Walking around campus this past year has felt like a blast from the past for a majority of upperclassmen who feel as though this year’s underclassmen acts more like middle schoolers than the Titans that they now are.

Since the pandemic lockdown occurred during freshmen and sophomores’ crucial maturing years, they were unable to mature socially past the middle school level. This has caused distress in teachers and upperclassmen alike, who recognize that this pattern of behavior is not normal.

These young Titans have been observed as less obedient, less attentive, more cruel, and more rowdy than previous years of underclassmen. They have started actual food fights on campus, which is hard to believe exists outside of the movies, but with over a year of Zoom classes drowned out by Netflix, it’s not surprising that this is the case.
In addition, the underclassmen have an unhealthy dependence on their phones, more so than what’s been seen in previous classes. They are hard to engage with when teachers have to compete with the attention of a phone screen.

More mentorship is likely needed for these students who aren’t aware of the social norms and general manners expected of high school students. Presentations on tolerance from PC, admin, ASB, or Titan Ambassadors is one way in which a step forward for these students can be taken.

The amount of bullying and immature cruelness from the younger Titans is the first and foremost issue to be addressed; students with hateful thoughts and tendencies need to know that their intolerance will not be tolerated at Poway High School.

Talking to students about screen time may also be valuable in setting the underclassmen straight. Not only do they need to be told how often they should be looking at their phones, but also when they should be looking at their phones, or more importantly when they shouldn’t, like during class.

The maturity differences between the upper and lower classmen is one that teachers, students, and parents can all see, and it is not a problem that will be solved overnight, but even just an acknowledgement from these underclassmen that they may need to step it up and act like a Titan is a step in the right direction.