You can't take it away from me. I don't care how long or short my life is because I’m always going to be a Quaker. Now, most people who see this probably won't know what I'm talking about, so let me explain.

I go to school in Lansing, MI. I am a freshman in high school, but I've been a part of this school for years because of my brother before me. Well now, our state is very poor, and they are cutting education. They are going to shut down one high school and one middle school within the next year they say, and maybe even more.

One of the schools they want to shut down is my own, because the enrollment rate is down and we haven't met our annually yearly progress. Their plan is to shut it down and merge it with another high school, which, I might add, we are "warring" with because of the cuts. My school is at the absolute bottom when it comes to schools now, we have "stoners" and "skippers" and the graduation rate is terrible. A few years ago we were the BEST. So what’s different? It’s not the people; I've made sure of that. It’s the same people as before, and people who are just like them, so why the fallen standards?

I honestly haven't figured out what’s different from before, but I do know they got rid of a lot of the teachers that were very good. I had so looked foreword to high school this year, and though I haven’t been to class, I’ve learned a lot. The people that society tends to cast aside are truly the most intelligent. So my question would be what happened to the way things were before? When it didn’t matter who you were or what you looked like or even what you’d done, just what you knew and what you were planning to do. All the adults I talk to say that I’m just a child and that I don’t understand, but I think I do. More than they do at least; because I don’t live in a bubble.

There was a protest where the kids from the three major high schools here walked down to the capital with signs and all. Although it was a big step for the kids, and got plenty of media coverage, it didn’t really accomplish any change, but what more can we do? We’re just kids, powerless, and as far as the “government” is concerned, ignorant and unknowledgeable. Of course I’m not saying we’re all geniuses, but we certainly aren’t all complete fools.

They say that the kids from my school cut class to much, well all of the skippers that I know still go to class sometimes and are trying to pass. Although, if we merge, they’re going to drop out, they’ve all said it, and honesty, if we merge I’m either dropping out or taking online courses.

I’m writing this paper listening to Metallica, and sitting in my school computer lab. I’m in credit recovery so I have access after school. I know that this won’t mean much or really do anything, but I just want people to understand, and although this paper is going to be short, I want to keep writing about this, until my voice is heard and a GOOD change is made.