Ask Ava Advice Column: Ava & James Answer Student Questions

“Okay so one of my friends has the fattest crush on this one guy but she refuses to ask him out even though they just seem so perfect for each other. He’s way too comfortable around her for him not to have any feelings for her. Like he singles her out of everything and is just so engaged with her presence at every moment. THEY LITERALLY SHARED AIRPODS AT LUNCH OMG. I’ve been with my partner for HALF A YEAR and they’ve only done that with me TWICE. Anyways, she’s just so bubbly and in love with him. Their personalities just blend together so well and I’ve seen how happy he makes her. I know that they just have to get together eventually but it’s so grueling to watch them draw it out for this long. I could just say something to him to maybe encourage him to ask her out but I also don’t want to ruin anything for them. Should I try to play matchmaker or should I just leave them alone and let them get together on their own?” Signed ~Cupid

Dear Cupid, 

It can definitely be annoying when you see two people that like each other but they just won’t confess. You may think that it’s simple and straightforward but you might not know all of the details. If you say something to one of them it might rub them the wrong way and ruin their chances of getting together and we really don’t want that. What we suggest in your situation is just talk to your friend. See what she thinks is best. If she wants you to say something to him to help her out then go ahead. But if she doesn’t want you to say anything then please respect her boundaries because that’s what a friend should do regardless of what the situation is. 

– Ava & James

“I strongly dislike one of my teachers. She doesn’t know how to teach the subject that she is teaching and she is excessively strict even beyond school policy. We’re 4 weeks into the school year and I still feel like I haven’t learned a single thing in her class so far. I’m struggling and I’m worried that I won’t be able to pass because I’m not learning anything. I wish that I could switch out of the class but I need this credit to graduate and if I want to graduate early then I can’t retake it later. I have some really good friends in the class that try to help me but they’re struggling too and everyone is so miserable. Also, the co teacher is really nice and she helped me pass last year. I hope that maybe I could work with her but she’s struggling trying to carry the entire class on her back because the teacher doesn’t do anything other than yell at us for trying to eat our breakfast or not being in our seats 5 minutes before class starts. Do you have any advice that might help me survive this class for the rest of the semester?” Signed ~Struggler

Dear Struggler,

This does seem to be quite a serious issue. What you need to do is find someone who can advocate for you. You could always speak to your parents or a trusted teacher/staff member. If you have a 504 plan or an IEP then that’s a really good place to start. We hope that you can find a comfortable solution to make this class easier for you.

 – Ava & James

“The new e pass thing is the worst I cant even go to the bathroom when I actually need to cuz its always full and when I finally do get in there its always just freshman standing around skipping it literally just punishes the good students because they don’t trust the bad ones that skip in the bathroom and also the phones and hats is stupid like I kind of understand hats but they shouldn’t be suspending everyone for it and also why cant we have our phones in the hallways or at lunch it makes n0 sense to me” Signed ~Good Student

Dear Good Student, 

 We absolutely understand your frustration. This seems to be an issue that’s become fairly common. I feel like there’s too many new freshmen at our school this year; so with these passes it’s overwhelming with so many kids needing to go to the bathroom at once. We both have had passes denied because there’s 206 passes out to one bathroom. The schools always had these rules on hats and phones, but because of the pandemic they lifted them. Now that we aren’t dealing with the pandemic anymore they, very suddenly, put the rules back in place. I personally haven’t had any issues with my phone, but I do get frustrated not being able to wear a beanie to school. Sometimes my hair just doesn’t want to cooperate. Just working with your teachers, and not giving them a hard time just because you’re frustrated, helps everyone in the long run. It’s not their fault and we shouldn’t treat it as such.

– Ava & James

“I haven’t slept in days. I’m not depressed or stressed or anything, I just haven’t felt the need to sleep. I don’t even do anything most nights. I just stare at the ceiling or the walls. I don’t really feel boredom either, I just keep on staring. This has been an issue for a while but it’s become more prevalent lately. I used to sleep for like 2-5 hours every night and then it became like 1-3 and now it’s just none whatsoever. At this point I have developed a sort of phobia of sleep. Yes, I feel groggy and slow and I have the darkest circles under my eyes, and yes I do have a SEVERE caffeine addiction. I don’t even know why I’m writing this. I just wanted to kinda confess without people harassing me with their worries. I’m writing this late at night right now and just contemplating. I think my grandma is going to take me to a doctor about me not sleeping so maybe I’ll find some help but I don’t know.” Signed ~Bored Insomniac

Dear Bored Insomniac,

This seems to be quite the conundrum. We definitely agree with your grandmother’s decision to take you to see a doctor as this seems extremely unhealthy. We’re not professionals, but we believe that fighting this caffeine addiction might be a good place to start. Feel free to ask us for more advice in the future, if needed.

– Ava & James

“I need to let everyone know that Mrs. Chernow is the best teacher. Not just in our school. She’s the best teacher ever to exist and it’s a fact. I love you Mrs. Chernow.” Signed ~Adoring Fan

Dear Adoring Fan,

You seem to have a very strong opinion towards Mrs. Chernow. You’re not wrong, though.

– Ava & James

“I have an unhealthy obsession with eating frozen foods. i.e. waffles, pizza, fruit, vegetables, just anything that I can turn into some sort of popsicle. Sometimes I will even put my leftovers in the freezer just to eat them frozen. I literally put spaghetti into an ice tray and freeze it into little tasty “sketti” cubes. I found my dream boyfriend and I was trying so hard to keep this strange habit a secret from him but he came over to my house recently and opened the freezer to look for ice and found himself in a rude awakening when he popped a “sketti” cube in his glass of Mug root beer. We’re still together but I’m scared that he thinks of me differently since this discovery. I don’t know what I would do if he ever left me. I’m just a little obsessed. I know that I’m a freak and I just want people to understand that I’m still human too, even if I eat frozen french fries for breakfast.” Signed ~Snow Meiser

Dear Snow Meiser,

We can see how many people might find this to be a little strange, however we’re not judging. We indulge in strange snacks every once in a while too. While we’ve never tried freezing spaghetti, we might have to now. We believe that you should sit down and talk with your boyfriend about this, instead of just letting it become the elephant in the room. We’ve done some strange things in front of each other before, but we’ve talked about them and they’ve become jokes between us now. Communication is key!

– Ava & James