I am sick and tired of hearing the same old speech from upper school teachers. “The eighth graders lack leadership.” In what way, you ask? “Well,” they lecture, “None of you ever show up to TASC meetings, or participate in school dances and events.” You’ve been saying this to us since we were in sixth grade. Maybe on the whole we are apathetic, but we are who we are. Some of us participate and some of us don’t. I don’t go to TASC meetings because they are unbelievably unproductive. When I was in sixth grade, I recall an entire meeting about which hand sign was going to be used to signify silence? REALLY? I could be enjoying some of my only free time in the day with my friends outside at recess. “But why don’t you go to the dances and take up your roles as leaders at the school events?” I don’t go to the dances because they’re awful. The majority of the upper school student body plus unwanted 5th graders crammed into the hot auditorium whilst the DJs play “Quaker-education-friendly-music” through the speakers. I go to the dances to have fun, not to serve as a role model for the fifth graders. I am then asked why I don’t go to the Dance-a-thon. Do I truly hate the poor starving children in Darfur? I support the cause, and I’ll donate money, but if you think I would enjoy a dance like I mentioned above going on for 4 hours with more kids and music that still has to be friendly for 9 year olds, then you clearly don’t know me.
Finally, the argument that the faculty makes that gets on my nerves the most: “Ben! You are so selfish. Think about the rest of the school, and do things that don’t just benefit yourself.” Oh come on. I’m a good student, I actively participate, and I’m typically a polite person. This is my last year at Newtown Friends and we only have five more months until June. Only two other kids from my grade are going to the high school that I will be attending, and I want to be able to enjoy the remaining time that I have at NFS to see my best friends daily. I don’t feel obliged to contribute more than I already do, and I resent your ongoing efforts to make me feel guilty about it.
I agree Ben, I hate hearing about what horrible people we are. We have leadership. We have a complete anarchy based on who is the best at one thing. If we really needed leaders, don't you think that all of us eighth graders would create one. If you want us to be amazing people, how about not taking all of our eight grade privileges away. On a different note, you do realize that you are writing things that might be offensive on the internet along with your first/last name, school, friends, and activities to help them find out what you like to do, and where you like to be.
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