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Expecting me to change the habits and behaviors of kids who have been the same since kindergarten seems unfair

— Julia Hess

By now every student at Carroll is highly aware that the class of 2021 has a reputation of being one of the “worst classes” to ever go through NACS and as a member of the class of 2021, it’s almost like a curseyou can’t escape from.

As a sophomore this year I could tell you stories upon stories of how my class is rough around the edges, to say the least. However, in most of the negative stories it’s the same few people, and I don’t think people realize that it’s just a minority that is dragging down the majority.

While I’d love to say that our class isn’t that bad, I would be lying. As the small groups of “bad kids” have now hung our grade with the label of “The Worst.”

Overall our grade has amazing students who achieve higher than of the upperclassmen, but they can’t escape their own grade. Being called a sophomore this year is an automatic judgment that labels you as a “bad kid” though you may have done nothing wrong. It’s just that they’ve heard the worst so they believe you are.

It’s kind of ironic, because in today’s society we always teach students to be different and be loud and have a voice, but I think the class of 2021 kind of took that to the extreme.
Even though I have done nothing wrong and a vast majority of our classmates haven’t either, the small group of “bad kids” have now burnt a hole through our name.

The good kids get blamed and held responsible. I was told many times at the Freshman Center last year that the most brilliant people in our grade could make a difference and teach the worst to be better.

I’m not their parent.

I don’t control them, I can only not join in. Expecting me to change habits and behaviors of kids who have been the same since kindergarten seems unfair.

Even though I would love to make a difference and change the worst of the worst, it’s probably not going to happen and I can’t really blame them. Most of the kids with behavior issues have reason to, that’s just how they’ve been for years and how am I supposed to change that? While I understand where the teachers were coming from, but it seems unfair to be put in meetings every week and be disciplined for such a small group of children with behavior issues just because they are my grade doesn’t mean they speak for me. I think that the same goes for many of the kids my class.

I have been through every talk humanly possible about behavior issues in our class and that hasn’t changed anything. I don’t think the school understands that a class meeting isn’t going to change everything, and the majority of our class has followed these rules and understood them forever. The minority chooses to not act out, that’s their choice and why should the majority of students be blamed for that?

I shouldn’t be blamed for my classmates attitude and behavior problems. Yes, they’re part of my peer group but doesn’t mean they speak for me and my actions.
I speak for myself and maybe the majority of my class in this case, and even though you may see my grade as a terrible influence or just a nuisance, I assure you that the majority of us are actually intelligent and well behaved. Even though it’s difficult don’t just listen to the minority.

Listen to the quiet majority a little bit more, because seeing everyone as the same only puts the good kids in a bad light, which is not fair.

We deserve better.