by Marie Moeller ’15
Journalism Student

November 11:

I learned: my calculator curse is preparing to strike again

So, guys, I sort of have this … curse. Ironically, this curse affects one of the most expensive objects used in my everyday life: my pristine pink TI 84 (plus silver edition) calculator. Now, my unfortunate curse started in sixth grade, the day my calculator was stolen.

Commence flashback

Like every other ordinary day of the week, I skipped down the hallways with my calculator in hand as I entered my second period math class. After using it throughout the period, I put in my locker as usual and carried on with the rest of my day. I t was only until that night that I realized that my calculator was not in my backpack. In fact, I couldn’t find it anywhere. I had frantically checked every single nook and cranny that calculator could have wandered into, but to no avail! I was so sure that I had put it in my backpack, and now it wasn’t there! Of course, the little child that I was had a heart attack for the entire month before I confessed, practically on my knees, that I had lost my calculator (although I am 99 percent sure that it was stolen). I remembered starting with, “Well, it’s kind of a funny story …” Not my best choice of words.

After I bought myself a new calculator, I finished the rest of the year care free. However, in seventh grade my calculator was broken (due to either the amount of times I had dropped it—oops!—or the hardcore Algebra functions), so I borrowed a school calculator for the rest of the year. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I realized that my calculator was working again. Alas! The news was too good to be true, so, of course, I had to go and lose it! It was by this time that I had realized that my calculators are cursed. Every two years, I manage to lose a calculator which is definitely not a good thing. Now, in my sophomore year, the curse is ready to strike again. Just, great!

End Flashback

No other way to say it, but I recently lost my calculator. Again. I’m telling you it is The Curse. It was the Friday before our (intentional) four day weekend. I had taken a test in math. After taking the calculator portion of the test, I placed my calculator on the rack below the desk. Unbeknownst, I had left the calculator underneath the desk as I ran, at the sound of the bell, to catch up with my friend who was already out the door. I only realized after school when at rehearsal for the musical that I didn’t have my calculator in my backpack. Freaking out, I ran up the stairs to my math classroom in search for my calculator. The classroom was dark and locked so I scurried to the math office. I asked the lady there if she had any lost calculators. She told me that the person in charge of lost calculators had already left at 2:10. In my mind I thought, Just my luck. She advised me to email my teacher or call the school on Monday. In the end, I emailed my teacher and after two long anxiety filled days, my teacher finally responded and told me that she had my calculator and would return it to me in class.

Over those few days I was practically in hysterics over my calculator, so sure that The Curse caused me to lose my calculator. The worst part about the entire situation is that these calculators are super expensive. They are over $100 each. And I have had three! I don’t really see the reason that we have to use these calculators in the first place. We don’t even use half the buttons. Plus, wouldn’t the school system encourage student not to use calculators for “basic math”? (Trust me; I also prefer adding on my calculator instead of my head, but think about.) Besides graphing crazy trigonometry functions, what is the point of having the calculators if we don’t use it to the fullest extent? The whole price factor also adds to the likelihood of a calculator being stolen, meaning that those who lose their calculators can be doomed to never see it again. The list can go on and on. As much as I love my calculator dearly, is all the trouble truly worth it? Knowing my luck, it’s probably not.