I go to an itty-bitty high school in an itty-bitty town. I know some believe that such a small school would not be subject to the type of high-school brutality prevalent in larger schools, but that is not the case. Brutality is very much alive here.

Our school has about 250 students, and although many parents would like to believe otherwise, we too have cliques, drugs, sex, arrogant jocks with bad cases of homophobia, envious and mean girls, and a large number of students on prescribed anti-depressants.

We are the stereotypical “Generation Y.” What is that you ask? Today’s youth - and tomorrow’s future, which is a frightening thought.

Many who attend our small-town school are, in my opinion, willfully ignorant, close-minded, and barbarous to those they do not understand.

A student should not have to experience rejection, but it does occur. Many of my female peers will attempt to demolish a fellow student’s self-esteem by calling her vulgar names, or implying that she is promiscuous. In one case, they taped a girl’s photograph inscribed with words like “whore” onto the girls bathroom wall. It seems pathetic that kids would waste their time doing something so ridiculous.

A junior wrote a poem in English class about what he hated, and the list included homosexuals. When I heard this, I was overwhelmed with shame. I did a research paper on same-sex marriage for history class and asked for student opinions. A large number, mostly male, said that gays were “disgusting and unnatural.” A few even said they “deserved to be shot.” Sexism, prejudice, hate, fear - is this what the future looks like?

We also have been labeled the “Sad Generation” because we are the most medicated generation in history. But why wouldn’t we be depressed with people ostracizing each other in such vicious ways? Everyone fears a minority, afraid that a minority will do anything to prove that they are not one.

Conformity is in, with the law of the land being conform or deal with ignorant swine picking apart your every miniscule flaw. Our school has the same cliques you see on glitzy TV shows and originality is close to non-existent. We have jocks, jock groupies, Abercrombie preps (girls who are living proof that cloning is possible), Goths who dress in black and write dark poetry about the horrible atrocity called life, the nerds (who often are computer geniuses), and the loners.

I hope that the cruelty and ignorance on which many high-school students seem to thrive is only temporary and just a symptom of their immaturity. Maybe with age and time, ignorance will diminish - or even cease.

I hope.