Don't ask, don't tell – Staff Editorial
Courtesy of Alana Maguire ‘ 16 – Multi Media Design Class
The question does not just come from peers within the senior class. It comes from the curious underclassmen, the competitive parents, the concerned friends, and the optimistic teachers. It repeats like a broken record in the seniors’ minds with the same cautious responses. “You know I really don’t know” or “I’ve only narrowed it down to the South.” Seniors have mastered their crafty responses to change the subject quickly without losing any aspect of their privacy.
So you may wonder why we, seniors, are so insanely secretive and lock up our college lists from the entire world. And the answer is layered. Firstly and most prominently, we want privacy. Though you may just be an objective and inquisitive bystander, we are embarking on a decision that will forever change our lives. We do not need opinions, advice, or suggestions from anyone but our guidance counselors and our own intuitions.
Secondly, applying to college is as competitive as a sporting event against GA. A lot of time hard work and pressure go into it, and only a lucky few come out truly victorious. We do not want to know if Harvard is your safety school or if your perfect score on the SAT’s is getting you into MIT. And we definitely do not want to know who else is applying to our ED school because we then vigorously compare ourselves to the point where we silently resent our opponents’ success.
And along with privacy, applying to college is an individual decision that should only be cared about by that individual. Like our Dean of Students, Ms. Panarella, said of the lice outbreak, we all need to stop worrying about everyone else and instead focus on ourselves. Rumors about where people are applying spread as rapidly as lice do in an all girls-school. And with that, the unnecessary judgments ignite like wildfire.
A distinctively senior question teaches a universal lesson. Our generation has been flooded with all information accessible with a click. We can know what parties our friends have been to, what mood they are in, and what they had for lunch that day all within five minutes on Facebook or Twitter. Our privacy walls are as thick as the computer paper that withholds our shielded transcripts. We are so accustomed to knowing everything about everyone that someone keeping something to herself seems like a sin. But we need to move on from this. We need to realize that our focus should remain on our own ambitions and plans and should not be concerned with those of others. We should respect the privacy and refrain from making subjective opinions.
To all the members of the upper school, we, the seniors, are making a change. As strong and individualized Sacred Heart students, we need to rise above the comparisons and the jealousy by respecting each other’s privacy. Now is not the time to ask about where we’re applying ED, or which alumni interviews we have completed. The answer is simple: wait until we flaunt our new college sweatshirts to have that sought after college discussion. It is time to end the college gossip and face the truth that no matter how much we speculate, everyone is going to end up somewhere that is her perfect match, whether it be the top Ivy league or a small, liberal arts school. The energy we have all wasted on such unnecessary concerns can be used towards something greater that will ensure a college acceptance. So until at least December 15 for early applicants, or April 1 for regular, our lips are sealed.
– Devon Hoffman and Allison Kenny, Co-Opinions Editors
