Usually, when you're in college, you leave your high school life behind. You might check up on everyone every once in a while, but other than that, you aren't really involved. You think that your high school's current events don't affect you anymore.

I thought all of this too until last week. Last Friday I found out that my high school would be graduating its final class and shutting its doors for good. This wasn't a shock to most, my high school had been fighting rumors of closure for years, but it was still devastating.

I thought that this news wouldn't have a huge effect on me. I had already graduated from there, my sister was about to graduate, and I had not been very involved recently. I was wrong.

My high school wasn't just a school, it was a family. They always welcomed new students with open arms, surrounded me with love through the toughest times, and challenged me in new ways. They taught me how to think for myself and they shaped me into the student and adult that I am today.

I didn't realize how devastating this news was until I was scrolling on Facebook that night and several days later. Several of my friends, classmates, and teachers were posting how much this school meant to them and how heartbroken they were.

Seeing these posts and being tagged in their memories made me realize just what we were losing. While we won't lose our friendships and memories that we've made throughout the years, we will be losing a crucial factor that allowed these memories and friendships to blossom. We will be losing our school, which gave us these opportunities and so many more.

However, the most heartbreaking factor of all of this isn't the closure and the effect it is having on the current and past students. The most heartbreaking factor is how the people of my hometown find joy and laughter in all of our pain.

I've seen several people share the article from the newspaper, I've read the comments from the article, and I've heard several opinions from people about this news. Through all of this, I've seen and heard pain and hatred.

So to this, I say: I do not want to hear your opinion. You did not go to school there, you were not involved. You were not apart of this family and you don't know anything about it.

Don't spread your hatefulness and joy at the cost of our pain. Don't tell us that we deserve this, we had this coming, and blame it on race/social statue only.

Remember that this isn't just about a school closing. Remember that this is taking drastic effects on people in our community.

Teachers are losing their job and a place they call home. Children are having to leave one of their favorite and safest places. Families are having to make new plans, new routines, new lifestyles. It is so much more than just a school closing.

So why is our community taking this opportunity to spread hate at the price of our pain? Why aren't they welcoming us with open arms and providing us with comfort? Why is there so much hatred in their voices?

For these actions, I add: Forget all the politics. Forget all of the rivalries. Forget all of the hatred. Remember that it is so much more. Remember that this is drastically changing people's lives, people's careers.

As we grew up into adults, when did we decide that we were too good for the golden rule we learned in kindergarten? If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.