Let’s face it, high school=cliques, no matter what high school you go to. I am not against cliques. Though some may argue that they make people’s lives miserable, it is only certain cliques they are referring to. If you find your clique, great, it will probably make high school more enjoyable if you spend time with people that share your interests. “Cliques are congregations of peers with similar insecurities”, says Kati Barcellos; senior at Wilmington High School, “They are mini societies that enable students to feel better about themselves”. Forming groups in school is unavoidable and is a way to socialize, however, it is the way certain people act towards each other that I disapprove of, and I think changes should be made.

If you look around your high school cafeteria, you will find many groups of people. Sometimes separated by grade, these people then split up into even smaller groups; doesn’t matter if this group is 5 people or 20 people. You’ve probably noticed this, but have you ever noticed how the groups look at each other or talk about each other? It can be harsh. When you do these things, it’s hard to recognize it and its shocking when you think about it. I don’t think people in high school realize that we are all growing up together and even though we enjoy the company of some kids more than others, we aren’t part of different worlds. I don’t think it should be incredibly shocking if someone from one clique talks to someone from another clique, and I also don’t agree with the judgments made about people if you don’t know them.

Maybe you do know these people and think they’re obnoxious or horrible; ok don’t hang out with them. If you just make judgments about them and don’t really no them however, that’s different. This is the type of clique I don’t particularly like. The kind that hates someone just because you don’t think they fit into your group of friends. Once you think about it, you should be able to smile at someone and get one back even if you don’t talk to them. I guess you could perceive some cliques to be threatening, but those aren’t the kinds of people you would want to associate with anyways right? Though it’s hard to be accepting of people, especially when they are different than you, sometimes you have to step back and realize that nobody’s perfect, including you and your group of friends. I don’t believe in limiting yourself to one group of friends if there is another group that you would like to get to know; expanding your horizons doesn’t always have to be a dangerous and heroic act.

A change in your personality or how you look at someone cannot be transformed by announcing it over the loudspeaker. It cannot be a law to prevent you from gossiping about someone. This change has to be within you. You have to make the decision to stop acting a certain way towards someone. That is the only way high school can become gracious.