I am writing to you about the recent column that was published about grad parties. As a current Grade 12 student at Howe Sound Secondary, I took offence to the statements that were included. I found this column very judgmental. Graduating students have worked unbelievably hard to get to this point in our lives. Not only have we succeeded in the academic field, but the number of students who participate in sports and help out around our community is outstanding. We have so much to be proud of. For the article to say “Over what exactly are they all going crazy?” was definitely disrespectful.
Graduating high school will not be the biggest achievement in our lives but, at this moment for students, who have been going to school for most of our lives, it is a very important milestone. I feel as though we do deserve to celebrate and applaud our success and all this column is doing is belittling the Squamish student community.
Also, the column further ingrains the typical teenager stereotype – teenagers being irresponsible, reckless, trouble makers – into the community. Students are not only the opposite of that, but we are so much more. We are self-motivated, caring, hard-working adults who deserve to celebrate our success.
It seems to me that the column was written with a very harsh undertone that was not justified.
Overall, many of my peers and I found this piece to be very shocking and something that could have been written in more positive tone.
Thank you.
Jacklin Warwick
Squamish
