Defining our school's identity

This question has been on a lot of people's minds for weeks, in light of three events that occurred last month: the death of Tai Lam, the stabbing of a student and the accidental shooting of a junior. Although only one of these - the stabbing - occurred at Blair, all three were tied to the school by people both inside and outside the building. In the weeks after, students, parents and community members voiced concerns on online message boards, through local news outlets and in our school's halls. Anxiety among students and staff seems to have gone down, but there is still no consensus on what it all says about Blair. Some students continue to question the state of the school, perceiving a trend of violence, while others readily defend it. It seems that we have, to some degree, an identity crisis. The only way we can pull ourselves out of it is to take a good look at where we stand, and what we can build upon from here.

We can start by recognizing Blair's safety. By and large, this school is secure. Students and staff can walk down Blair Boulevard without incident. We can approach our cars and buses without expecting to see a fight in the parking lot. We feel, for the most part, protected in the building where we spend so much of our time. Even if this cannot apply to all the people here at every moment of every day, diversity of experience is inevitable in any population of over 3,000, and exceptions should not be confused with the general rule. Part of what made the events of November so upsetting was that they were unexpected and unusual - because violence is an anomaly for this school.

In order to keep things that way, the Blair community cannot take its safety for granted. Any place at any time can be vulnerable, and keeping this in mind, our work is never done. Principal Darryl Williams has said that this school usually avoids dangerous situations because students report problems to teachers or administrators before they can get out of hand. In other words, Blair is generally safe as long as we maintain a certain level of trust and communication between staff and students. And doing so requires a conscious effort from both groups.

For the administration, this means working with students and teachers rather than lecturing them. The principal's announcement the day after the stabbing, for example, demonstrates both sides of this important but fine line. Though the announcement had fair content - a call for students to treat each other with respect - the length span and chiding tone made many Blazers feel unfairly accused, and distracted from the overall message. The administration got more right with the recent meetings held to gather community input on Blair. That kind of action, communicating more concern than criticism, should be continued in the future.

As for students, it means taking responsibility for our actions and understanding that we have the power to make Blair what we want it to be. Students have to take ownership of this place and acknowledge that our environment is something we help to create, not a set of conditions that are simply imposed upon us. Active engagement on both sides is the best way to guarantee that students take conflict to adults in the building, rather than turn to violence.

In the end, our community as a whole must shoulder any praise or blame. Blair is safe, but the question of what's happening here, or at any school, never loses its relevance. The key is that we know it is us who determines the answer.