Congratulations Oak Park students! You are almost done with 1^st semester of this year! IF you are a freshman, I hope you like high school. If you are a sophomore, make sure you stay on top of your grades. If you are a junior, don’t get involved in social cliques, it won’t matter your senior year and especially when you graduate. If you’re a senior, pick a college and stay on top of everything. It’s not worth it now for any grade to get into petty social drama of any sorts.

So for my last issue of 2016, I would like to discuss the role of social groups in high school. I will admit that I am a part of a few social groups, but who isn’t? That is completely normal to find a group of people with whom you share interests and want to hang around with. But the one thing that I still have trouble comprehending, even to this day, is the petty drama between the groups. I get that you may not want to invite someone to what your group is doing or whatever, but there is no need for specified ostracism, which is what I see all the time. High school is the time to discover who you are and what your potential is. Support from your friends is essential, but there is no need to be mean to those who are not your friends.

I believe honesty is the best policy, but not when it comes to hurting other people. The lesson we were taught in the 2^nd grade still stands true. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. When it comes to senior year, you realize it really doesn’t matter at all. You won’t see most of these people ever again. The last three years of fighting and drama become almost meaningless, hopefully. To those who hang on with animosity and spite, just breathe and let it go. It doesn’t matter. Now is the time to have fun.