Cliques of the Future
by Eileen

The social structure in American high schools is based upon cliques of similar interests. Students are identified by the cliques they spend the most time with. Examples of existing cliques in the year 2000 include preps, jocks, goths, and stoners. It is evident when you walk down the halls, view a classroom, or enter the cafeteria. Often you will see groups huddled in circles congregating in the hallways, cliques tend to sit close to each other in the classroom, and in the cafeteria cliques take up an entire table if not more. Cliques in high school create tension that leads to territorial issues, most like gang warfare in inner-city streets. One clique will always remain superior and there will continue to be a clique that is looked down upon and sometimes laughed at. This will lead to incidents that ma include violence such as the Columbine incident. Two excluded teenagers were malicious towards those cliqued that looked down upon them. With such a social structure in American schools, reform is eminent.

In the years leading up to 2050 there will be more and more spiteful events that will be blamed on cliques in high schools. Gun legislation will not pass in Congress because of the added pressure from the NRA and gun supporters that strongly stand by the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Guns will still be readily available for chidren from a parent even with the use of so-called "child safety locks". This will lead to more massacres at high schools. The turning point will be the actual slaughtering of an entire school containing about 1500 students and teachers. Three students have effectively conspired a plan where they strategically place sophisticated bombs. These bombs are most like the bombs used in the Oklahoma City bombing. The bombs will go off simultaneously, demolishing the entire campus killing everyone instantaneously and leaving the bodies under the rubble. The three culprits are also dead together, isolated from the rest of the school. Their explanation for the carnage is that they were excluded, taunted, and looked down upon by the dominant cliques in their school. Because of the severity of the incident and the number of killings due to cliques, parents urge schools and politicians to create change.

Beginning in 2050 there will be drastic changes in school systems throughout the country at all levels. What will basically occur is the brainwashing of America's youth. You will see the abolition of many programs in the school system because they lead students to classify them in schools. There will be no sports offered at the high school and junior high level. This is done to prevent a jock clique from establishing at a school. You will also see the abolishment of GT, Honors, AP, and IB programs at schools. Everyone will be treated equally in learning so that no one student will perceive himself or herself as better than another student. Even those with learning disabilities will be in the same classes as those without learning disabilities. The only exemption will be given to those students who are retarded. You will also see the mandatory use of uniforms at both public and private institutions. This is done so that no one is classified on his or her parent's economic status. The reoccuring theme throughout all schools in America is equality so no one will be able to classify themselves due to their differences in a school setting.