It was a nightmare. Tiny bodies filled the entire lobby, frantically screeching every which way, searching for any sort of direction.
As I sat there, I thought to myself that the only thing separating me from the abysmal chaos was the tiny plastic polling desk I sat at.
Perhaps I should explain. For the next nine months, I will follow freshmen at Leesville Road High school in their day-to-day lives. For this version of the experiment, I chose to sit in at freshmen elections.
In my first experiences with freshmen, I was terrified. In my fear, I was unwilling to dive too deeply into their intricate society. However, the more time I spent with them, I began to realize how truly interesting their beliefs were.
The bewildered critters seemed to be in awe of the system. The lines were organized into an alphabetical system, dividing the names A-E, F-K, and so on. However, despite sitting at the A-E line, I greeted at least fifteen smiling prepubescent faces with a name like Zack Zucker.
This was understandable. The alphabet is a relatively difficult concept to grasp at the ripe age of fourteen.
However, what I could not understand was the plethora of other pointless questions I experienced.
“Do I have to vote for someone if they’re the only person running?” asked a certain bright, blooming infant.
“Do I bubble the number of the person I want to vote for, or do I just make up a number?” asked another.
I had almost forsaken hope in the entire freshmen race. In a moment of weakness, I decided that this very well may be my last encounter being immersed in the freshman society.
That very society was one full of young, ignorant minds. The freshman race was so wrapped up in being in high school, that they seemed to forget how to be intelligent beings.
However, at long last, I discovered what was perhaps the last best, brightest hope for humanity. A single freshman girl walked up to the poll, gave us her name in the proper alphabetical line, and seamlessly glided through the ballot.
Somewhere in the world, a mother is smiling.
Will Bennett is a remarkable staff writer who was recruited from his early days. In fact, before Bennett could even speak, the Mycenaean took serious interest in him. While many consider this practice to be unethical, the Leesville editors disagree. Alex Stewart claims that his contributions to the staff have been “Pullitzer Prize” worthy.
In addition to his writing, Bennett enjoys animals, Freshberry Frozen Yogurt, Hip-hop music, and long walks on the beach. He can often be found on his seaside estate composing original music, writing moving poetry, and balling with old basketball greats like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.