By Sydney Zelenak

Wake up at 5:30 a.m. Hit snooze. Twice. Wake up realizing you have only twenty minutes to get ready for school, and suddenly panic settles in. Now you don’t have time to look almost awake and put-together. Oh well, throw on some sweatpants and call it a “scrub” day; it’s just high school!

We’ve all had those days when sleeping in trumps looks. However, I know so many girls and guys who would be humiliated if they showed up in public without doing their hair or makeup. Why is this? The sad, unavoidable truth that seems to be evident in most high schools is that most people fear the judgment of their peers.

Every day, I see girls in the bathroom curling their hair and putting on lipstick in an effort to keep up a beautified image at school.

Usually I inhale the caked-on foundation, powdery eyeliner, and clouds of hairspray while walking through the stairwells. It astounds me; this issue brings up the superficial effort to be “beautiful” and also that people are glamorizing for a mere school day.

And it’s not just girls. Boys are often afraid of being judged and looked down upon by their peers. First impressions and our physical appearance are often the most important factor in deciding whether or not someone is worth talking to, making people feel inferior and anxious because of a combination of mere textiles.

I, for one, love fashion, but I know I don’t have the right to feel superior to others just because my shoes complement my skirt.

Clothing choice is not the only way for teenagers to express themselves, but because people may forget this, teens automatically make a swift judgment on personality and character based on the outfits of another.

This issue can be seen in any high school, and it is important that students learn to ignore judgments and spread kindness instead of hate.

Such advocacy was attempted last year when “Defeat the Label” came to Walled Lake Central. Mini-seminars from the organization took place to enlighten select students about the importance of treating each other fairly and looking upon peers with open minds and hearts.

Unfortunately, a significant change has not been noticed, and still I see girls whispering and gossiping about someone wearing sweatpants with her hair in a messy bun.

This form of bullying is one that almost everybody recognizes, but no one has truly attempted to halt. These cut-throat four years of our lives seem to be more intense than they should be. High school should not equate to being thrown into a shark tank.  Maybe we should all just go for the nonchalant, I-Don’t-Care look; there would be so much less to worry about.