High School students have four years to make memories that last a lifetime. Students should embrace the opportunities to embrace themselves in the traditions of high school. During high school, there are many events and activities that students have

 the option to go to or participate in. They can play on sports teams, get involved with community service and more. They can go to homecoming and prom, they can participate in the pep rallies, and they can be in school sponsored shows. It is important for students to engage in these traditions of high school because these are the little things that people will remember later in life. While they may seem “lame” or “unimportant” these are the stereotypic events of high school. Take football games on Friday nights for example. Some people are not sports fans and dread the games, while some can’t wait to get to the front row. Going to the game is fun because students can go with friends, and can get into the school spirit with face paint and watch friends who are playing in the game or cheering. Homecoming and Prom are another prime example of high school traditions. Some people look at them as not fun since a lot of planning goes into  nding a date and making plans for the night, but when you look back at photos from the fun night out with friends, it is a really cool event.

Traditions are a major part of community life in high school. During the year students are highly encouraged to participate in activities, even though these events only cater to the interests  and abilities of a certain percentage of the student body. While students are presented with opportunities to have fun and make friends, these chances can be illusive as well as exclusive. Sports such as crew and hockey have extremely high costs, and club dues and event admissions add up quickly over time. With the increase and required payment of dues, those without the means to pay for such extracurriculars feel like outliers.

Fifty dollar advanced Homecoming tickets are inaccessible — not to mention the price of dresses, corsages, meals, transportation and more. Leaving lower income students without the ability to participate in events that should be free. Whilst the pressure remains on students to make the most out of their high school careers, perhaps counselors and administrators should be presenting more opportunities for students outside the classroom. Student-organized events outside of school are much more valuable to the growth and independence of students. Learned leadership is a necessity at in high school, however students should be presented with the means to do so.

Rather than administrators standing at all the schools exits, preventing students from signing out in order to avoid the  first pep rally of the football season, faculty should work to compile information that caters to each individual student’s needs and interests. Students should be listened to rather than funneled into the football stadium