The couple cop to romantic dinners and call into question the benefits of hosting an ice cream social:

He Said: Woah, woah, woah, first of all, I cooked Giana a lovely meal, consisting of Caesar salad, chicken parmesan, and a little dessert, all over a candle lit table with a bouquet of roses as a center piece. I enjoy cooking for her, I admit. And she can’t deny the food is the best.

Also, put me in the front of that room at brainstorming and I would’ve had the class quiet within 3 seconds. Granted I may seem to be slightly “immature” and somehow “jealous” when I make my personal attacks on Amanda, but she honestly failed at making a great first impression and obviously could not quiet the classroom.

The ice cream social had potential but I did not see it fit to go, nor did I see it as a good opportunity for “class bonding,” so I therefore decided to stay at home and brush up on my guitar hero skills. It was a valiant effort on her part, but no “success”. Not once did Amanda ever seem interested in bonding with me or the other editors, which should have been her first mission; she gave up on us just as quickly as we gave up on her.

In no way did the show display me trying to sabotage Amanda as she was standing in the front of the room at brainstorming or at her ice cream social. I would just keep to myself and make personal comments; they weren’t anything more than that but they were just broadcasted for everyone to see. In no way am I being a jealous brat, as many have said in the last week. I am entitled to my own opinion and I am going to keep telling it LIKE IT IS.

She Said: Yes, Trevor makes the food, as all boyfriends should do for their girlfriends. Also, to clarify the commotion at the brainstorming meeting: Amanda said in the first episode that when people “tend to yell,” others don’t really like to pay attention. Apparently that skill was useful for Adam, however, considering he was able to get the classroom in order.

When I heard Amanda’s speech, I believed that there would be a possibility that we would all be able to work together as a team. However, I did not think an ice cream social was a good approach. Forcing 70 kids into a room to eat ice cream and become acquainted with one another did not seem like the first step in building teamwork, when the editors of the team had yet to come together themselves. I didn’t see how we were all supposed to comfort and ease the incoming staff members into the newspaper room and teach them how to work together when we couldn’t work together ourselves.

Although many of you might want to direct that problem onto me, and me only, you can see by Amanda’s comment of my outfit choice for the first day of school that she and I were no longer friends, nor was she trying to create a civil relationship in our working environment. For those of you who think this was all a one-way attack on Amanda, I can’t take advice on maturing from people who spend their time bashing 18 year olds. No one said we were adults and no one said we didn’t have faults. We are in high school. We’re not trying to be working in the “real world” just yet.

Yes, I chose not to participate in the ice cream social, and that does not portray me as a strong leader. However, I chose to go about befriending the underclassmen in my own way and I didn’t need ice cream to do it. Nevertheless, I did notice Amanda taking into consideration my advice on how to approach people better, and she was able to gain the respect of the underclassmen in her way as well, so I thought she did, in fact, show signs of a strong leader.