Hello everyone,

Recently, my French IV class had a discussion about the MacDuffie community, and more specifically, the apathy that many of us feel from fellow students. Because we are cynical teenagers, we talked about the divide that separates boarding students from day students, and how it seems that more and more often, students from the same ethnic groups tend to stick to themselves. At the heart of the conversation was the question of what we should do about issues that affect us. A consensus was not reached: some believed that students don’t hold enough power to make a difference; some thought that a simple smile in the halls could change a person’s day. But the thing that most struck me was how passionate we all were. I already knew that these concerns mattered to us, but it is rare to hear them talked about so openly.

So how do we continue this conversation on a wider scale and make it effect real change? Well, as editor of the school newspaper, I am basically required to say contribute to The Magnet! I do actually believe that journalism has a purpose, even in our small community, and so I urge any of you to consider writing letters to us, or writing an article about your thoughts and observations. This is your paper, and we want to accurately represent you. We are privileged to attend this school, but that does not mean that we can’t want to better it.

MacDuffie’s strength has always been in its spirit. There is a silliness in singing a pop song with your grade, or standing up to yell the senior chant. To foster the spirit of our school, we have to be willing to embrace that silliness. Put some effort into Heart Week gifts, rally your class to have fun with Song Contest, participate in Spirit Week. Walk up to someone you’ve never talked to and sit down with them at lunch. Join, or start, a club. These may seem like cliches, but apathy only breaks when you care about something, regardless of what it is. Projects like the student-led campaign for Black History Month awareness can always use more help.

So write letters, talk to administrators, communicate with teachers. Let them know what you are feeling about the school. And on a more personal scale, try to see the fun in our traditions, and celebrate what sets MacDuffie apart.

Continue the conversation.

-Cassidy