We’re just looking for his approval. We bother him. We pry and poke him. We call him names. We want him to look our way. If our big brother turns his head for one second, it’s our mission to get his eyes back on little sis. Sometimes he gets annoyed and ignores us. Other times we get into a big uproar.

STA’s big brother is Rockhurst High School. Since Rockhurst was created, STA has had both a certain bond and also an agitated,competitive relationship with them. Over the years, we have been made fun of as well as reciprocated the mockery. We have defended STA’s schedule (with all its frees) and our great athletic teams for a long time. Rockhurst has defended their own challenging curriculum as well as their state-winning sports. Let’s just face it. We’ve been left out in the cold and we’ve left them out in the cold. But it’s gotten out of hand. Now is the time for both sides to end this immaturity and begin to compromise.

Just like a big brother/little sister relationship, STA has a fascination with everything that happens at Rockhurst. We attend all of our big brother’s football games, wear all of his t-shirts and know everything about his new lunch program. But, on the opposite end, most of the time Rockhurst doesn’t really want to wear little sister’s shirts and could care less about coming to her activities.

Yes, Rockhurst we understand the brotherhood, how we need to stay out of your business, and how you want to support your own school rather than drive a few miles down the road to a silly girls’ basketball game. But the girls over here are feeling undervalued, underappreciated and ignored. There are countless STA ladies in the stands at most of your games and the favor just doesn’t get returned.

Both sides are going to be around for a long time. Some of us go to the same colleges or create lifelong friendships. We both live in this city, so there is no point in not creating a greater community, especially for single-sex schools in KC as a whole. We have been given the opportunity to make this unity happen so let’s do it.

Both STA and Rockhurst can do something to make this relationship better. We can be a better little sister. STA can keep our pride, but maybe work on stopping the defensive mentality. Rockhurst can be a better big brother. They can start coming to more of STA’s games and activities. All it boils down to is supporting each other. We can go to their football games on Friday nights and they can come to our volleyball games. We can attend their choir concerts and musicals and they can stop by ours. A good relationship is about compromise.