Just as no child wants to hear their parent say, “Billy, you are pretty good, but your little sister is AMAZING,” no class wants to hear their administration continually praising a younger class. I get a bit insulted every time an administrator talks about how the class of 2013 is the next “great” class to come through Shaker Heights High School. Sure, it’s OK to THINK that; it may even be true! But please, that is something that I do not want to hear at our class meeting.
What even constitutes greatness in a class? Is it academic excellence? Fundraising? Spirit? Student Council? Behavior at the school dances? There are so many other things to consider! And class of ’13, please don’t take this as a personal attack. I honestly mean no ill will. I definitely see the many amazing traits that are attributed to your class. I just happen to think that my class is “great” as well. We’re smart and spirited, and we have a superb Student Council. Over the course of one school day we managed to organize a brief display of our class spirit by filling the halls with our cries of “1,2! 1,2!” right before tenth period. If you must call the class of ’13 “great,” then I think the class of ’12 deserves the title “amazing.”
But better yet, let’s abolish these titles! The tensions caused by favoring one class can lead to some very nasty situations (e.g. water balloon-gate, the great Saran Wrapping, etc.). So, to the administration, I have a request. PLEASE stop favoring classes. I don’t want to hear that one class is great, and another class is not. I want to hear praise for us all; THAT is what gets us spirited. In this school, there is only one entity that deserves the title of true, undeniable greatness. And that is the Raider Nation.
Noah Eisen,
senior
A version of this article appeared in print on 21 November 2011, on page 6 of The Shakerite. To submit your own letter, click here.
