The End of an Era: Junior Olympics Quashed Forever?

The SHS Junior Olympics is a well-known event in the Scarsdale schools that has been around for many years. 

It is a fun day for all juniors, who have no junior prom or homecoming dance, in solidifying class and school pride, and is enjoyed by everybody in the school.  Teams are made, and everybody gets involved. The cancellation of this year's longstanding tradition, however, leaves the future of the olympics in question.

In May, following an incident at Scarsdale High School, the Junior Olympics was cancelled by the principal, John Klemme. School leadership had said it was the consequence of a 40-person gridlock that took place on April 28.  

The junior class at SHS (Class of 2011) has been warned repeatedly for violations of the school code, such as using loud, profane language, as well as violence on campus. 

A gridlock represents the perfect storm: an opportunity for all of the above to happen. 

Gridlocks are created when students block halls, cause disruption, and create dangerous – as well as violent – situations in stairwells and hallways. The seniors, having left for Senior Options at the end of April, had historically been the major "gridlockers" and created the worst one on Halloween last year. 

But this time, about 40 juniors, celebrating the seniors' leaving of the school for Senior Options, decided that a gridlock would take place. 

They had been warned multiple times in the past that this wouldn't be taken lightly, and that consequences would be put in place.

"Any more of these incidents, and this becomes a serious issue," noted the school administration in school-wide announcements.  Flouting the warning, the juniors went on with the gridlock as planned. 

As one would expect, the school administration met with the junior class advisors and student officials right away. A decision was made, and the result was that, this year at least, the Junior Olympics would be canceled. 

Mark Semioli, a Social Studies teacher at Scarsdale High School, said "A consequence has to hurt a little bit...These juniors have possibly ruined Junior Olympics for future classes.  Once something is gotten rid of, it is very hard to bring it back."  

John Klemme, the school principal, declined to comment for this story.

However, a student, who wishes to remain nameless, had this to say: "It all comes down to the school teaching students what happens in the real world. One mistake by a few people, and everybody can be blamed." 

That would appear to be the end of the debate, but it isn't.

Not quite. 

It is a known fact that in past years, the night before, and the morning of, the Junior Olympics is filled with sometimes dangerous, destructive, or illegal activities.

Mainly these activities include drinking, partying, driving on the school fields, and disrupting the peace.

Police have had to get involved every year, and are usually patrolling the streets, looking for kids making trouble. 

It turns out that little gridlock, and the ensuing clampdown, wasn't really just a little gridlock. It was somthing bigger, both to the students in the school government and, probably, the administration.

The general consensus in the school government is that if students can't be trusted to maintain order during the school day, they can't be trusted to follow the law during and before the Junior Olympics. 

"This becomes much more than an 8-to-3 school day" said Semioli, when the Olympics come into play.

Not all is lost, as this dark cloud has a small silver lining. 

According to school government officials, there was an agreement struck, that if the junior class made a formal apology to the administration, as well as to teachers and the student body, there could be a possibility of reinstating the Junior Olympics. 

"This is a test for the junior class," said officials. "We need to see if they are responsible enough to apologize."

"The administration is not opposed to giving the Olympics back if the class responds to these incidents appropriately." 

No such formal apology appeared to have been issued, but there was a unified-front response of sorts: Students started a Facebook page protesting the act by officials.

The page, "YAAY JR. OLYMPICS!!! LOL jk, Scarsdale sucks" was started anonymously on Facebook in mid-May and doesn't feature much of anything on it, except an image of the Olympic rings on a black background, but 96 students have signed up as fans – a completely not-anonymous show of force.

The games were not reinstated, but now the juniors face the rites of passage that automatically come with their senior year. The question now is, what will happen for future classes? Only time will tell.

Jake Tesler is entering his sophomore year at Scarsdale High School in the fall of 2010. He is a student journalist and sports videographer.