Dobie at its core is a normal junior high school, but there are some underlying tones that need to be addressed. Students’ feelings are very rarely shared and recognized. Bullying is also a big problem at Dobie,  but adults barely find out. For some students, school drains them due to the stress of fitting in.

While walking down the halls at Dobie, you can see how students interact and treat each other. Some students feel that everything they do will affect their image. According to Kenneth Lott, 8th grade,”Everything matters.” The issues of bullying are barely addressed because most students feel as if their reports do not matter or no action will be taken. This only makes the situation worse, for there will be no chance whatsoever that the bullies will be stopped.

Many of the “popular kids” are athletes and that is because they are held to an entirely different standard than the average student. However, this may cause more problems due to the constant pressure to be perfect in their respective sport.

Popularity also relates to your behavior. Boys will usually get meaner as they get popular, due to them of wanting to strike others down to make themselves rise up. Girls however, are very different. “Girls get more petty as they get popular” Aliana Graham, 8th, says. This relates to how everything you do or say comes back to you later, and allows gossip to thrive.

Trends at Dobie seem to alter very often. Alex Bewley, an 8th grader at Dobie states, “Everyone who’s popular does trends”. In simple words most students follow trends to fit in, students feel trends are necessary. Around campus you’ll find some students all have something in common, weather it be Vans or ripped jeans.

A lot of kids have a strong need to fit in, so they give into all the things the other students are doing. Trends are kinda like peer pressure, in a way that if one person does it, it seems cool and the trend spreads. On the other hand, some trends help students find a common ground, may even a friend group. A student could make a new friend by simply getting a compliment.

However, some students have a different opinion of Dobie. “I feel like we as students can relate to each other and know what we are going through,” said Lauren Broshu, 7th. The environment is changing for the better due to students starting to relate and understand each other. If we try to understand each other, maybe there won’t be as many difficulties as there are now. Please spread the message of understanding to better Dobie Jr. High School.