By Tyler Christensen

My freshman year, I was terrified of upperclassmen. When I walked through the hallways, I would speechlessly huddle against the lockers, hoping not to get into anyone’s way. A school where the freshmen are afraid of the senior class is not a good environment. Now that I am a senior, I have decided to make an effort to change this standard.

I believe in the power of the seniors. Seniors may not understand the force they yield, or the impact they have. But now that I am a senior myself, I am determined to reach out to students in our school. Seniors must understand that we are the leaders at AHS; people’s eyes will be watching our every move, waiting for us to make a mistake. Given the opportunity of leadership, we need to try to make a difference. We need to try our hardest to seek out the students that viewed seniors the way I did my freshman year. A simple hello from a senior can make an underclassman’s day.

That sort of small attention can have a major impact on students who are struggling. We read in the news about teen suicides, yet some students still walk through school alone and helpless. It has to start with the students. Teachers try to make a difference and sometimes they do. They often invite kids to stay after class and talk with them. Many teachers also encourage students to reach out to each other as well. However, we all know how students react to teachers–they don’t listen! The seniors are the ones that need to make the change for our school. We are the role models and the ones students will listen to.

Even if seniors don’t think they’re leaders, they are. No matter the school, the underclassmen always look up to their seniors. Every school is different, and every year is different. There will always be some seniors who are terrible role models; the ones that party, are disrespectful, or are just downright mean to people. These aren’t the seniors we want the underclassmen to follow. Rather, we want them to look up to the true seniors. The reason I call them true seniors is because they are the ones who have grown and matured through their high school years. These young adults that are the ones who can give the good example to follow. I believe it is seniors like these that can make a change in their school.

Having seniors who are willing change the standards in our school makes a difference. If all of us make an effort to talk to each person we meet, we will make an impact. Hopefully someday it will be natural for us to set the right example. That day is what should be our goal. We can start by simply holding the door or using our manners. Additionally, we should make an effort to connect  with those students who need a friend.  I believe that all of these small actions matter.

When walking through the halls, seek out the students that need a friend. Be the type of person to make the change in your high school. Set an example for everyone to follow. Sooner or later, the entire high school will be making a change. We the seniors have the power, let’s set the right example.