Teenagers thrive in spaces where diversity and individualism benefit them to the fullest, however, they often go to cliques, where ironically, diversity dies.
In theory, diversity is alive in high school when it comes to topics like sexuality, gender, race, and presentation but in practice, students stick with those who accept what the box says is included with them, rather than letting a new set of eyes read the label.
Many people, including adults, have different opinions on those stereotypical friend groups depending on the high school they went to and what their experience was like during their four years. There are definitely still groups that form together based on common interest, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Jocks, cheerleaders, band kids, geeks, mean girls, and rebels are all common, baseline high school stereotypes that may or may not be accurate depending on the school. At Ritenour, stereotypes stick, but they come in variants.
“I have one main friend group, but I am friends with a lot of people. I don’t get super close with more than just my main friends. It is only like me and five other people. We have been friends since elementary and middle school,” senior Tristan Sullivan said
Many students are uncomfortable with venturing outside of the friend groups they’ve become accustomed to due to things like fear of rejection or thinking they will not have anything in common with other peers. However, a few Ritenour students are more than willing to be social, connecting with students most of their peers wouldn’t expect them to know personally.
“There is one friend that I hang with, and people always ask, ‘who is that dude you are with?’” Sullivan said.
Junior Philip Smith, a student with a distinct look and hobbies that separate him from people he may not run with regularly, has created quite the hospitable circle during his time at Ritenour, hopping around friend groups. As far as impacting his high school experience, being sociable has been smooth sailing for Smith..
“Sometimes it feels like I do not have many friends, but then I realize I do have a lot of friends, I just have them everywhere,” Smith said.
Smith actually has formed friends by moving into other friend groups. Despite being polar opposites with the two, Smith noted that he is friends with students like Bailey Witte and Marissa Munoz. Through these two, he also connected to a student many people wouldn’t expect him to know, Jonathan Bady.
Bady and his bright, lively nature are well acknowledged by a variety of students at Ritenour, making him known for being the epitome of positive energy. Considering the colorful group of students he mainly runs with, there isn’t much needed to be in Jonathan’s circle.
“I love people that bring the same energy I give, not downers. If you do not bring anything that will make me love you, you know you could not be around me. If you are cool, you are cool,” Bady said. “There is not anyone in particular, but I love special people.”
There are no jocks, no geeks, and no plastics in the real world. Whether the differences between these students stem from the clothes they wear, the people they associate with, or how loud or quiet they are, teenagers find many ways to connect with one another, bending the imaginary rules to defeat the unrealistic high school stereotypes from pop culture media embedded into modern society.
