Jessen Reflects on Student Activism
by Jessen O'Brien
Editor-in-Chief
As the end of high school drifts inevitably towards me, I have tried to neatly summarize and evaluate my time at Burroughs. However, it is at Burroughs that I first learned the persistent value of gray areas; most issues seem too complex to quickly and easily write off as good or bad, and this maxim has again proved true for me now.
Burroughs is a wholly unique experience. My conversations with students at other high schools have led me to believe that Burroughs is almost a collegiate school, not only in the difficulty of the material but also in the way that material is taught. At Burroughs, like most colleges, the teachers are very independent. In some subjects, there may be a standard curriculum, but it is taught with emphases on different areas, and in other classes the students do not even read the same material. This independence allows teachers to focus on their specific expertise, and its benefits are never more apparent then when skimming over the course catalogue for senior year.
Seniors can suddenly take classes focused on a subject a particular teacher is passionate about, classes ranging from HitLit in History to an English seminar on Dante's Inferno to Bioethics, a collaborative effort between the History and Science departments. These classes are great because both the teacher and the students have chosen the subject and therefore are actively interested in it. They are also some of the smallest classes at Burroughs, which already boasts small classes; currently, my smallest class has five students in it, my second smallest seven. I like these extra-small classes because they are discussion-based, their size guaranteeing that everyone participates. Most of my classes at Burroughs have been interesting and thought-provoking, but my classes senior year are particularly so because of the aforementioned reasons.
In addition to the teachers and the classes, the students are what truly make up Burroughs. I have spent my time here surrounded by interesting, inventive, and intelligent students who have motivated, supported, and challenged me. At Burroughs, I have made friends with people who are not only actively involved in discussions during class, but who also continue debating points outside of the classroom. I have found Burroughs students eager to help each other with assignments, probably a result of most of them simply being nice people. However, despite my overall feelings of pride and respect in regards to the student body, one aspect of the student body that troubles me.
My strongest complaint against Burroughs is more of a cry of alarm. I worry about the apathy that I see in the student body. Although there are certainly many individuals who are invested in the world around them, as a whole students appear rather apathetic. It is not that they are incapable of understanding national and global issues, or even that they do not know the facts, they just do not seem particularly concerned, and if they are, that care is largely passive. Few people are actively interested in researching issues and solutions themselves. Most students are willing to point out what is wrong, why it is wrong, and who is to blame, but there is very little constructive criticism or work to change a situation.
Perhaps this is a generational flaw; there have been no mass protests against Iraq as there were against Vietnam, for instance. Our generation seems to feel isolated from events, as if healthcare and global warming are abstract problems that will not have genuine ramifications. This distance is both false and dangerous, especially when living in a democracy, which simply can not survive if its citizens are apathetic. In my opinion, the continual and passionate involvement of its citizens is what separates a democracy from all other types of government. Without this active interest, it is a democracy in name alone. Besides, even if apathy is a characteristic of our generation, I would still like Burroughs to be the exception, not the rule.
I think people are working hard to change this apathy, one obvious manifestation of that work being the increase in sound-offs this year. I hope that will continue, that more and more people will stand at the podium to share their opinions with the student body. If there is one thing I regret not doing in my six years here, it is that I never gave one, although I like to see my involvement in the paper (in writing this article, for instance) as a similar contribution. Sound-offs, as we have discovered this year, are a wonderful way to start a discussion on subjects ranging from corsages to the zero-tolerance policy to the commercialization of the school. However, sound-offs need to not only react to events that directly affect Burroughs students. I would like to see them expand to include issues such as global warming and immigration. Other forums for all of these topics are the paper and involvement in clubs such as the Montgomery Plan and Environmental Awareness.
More important than sound-offs, I would like to see students simply being more involved and invested in the world around them. I would like to hear useful dialogues instead of snide criticisms. I would like to participate in discussions that are not only theoretical but also outline a plan of action which is then carried out.
Obviously, such an attitude shift can not be generated by motivational posters or a few lectures. I doubt, too, that the administration or even the teachers can instigate it; a genuine, lasting alteration can only arise from the students themselves, in their determination to change the world themselves instead of waiting for issues to resolve themselves. There exists no one large, simple cure, only countless small ones in the shape of every debate.
Finally, I would like to emphasize that I do not mean to sound patronizing or self-righteous. I have certainly not been as active as I should have been. However, that is exactly what, I believe, gives my advice merit; having completed my six years here, I know what I woulda, coulda, shoulda, and I want to prevent others from falling into similar habits. Also, any characterization of the student body must, by its very nature, be a generalization--there are simply too many people for it not to be--so this may not pertain to everyone.
When I began this rant, I mentioned that Burroughs is a unique place. The campus is filled with extraordinary people, all privileged to possess creativity, intelligence, and a remarkable education. With these tools, I wonder at students‚ apathy; they certainly have the ability to change their environment and lack only the drive. I hope to see Burroughs become a leader for change. I offer this advice from the position of senior year in the hopes that it will be of some help to my fellow students.