Free Personal Narratives: I Survived High-School

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I Survived High-School

"Welcome to White Oak High School, home of the Vikings." The speech given to any fool unfortunate enough to enroll in this school.

My first high school had an unhospitable atmosphere. It had the distinction of having the highest murder rate of any school in North Carolina.

The school's undercover narcotics officer, Randy, was killed in the faculty parking lot. A car pulled up, and a black tinted window rolled down. The passenger in the back seat shot him once in the head with a handgun, then the car sped away. Randy was killed instantly, and the people in the car were never caught.

I tried never to go anywhere on-campus alone. I usually walked with two or three girls that I knew I could trust.

My father taught me to fight. He took to Camp Lejeune with him and had me watch the Marines training for hand to hand combat. He taught me how to fight with a knife, to shoot a gun and to find the weakness in any opponent I might have. The skills I learned helped me defend myself and my friends from the perils that awaited us.

Seven people were killed at White Oak in the year and a half I was there. I knew three of them. One was a friend.

"Because of our students wide ethnic background, they have learned compassion for their fellow students. Sixty-two percent of our student body is made is made up of minorities, yet we do not experience the racial tension found at other schools. Our students live in harmony with each other. They have respect for the culture of others. Our students are an example for other high schools." A quote from Tom Pittman, a member of the school board. This was his opening for a speech given to the PTA after some parents expressed concern over the violence reported by their children.

Nikki, April and Mark held me against the wall. I could only watch as Kisha and Lina beat up Shantelle. They broke her wrist. They said she was a disgrace to the black people of the world.

Except for the main entrance, which was only used by guests (it was off limits to students), all of the doors to the building had metal detectors.

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