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Carley Bolen

Ms. Heather Pines

ENG 111

28 October 2019

The Best Times of Our Life

High school is a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with the best times of our lives and some

of the scariest. Our lives change drastically when we reach high school as we are pushed to our

limits and forced to make big decisions that will affect the rest of our lives. Additional issues and

oppressive matters are the last thing a stressed-out teen really needs. In an average American

high school, there are loads of concerns ranging from bullying, racism, prejudice, social status,

and sadly, safety.

America is home to some of the best schools in the world. On the other hand, we face a

wide variety of distractions. Examples of this would be limited course selection, lack of funding

in crucial programs, and division amongst the different genders, races, and beliefs. Going to

school and completing daily tasks are quite the struggle on their own but piling on items such as

these make it much more difficult. Sensitivity and respect become much more prevalent in lesson

planning in regards to making sure that no is offended, and everyone is taught properly and

sensibly. From personal experience I can say that in certain books, text, or film, we skip over any

parts that fall under these categories.

Walking through the halls of an average high school, we see segregation, outcasts, and

cliques. These have always been a common issue and personally, finding a resolution has proven
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to be a very difficult task. On behalf of our school I know that we have tried designated days to

mix up seating arrangements at lunch, hoping to eliminate these social classes and build new

friendships. I can say with gratitude and positivity that this has worked for us, but not long-term.

Following these special days, we all return to our normal tables and sit next to the same people

we have all year. I know that I, myself am guilty of this and wish I could do better but find that it

is out of my comfort zone and hard for me to stick with. I wish that that I wouldn’t be

categorized under such a normal and familiar status, but it seems easier for me to stick to my

daily routine, and that is an issue.

We often find ourselves and others being ridiculed or the ones doing the act. It is awful to

say but bullying and sexual harassment are still stuck in our society. This is such a harsh issue it

is stated that, “...so many adults are still very angry and hurt from when they were mistreated in

school” (Devlin 161). It is so terrible that in a four-year time period a person’s whole life can be

changed in an extremely negative manner. High school is said to be the best times of your life

but if one is not socially accepted based on athletic prowess, brand-name clothing, family

history, involvement, or social skills it can be treacherous. It sounds overexaggerated but it really

isn’t.

Athletic aptitude and dexterity bring about common groups of popularity. We face the

typical jocks who are truly the bullies, but we are also presented with leaders and hard workers.

These are the kinds of people that can make a change and break the average standards of the

varsity quarterback or starting point guard. Personally, as a student athlete I can say that is very

easy for people to make assumptions about my morals and character. For the past for four years,

I have been a member of a club that we call Student Athlete Leadership Team or S.A.L.T. This is

a program that is home to some of our best students who are involved in athletics. People did not
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generally accept this group at first as we were once called “rich, privileged, athletes” giving us a

bad reputation from the get-go. Automatically we took what they had to say and turned it into

something positive. We use this group to organize our student section, bring students together for

things such as band concerts or the school play, and ultimately make sure that everyone is

equally involved in events taking place in school and out. This sense of hierarchy in high school

is a major problem that needs to be solved. It is too prevalent to be considered inconsequential or

unimportant. It is stated, “Despite the emphasis on increasing respect and tolerance in schools,

teenagers still bring the social and racial divisions found in society at large back into the halls of

high schools across America” (Devlin 160). Generalizations and beliefs are the first things that

take place in our schools, and it needs to be stopped if there is ever any hope of relief from social

classifications.

Involvement is such an important thing for a high school student. Keeping involved in

activities whether it be book club, sports, drama club, or anything else it makes the process of

making new friendships, creating healthy relationships, and meeting empowering leaders much

easier. Simple things like group photos can even be enough. We use our digital photography

class to lead the charge in decorating our hallways. Wherever you are headed or whatever way

you are looking, you will be able to find pictures from all different events made possible by all

different faces.

Involvement in any activity is such a vital piece of someone’s life because it seems as

though being excluded, lonely, or out of place can lead to unfavorable outcomes for all.

According to the author of The Bully-Free Classroom, “...ridicule and intimidation inflicted has

played a role in almost all of the school shootings that have outraged the nation in the past two

years” (Devlin 161). Wretched and cruel behavior such as this can leave a person in such a
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deteriorated mental state that they have no idea what the life around them really is or could be.

They have been damaged so harshly by the high school bully that they see no other option for

themselves or others.

Some may think that the end of all of this begins with stricter rules, uniforms, and intense

training or security then they aren’t really focusing on our youth.. High level security is an asset

in today’s world as we are experiencing new things that we never thought we’d reach, but it isn’t

the #1 answer. Involvement, care, and kindness is what we need in our schools. If the young girl

with the rough home life didn’t eat dinner last night, she doesn’t need to be made fun of for her

bones showing or called down to the office for questioning; she needs a friend who can share

their lunch or someone who can provide them with aid throughout their unfavorable situation. It

is the little things that can help our struggling system and these pillars are what we need to be

teaching in school today.