In college, an astronomical number of students drink and smoke marijuana. And of that number about half are of age to do so. The United States is the only country in the world with a drinking age of over 18. Responsibility should be left with the citizens to decide their activities especially if someone, myself, could be drafted to war, yet cannot drink a beer. The fact is that the reason marijuana is illegal is because of falsified test results in the early 1900's to explain the eradic behavior of illegal citizens entering the country. No person has ever died from marijuana overdose. FALSIFIED test results so a scientist could keep his job. Do research if you do not believe me. That has dictated the ban against marijuana for 100 years, however tests are now being done which will correct the law. I have never smoked marijuana, but the facts are there. Alcohol IS a legal drug much like tobacco in the United States which should have an age of 18, however our government underestimates it's citizens responsibility. With that being said a senior in high school, in my opinion, has enough experience and responsibility to choose what they do. In college they will anyway. You are a sophmomore and I thought the same things my freshman year. Jordan, you will realize there are things you can change and things that are the way they are. Starr's Mill has a track record of excellent students and it is a little harsh to say the students are so uncultured and irresponsible. I have to disagree with you, however there are some students who DO need to take this situation you and kymberly have brought upon the student body because YES, some people are retarded. I wouldn't say high school is going down hill, but the students are having a wider variety of experiences at an early age which will benefit each one of us in the long run. I have been to several college towns and I have spoken with many college students about this issue and all say that high school is not much of a representation of real life. It's a model life your parents set out for you, however in college proffesors and adults give you the real facts, some of which may shock you. You bring up a problem worth talking about, however in my four years experience I would have to say it only applies to the minority of more idiotic students of Starr's Mill.

-Dan Ellis (18)

I would ask that next time you consider writing a letter to the Citizen criticizing other student's and accusing them of being classless degenerates, you begin by taking a lesson in grammar and perhaps learning something about subject-verb agreements and proper comma usage.

Additionally, I doubt that "unculturalized" is a word.

Way to make yourself sound like an intelligent member of your so-high social class.

why is everyone taking offense to these letters?
if it wasnt true, then u wouldnt be upset
and it is said that there is peer pressure
not that everyone at the school has to do drugs
get over yourselves
why do u have to get high or drunk to have a good time?
thats sad
sorry

wow. im thinking that this is getting a little of hand!
great! you have an opinion! if you know its going to just upset people and cause unneeded controversy, then why even open your mouth?
my mom and i had a conversation about kymberly's article the day it came out in the paper, and she told me people have been drinking, doing drugs, and having sex since she was in high school. i am in no way consoling the use of illegal drugs or activites, all i am saying is that i dont believe it is going as downhill as she made it out to be.
also, another thing i cant help but get furious about with kymberly's article is that if someone was looking into possibly moving into the starr's mill high school district and they came across her article, do you really think they would want they're kids to grow up in such a "drug addicted" school?
all im saying is think before you make such a huge generalization about our school!

Okay, high schoolers have been doing these behaviors for years. Thanks to Kymberly, Starr's Mill is now being pointed at for being a school of burn-outs. Face the facts every school has these problems and then most students mature and stop the behavior. Calling us out was wrong and almost every teacher lectured their students last week over this because she made it seem like every single student was into drugs, sex, and alcohol. No one pressures anyone into drugs, you get offered and if you say no they drop it. There really is no hardcore pressure to smoke or drink like you make it sound. Plently of good students and good people can mess around but does that really make them more or less a bad person, I do not believe that AT all.