Reflecting on days where I have been shoved down stairs and had Sonic poured down my arm by a stranger, one of the most annoying events that I’ve witnessed to since freshman year wasn’t an accident. A permanently stained blouse or a twisted ankle is expected out of high school; however, what I can’t wrap my mind around are intentional events that I bare witness to.
The student body may never know why certain students yell “OAR” at each other. The original perception of the homonym was that students were asking “or?”, almost as though there was a decision that couldn’t be made without any context. Soon, “or?” morphed into an aggressive “oar”, as in what one would row their boat with.
Still, the chosen word is nonsensical.
Marking the third anniversary of this not-so-subtle tradition of acknowledgement in the hallways, many students want answers as to why adverbs and adjectives are yelled in their faces. Some students feel the need, possibly out of pure frustration of curiosity, to scream “Why?!” back at the suspected culprit. Creatively enough, an acronym can exist for this violation of serenity in passing periods. “Obnoxious Audible Roaring” makes a perfect fit.
Although, freedom of expression should always be valued among members of society, it’s a good thing that there aren’t any barriers or definitions on what “freedom to express yourself” means; students have a right to express their emotions, trends, or thoughts. Oddly enough, screaming “oar” in the hallways falls under the freedom of speech clause.
In retrospect, shouting “oar” in school may just be an intricate plot to irritate and rebel against the social norm of being “appropriate” in school. One can tell that students and teachers are annoyed just by the wincing expression on their faces upon hearing the loud roaring.
Although, the “spunky” personalities of each culprit makes life more intriguing, right?
Sure, some students feel that the bombast screaming isn’t a big deal; worse things could be happening on a daily basis. Our school could have a significant lack of personality or events, thus giving alumni less things to reminisce on after graduation.
I myself will maintain the painful expression on my face every time “OAR” is screeched for the whole school to hear.
