By Georgia Kirkendall

The Epitome of a Hamden Dragon 

It goes unsaid that recent events surrounding Hamden High have been…chaotic. Terrifying, really. The high school is a place of safety for many students, but lately the building hasn’t had the homey feeling it used to provide. It is essential to remember that school isn’t just a place of academic learning and fulfilling educational requirements, but an interconnected system that allows expression and community to thrive. This is especially true for Hamden High, with an incredibly diverse population of students. Minority enrollment at Hamden is 62%, higher than the state average of 46%. 

I enrolled at Hamden High after attending a private, mostly white, Catholic middle school. Every day I am grateful that I made the decision to attend this school, rather than continue a private education. Yes, even with the occasional ruckus and the mayhem that everyone at this school encounters, I feel that Hamden High has benefitted and influenced me in incredibly meaningful ways. This positivity my fellow Dragons have granted me often gets lost in the breaking news of major media channels. 

I am not trying to obscure the atrocities of current events, and the definite need for safety reform and access to mental services; Hamden should only keep in mind who the Green Dragons are. Hamden students are not violent, nor deserve the brunt that the violence of others have forced upon them. A true Hamden Dragon is compassionate and considerate of their peers, and it is this fact that reassures me that this school will survive and grow from these jarring times.