You should never have to consciously think about being nice. A good attitude and a kind heart should be in everyone’s DNA. But every day, people around the world continue to disrespect and mistreat those around them. One of our society’s largest breeding grounds for this type of behavior, sadly, is in our schools.

  In a school environment that is constantly bustling and buzzing with creativity and ingenuity, you wouldn’t expect many members of the student body to act so rude. But sadly, a certain subset of Eastern students is perpetually criticized year in and year out by those who are supposed to be leading the way towards a better future.

  In order to become a Journalism 3 student, one first has to pass through Journalism 1 and Journalism 2. The same goes for school in general; in order to gain senior status, everyone must be a freshman first. Something that has puzzled me for a very long time is the mockery of the freshman class.

  It’s one of the oldest tricks in the high school book; yell and scream at people who are no more than three years younger than you for seemingly no reason. I don’t think that there’s a single high school in the country that hasn’t experienced some form of this issue. 

  Believe me, I experienced my fair share of unwanted comments last year. It really makes me wonder why this type of unnecessary hate even goes on in the first place. I suppose that the people who do so are trying to make themselves feel better by pushing others down; in essence, bullying.

  But, the thing is that anyone who takes part in freshman hating is basically an advocate for hypocrisy. If you attend Eastern, you are either a freshman or you were one before. What did these poor people do to deserve this? 

  If I were a member of the administration, I would classify these cases as HIB situations. Some people say that they’re doing it as a messed-up “joke”, but I do not find this funny in the slightest. Whether the situation was sincere or not, it should always be treated very seriously by administration. 

  There is no place at Eastern for harassment of any kind.

  When you really look at it closely, what truly sets the incoming freshmen apart from everyone else? Sure, they aren’t as tall in physical size, but they take part in many of the same courses and classes as sophomores, juniors, and even seniors. These freshmen are just as smart and talented as the angry mob attacking them.

  Instead of putting freshmen down, make an effort to talk to them, even if you don’t know them. Unnecessary niceness is always better than hate. In today’s society, when violence, death, and destruction is somewhat commonplace, we need more positivity in our lives. 

  This year’s 9th graders are destined to shoot for positivity, instead of becoming the bullseyes of hate.