the Sam Jackson College Experience

Warning: Sensitive readers may want to avert their gaze here for fear of the horrorible tale that I am about to relate. I’m only saying that to keep your eyes glued here, but never mind that! Onward into nightmare-land. This may also be the single ‘cruelest thing’ that a high school senior could do, too–I’m not sure, but it’s up there.

This is a true story which took place just last week.

Last week I was loitering outside my last period AP biology class discussing the answers to the problem set with my classmates as we skittishly huddled waiting to be shooed into the classroom. Someone who will remain nameless (innocent though he is not) chose at this time to mention very loudly to a specific person (that everyone might hear) that he had just gotten into a certain unnamed highly selective school. A fellow senior who had good luck with his admissions–sounds good! Except, actually, this particular senior was announcing his having received a likely letter which he then proceeded to flaunt–literally–to the assembled crowd. As if the first statement were not enough he said over and over again what we already knew from his letter-in-hand and shrieking voice. He was more or less ignored as best possible but to imagine his announcement as well received by the neurotic mass of seniors and soon-to-be-applying juniors would be hallucinatory at best.

I was horrified as I stood there observing this raw spectacle play out and was tremendously annoyed even though I had an admissions letter securely in hand–I could only imagine everone else’s thoughts. Except of course when they told me… and their reaction was not a happy one. Barely choked back rage, more or less.

As admissions letters will start rolling in soon I thought it would be worth taking a moment to reflect on the arduous process just hope that most people are more conscientious of those around them than this one person was. It’s simply disrespectful to those not as fortunate to receive likely letters or admissions letters for that matter–be it from that particular school or any other. If it were April 1st in the Post Office I don’t know what etiquette I would insist upon, but outside class was not the time or the place to celebrate that personal achievement.

Sorry about the rant-story, there. But I felt it was worth saying.