opinion THE WAY WE SEE IT
Students fall victim to trends Colin Owens guest writer Trends are dangerous fabrications constructed by our desire to fit in with social norms. Today, trends come and go daily and following them can hurt ourselves and others. Trends allow people, especially teenagers, to find themselves in a false sense of acceptance with their peers. Whether it be fashion trends, social media trends, or even political trends, these ideas just work to suppress individuality and free thought. As easily influenced people, high school teenagers often fall victim to these trends, even when they do not realize it. Take fast fashion, style trends are constantly being changed by the influence of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. As a result, teenagers often waste money and buy cheap clothing to fit in with trends moving across social media. Not only is this bad for their pocketbooks, but these style trends also devalue individuality and support cheaply-made and questionably sourced clothing options. Since it is a major election year, another trendy topic has become political opinions. Instead of teenagers and young adults making informed decisions and finding their own voices and beliefs among the chaos, political trends have swept their opinions down the drain. This occurs on both sides of the aisle and forces the younger demographic to put their views in a box without deviation. Instead of being pressured into ways of thinking, today’s youth should be encouraged to avoid trends, be original, and never apologize for who they are.
Submitted photo by Hailey Christoff
“Thank you, next”: 2019 alumni Emma Christoff and Trey Culley walking through the rows of attendees at their senior graduation.
Wait for it: Save graduation for senior year Isabela Diaz co-editor-in-chief A silky gown that glows a faint blue — the kind that princesses wear when they run from their prince. A ball gown, the color of night, black, holds the stars in place. Or a fluffy skirt that ends just above the knee. The silver heels that hold millions of sparkles but come off like Cinderella’s shoe before the night even ends. The cap and gown that holds dreams and hopes. The flowers that smile, not wilt, that come at the end of the game. These rites of passage that seniors look forward to as their high school years come to an end do not start and end senior year because not just seniors participate in these special events any longer. Senior nights — the end of one’s final season as a student-athlete, have transformed into eighth-grade “senior” nights. Dances, such as the big, now formal, eighth-grade
dance, or yearly graduations held for kindergarten, fifth grade and eighth grade students — not just senior year — have become increasingly popular, but do having these events earlier than senior year become less special for the seniors themselves? Students look forward to dances in fifth grade and throughout middle school. With middle school dances, they do not need to become big like prom nor as formal as prom. Eighth-grade students spending hundreds of dollars on dress, limos, tuxedo or suit rentals, and other prom-like items should wait until high school. Additionally, “senior nights” for middle school students should not occur — the event’s name — “senior night” — happens for a reason. The eighthgrade version of a senior night should wait until high
school, when recognition for players will occur at the last home game. The last high school home game marks the last time the student will play a sport as a student at the school system. Many grades have little “graduations”: kindergarten graduations, fifth, eighth and senior graduations. While kindergarten graduations look cute — and we should keep them — fifth- and eighth-grade graduations deem a bit unnecessary. As you become a senior, the years of graduations make senior year not as special because we have these in-between graduations. Seniors deserve the most events and recognition for making it through school, and these other years of graduations, senior nights, and formal prom-like dances do not need to occur.
Nov. 2020, Issue 2
Opinion
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