From Mean Girls to The Breakfast Club to Heathers, the concept of exaggerated cliques rule our modern perceptions of high school. These movies may be dramatized, but perhaps they aren’t so far off. Though the hallways of Haldane are different from the movies we know and love, the influence of cliques prevails.
The line between friend groups and cliques is very thin. The Oxford English Dictionary defines “clique” as: “a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.” Though this definition may seem clear-cut, when put into realistic situations, it is not as easily defined.
In a small school, it is hard to discern between cliques and friend groups. Haldane has approximately 800 students in the entire district; in this small school setting, it is easy to be caught up in a single group, but also to be a part of a community.
Many students have been going to Haldane from kindergarten to senior year. In those 13 years, friendships and bonds form unlike any other. Since these students have been together for so long, friend groups can be misinterpreted as something more exclusionary. Senior Scotia Hartford said, “I feel like for Haldane, we don’t necessarily have cliques, but since we are a small school, K-12, there are friend groups that have been established a very long time. Sometimes it is harder to branch off into different friend groups…and for that reason I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of or seen any cliques, I just recognize friend groups.”
Senior Owin Cuite had a similar realization, despite only moving to Haldane his junior year. “I’ve been friends with the same kids since preschool and I met other [Haldane students] in school before moving here,” he said.
However, others believe that cliques remain relevant. Senior Zohra Kapoor said, “I believe it is extremely difficult for any school to avoid cliques, especially in a small school like Haldane. The ‘hierarchy’ of these cliques is also pretty prevalent in my experience.” Even though she understands the intensity of cliques, she, and many others, also understand that it is hard to break the cycle. “It is a big issue, but I don’t believe it’s one that necessarily has a simple solution.”
It is a nice thought to think that everyone has been friends since kindergarten, but that is not the case. Friendships fail, groups break up, and feelings are hurt. The friends I have now are not necessarily the friends I’ve had since the beginning of my time here, and I know that is relatable for many students.
I moved to Haldane in fifth grade, and immediately I noticed that many of the students had been close for years. Luckily, a girl who found me new and confused helped me to my fifth grade classroom class, and we are still friends to this day.
Haldane is such a close-knit part of our wider community, with many students here who have been together for many years. The groups at Haldane could be cliques, or they could be friend groups; it can be interpreted in different ways by different people. Since elementary school, all I know is Haldane, its community, and the people it has put in my life. Despite rough patches and misfortunes with some friendships and friend groups, I am grateful for the friendships I have and those I have been a part of. Even if they ended, they helped me be the person I am today.
