Friday, May 27, 2005
Just an observation about how things have changed over the years.

When I was in Grade 8, my high school had an annual event called "Slave Day" where the Grade 12s could "purchase" a Grade 8 student (or two...or three), who for the rest of the day would be the Grade 12's slave(s). It wasn't a horrible scarring event - it was only for the Grade 8s who wanted to participate. And it was awesome. Funny, memorable, and in general a great bonding event between the new and old guard.

When I was in Grade 12, slave day had long since been abolished. Instead, we had...Hot Dog Day. Where the Grade 12s cooked hot dogs for the Grade 8s. Okay...not quite as crazy or funny (and by that I mean totally not crazy or funny at all) but it still allowed everyone to mingle and stuff and get to know people.

Now this year, I discovered that the Grade 8/12 event was.........a little therapy session to discuss issues. I'm not shitting you. It was called The Grade 8/12 Retreat.

Now, not to play the "back when I was in Grade 8" card, but back when I was in Grade 8, the only "retreating" that was done was the retreating of horrified students fleeing out of the way of a Grade 8-pulled chariot storming around the halls.

It's kind of sad and a little pathetic at how drab the school system has become.

Course, in Grade 8 we also had the unofficial bingo dab wars, where everyone was armed with bingo dabbers and tried to mark the back of people's necks. I swear, it was the most paranoid and militaristic group of 13-year-olds you ever saw. And it was AWESOME.


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