So today I logged onto twitter to find people talking about Newtown High School's class of 2013. They were all saying how these kids were going to have such a hard time adjusting into college because of the Sandy Hook Shooting. I can not imagine how hard it will be to adjust into a new place, after this shooting....but wait, I actually can.
Now, before I get to far into this, I want to stress that I am not complaining at all, I just think sometimes people tend to over look the people who are from Newtown, who were at college on December 14, 2012.
When I talk about the SHES shooting to people, I get a number of mixed reactions. Some people tend to clam up, and not want to talk about it, others are excited to see that I am talking about it and what to know how I am doing, and others are surprised that it affected me. I'm sorry, what? You are surprised that I am affected by the shooting? Well, lets see...I have lived in Sandy Hook for the past 7 years, I have many friends over there, I am still close with some of my teachers at the high school, and I knew a victim of the SHES shooting. So, please, inform me on how you are surprised that I am not affected?
People always talk about how the class of 2013 is going to have such a hard time adjusting to college life because of this, but what about the class of 2012 who just started college, and about half way through their freshman year had this tragic event happen? No longer being in high school cuts off certain ways for former students. They feel weird (or maybe its just me) reaching out to old teachers for help, because you are no longer their student and they have their own students to take care of, you feel strange talking to your friends who are still in high school about it, because you both have different experiences with that day. One of you was in a lock down at NHS not knowing what the hell was going on, and the other was driving down I84 and seeing all of the cop cars from every city in CT drive down to Sandy Hook. My experience is not like my friends. My friends experience is not like mine. Does that mean one person doesn't have as much right to be afraid as the other? No. Both people have the right to grieve.
Let me say, going back to school in January was so much harder then moving in for the first day of classes in August. Everyone at school knew I was from Sandy Hook, and I got looks, and weird vibes from people. Things would never be the same.
I know how strange things are going to be for the class of 2013 just going to college. I had to go through it by myself. Thankfully during the year the class of 2013 had the time to go talk to their teachers about anything that was bothering them, while the class of 2012 did not really have that opportunity. We had to go on with our life outside of Newtown, and let me tell you...that was really hard.
