During the four years we spend in high school, we find ourselves surrounded by the same group of people. Whether you are social or choose not to be, by the time you graduate, there will be a group of people you can say you belonged to at some point during your time at school.
However, as the years go on, one thing becomes evident; the halls of UACHS are not as friendly as they used to be.
Throughout the years, various former students have returned to UACHS as teachers or support staff. However, amongst conversation, one thing that has remained constant and repeated over and over is that somewhere over the years, the school’s “family” dynamic has shifted tremendously.
UACHS History teacher, Samantha Minor, who is from Jersey City, graduated in 2012. For her, coming back to the school was almost like enetritng a completely different environment compared to what it used to be.
“When I was here, the school was super academic. The kids here really cared about their grades,” said Minor. “We were also all a really tight-knit group. Even though everyone had their own cliques, my whole graduating class was really close with each other.”
As time goes on and the school advances, so does the technology around us. Due to phones and computers becoming more prominent in the building, kids are more invested in their screens; instead of being involved in their class. Thus, forcing the family dynamic around the building to fade.
“Before, it was never a thing where if you do not know someone, you do not talk to them,”said Minor. “Nowadays kids are so invested in their phones that you could have kids in the
same room for eight months and they can not tell you a handful of their classmates’ names.”
Now, the only “clique” is the clicking going on when students send text messages in between classes.
If the face to face interaction between students continues to diminish, what is the point of even attending in person school; was not the entire driving force behind reopening schools after Covid19 all about being social and making friends?
