There is certainly one pro to making it through the week at Oakmont. After a long week of tests, homework assignments, and never-ending lectures, there is a salty surprise. At Oakmont, Fridays are for popcorn. Not just any popcorn, but the salty, buttery (and maybe unhealthy) movie theater popcorn that usually you can only find in, well, movie theaters. 

As soon as I walk into the 400 wing, I can smell it. Its aroma lingers throughout the entire school. It’s kind of funny to think that smelling popcorn at 7:30 in the morning is a good thing. As I trudge along through A and B block, the smell teases me. I wait patiently, and before I know it, it’s 10-minute break, and I can hop in line, dollar in hand.

I guess the snack has quite the powerful hold on me. Having that first bite of popcorn after waiting all day is like finally taking your first sip of coffee after waiting in the drive thru, both are much needed to keep you going in life.

While I ramble on about how awesome popcorn Fridays are, let’s not forget who make these wonderful Fridays even better: the junior parents! Without you, I wouldn’t be able to drag my limp body to D block, or get through my next Calculus test. I swear, the popcorn has healing powers sprinkled into it, saving me from all my anxieties and woes in life. 

And to make things even more fun, they add candy canes for the month of December! How could it get any better… 

Besides the candy canes, I can think of a couple other popcorn parables that deserve to be told. 

The First Friday– Truly nothing is better than walking into school and smelling a sweet and salty aroma of popcorn. I can vividly remember how chaotic of a morning I was having: my cat bit me, I forgot to pack a lunch, and I was late to a meeting I had. But when I smelt that greasy, oily popcorn, none of that mattered anymore. It was Popcorn Friday! And it was going to be a good day.

The Friday before the big test– My AP Calculus unit test had been looming over me all day, waiting to destroy me in D block. I wasn’t able to focus in class, constantly trying to remember what I had studied the night before. I felt crushed, and so NOT ready for the test. My confidence was deflated. Yet, when I made my way to four corners before heading down to take my test, a bright yellow caught my eye. I had completely forgotten it was Friday! I instantly felt better. I knew that even if I did badly on the test, everything would be okay. Because it was Popcorn Friday.

Raving over greasy movie theater popcorn may seem ridiculous, but to me it’s necessary. Sometimes after each week passes, it’s hard to stay positive and go about your weekly routine, when it all seems so repetitive. But -and I really do mean this- it is the greasy popcorn that puts a smile on my face, and on the faces of others. That’s what’s so special about Fridays at Oakmont.