Tornados and Field Trips Don't Mix

One year ago today was the absolute WORST day of my life. For those of you who don't know or weren't there, my government class went to the We the People competition that day. I had to get up early (5:30AM) and ride to school with Allen House and Jesse Derrington. To make matters worse, it was raining, actually POURING, and the streets were flooded. Once we got to school, we had to run from the tennis court parking lot, through the rain into the school, through the school, and out the front doors onto the bus in only 2 or 3 minutes because the bus was getting ready to leave us. Then, we got on a stinky school bus, headed over to Central H.S. to pick up students and headed towards Vincennes University.

Then, we got to VU and found our competition room and sat there, preparing for the stupid competition. Then, one by one, the groups presented on the questions that they were asked by the judges. Some of the groups did fine and others did not (mine was one that did not). After the competition, we headed to TECUMSEH (the worst place in Vincennes to eat) to eat and we found out that we were supposed to have money to eat. I didn't have any money and I didn't really feel like eating anyways so I asked if I could just go sit down. I sat with my friend Evan and his friend Amber (yes, I sat with people from another team :o ). We talked about the competition a bit while they ate and Evan even snuck some ice cream for me. :)

Then, we went to the Student Union for the awards ceremony and of course, Bosse did NOT win anything, but I was glad because I didn't want to go to state for this dumb competition. Then, we all got ready to leave for Evansville.

As we were loading the buses, we were told that there was a "tornado thingy" (they didn't say warning or watch)... and they sent us down into the basement of Harrison Hall (the stinky all guys dorm). We stayed down there for an hour or so...and I think the lights even went out once or twice. Then, they finally allowed us to leave. When we got back on the buses, I realized how afraid I was. I did not like being out in a storm, let alone one that had needed a tornado watch/warning... But, we got back on the buses and headed for Evansville.

About halfway there, we were told that there was another "tornado"...(yes, someone said it was a tornado heading for us) so our bus driver turned towards Princeton H.S. for shelter. What she failed to do, however, was stop at a stop sign. A car coming along a side road, ran into the side of the bus and smashed in the front of her car. As you might have wondered, we were all freaking out...and then they told us to get off the bus and start walking up the hill to the school. So picture this, 40 high school honors students thinking that there is a tornado coming towards us, walking outside next to some cornfields...there was crying, screaming, running, and just plain FEAR.

As we walked up the road, another bus pulled up and took us up to the school. Once we got to the school, not much of the fear subsided because they put us in a cafeteria with a wall of windows. After a while, they told us we could leave and we all went outside to board the buses. Our bus, however, was not there because the bus driver was talking to the police about the wreck. We were standing outside of a locked school, thinking that we still have a tornado coming for us and waiting for a bus. Finally, the bus arrived and we headed home in the worst weather we had seen all day. The bus was swaying in the wind and it was raining really hard.

Sometime during this ride, I received a couple phone calls, from both my mom and my cousin Tiffany, though I didn't recognize the number as Tiffany's. I spoke to my mom once and she was crying...but I thought it was because she was worried about me so I told her to calm down because I was alright. A few minutes later, my cousin Tiffany called and gave me the worst news of the day: my grandma had died at 2:00 in the afternoon. Immediately, I started to cry and become angry. I couldn't live without my grandma, why did she have to die. I kept crying for about 10 more minutes.

Then, we arrived in Evansville and dropped off the Central kids and we headed back to Bosse. All during this time, I was afraid (because it was storming even worse), sad, and angry. I felt horrible. Finally, we arrived at Bosse. I waited for my mom to get there and we headed home. As we arrived at home, the storming slowed down and then stopped. Then, we began to mourn for my grandma. That was the worst day of my life and I will forever remember that day.