Commentary: Revelations of a stressed senior

I again find myself the subject of culminated procrastination efforts, squandered ruthlessly in what I euphemistically designate as “enlightenment time” of the week (I belt Beyonce while simultaneously reading New York Times articles and peering at National Geographic pictures of Mayan ruins). In a tribute to the college applications process, I investigated and compared college colors this week. Sadly, no sophisms fitting enough to defend my deliberate procrastination come to mind. Senioritis, perfectionism, and the need for stress relief: all seem highly inadequate. And, perhaps my reasons have something to do with more than just a general malaise engendered on Mondays by widespread apathy among students at Santa Barbara High.
Yet, what makes my wasting of time even more reprehensible (beyond the fact that I am wasting time) is the realization that I rate myself around an 8 on the “how busy are YOU?” spectrum. The truth is, my fellow seniors and I are all busy, stressed from attempting to complete annoying forms. I would much rather be stressed over something of more importance, but I am powerless against the aggravations of college applications. Admittedly, the point of high school is to prepare for college. But that label, “college preparatory,” suggests that the main goal of any high school is for its graduates to go to college. For any school, shouldn’t the primary and ultimate goal be to provoke thought and debate? Or to challenge students to look beyond preconceived boundaries and question the surrounding world? While Thursday’s bulletins are spunky, amusing, and informative, there exists a lack of significance in them, and in The Forge, that should be present in the media of a high school such as ours.
Nearing the end of enlightenment time, I find an article on the peaceful military coup in Thailand that occurred last year, and wonder if the repercussions of that action were felt by students at this school. Diversity, while we have so much of it, doesn’t do anything unless we learn from each other. Left to our own groups, we risk the formation of cliques, who know only themselves, their cultures, their beliefs. Left to our own groups, we risk the formation of cliques who know only themselves, their cultures, their beliefs. Invariably, there is no one way to achieve the objective of diversity. But reacting passively by allowing people to develop their potential naturally is inaction, when the point of being around our many different heritages is that they give us incredible enrichment. Yet, while regulation of diversity within schools may lead to less discrimination, the danger of division poses as an obstacle.
We enjoy variety of opportunity and a student body much more talented, intelligent, diverse, and dedicated, than ever before. Our faculty, whose contributions are often taken for granted, devote effort and time to our intellectual and, dare I say, individual elevation. What is left is for us speak our minds in a way that will let all of us be heard. There is a place for issues of greater importance, not only in writing or in conversation, but also in the general consciousness. I challenge us collectively, both students and faculty alike, to make possible this atmosphere of actual interest and awareness at our school.
-Tessa Chu, Senior