The new school year has brought in many changes at Marshfield, chief among them the addition of eighth graders on campus for the first time in school history due to school realignment. Older students have not been receptive to change; just walking down the halls one can hear disparaging comments and jokes aimed toward the eighth grade class. It is easy to show disdain for the current situation. However, it should be kept in mind the situation is not going to be changed. The eighth graders are now students of Marshfield, and that should mean something to the student body.
Put into the shoes of the eighth graders, anyone could imagine how daunting it would be to suddenly have to attend high school with students who are as much as four to five years older. It is necessary to sympathize with this circumstance, see it from their perspective and reflect on how one would like to be treated were they in the same situation. If it all comes down to the golden rule, then what could be simpler? The student body needs to take responsibility, start acting its age and become positive role models for the younger grades.

Younger students strive for the approval of their elder peers. Though they may not show it, eighth graders are still seeking that same approval from the rest of the student body. Eighth graders realize they are the newcomers. This is an unorthodox situation, but they are trying to assimilate to high school life, and it would be a testament to the character of the student body as a whole if the upperclassmen could sympathize with that. The eighth graders are Pirates and deserve to be treated as such.