Going to school for most is an escape from the crazy household where we wake up in the morning. Sometimes while school can be troubling it’s nice to get away from the chores and nagging family, but this isn’t the case for all. Some of us are trapped taking that family with us to school. It’s the groaning about driving them and the awkward stares in the hallways while passing your siblings. Teachers call you by the wrong name and always compare you with the older ones. It’s the siblings that change our high school experience.
For most siblings, the interaction at school and home is very different. During the school day, many siblings don’t see each other as much and the interaction is different. Some siblings enjoy a brief conversation at lunch together or a wave in the hallway but others do not acknowledge their siblings at all. A brother and sister pass by and exchange nothing but hateful glances, while in the same class, two sisters catch up on the drama as they walk each other to class. It’s these dynamics that make me wonder what the students of WCHS feel about siblings at their school.
Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to having siblings in the same building. Despite the fights or battles in the morning, most students felt they would rather attend school with siblings than not. The common problem seemed to be the mornings.
Good Morning
When breaking down a student’s day with siblings it all begins in the morning. The alarm goes off and both siblings groan. However one starts to slowly get out of bed while the other pushes snooze. This is the beginning of World War 3. The older sibling starts to do her hair and makeup while the younger little brother still hasn’t gotten out of bed. Time passes quickly and there is now only 15 min before having to leave. The older sister is still trying to perfectly crimp her hair while the little brother hasn’t quite finished getting dressed. The 5-minute mark hits, and the older sister is now yelling, the younger brother is still shoeless. The keys can’t be found and somehow that’s little brother’s fault. He rushes to the car yet he’s still brushing his teeth. Car horns are honking and yelling starts. This is the life of siblings who are expected to drive younger siblings to school. The daily morning battle puts both siblings in a and mood as they roll into the parking lot in silence but for sure fast. Car doors are slammed and words are mumbled under the breath. Back at home they’ll complain how they are never doing it again and he needs to ride the bus but it’s her fault.
One student states, “One of us is running behind and we both pay the consequences which leads to more fights.” The student, who is a senior with a freshman brother, believes the two fight more because they are in school together. Results from the sibling poll of West Carrollton students stated that 50% of students feel they argue more due to school and 50% say less. Those who stated they argued more were either senior and freshmen being at opposite ends of age or they were in the same grade, however, both were boy/girl sibling relationships.
Hey There
As the day continues the hallways become a chance for sibling interaction. Hallway exchanges, awkward glances and waves hello. Statistics show that 78% of students with siblings acknowledge their siblings in the hallway. A pair of twins stated they do not enjoy going to school together and do not acknowledge each other whatsoever. Some students meet up and plan to see each other in study halls and transition time while others find routes to never see each other. 42% of students say they act differently with students at school v not. This means that the hallway interactions are going to be different when siblings are and are not in the hallway.
CTC
As older siblings finally get to go to high school with their younger siblings they then want to leave to go to the CTC. Two pairs of siblings however felt very differently from one another. Older sister Jade was heartbroken her sister was going to CTC and misses her dearly. She does say that she does enjoy school events with her sister and feels she always has a friend with her sister attending school with her. Alli however does not miss her younger brother attending the CTC and only misses him when she doesn’t get the opportunity to bully him in the hallways. She says that she only misses him a tad and did act differently when he was at WCHS.
The Impact
In conclusion, it is the siblings in our school that create bonds and friendships. Friends with siblings seem to relate and can talk of the bothering sisters or older brothers. While some may hate the siblings and others love it we can conclude that they make an impact on our day and education. This shows that West Carrollton Pirates truly are a family.
