Does school really suck, or is that a convenient fiction?

By Sophie RosenblumIn conversation after conversation, I keep hearing how awful school is. But I think we need to look beyond the vast crowds piling near Innovation, past our upcoming math tests and over the gates that enclose the space between 4th and 7th, Olympic and Pico. Here is something to consider: from the top floor of the Innovation building, there is an ocean view. Turn East, and the view is entirely different. Los Angeles sprawls below, home to millions of people who travel the same streets but experience it all in their individual way. We get to watch the city shift and adjust as the day goes on, and as the clouds travel off the water, over the built-up land and towards the mountains that watch over the city.And it’s not just the views, this campus hums with life. Sometimes it’s hard to look past the turf under your feet or the ugly signage with missing letters. Nevertheless, I have grown to cherish the views at Samo. Instead of seeing a concrete campus swarming with students, my view morphs into whatever I hear around me. Walking quietly, I can take in interactions around me—let it be the subtle nods between teammates, friends embracing giddily as if they have been apart for years or students ranting about whatever teacher they cannot stand at that moment. While adding to the campus noise is worthwhile, it is also nice to drop out from the dialogue.People-watching, valuable as it is, is exhausting. I often revert to listening to music as a form of escapism to move away from the crowded Samo pavement. Suddenly, the concrete is colored in a different way. Some songs give warmth and energy to the campus, while a melancholy piano line in others can make it fog over, taking on a cool navy hue. I relish the campus, the one that I create in my mind. As I walk around with a song in my ears, it becomes the narration of that moment. That moment that I am moving through is entirely different to that of the kid next to me, walking in the same direction also listening to music. Ours heads both bob unconsciously, but our views are completely different, clouded by whatever voice and noise is playing just for us. We are privileged to go to a school where the space is up to the individual. We can choose to live in our headphone-worlds and let our music carry us throughout our day, or add to the conversation.It doesn’t all get graded. Sometimes you just need to be aware of the energy and life around you. While Samo gives countless opportunities to those who want to get involved, sometimes you need to be uninvolved. The kids that participate in the most clubs and take the hardest classes could very well be too overwhelmed with their workload to enjoy the little things. There is, however, middle ground where people can thrive academically without losing sight of the small things that make our school day so special. That middle ground is where we should all strive to remain. I encourage you to relish the space that the campus provides for solitude, and then look around and get lost in the crowd. There’s a lot here to appreciate.