Lincoln, with the privilege of being a new school with fresh opportunities to establish our community and create lasting friendships and memories, has begun to fall into some patterns. Your high school experience will be talked about for years to come, whether it’s the horror stories or fond memories. Maybe, you won’t even want to talk about it. As much as I am sure you will be forever discussing your favorite AP Human Geography lecture, who you surrounded yourself with will most likely be the main point of conversation. What crowd did you fall into? Who do you wish you hung around more? What was the overall social dynamic? The main question plaguing students now, however, is if Lincoln is becoming cliquey. I asked some Lincoln students so I could hear it firsthand.

Would you say you’re a part of a clique at Lincoln?

• “No, I’m not. I think it’s stupid.” – junior
• “I feel like I wouldn’t say it’s a clique—it’s a friend group. A clique is a lot less outwardly friendly and is more defined than a friend group.[Cliques are] more around stereotypes, and people who share the same attributes and [who are], again, a lot less accepting.” –senior
• “Not in this economy.”-senior
• “I learned this year [that] it’s important to make new connections. Getting out of the clique I was in was difficult. It’s hard to distance [yourself] without losing people.”- junior

If you wanted to join a new group, do you think you could?

• “If I wanted to get to know the people at Lincoln, I would have already.”– junior
• “I think it’s hard to switch friend groups, being older.”– senior
• “Making surface level friendships at Lincoln is easy, but not really super close ones [(friendships)} because of the groups.”– sophomore
• “It’s definitely cliquey, but if you have the confidence to go up to people, I think most people would be inviting.”- freshman

Do you feel like there’s a social divide between classes?

• “Yes, I think people think too much when it comes to hanging out with older or younger people.”- junior
• “There’s not a lot of opportunity to make friends with other grades if you don’t do a sport.’-freshman
• “Yes, I think sophomores have a superiority complex even though they’re still lowerclassmen as well. There’s also a generalization that freshman just suck, which isn’t fair.” –super cool freshman

Is there anyone you want to be friends with at Lincoln, but you feel like it’s too hard because of the social barriers?

• “I don’t think social barriers really affect me.”– senior
• “There’s definitely a lot of people a wish I spent more time with, but it’s not like I really have tried to.”– senior
• “The different groups stick to their groups.”– sophomore

How do common interests play a role in your clique?

• “We all play sports.”– senior
• “We’re into music– most of my friends are in band.”– sophomore
• “We became close playing video games in Covid.”– senior
• “A lot of my friends are from sports because the amount of time you spend doing that together.”– sophomore
• “There’s a lot of people I am close with because of sports, but there’s definitely some segregation between varsity and JV.”– sophomore

Do you think there’s popularity in Lincoln, and how is popularity defined?

• “If you go to parties, you’re popular. Nothing is ever ‘everyone is invited’. Very exclusive.”-senior
• “I don’t think there’s a popular clique– I just think it’s ‘these are kids that party’ and ‘these are kids that don’t’. But I don’t know if in the big school picture, it affects everyone if they aren’t invited—nonetheless, it’s probably hurtful.”– junior
• “Yes, there is definitely [a] social hierarchy.”- junior
• “I think there’s more just well-known people and well-known groups– basically popular. Defined by fashion, the way you talk, the way you act.”-freshman
• “I don’t think kids are necessarily popular– it’s more ego. Like, they think they’re popular.”-freshman

Based on all of my interviews, it seems that at least everyone has some people that they connect with and enjoy being around at Lincoln. Yay! As far as inclusivity goes, however, it seems we have some work to do, Lynx. It is clear that as a school, we are very segregated by grades, interests, and what people have grown up with. People stick to what they know, and being all inclusive is easier said than done. My hope for Lincoln’s future is that we begin to open up. The social barriers are daunting, but one unlikely friendship at a time can contribute to a steady change in our social structures. Talk with the people at your assigned seat, or join the club or sport that only has people you don’t know. The moral of the story is that stepping out of your comfort zone is hard, but you won’t really know what will happen until you try.