UA isn’t a drama school, you’re a drama person

Aeden Africa

UACHS has a bad rep for being a drama school. Believe it or not, it’s not the school’s fault. From the unnecessary arguments to the full on fist fights, there is no denying that there’s a surplus of drama at UACHS.
“UACHS is just a building. If you want it to be a drama place then you fill it with drama,” said Susan Suarez, English teacher. “Drama comes from the students and not the school itself.”
This year is no different, even with the integration of phone pouches and stricter rules, drama always finds its way around.
“At any school, you can see the different archetypes of kids,” said Suarez. “There’s always going to be your class clowns and your quiet kids, but the louder kids influence new students.”
UACHS is a smaller school compared to other high schools in the area, so the louder kids are more noticeable. Suarez believes that the drama at school roots from a problem with identity.
“The freshman will come in with no identity. When they see those students that go around screaming in the halls, and see that it’s well received amongst their peers, it influences them to act the same way,” said Suarez.
The drama and numerous attitudes from the upperclassmen gets recycled, keeping the drama constant.
Drama amongst the student body varies at each grade level. Starting of course with the freshmen, one in particular Vincent Binoya has seen the drama first hand.
“I see some of my classmates acting out and I think it’s because of the older students here,” said Binoya. “There’s a lot of influence from them.”
Being new to UACHS, Binoya doesn’t view the amount of drama as anything out of the ordinary; however, the more adjusted students see this year as being one of the crazier years at UACHS.
Senior, Angel Castellanos who has been here since his freshman year has also gone through the identity problem Suarez references.
“In my freshman and sophomore year I was influenced by my friends in the higher grades,” said Castellanos. “Once they left I started acting like myself, and I wasn’t getting in as much trouble.”
The upperclassmen are not the only factor playing into the behavior at UACHS. Coach C, UACHS’ at risk mentor, was present at the Freshman Academy over the summer.
“When I was here at the Freshman Academy, the freshmen were pure and innocent but there were some that were filled with drama,” said Coach. “Now that the school year started, those innocent kids are getting involved in this he-said she-said drama.”
The drama this year is so potent, that within the first five months of school there have been about half a dozen events that required police presence according to Coach C.
“Most of the suspensions this year have been freshmen,” said Coach. “The drama this year has been the worst in the 10 years I’ve worked here.”
The blame is on both sides with the freshmen causing the majority of the drama this year while some upperclassmen continue to not set a good example.
“I don’t really think the juniors and seniors influenced the freshman on the first day to start being dramatic, but some seniors will be bad influences to younger kids,” said Castellanos. “It’ll happen over time.”
You can be a product of your environment or you can learn to make your environment a product of you. In that case, maybe acting like mature high schoolers can turn UACHS from a reality TV show back to a high school. Try it some time.