Make Beach Great Again | Parting words from Shield editor
It’s my honor to say that I have been at Rainier Beach High School all four years.
I’ve seen the ups and downs but also the tremendous growth that the school has made. I’m proud to say that I was part of that growth and made sure I give it all to my school. Rainier Beach has came a long way since my freshman year but has a long way to go as well. I won’t lie and say Beach is at its best. This year has been really tough but I know as a family we can get over this hump.
My freshman year at beach was pretty crazy. There were loads of fights and discipline issues going on. The school still had the huge negative stigma going. Coming in as a freshman I noticed these things but didn’t think big of it. I knew every school had their fair share of discipline issues. Something to note is our student body at the time was really small and everything that happened in the school went around pretty quickly. Even with all the issues the staff and student body did not lose hope. Their was still a sense of hope and pride within the school.
Sophomore year rolled around and I seen so many changes being implemented in the school. Our activities and events increased and student discipline issues decreased. We also got the IB program that year and positive media coverage started happening. The student body was connected and everyone seemed to be adding good to the school. I truly miss that vibe and the way Beach was. We were truly getting somewhere and hope still resided in our hearts.
My junior year wasn’t the best but it was great too. The main reason it wasn’t so great was because of all the changes the school was going through. After a solid year, you would’ve thought changes wouldn’t happen and things would be the same. Sadly not, many teachers left and we had new staff. It was hard to adapt to it but the beach family made it happen. I’m not good with change at all and it takes me a long time to get use to is. This explains my senior year of high school.
Senior year has to be the most hectic year here I had at Beach. I’m a full IB student, Student body president and the editor and chief of the school paper. With all these responsibilities, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I came back to school realizing most of the staff left and having loads of new teachers. This affected me and the returning student body greatly, we had to get use to new teachers and rules. Also coping with the absences of my favorite teachers and staff. Change has never has been the easiest for me. So when Mr. Chappelle left I really lost it and didn’t see myself enjoying school like I use to. Mr. Chappelle leaving in the middle of the year made it really hard. The student body had to learn a new administration and leadership style in the middle of the year. New rules and policies came about and even as a senior I struggled following them.. So when I noticed the under classmen struggling and facing consequences I wasn’t really surprised. This year I have seen the school’s hope and pride decrease and become almost non existent This really hurts me because at my four years at Beach, no matter what happens pride and hope was still there. Seeing the spirit go missing this year has really made me sad and want the old beach to come back.
At my four years at Beach, I have seen it all. I have seen the positivity and a few negatives. I have seen my school grow from a test trial to an empire and an example for many schools around the world to follow. I have seen our hopes get tested and scared away at certain moments. Something I have realized is through it all, we are one big family and whatever happens we can get through it. When I graduate I won’t leave and move on with my life. I will still be part of this family and do whatever in my will to make sure my school is growing. What I need from the school is for everyone to not give up that hope. Stay positive and know Rainier Beach is on the rise. Nobody will close us down; we will flourish greatly. So let’s all come together and make our Rainier Beach great again.
