Just why can't we all get along?

To start, I would like to dedicate this blog to my biggest fan and most frequent commenter, Anne Brady. I can always count on a comment from Anne on anything I write that is sure to make me feel as if somebody actually would care if I just up and quit writing for the TrottyVeck all together.

Anne, I hope you enjoy this blog. I think you will be able to relate to it.

So I’m sitting in Honors English class and we have a substitute teacher, meaning Mrs. DeWitt won’t be around to keep the peace. It’s about halfway through class and things are going smoothly so far, until two of my classmates begin to scream at one another saying things like “The boys’ basketball team stinks because you guys are just bad” or “The girls’ basketball team has all girls on it so they have no chance of winning.” (For starters I have heard harsher – not to mention far better – insults from practicing nuns.)  Then, 20 minutes later the same as well as more ridiculous insults fly across the room and I find myself cleaning spit out of one ear and a stray eraser out of the other only to realize that my classmates were actually screaming louder than I had thought. That really grinds my gears.

Why do people have to argue over which team is the more dominant team? Guys, does it make you feel like more of a man after you argue for 20 minutes about why the girls’ team lost or is so “terrible?” Girls, do you feel mightier after insulting one of the boys to the point that he is running to the bathroom in tears? Either way, neither party gains anything by arguing since both teams need simply to play their games and compare records to truly find out which team is “better.”

Furthermore, why argue over which team is better, more talented or better looking? (Repeating that the girls’ basketball team is better than the boys’ really has nothing to do with anything, so stop saying that, girls.) Also, to be factual, the girls’ softball team is far superior currently to any team we have since they have made the playoffs every year since the team’s existence and several years before that (well, maybe not, but it surely seems that way).

After someone says, “Your basketball team stinks,” do not reply with, “Your mom stinks.” You sound like an idiot because the two things, while both important, are hardly similar and/or interchangeable. The last time I thought that joke was funny I was running from Attila the Hun, so these days it is thoroughly not cool.

Why argue over which team is better when you can simply prove your superiority during the game? That way, if the opposite sex’s team loses you won’t need to run your mouth. You can give them a wink and a smile and walk away.

Lastly, why can’t we all just be friends? We all go to the same school, so what happened to school spirit? The LBG Zoo prides itself as being one of the craziest high school fan sections around, yet members of the esteemed society find themselves trashing the same team they were screaming their brains out to cheer for. What is wrong with that picture?

Last night I had a dream that everyone could just live in peace and happiness (and something about three three-eyed, three-legged trolls, a screaming seventh-grader, 18 rats and a disgusting fourth floor bathroom, but that is for another blog). But I arrive in school every day only to find my peers tearing into each other like an elderly couple on their 80th anniversary.

The fact that my fellow classmates feel the need to put one another down until someone ends up either crying or walking to Nurse Bigley’s office with a pencil through the neck really grinds my gears.

[comments] 

Posted by "Lindsey Rowe" on January 19 at 9:02 a.m.

Dan, this article was awesome. You had some really good points but it also made me laugh really hard.
Keep up the good work!

Posted by "Jacob Iellimo" on January 13 at 10:14 p.m.

I agree, Rez. I don't know why people think it's fun to argue about something so pointless considering not one team besides volleyball and softball have winning records. We haven't had a successful guy sport since '07 and that is sad to hear. Shouldn't we cheer on our teams? Should we not want them to be successful to make our school look better? The answer is yes, but I find everyone who plays one sport wants everyother sport to lose. Who knows why? We should want everyone to win. :-)

Posted by "Chris Claypool" on January 9 at 10:21 p.m.

Dan, I agree with you 100 percent on this subject. If we would stop putting each other's team down and cheering for one another, we might actually have faith in ourselves to win more often.

Posted by "Tom Dubovi" on January 6 at 10:25 p.m.

This was a really funny article, Dan. Keep writing them!

Posted by "Melinda McCorkle" on January 3 at 10:25 p.m.

Dan, this article is so true and I agree that everybody should just get along. Keep up the good work!

Posted by "Jolynn Young" on December 21 at 9:59 p.m.

Another great article, Dan! I completely understand your frustration. It think it's high time we all hold hands and sing, "Kumbaya." As I often say in class, "If I wanted to listen to children bicker, I'd be a stay-at-home mom!"

I'm looking forward to what 2011 (and your blog) have to offer in the New Year!

Posted by "Kelly Klingensmith" on December 21 at 11:09 a.m.

I completely agree with you. Why can't people get along? Every day in at least one of my classes, people get into arguments. It's ridiculous. I always try to follow what my mom taught me, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it at all." So if you have something mean to say, wait until you get home to tell your mom about it.

Posted by "Jessica Pastva" on December 21 at 8:52 a.m.

Dan, I completely agree with you! Everybody needs to support each other with all the sports in the school.

Posted by "Garrett Miller" on December 20 at 5:48 p.m.

Dan, I can definitely relate to what you're saying here. Even though I play only football so there really isn't anything to compare to the oppsite sex's team since there isn't one, I still hear all the trash-talking that goes on. As one of my favorite teachers always says "Peace and love, people...peace and love."

Posted by "Anne Brady" on December 20 at 4:54 p.m.

Dan, thanks for dedicating your article to me! I definitely am your biggest fan. As always, I loved the article and couldn't agree more. Both teams need to support each other instead of making fun of each other. The more fans, the better! I know I love cheering on the boys at their games, and I would love the same support!

TrottyVeck.com
is a publication of
Leechburg Area High School

215 First Street
Leechburg, PA 15656
LASD Webpage