Day 1 – Monday, May 4 – “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” dir. John Hughes

One month ‘til graduation! For day one, we’ve selected a high school senior classic: John Hughes’ “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986). Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), Cameron (Alan Ruck) and Sloane (Mia Sara) skip class and blend into downtown Chicago for a day, visiting posh restaurants, museums and parades along the way.

We can’t condone skipping school, but before we leave Portola High, go take this town all in! Shop at the Irvine Spectrum, go on the Great Park Balloon Ride, hike Black Star Canyon, see the sunrise at the Top of the World and get tacos at the stand off the 5 freeway, in front of Jeffrey. As Ferris famously says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is currently free on Pluto TV and streaming on MGM+ and Paramount+.

Day 2 – Tuesday, May 5 – “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus

It’s time to admit: you’re just a Teenage Dirtbag, baby! Spend the last month of high school enjoying your late-teenaged life, in the last setting where you’ll ever be a kid. Drive with the windows down and the music up, be late to a class (but not too many), do absolutely no work in AP Gov and participate in a not-school-condoned day of rest and relaxation sometime this month (mental health day, of course). 

Don’t feel so much like mold during this last month of high school. When the time comes, she might just not not care about you after all. Try anything and everything in the month of May — don’t say maybe!

Day 3 – Wednesday, May 6 – “Now Is Not the Time to Panic” by Kevin Wilson

“Now Is Not the Time to Panic” by Kevin Wilson is a slim, propulsive novel about Frankie and Zeke, two teenagers who begin a summer as strangers then spend it entirely in each other’s worlds. Frankie writes while Zeke draws, and together they create a poster they plaster around town — sparking an unexpected uproar among the townsfolk. This last month may feel too short to start anything new. But Wilson reminds us that there is still plenty of time to make something worth remembering.

Day 4 – Thursday, May 7 – “Stayin’ Alive” by Bees Gees

“You know it’s all right, it’s okay / I’ll live to see another day.”

If you’ve been kicked around by the month of May, make sure to take care of yourself and stay alive in these last few weeks. Whether it’s battling through the AP test that you need to get a five on for college credit or suffering from a terminal case of senioritis, remember that everything’s going to turn out all right in the end when you walk down the line at graduation. So power on!

Day 5 – Friday, May 8 – “Better Luck Tomorrow” dir. Justin Lin

This 2002 film by Justin Lin is set in a familiar Southern California suburbia with all things familiar, from the Durham school buses to incessant mentions of college applications. There is a slim list of movies set in Orange County that really resonate. But this one excels at depicting OC’s academic atmosphere in a way that doesn’t seem like satire — because it’s just that cutthroat. If you watch it, take it as a cautionary tale: find the balance between the hard work and the relaxation, and don’t go too crazy before the end of the year! “Better Luck Tomorrow” is currently free on Tubi.

Day 6 – Monday, May 11 – “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove

“I loved you then and I love you now / Don’t take me tongue-tied / Don’t wave no goodbye”

The feeling of leaving is hard to articulate. Every beat in these last few weeks mixes anticipation with bittersweet goodbyes. When will be the last time you drive off to Chick-fil-A with your friends before fifth period? What about the last time you’ll laugh together over a project in Lang? We often don’t recognize last-times when they happen. 

Don’t let the inertia keep you from missing out on days you’ll soon miss. Let’s love each other’s company for the last half-month!

Day 7 – Tuesday, May 12 – “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” tells the rather somber tale of a grieving and vulnerable 15-year-old, Charlie Kelmeckis, but leaves readers with a hopeful message: “Even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

As you move on from high school to what may finally feel like “real life,” hold onto the good — the joy, the thrill, the comfort — and let go of the bad — the regrets, the mistakes, the disappointments.

Day 8 – Wednesdy, May 13 – “Live Well” by Palace

It’s normal to have fear or trepidation for the future. When you’re thinking of what to do next — whether it’s going to college or something else, there isn’t a “right” way to to things. Your path might diverge from your friends, or you might leave your family for the first time. But you’ll never know what happens until you try. As Palace says, “The future is bright if we can ebb with the flow.”

Day 9 – Thursday, May 14 – “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” dir. David Bowers

“If there’s one thing I learned from Rodrick, it’s to set people’s expectations real low so you end up surprising them by practically doing nothing at all.” – Greg Heffley

It seems like just yesterday we were tweens like Greg, getting adjusted to school post-pandemic. Fast forward to today, we’ve nearly made it through high school, and many of us have been hit with a bad case of senioritis, reaching new levels of laziness and a craving for fun. Run it back with this childhood classic; perhaps you’ll find yourself relating a little better to the icon that is Rodrick Heffley.

Day 10 – Friday, May 15 – “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon

“I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free,

There must be 50 ways to leave your lover”

In the last beats of the year, begin considering our wonderful but bittersweet conclusion at graduation. No matter where we go — for summer, college and beyond — there’s no question that we’ll never be back here again. Here in the same classroom, the same friends, here with the same jokes. 

You’re in control of how you say goodbye. Whether that’s a teary final farewell at the end of the year or a promise to meet up every month, you have the choice to make the goodbyes wonderful and cathartic, or even terrible. Think of the places and people you’re departing from — there must be at least 50 ways to leave someplace you love.

Day 11 – Monday, May 18

Gone fishing… See you tomorrow!

Day 12 – Tuesday, May 19 – “Lady Bird” dir. Greta Gerwig

“Lady Bird” depicts the highs and lows of senior year, like wanting to escape your hometown but growing attached and eventually fond of it. Or seeing everyone gathered for senior awards tonight and getting emotional but still sharing so much joy with your friends at dinner right after.

At the end of the film, Lady Bird leaves her hometown of Sacramento for college in New York City. From there, she leaves her mother a voicemail: “Hey, Mom. Did you feel emotional the first time that you drove in Sacramento? I did. All those bends I’ve known my whole life, and stores and the whole thing…”

Sometimes, the end is more bitter than sweet. But let these final weeks be a reminder that all the love and joy you’ve built here is still yours to keep and share.

Day 13 – Wednesday, May 20 – “That’s How I Got to Memphis” by Tom T. Hall

“If you love somebody enough
You’ll go where your heart wants to go
That’s how I got to Memphis”

Wherever you’re at right now is the culmination of four years of hard work. The future after graduation might feel intimidating and uncertain. In a year, will you still talk to your old classmates, and will you still have the same goals?

But remember — if you love them enough, you’ll always end up back in the orbit of your good friends. And if you love your dreams enough, you’ll end up back on the path to achieve them. Trust your heart and where it will take you.

Day 14 – Thursday, May 21  – “Eating the Avocado” by Carrie Fountain

“Eating the Avocado” places us in the shoes of mothers, allowing us to experience their sense of pure joy, excitement and melancholy as they experience their child’s first few months of life. The narrator details her baby’s first time trying solid food, an avocado: “I thought my heart might burst, / knowing she would no longer be made / entirely of me, flesh of my flesh.”

You’ve come so far since someone watched over your first steps and heard your first words. Appreciate the love and support you’ve received over the years, but be proud of your independence as a young adult.

Day 15 – Friday, May 22 – “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears

There’s just about two weeks left until graduation, so everything truly is becoming “the last time.” As you look beyond the past and toward the future, you might feel unequipped for it all, like it’s all out of your control. But remember: “It’s [your] own design / It’s [your] own remorse.”

You’re in no better or worse a place to go far from than anyone else, and it’s up to you to stay on the path you long to take. No one can take that away from you.

Day 16 – Tuesday, May 26 – “Dead Poets Society” dir. Peter Weir

Dead Poets Society is a coming-of-age drama about prep-school boys in Vermont who encounter the eccentric English schoolteacher John Keating. In his lessons, Keating teaches his students to “seize the day” and to find their own way of making poetry. 

The story ends tragically, but it teaches us camaraderie and the value of living your life to the fullest just the same. This is our last full week before our graduation, so savor your time here with all your friends, teachers and all the valuable lessons you’ve learned.

Day 17 – Wednesday, May 27 – “Monsters University” dir. Dan Scanlon

“Monsters University” is the whimsical prequel to “Monsters Inc.” that details Mike and Sully’s first meeting as university students in the scare program. In this prequel, Mike is a young, unscary monster trying to become the best scarer of his class, while Sully is the lazier nepo-baby who competes with Mike throughout their scaring ventures. 

From fraternities to pranks to dropping out, “Monsters University” isn’t necessarily the college experience you should strive for. However, it’s never too early to give yourself a preview of what you might face. Your classmates might not be monsters in the literal sense, but they might be something pretty close.

Day 18 – Thursday, May 28 – “Franny” by J.D. Salinger

“Franny” tells the story of a college couple reuniting for football weekend. All is well, until the titular character begins sweating, stressing and breaking down — for reasons she can’t even put her finger on. 

As you move on to a new chapter of your life, you’ll find new people, new places, and from there, your place among it all. In the process, you may begin to feel inexplicable feelings and think inextricable thoughts. But perhaps that’s part of the journey, and coming out of it, you’ll be a stronger and wiser you.

Day 19 – Friday, May 29 – “Ode to a Grecian Urn” by John Keats

John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” turns 207 this year, but its words remain no less resonant. 

“Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on…”

On our last Friday of high school, reminisce on all the sweet times we’ve had. But as Keats narrates, melodies unheard yet are sweeter, so let the pipes of life play on! Look forward to both what you’ve planned and what you haven’t — the future is limitless!

Day 20 – Monday, June 1

Gone fishing (taking our final day all in)!

Day 21 – Tuesday, June 2

Gone fishing again…

Day 22 – Wednesday, June 3 – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

Day 23 – Thursday, June 4 – “Hey Ya!” by OutKast

After four long years and an especially long final month, we’re finally here! It’s graduation day!

Say goodbye to your nine digit IDs, favorite cafeteria snacks, favorite campus bathroom, favorite teachers, favorite underclassmen, favorite admin member — all the favorites, and the least favorites, too.

Be sentimental, but not solemn — cheer up and “shake it” to “Hey Ya!” by Outkast. “If what they say is / ‘Nothing is forever…’” ignore them! There’s no time to ponder over uncertain futures amidst all the celebrating we’ll be doing. And remember, the end is only a new beginning.