many poor portrayals of mental illness there are in the media.  I think it speaks to a greater misunderstanding of mental illness, and it’s something that we need to work hard to correct.   Recently, portrayals of mental illness have become more accurate and less sensationalized, but there is more work to be done.  

I also learned a lot about how many mental illnesses are underdiagnosed in children, especially in underprivileged communities.  Too often troubling behavior is ignored, dismissed, or labeled as something that a child will “grow out of”.   Early recognition of mental illness can help parents develop a treatment plan before symptoms worsen.  The key to doing this is educating parents on mental illness and pushing parents to take their children’s emotions more seriously.   

My time at North has been great, and I think that I have done a good job of pursuing things that I am interested in and staying on top of school work.  If I could give advice to incoming freshmen, it would be to take advantage of all the opportunities that North offers.  Growing up in Naperville we are all very privileged to have access to such a great public school system, and many of us take it for granted.  Take interesting classes that aren’t offered in other schools, go to school events, and join all of our very well-funded and well-established clubs that interest you.  

That being said, my second piece of advice would be that high school does not matter (or at least not as much as you think it does right now).   You should try in school because it can set you up for success for the rest of your life – but just because your GPA isn’t as high as someone else’s doesn’t mean you’re going to be less successful or less happy than them for the next 70 years of your life.   Just because someone is going to a higher-ranked college than you doesn’t mean you’re going to be less successful or less happy than them for the next 70 years of your life.  It’s easy for us to think that everything is life or death right now – friend groups, sports, grades – but when you look back on your high school years, the only thing you’ll be left with is the memories you made.   It’s important to take a step back and realize that these are just another four years of your life.  What’s most important right now is spending the time to develop yourself into the person you want to be, and to surround yourself with people that you appreciate.  I think too often we separate high school from college, and college from “real life” or the “real world”.   Sure, they’re different, but don’t waste 8 years waiting to start your “real life”.  This is real life right now – find the things that make you happy and pursue them.  

I generally eat pretty healthily, but one particular fast-food chain has captured the heart of the little fat kid that lives inside of me.  It’s not authentic, it’s not fresh, it’s not even particularly cheap – but I love Taco Bell.  Here are my opinions on their most popular menu items, if you care for some reason.   

1. Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes  (6/10)

Not much of this screams “Fiesta” to me, but at only $1.29, it’s hard to say no.  The crispy potatoes covered in plastic, neon-yellow queso and finished off with a dollop of sour cream are a great choice for a side, and offers vegetarians a nice meatless option.   As a bonus, this item is infinitely customizable – it’s a blank canvas for you to make your own meal.   

2. Cheesy Roll-Up (2/10)

This is just a sad, sad meal.  Why not just order a quesadilla?  Sure, they’re only $1 a piece, but I’d need at least 6 or 7 of these to fill myself up, and I don’t feel like doing that to my body.   If you order this consistently, you should re-evaluate some of your life choices.   

3. Doritos Locos Tacos (8/10)

Whoever came up with this deserves a raise.  Taco Bell took a bland, outdated item (their traditional hard shell taco) and upped the ante by making the shell entirely out of Doritos.  It’s like something out of a fever dream, and it is delicious.   I do, however, have to dock points for Taco Bell’s discontinuation of the Cool Ranch and Flamin’ shells.  The original just isn’t the same.  

4. Crunchwrap Supreme (10/10)

This might be Taco Bell’s greatest contribution to the culinary world. It’s a flat burrito that you can eat with one hand, AND it has a crunchy shell inside to separate the double-decker filling.  It combines all of the best aspects of their menu into one – you have the charred burrito wrapping, the crunchy taco inside, and a layer of quesadilla cheese.  When I die, I would like to be buried with one of these.  Maybe thousands of years in the future, archaeologists will dig me up and marvel at the ingenuity of past civilizations (and make fun of the guy buried with his food).  

5. Baja Blast (11/10)

If you go to Taco Bell and don’t order a Baja Blast, you are missing out.  I’m not a huge soda drinker, and definitely not a fan of Mountain Dew, but there is something special about this drink.  I can’t pin down the flavor, which tastes faintly of lemon-lime scented cleaning solution, which is perfect, because after eating Taco Bell, my stomach deserves some deep cleaning.   I will warn you that whatever chemical combination the good people at Mountain Dew infused into the Baja Blast is dangerously addictive.   This thing should be a Schedule 1 drug.