So I just read Stargirl. It's your standard teenage be-yourself-no-matter-what-other-people-think story. But my favorite part of the book was that this girl expressed herself by caring about other people. She read the obituaries and birth announcements. She knew where every bulletin board in town was. She cheered for both teams at basketball teams, and didn't understand why this got her excluded by her peers. Basically, she believed that everyone deserved to be celebrated.

All of this reminded me of my freshman orientation. They had us all gathered on DT field. The counselors told us that everyone deserved a standing ovation sometimes. So they told us to ask for one. All you had to do was shout, "I want a standing ovation!" You got mobbed and cheered by anyone close by. Throughout orientation weekend, this happened pretty regularly. It even carried over into that first semester. But then, as all trends do, it died out.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could get a "standing ovation" whenever you want? You ace a test; you need a pick me up; you have no reason but you feel like a million bucks. I think it's a fantastic idea.