Do you think we should change our school schedule? Do you think our parking rules are illogical? Do you hate waiting in the lunch line for 15 minutes, just to find that the food you wanted to get was completely gone? I’m right there with you.
However, before we scramble to pile onto the many faults of University Prep, ask yourself: can we really argue from our brightly lit, well ventilated, state-of-the-art classrooms, that this place is truly awful?
I’m not going to lie and say UPrep is perfect; there’s still a lot of room for growth. However, we are afforded so many privileges that aren’t given elsewhere, and don’t have to deal with many of the difficulties that are a reality at many other schools.
We are all, in some way or another, privileged. Privilege looks different for everyone, and some have more than others, but everyone here is privileged in at least one way: we all attend UPrep.
Many of the rules and regulations that upset us are issues that plague most other schools, if not all schools. Do you genuinely think that other schools don’t need to deal with parking, long lunch lines, or weird schedules?
On the flip side, UPrep affords us many opportunities that aren’t available, or aren’t as comprehensive, at other schools. Things that we take for granted, like Global Link, Community Time, the Diversity Office and nightly cleaning services deserve more praise than they get. Instead, we put the Commons Cafe, teachers, and administrators under a microscope, viewing each with intense scrutiny.
I am not arguing on behalf of UPrep; I believe that the school has its fair share of flaws, some surface level, some more significant. Nevertheless, our complaints must be coupled with understanding, and an acknowledgment that, all things considered, our school is pretty good.
At the very least, I urge you to think. Think about everything that this school has given you, and before going back to trash-talking the school with your friends, muster a “thank you.”