ISAAC CHAMBERS
Gargoyle assistant online editor
Posted Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007
Opinions

THE SUBBIES SEEM to have struck another chord with many freshmen and sophomores recently with their petition to make the freshman/sophomore United for Uganda lock-in available to their class as well.

It's fairly pretentious of freshmen and sophomores previously planning to attend the lock-in to cancel at the last minute due to subbie attendance, but nevertheless, it should be considered whether subbies actually deserve the same privileges Uni's high school students have.

We all grow up learning that responsibility and privilege go hand in hand. Driving is a prime example of a privilege most states feel adolescents aren't ready for until the age of 16. This is because the potential consequences of driving are monumental. There is always a danger in moving thousands of pounds of metal and plastic at high speeds, and irresponsible driving increases the risks.

There are many other privileges we gain as we get older. When we are mature enough to deal with more explicit content, our parents let us watch PG-13 and R-rated movies. When we show responsibility by doing homework or cleaning our rooms, we get privileges such as being able to watch TV.

Our development from the beginning of our childhood to the time we become adults (legally at least) is characterized by the increase in responsibility as well as privileges.

The Illinois government, for example, deems that we are not responsible enough to play games rated “M” for mature, or consent to sexual intercourse until the age of 17. The federal government also believes that citizens are not responsible enough to make intelligent political decisions until we reach the age of 18, at which time we can vote. Likewise, drinking alcohol is illegal under the age of 21. With each of these “privileges” comes big potential ramifications.

Drinking irresponsibly can cause harm to yourself and others unless you are mature enough to make smart decisions such as not drinking and driving and not binge drinking to the extent that you are at risk for alcohol poisoning. Making irresponsible sexual choices can lead to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

Of course, that's not to say that all people over the legal age granting someone a privilege are responsible enough to deal with that privilege, or by the same token, that all people under the legal age aren't responsible enough. There are plenty of people over 17 who make stupid sexual decisions and plenty of people over the age of 21 who drive under the influence.

But the legal system is not the main determinant of privilege and responsibility. As youth, our privileges and responsibilities are defined by our parents, our bosses, and our schools.

The balance of privileges and responsibilities is very clear at Uni. To start with, there are many privileges subbies have that Uni's high school students don't have.

Subbies don't have to worry about grades and GPAs because their grades don't go on their transcript.

Subbies can behave worse, be louder, break more rules, and make more mistakes without the same consequences. This can be seen more generally in the real world as minors often face smaller consequences than adults who have committed the same crimes.

Subbies have less homework, less stress, more field trips, and easier courses.

High school years at Uni are harder and more stressful than subbie year, and on top of that, grades count. Sophomores must begin to think about college with the PLAN and PSAT, and college weighs heavily on the minds of juniors and seniors, having to worry about National Merit scholarships, the ACT and SAT, AP tests, and college applications.

The difference in privileges and responsibilities that exists between middle school students and high school students in most public school systems is big. Yes, the separation between subbies at Uni and high school students at Uni is not as big because we are in the same small school, but the difference remains, and remains for a reason.

Would Centennial students invite Jefferson students to their events? While no amount of subbies would be enough to stop me from having fun at this weekend's United For Uganda underclassman lock-in, it's worth putting the question forward: With all of the extra responsibilities Uni high school students have, isn't it fair that they also have extra privileges that subbies don't have?

After all, as subbies become freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, they will get these privileges at the same time they get new responsibilities. And when these subbies are high school students and have these privileges, they will not want the next batch of subbies to have them.

The lounge is not inherently special. It's a furniture graveyard that often smells pretty funky and is a good 10 to 15 degrees hotter than the rest of the school. The reason why the lounge is so desirable to upperclassmen is because it's a place on their floor where upperclassmen can be with their friends with a certain level of separation from the lower classes.

And should students get to go to prom as subbies, freshmen, and sophomores? I think not! Prom is a special occasion signifying for upperclassmen the end or beginning of their last year in high school. The prom is no longer special if anybody can go to it.

Discrimination is the unequal treating of people who are equal. Subbies are not equal to high school students in many ways, just as high school students are not equal to college students and adults in far more ways. The lounge and prom are examples of privileges that, when the time is right, will be gained.

Privileges are rewards for responsibility, and quite frankly I would often rather be in fourth grade with less work and less responsibility, even if it means I lose many of the privileges I have now. As we grow older, we also lose certain privileges — for example, we lose the privilege of recess as we transition from grade school to middle school.

I'm sure that as we finally become adults, we'll realize more than ever that privilege and responsibility is a trade-off.