The French Are Glad To Die For Love

            For some reason, Americans tend to look at French people as snooty, as stuck-up, and just generally weird. No surprise that we as Americans look on cliques, a word of French origin, in the same way. In reality cliques reflect a more welcoming environment than their stereotypes would like us to believe.

            A cross country runner, a math geek, a couple of artists, a gay guy, a cheerleader, a water polo player, a singer and an Argentinean walk into a room… Sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke. However, this group of people makes up a pretty standard “clique” at Carlsbad High. But these people have nothing in common! Well yes. And no. These people all enjoy each other’s company and refer to themselves as “our group.” This pretty standard “clique,” rather than acting snooty and self-righteous like the many stereotypes exemplified by the French stereotypes themselves, let people in; they include anyone and everyone, even if they have not known them since elementary school. Just yesterday this group that, for the most part, keeps to themselves, included a dancer, and a football player in their lunch time “hangout.” Definitely not the exclusive clique that Hollywood models.

            Now sure, that clique opens their doors and welcomes anyone and everyone, but they are already so different, that just a little more diversity will not change much. Okay then, let us take a more homogenous clique: theatre people. This breed of highschooler enjoys standing on a stage, or in the mall, or pretty much anywhere, and making a complete fool of his or herself. One would think that anyone not so outgoing would shrink from this crazy group. Maybe this group would think anyone shy, too weird to hang out with. This weird, peculiar group of thespians, rather than ostracizing anyone less, insane, pulls him in. Once the person gets used to their unusual peer group, he submits to the theatricality of his surroundings. He becomes his true self: crazy and fun and confident in himself.

            Cliques, far from being distant and aloof and cut off from society, welcome those around. Often, just being a part of a group allows more freedom for individuality. Who needs to be labeled in French and weird, when you can be American and weird, with a bunch of other American, weird, cross country runners, math geeks, and theatre people?