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8th graders express sadness at departure of middle school;

“This is, like, totally depressing.”

by Thea Kupersmith (8th)

As the days slide into warm weather, gorgeous views, and pretty plants, nothing changes for the students because they’re stuck doing finals and can’t see outside. However, the school guidance offices have been positively overflowing with desolate eighth graders who are now facing the prospect that their middle school experience is coming to an end. With gloomy sighs and tear-streaked faces, they prepare to bid goodbye to the educational institution where they laughed, dreamed, and skipped class. 

“Middle school was so magical,” says 8th grader Mel Encholy. “The weird in-between period of my life, where I have know idea who I am or how to act? What’s not to like?” 

Classmate Mo Urnful seems to agree. “There's just so much I’m going to miss,” he sobbed behind a pile of missing homework assignments. “The water fountain that never worked, the door stopper that never worked, the courtyard we never went out to, the lunchroom we never had enough time in…” (he declined to comment anymore, as he only had 2 days to turn in his assignments which were now covered in tear stains.)

This rollercoaster of emotions is hitting the students hard. As they wander the hallways, taking in the fluorescent lights and the smell of mystery meat in the cafeteria, they seem to recall everything, from the mind-numbing lessons, to the bruised shoulders from navigating the hallways, to the social norms no one understood, to the awkward crush encounters, that all took place in his hallowed institution. 

In a “Leaving Middle School” Celebration Party Support Group, counselors console the tear-streaked, acne-ridden students who seem to be stuck in the past, recalling their favorite memories. The time they were late to class by 3.46 seconds and got yelled at, the time they failed one quiz which brought their grade from an A to and F, the time they used “too” instead of “to” and it STILL haunts them and they can’t BELIEVE they would do that and it was so DUMB… (this went on for a bit)

With such an influx of emotions, even rival satire columns Artichoke and Daily Rubbish have put aside their differences, with the Artichoke shaking hands with the Daily Rubbish (leadership now being passed on to a gaggle of unpaid 6th graders.)

Even some teachers seem caught up in emotions, with a devastated history teacher (well-known for his apparent lack of emotion) sniffling, “I’m not crying, you’re crying” as he attempted to hide his tears behind a stack of outdated textbooks. 

Unfortunately, the time is fast approaching where our class of 8th graders will have to exit this building as semi-functional adults, and continue navigating the treacherous waters of puberty in the vast dungeon known as highschool. In the words of our esteemed principal, “you are leaving Generic Middle School Name, but Generic Middle School Name will never leave you. Now go forth and.. what is it? Prosper? Multiply? Conquer? Just don’t fall asleep in class.” 

Just like the toll of the final bell reverberates through the empty hallways, the memory of middle school will forever echo in the hearts of the graduating 8th graders. The ones who made it, anyway.

Image Credit:

Creator: Cristina Conti | Credit: Shutterstock
Copyright: Copyright (c) 2022 Cristina Conti/Shutterstock