“Who’s that?” “I’ve never even heard of that name?” “That person is in this class? I had no idea.” Most of us probably don’t mean to miss people or ignore others in our classes, but it seems like we do.

I don’t think I have been in one class this year where I haven’t heard someone say the above comments, or something similar. We are too involved in our own lives to notice other people in our classes.

This involvement causes cliques. It’s high school. Of course there are going to be cliques. There will continue to be groups like this, but these groups shouldn’t be there to hide you from others. I have heard many people say that as they have gotten older their want to meet new people has decreased. High school should be a time to experience new things and to meet many different people. We shouldn’t try to cut other people from our lives just because we have found a small group of people we fit in with. Think of everything that we miss when we exclude ourselves.

“I don’t necessarily think the cliques at NCHS are bad thing. I think they are a natural part of high school life but I think they do prevent you from meeting other people. You also don’t get to see into other people’s lives and see and appreciate the differences in others,” Zaniya Matthews (10) says.  ‘Cliques,’ or groups of friends, are a great thing to make you feel comfortable with who you are and what you like to do. There are many things that cliques can blind you from though. They can blind you from new potential friends, activities, clubs, or even just a simple conversation with a person you have never talked to before.

“Sometimes it’s just awkward to start a conversation because people are scared of the reaction of the other person. So cliques can cause the one kid who doesn’t fit in to fall through the cracks of social action in school. I think in high school, teachers have a lot to do with it. They have a responsibility to recommend a new club or activity for the kids who don’t seem as involved as others,” Ms. Beaumont recommended. We can all do the same. Invite someone new to a club you’re already involved in or ask to join a club with one of your friends already involved!

Not only do teachers have a responsibility to make everyone feel like an active part of our student body, but the students do too. Take a chance; meet new people and step out of your comfort zone. “When you’re younger you’re more open to other people. Now, when you’re older, you have your guard up because you’ve been hurt by people before” said Matthews. This is true in some way for everyone. Take that chance of meeting a new person or just saying hello to someone in the hallway. We all have four years in this school so we should make it an exciting four years for everyone.