Rock the Vote and American Teen

[Ed.'s note: Jocelyn Sida covered the premiere of American Teen as a Rock the Trail Reporter. The stars of American Teen will be registering voters with Rock the Vote later this summer. You can read Jocelyn's full post at http://trailblog.rockthevote.com]

..."American Teen' is more than a documentary about high school; it is the high school experience."- Paste

Being categorized in high school as a "Geek," a "Jock," the "Heartthrob," the "Rebel," or the "Queen Bee," is something we have all seen in our high school experiences, and in most cases these classifications are inevitable. Most of us would want to grow out of these stereotypes and face reality outside of high school. But sometimes you can't escape the wrath of socialization. Thus you are left with what people are trying to escape from- a part of the rest of their life.

But this was not the plan that Hannah Bailey-- American Teen's "Rebel"-- had. She wanted to get out there and make a difference in what she wanted to do; what made her happy. "You really have to do what you love," Bailey states. "You can't always worry about what others have said about you." Her senior year experience was different, along with co-stars Megan, Jake, Mitch, and Colin.

Throughout the film you could see the pressure that not only was put on them in school, but also the pressure formulated at home as well. Colin Clemens, who portrayed the typical "Jock," struggled to please his dad when it came down to preparing for college sports. He was the star of the Warsaw basketball team. With incredible skill, Colin Clemens went through a tough roller-coaster of a senior year of high school. After the experience of being part of "American Teen" he states, "Since the film was filmed in this generation, most of us can relate to it. Who you were in high school or who you still are." He also states that, ''Stereotypes are pretty much branded upon you depending on what you do."

In high school, I was always known as a well-rounded individual because I just never really had a clique. I had a little bit of everything. I was a "Geek" because I was captain of the debate team. I was well-known because I was in student government. I was a "Rebel" because I liked to think outside the box. People at my school had their cliques and I was not exclusively part of any of them because I wanted to live a life filled of decisions that I ultimately made on my own.

Those who attended the screening of "American Teen" at the L.A. Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, left with a reality check. With applause and cheers, I can honestly say that "American Teen" was a success at the L.A. Film Festival.

-- Jocelyn Sida
Rock the Trail