“What is he doing here?” my friend said, pointing accusingly at the figure.
“I hate that dude,” my other friend chimed in.
A collective groan spread as students threw sidelong glances at each other — all joining in on the cruel joke.
Even before I’d ever stepped foot onto Paly, I’d heard all about our so-called horrid principal. So, when I began one of my first journalism projects, a short video package about the renovation of the Tower Building, I went into each interview swarmed with biases and preconceptions I hadn’t recognized.
My partners later informed me that I had been “grilling” one of my interviewees — a teacher — and trying to get them to say something bad about the administration.
Here were some of those questions:
- How well has the admin communicated the project’s details and timeline? How easy is it to find information about the project?
- What is your opinion about the project’s delays?
- Is there anything they should have done differently? Are there any changes you would personally make to the project?
The video was meant to be informative and educational. I knew this interviewee had virtually no connections to the construction, so why would I ask about communication and project details?
On their own, the other two questions might not raise eyebrows, but taken together in succession with the first question, it was obvious I was implicitly asking the interviewee to say the admin had screwed up. Thankfully, the video was never broadcasted.
As I reflect on the mishaps of my early forays into journalism, what stands out most of all is the environment of ambient hostility — from the locker rooms to the lunch tables — that led to decisions I now regret.
It’s not only unfair to peers, especially impressionable new students, it also unfairly portrays certain administrative staff whose work is essential to the daily function of our school.
I’m sure my experience is not unique. Obviously, all leaders make mistakes, and our school’s leadership is no exception. Yet there is a perceived right answer whenever someone brings up the topic of the admin. You can see this yourself — ask your friends how they feel about our admin; there’s a good chance there will be a negative consensus.
The tendency to excessively scapegoat or vilify those in power is universal, born out of herd mentality and feelings of powerlessness and dissatisfaction. Simply put, when we have a problem, we look to blame the biggest, easiest target — whoever appears to have the most power.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t criticize leadership when they make poor decisions, or even good ones. In fact, a constant presence of some dissatisfaction is a sign of healthy discourse.
Most of the time, these are only unserious, running jokes among friends. Everyone is entitled to opinions, jokes and harsh criticism. What they are not entitled to is forcefully pushing that opinion onto others, especially when they do so without giving them a chance to taste the unpoisoned well first.
Normalizing, and even enforcing, this kind of thinking sows an atmosphere of distrust within the Paly community, and teaches younger kids to demonize authority without considering the facts themselves.
Coming from another district, this intensely negative peer pressure led me to have unfounded attitudes toward administrators, pushing me to make decisions I now regret.
Palo Alto High School cannot be an us versus them. Having your voice heard and making change requires productive dialogue, which relies on cooperation and collaboration. Ultimately, choosing blind resentment is like cheating on a test: you’re really only cheating yourself.
If this is you, then hear this: stop punching a brick wall. Take responsibility for your own education and well-being. If you want something to change, write or talk to staff or student leadership. I’m sure they, as the responsible leaders we hold them accountable to be, will take upfront criticism over furtive-glances and behind-the-back whispering any day.
If I could give freshman-me one piece of advice, I’d say: everyone has a lot of opinions about Paly, from the teachers to the administrators. Try to take them lightly, so that your decisions — and mistakes — will be your own, not those of others making choices for you, through you.