A Plea From The Harbinger

Fifty-eight MIPs, one discouraged administration and one death of a classmate later, we’re still misbehaving, and East is still not listening. In a desperate attempt to catch your attention, The Harbinger made an executive decision to waste a headline on this. So hear us out while we give you detailed directions on how to redeem our school’s embarrassing reputation: take responsibility.

Feel free to re-read that if you missed something.

In all seriousness, Lancers, things have gotten out of hand. Our notoriety has spread from the district to the state level. It’s not just about the alcohol; it’s about the entitlement we feel, the example we’re setting for the future classes and the refusal to learn from the most tragic lesson we’ll get.

The partiers are not the only ones at fault; the parents and kids who passively watch their children and classmates have work to do, too. It’s our school and our community. It’s time we take responsibility for what we are, and admit we aren’t being Shawnee Mission Wonderful.

It doesn’t matter that we aren’t the first Lancers in the history of Lancer Village to party. It’s a cowardly excuse to say that the only reason our school has more offenses is because we have more cops. It’s ridiculous to see our behavior as justifiable in any way.

So here’s how we go back to being wonderful. First, let’s admit we have a problem. Let’s thank Dr. K for his tireless efforts on trying to fix this problem, and let’s show him we’re finally ready to listen. Think of it as a retirement gift.

Next, let’s be smart. This doesn’t mean locking yourself in your room with a book on the weekend, or even cutting down your social circle. We all know what a good decision feels like, so let’s do what we know is right.

Let’s be aware of where we are and what example we want to set. For instance, maybe a basketball game isn’t the best place to be too drunk to stand up. Maybe we shouldn’t pass down the tradition of bad decisions to our wide-eyed underclassmen.

Let’s have fun, but let’s think about what that means. Let’s realize that if we have to rely on alcohol to have a good time, then there’s probably a deeper problem. We don’t need to cut our social scene, we just need to refine it.

There it is, Lancers. It’s just an article, and in comparison to all the other things that have happened, it would be a surprise if it made an impression on you. Let’s realize we’re still just kids, and we’re going to make mistakes, but there’s no excuse for not learning from them. We’re underaged, and are not entitled to do whatever we want. We’re hurting our friends, our family and our peers. We need to go forth and give our community a reason to say ‘it’s a great day to be a Lancer’ again.  So first, let’s take responsibility.