By Michelle Pitcher
Editor-in-Chief
Today’s students try so hard to have nothing to talk about.
Pop culture has been redefined in the past few years, with “alternative” and “indie” movies and films gaining more recognition than what would have been previously defined as “mainstream.” Individuality is more important than ever, and common ground is becoming harder and harder to stand on.
Whenever a formerly unknown band gains popularity, its die-hard fans begin to abandon ship for fear of having too much in common with their peers. A movie playing at the Angelika theatre is inherently better than one that plays at Movies 8 because there is an assurance that the general populace will not make the trek.
There are certain events – like the Super Bowl or the Grammys – that capture the attention of the nation. People plan parties to celebrate these rare occasions. Social media are inundated with commentary and humorous takes on the event. Every so often – maybe twice a year – people are able to share a meaningful experience with one another.
The ever-diversifying educational methods of the 21st century are sending me and my peers on completely divergent paths. When we enter high school, we not only have the opportunity to choose which campus best suits our learning style, but we get to choose which path to embark on when we get to our respective campuses. We are bombarded with information about the Academies, AP classes, Dual Credit, International Baccalaureate – every smaller community detracting imperceptibly from the larger one.
If I were forced to interact with one of the several hundred seniors with whom I’ve never had a class, I would find myself desperately wanting for conversation topics. “So how about the traffic in the student parking lot?” isn’t exactly the type of riveting conversation I’m looking to engage in on a daily basis.
We are becoming independent thinkers, independent people. And with this transformation, we are becoming more and more distant from our peers.
The problem is not limited to high school. Institutions of higher education are becoming progressively more accepting of flexible course loads; several of the country’s top universities do not have any core class requirements. Not only does this decrease the holistic value of a student’s education, but it deprives him or her of the opportunity to form connections – make a study group, walk to class with the same people every day, always having something in common with your classmates.
It is not enough that my peers face the same generational problems that I do (the most pressing of which currently is the short battery-life of my netbook). It is crucial to the defining of a generation that we share experiences as well. My generation may not protest at Berkeley or be the deciding voice in a historic election. We may never witness the birth and death of an era (disco, anyone?). We may never be easily defined. But it is not too late to look around and remember that maybe individuality does not need to come at the expense of relationships.
