Open Letter To ORHS

Dear ORHS,

We've been through a lot both good and bad, and now, our experience together is coming to an end. In three weeks or so I will be graduating and leaving you behind forever. Though I've been nostalgic lately, thinking of all the good times that my friends and I have had together for the last four years, I won't miss you at all.

You tortured me and my friends. You and the people who make up the establishment that you are have hurt us, crushed us, snuffed out our creativity, caused us pain, and made us cry. For this, I cannot forgive you. From teachers who didn't care, to the ones who treated us like trash, to the bullies in the hallways, and the assistant principals who wrote only girls up for being out of dress code, you have made it clear that you don't like us. You have tried to beat us down to nothing, and then turned around to say that you were only preparing us for life. I know life won't be easy, and that the real world won't care, but to tell a young teenager that they aren't even safe from ridicule at school is wrong. To take away a safe haven is wrong. I'm not stupid- I can see through your bull and I know that you only care about the salary you will get at the end of each year.

You have made students feel like they have to hide. In America in the public school system, students have the right to express themselves (which is protected under our first amendment rights to free speech). To transgender students you have denied them the privilege of wearing the appropriate clothing for the gender that they identify as when performing in a fine arts concert, to gays and lesbians you have denied a support page in the yearbook, you allow bullies to roam the halls, and you don't care what happens if a rich, white kid isn't involved. We have been told that there are no stupid questions but get laughed at when we ask for help. Even if you don't believe so, there is a hierarchy among your students. The ones on top don't care about anyone but themselves, and the ones on the bottom keep to themselves because they don't feel welcome anywhere. Unfortunately, you don't seem to care about the ones on the bottom.

In my four years of attending you, I have only felt truly welcomed and truly safe with a handful of teachers and students. These people, few and far between, were kind and loving, and they gave me a home away from home. To my teachers who have inspired me to be a better person and to not give up (Mr. Prahl, Dr. Godwin, Mrs. Folterman, Mr. Noel, Coach Parker) I thank you so much. I can honestly say I am not the same person I was the first day that I me each of you. To my best friends (Savanna, Allie, Gaby, Dominique, Ember, Sam, and Erik) I want to say that I love you dearly. You changed my life forever and made me feel welcome, and included, like for the first time in my life, that I was a part of something. I don't plan to leave you guys, and I know even after we graduate you won't leave me. You are true friends, and I couldn't ask for better people to have known.

The people mentioned will be the only ones that I miss. As for the rest of you, I'm glad you're out of my life. I sincerely hope that I never have to even look at the building again, much less see an employee or former student.

I have learned a lot. I've learned that being myself is the only thing I can really do in life, and that as long as I am who I am, and as long as I work hard, I can succeed at anything that I set my mind to. I know that the real world isn't going to be easy to tackle, but I believe that I have the skills and relationships to take on anything that life throws at me.

So even though I hate everything about you, you have done a bit of good. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have friends, like at all. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have figured out who my true friends were. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have realised what my passions were or figured out what I actually didn't enjoy. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't feel comfortable as myself, I wouldn't be able to talk to people about how I feel.

I've made some pretty great memories with the people that I love and hold dear to my heart.

Thank you for the good times, that never, ever happened on campus, and screw you for the bad ones.

See you never in a million years,

Tori.