Spartans, where are you hiding?
In the past year, Torch has received three letters to the editor. When a new Torch comes out, we scour the halls for eager readers, but oftentimes the papers go untouched unless they are placed directly in your hands. We almost take it personally until we notice the corresponding low attendance at school-sponsored events.
As a student body, we have all become detached.
In a school of such intelligent and free-minded people, this detachment is truly disappointing, as it is seen across the board. It seems that students simply do not care enough to speak out.
Why is this? Writing a letter to the editor is an opportunity to bring attention to the school’s underlying issues. Walking the halls with you every day, we hear you criticize the school frequently. But when the opportunity arises, you often fail to put your thoughts forward to advocate for change for the better of the school as a whole. When you do not immerse yourself in the news of the school, you fail to use the adamant voices we know you have.
Accordingly, we hear many complain about lack of support for your activities and accomplishments, but when push comes to shove, what do you do to vocalize support for others and the school as a whole? In a time where we are all so engaged in our own activities, we rarely go out of our way to show and voice support for others. It seems that we bring this detachment upon ourselves by failing to take the first steps toward outward engagement.
Of course we all have a lot going on, and when it might be easier to Snapchat our ways through the hallways, it takes extra energy to stay attentive and responsive to those around us. But the distractions provided by Snapchat, Chromebooks and more are not excuses, as they are just a glimpse into the inevitable future. It is only going to get harder to keep yourselves engaged members of society as time progresses.
As Torch senior Natalie Knez wrote in “Assemble your pride, Spartans” on Page 6, it does not take much effort to join the school community in dressing in green and gold on an assembly day to show your Spartan pride. Likewise, it does not take much to congratulate a member of last night’s show, or give a quick “Good luck today!” to a uniformed player. Taking this step toward engagement would truly allow for a chain reaction of sorts, hopefully eventually back to you.
Simply put: speak up, and seek out the news of the school—not for us Torch editors, but for the people who have been written about. Their stories deserve to be read and understood by the community. Even more importantly, they deserve to be supported in live action. Go out and raise your voice: whether it be in complaint, in praise, for help or in support. Anything to show that you are alive as a Spartan community.