Manchester High School
Manchester High School, located in Midlothian, Virginia, was where Chris finished his compulsory education from 1996 to 2000 (9th Grade to 12th Grade). Chris portrays this period as among the happiest in his life.[1] Chris proudly slept through much of his high school life.
Among Chris's classes were the usual subjects, 2 years of Spanish,[2] Sex Ed, Coping Skills and a lot of Art classes. According to Chris, he achieved an Honor Roll Grade Streak ALL THE WAY THROUGH M.H.S.[3] However, according to the video Song of Christian, he failed English class during his sophomore year of high school.
Chris was a water boy for the Manchester High Lancers basketball team along with Joseph Herring. He got a certificate and an embroidery "M" for this work.[3] His experiences there mirrored the first part of this movie.
Accomplishments
- 10th Grade
- F in English Class
- 12th Grade
- September: Praise from his English teacher for the short story How the Pokémon came into Our Poke Balls
- March: CD cover for Christian's Favorite Hits!
- April: Naps in class for the self-documentary A Week With Christian Chandler
Social life
Most of Chris's friends were gal pals, not joy boys. He had classes and ate lunch with them every other day (the high school has alternating "odd" and "even" days). There were immature boys on the school bus, which he dreaded. Chris's purported friends:
- Kellie Andes
- Tiffany Gowen
- Sarah B.[4]
- Miranda, partner in Science class[5]
- Molly, happy and giggly[6]
- Joseph Herring
- Brian, boyfriend of Sarah[7]
Lancers Basketball, Go Lancers!
Chris' servitude to the basketball team, probably the only meaningful interaction he had with other males throughout his entire adolescence, apparently remains a cherished memory. So much so, that he continues to obsess over it 10 years after graduating!
A few references were slipped into the comic. In Issue 7 Machnester High was featured heavily. It begins with Chris hanging around his old school without being there on any official business. Magi-Chan then brings Chris and Sonichu back in time to 1996, when Chris was a student. In Episode 20, Megagi was depicted wearing a Lancers cheerleading outfit.
In August 2010, Chris made a handful of characters and a vehicle in ModNation Racers to commemorate his time with the basketball team. The Manchester High ModNation collection includes the team bus, two of the players, a cheerleader, and Chris himself at age 14, looking as if he's afraid of being jumped by something just behind him.
The Seinor Prom
Chris took his mom to the seinor [sic] prom. Gal pal Tiffany felt sorry for him, and so asked him to dance, which seemed like hours to Chris. Chris hopes to re-enact this historic moment at an upcoming high school reunion.[8] That is assuming there aren't security guards there for the express purpose of keeping him out.
Gallery
Graduation
For Chris, graduation was an emotional experience. In his own words:[9]
I ONLY got recognized for my Grades with a Star Pin, yet they had MORE FANCIER AWARDS for more important qualities. I should have been Highly Recognized for my ARTISTIC TALENTS I showed in my Many Art Classes for the Award Ceremonies before Graduation Day. I felt crestfallen greatly from not getting recognized for any of my Talents. I EXCELLED IN MATH TOO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
I had gotten over the Award Ceremony on the Graduation Day, but to add Lemon Juice to an open wound, it was a Dark and Rainy Day that Day, and they handed out MORE TALENTED AWARDS right before handing out any diplomas. When I went up there to get mine, I was feeling depressed, upset, crestfallen and ticked off. When the award was handed to me, I took it without looking anyone in the eye, and I did not shake anyone's hands. I just walked back to my seat in the Graduating Crowd. Then soon after, I just walked the wrong way up the center aisle, found an isolated table and cried myself out. My mother found me later and comforted me; my father was ashamed of the way I acted, and he would later still be angry at recalling the moment. Tiffany also found me and gave me a caring moment of condolences back there. I gave her a plush Psyduck as a graduating gift beforehand. |
In another retelling, Chris reveals more straight anger:[10]
So while I sit there and feel happy for my friends who got something, I was so %$@# JEALOUS. I was a High-Functioning Autistic Boy who came WAAAAAAAAAY BEYOND OUT OF HIS SOCIAL SHELL, only to get ZILCH, NADA, ZIP; A BIG FAT ZERO! I felt so Devistated and Out Of Sync :'( [...] I ended up doing what I did when I went up there to accept the diploma; NO HANDSHAKE, TEARS, AND RUNNING AWAY TO HIDE. They don't even have any pictures of that in the Y2K Yearbook; the caption should have read, "Student Christian Chandler is Depressed and Sad for some reasons. His response is tears and fright." Even now as I type this, I am still *&$%^#@ Angry that I didn't get anything for the things I've poured my heart, soul and hand-work into, nor emerged as a friend to quite a few, nor developing a positive social behavior similar to Red Skelton. |
It is quite likely that the evil Count Graduon's name was derived from Chris's feelings about his graduation.
Lingering attachments
Generally speaking, Chris's memories of high school still hold great significance for him. This is unsurprising, given that high school was the last time he regularly got out and about in a social environment that seems to have at least partially accepted and tolerated him.
Chris has mentioned that he frequently dreams of his days in high school, recalling his teenage years in a nostalgic tone. A May 2010 YouTube video features a flood of wistful reminiscing from Chris, as he laments having to move away from the suburb where he went to high school: "I had so many friends over there, in high school. And I was just sad to leave, when I, after I graduated." A good half a dozen of the women he recalled in his archive of "gal-pals and past sweethearts" (and most of the ones who weren't trolls) were girls he knew in high school.
There's also the matter of the aforementioned Count Graduon, where Chris may have created an embodiment of the concept of leaving high school to be the dominant villain of the entire Sonichu saga.
Reunion plans
In his "Gal-Pals and Past Sweethearts" page from the CWCipedia, Chris notes that he looks forward to attending his class reunion. He doesn't say exactly when this will take place, but 2010 is the 10th year since Chris's graduation.
On 27 August 2010, Chris uploaded a video address to YouTube, wherein he reveals that, up to that point, he hasn't heard anything about a coming reunion, and he's decided to organize the reunion himself.
In the video, Chris refers to a slideshow presentation at his graduation that apparently said "See you in 10 years for the reunion!", which Chris has interpreted as a reunion being PROMISED to him. Of course, it's entirely possible that they are holding (or already held) the reunion without Chris.
Gallery
Sauce
- ↑ DVD, note 7
- ↑ Chris + Sarah's Life-Shares, page 8
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 User:ChrisChanSonichu profile#The Teenage Years
- ↑ DVD, note 6; A Week With Christian Chandler, pages 9 and 13
- ↑ DVD, note 6; A Week With Christian Chandler, page 14
- ↑ DVD, note 6
- ↑ DVD, note 6; A Week With Christian Chandler, page 8
- ↑ User:ChrisChanSonichu profile#The Seinor Prom
- ↑ User:ChrisChanSonichu profile#Graduation
- ↑ DVD, graduation notes 1 and 2
See also
External links
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