As a young child, it was common to spend your days watching copious amounts of feel-good movies. In many cases, these movies revolved around high school.

Unfortunately, by the time we finally made it to high school, we knew the sad truth that it was not going to be like what we were used to seeing on our screens. Prepared for endless amounts of work and with the weight of 720 days of high school on our shoulders, we accepted our harsh reality. What we did not count on was the many ways that Bangor Area High School is actually similar to the ones shown in movies.

High School Musical

High School Musical takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, following young Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens). The two teens are worlds apart, but throughout their high school experience they discover their mutual love for music.

In the movie, Wildcats from all classes and social groups break out in dance and song in random parts of the day and in random parts of the school. As weird as it may seem, this same thing happens here at Bangor.

No matter what time of day it is, it is safe to say that if you go down to the choir or band room, you are sure to find someone dancing or singing. In the theatre lobby, students are practicing choreography for the Lip Sync, singing to the newest song, or dancing to a number from Beauty and the Beast. Either way, like High School Musical, our school is full of people who spend their time busting a move and breaking out in song.

Mean Girls

Mean Girls follows protagonist Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) after she moves to her new school where is she is struck with an A-list girl clique, the Plastics. Heron struggles to fight her way through the jungles of high school as she deciphers where she belongs.

Even though we don’t have a Burn Book circulating through our school, we do have many different ways to roast people, no book necessary. In our school, we use social media as a means to get our feelings out. Subtweeting is a prime example of this. If only Regina George and the other Plastics had this technology to use. Gossiping and spreading rumors has never been easier.

The Breakfast Club

Detentions are given to people left and right, but none seem to be as fun and exciting as the detentions at Shermer High School. In The Breakfast Club students at a Saturday detention talk to each other and get to know one another, coming to the realization that they are not as different as they think. The movie ends with “Don’t You Forget About Me” playing with Bender’s fist held high.

The Breakfast Club is one of the most iconic high school movies. In the movie, the characters realize that they are more alike than they originally thought. Although most people in our school don’t need a day-long detention to come to this realization, it is common for people in our school to become friends with people in all different activities. It’s typical to see a person play football in the spring and then join the musical a few months later. Through this, students become associated with a variety of people and make new friends like The Breakfast Club crew.