From fights, to sluffing, to truancy tickets, to stealing, etc. students’ behavior this year is extremely different than years in the past. Many students have bore witness to the multiple fights a day taking place on campus, and many haven’t been able to dry their hands because someone stole the dispenser. Uproars of concerning and distressing behavior have become the new ‘norm’ of the twenty-twenty one school year.

Multiple factors have contributed to these breakouts of behavior, including two new grades coming into Taylorsville, making the hallways crowded, desks full of students, etc. Other things such as the lack of socialization these two new grades have, they haven’t had a normal year of school in about two years. Most of the sophomores and freshmen didn’t get a junior high experience. 

These younger grades have just moved into a high school where the expectations are so different from anything else they’ve experienced, the work is harder, the grades matter, and there are so many people who blame them for why this school year has been hard. 

“Many of the freshmen are aware that upperclassmen are unhappy with them coming into Tville, and I believe they act out both to prove themselves and lash out for the unfriendly welcome” said junior Bailey Burgon. 

 “Many families and students struggled and are still struggling with the pandemic, income, loss of family members, tragic events and more,” said junior Shaelyn Openshaw.

Fights have always happened, but never this much. It’s putting everyone on edge, and making the hallways even more tense. A fight breaking out is a safety concern for everyone, and it’s created anxiety for a lot of students. “With concerns to safety, the fights have heightened my nerves” said Burgon. 

“I honestly don’t feel safe at school. Sometimes there’s already been one time where there was an accidental lock down and a false alarm of someone bringing a weapon to school” said junior Starla Shauntay Alonso Aguilar. 

Fights have become the new normal at Taylorsville, but other schools have been experiencing other things such as increased homophobia, racism, and general discrimination. Not all students are reacting the same way, the pandemic has affected everyone differently. 

“Other schools that expected to see more emotional outbursts and disruptive behavior haven’t seen them. In some places, staff have noticed behavior improvement, as students regain the structure and schedules they didn’t have last school year — though they acknowledge it may be a “honeymoon phase”’ according to ChalkBeat.org.

This year has been hard on all students and some are acting out and others are becoming reserved, and others have felt forgotten. 

“It makes me feel forgotten about certain teachers because they are only focused on students who are acting out,” said senior Drista Ricord. 

We are still trying to recover from the past two years, and the trauma and loss that has come with it. The lack of a normal junior high experience has left students without the maturity and knowledge that you learn in junior high, so they’ve been forced to experience that in High School instead.