Forced high school culture; it’s easy to trash talk it. Every time there’s a mandatory pep assembly or an icebreaker game, the collective sigh from the student body is loud enough to be heard from the parking lot. Often, students act as if being “too cool” for school is a personality trait. But here’s the reality: without the administration constantly trying to uplift the vibe, South would be a miserable building where we simply stare at the back of each other’s heads for seven hours.
To be fair, student-run clubs deserve the credit for much of what the administration claims as their own — things like pep rallies, hallway candy-grams, food trucks, salsa festivals and homecoming spirit week activities. There is a fundamental disconnect here: what the administration defines as spirit often differs from what a majority of the student body actually values.
Take Link Crew, for example. Is it awkward? Obviously. But that awkwardness serves a purpose. It forces us to talk to people we’d normally ignore while staring at our phones. Without programs pushing us out of our shells, most people wouldn’t budge. You can’t wait for a community to form organically when everyone is staying cliquey or hiding behind their AirPods.
The data suggests that the effort from staff is worth it. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, schools with a high “sense of belonging” see significantly higher graduation rates and lower chronic absenteeism. The effort is clearly there. Would the students who complain rather South be a ghost town with no activities at all?
Of course, the counter-argument is that these events often feel performative. While the administration’s goal is to foster an inclusive environment, the execution can still feel overbearing at times — much like a parent shouting “I love you!” from the car while an embarrassed teenager pretends not to hear. So, I do agree that there are times when the forced “fun” feels like too much.
But let’s be real: if South stepped back entirely, most of us would never leave our comfort zones. Organic connection is great, but it’s rare in a high-pressure environment. High school is meant for exploring where you fit in. So, maybe it’s time we stop acting like participation is a punishment and realize that “cringe” culture is still better than no culture at all.
