By Taylor Wouters ’15 | Staff Writer

Poking fun at the ridiculousness of high school, Mary Spencer ’15, started a satirical blog, “The High,” on the atmosphere and popular topics at South.

“We were doing satire in AP Lang the Thursday before break, so it was kind of on my mind,” said Spencer. “I wrote the first article sometime during break on the tech bond.”

“The High” began when Spencer had ideas surrounding issues at school that she thought were funny, but knew they would take up more space than a tweet, she said. This is when she had the idea to create the blog.

“I don’t want it to be completely a joke, but there is also trying to put a different perspective on things,” said Spencer.

Spencer has written five blog posts since February, and shares each blog on Twitter. Topics range from the S-lot parking to the graffiti in the bathroom stalls.

”The S-lot (article) was very funny,” said Mary’s mother, Colleen Spencer. “She’s great; I think she’s a good writer. She has quick wit.”

The articles are right on, Colleen Spencer said. After working in the S-lot, she believes Mary was able to accurately portray the environment.

“I really liked her ACT (story) because it was over exaggerated to the extent where it made the ACT feel like it wasn’t so much pressure,” said Natalie Sullivan ’15.

Matthew Kennedy ’15 agrees that the topics are not too far off from the truth at South.

“While the writing style is certainly funny, it is not as funny as the topics discussed, which are all sort of ridiculous and stereotypical things associated with Grosse Pointe,” said Kennedy.

After reading the blog, AP Lang teacher Danielle Peck says she also found the writing hilarious.

“I’ve really loved watching Mary grow as a writer this year,” said Peck. “She has such a voice in her writing, even her impromptu essays are funny.”

In school, there are some things that go on that just lend themselves to a more expanded joke, Spencer said. Taking these things and putting her own spin on them is her sense of humor.

“I thought that (satirical writing) was the best way for me to do it because I am very sarcastic all the time, so I thought that was easier because you can’t always pick that up or say what you want to say when you’re just talking to someone,” said Spencer.

People could read too much into the articles, but Spencer said if people find them funny and they enjoy reading it, that’s all that matters to her.

“If you like it and you want to read it then that’s good,” said Spencer.

Satire is a way to sort of sweeten the argument here, Peck said.

“Mary, as all of us do, have some criticisms or see the world or school we are living in and think ‘how dumb’, but the fact that she is poking fun at it and takes the journalistic voice and kind of does something similar to ‘The Onion’ but puts her own spin on it,” said Peck.

She keeps it general and does not poke fun at one person, which is good, Peck says. This helps contribute to making the blog hilarious.

“Most people who read it might think that it is pretty accurate,” said Peck.

Spencer hopes that the blog will last a little while, she said. She knows that there will always be topics to write about.

“There is no shortage of things happening at school, so I think it could go on until I graduate,” said Spencer. “I will probably keep it (the articles) the same and mess around with the format.”

Mary’s mother would also like to see the blog continue in the future.

“It gives her confidence when she sees that her blog is being read and retweeted and I think that makes her feel good and gives her the confidence to keep writing,” said Colleen Spencer.

Visit www.thehighgp.blogspot.com or follow @TheHighGP on twitter to read Spencer’s blog.