Communications High School (CHS) has always been seen as a tight-knit community; rivalries amongst the grades, however, have led some to wonder if this idea is just a facade. CHS is often described as a unique environment, which likely stems from the wildly diverse population that the school nurtures. This idea is put into question by certain events that lead to battles between grades.
Many people believed Spirit Week caused a lot of tension due to the competitive spirit with the grades. Events ended in tears for many.
Junior Molly McCarthy of Manasquan feels that events such as Spirit Week lead to some issues despite their intention to be fun.
“Spirit week pretty much demolished my connections to other grades,” McCarthy said. “It got too competitive and stressful and brought out the worst in everybody.”
Outsiders looking in have a completely different view of McCarthy’s class, however. Senior Charlie Brekke of Atlantic Highlands describes the pandemic’s effect on her social life and how it compares to the connection of the junior class.
“The junior class is a lot more connected to each other and has a lot more school spirit, and I bet that’s largely due to having an uninterrupted first year at CHS,” Brekke said. “I do feel connected to CHS, but not to the same extent as some of the other grades.”
With events being a central part of the CHS community, many people have begun to reflect on how the events have impacted them.
Sophomore Kamila Lopez of Long Branch feels that events at CHS helped her get more connected to other grades.
“I think the longer I stay in school, the more connections I make because I’m always meeting new people or teachers,” Lopez said.
“Personally, I actually think that Color Wars connects the grades the most because it’s the whole school and it’s a little from every grade.”
As much as the school is united, many freshmen still feel very judged by the way upperclassmen perceive them. Freshman Emily Dong of Howell expresses her feelings toward the preconceptions upperclassmen have of her grade.
“The challenges of being underclassmen are the set ideas upperclassmen have about us because of things other people in our grade have done,” Dong said. “I don’t think [they] represent our entire grade.”
CHS has a community that grows the idea that everyone has a place, but a part of this idea is getting people out of their comfort zones.
“Honestly at this point, I don’t really feel connected to our school,” Dong said. “But I’ve also not really put myself out there to do more and interact with more people in our school yet.”
While the competitive atmosphere at CHS can tend to contribute to tense relationships between the grades, it is this very atmosphere that fosters the tight-knit community advertised on school tours and brochures alike.
