Subhead | by KATIE HYDE

As a Kansan attending a Missouri high school, I began my freshmen year not only afraid of a new beginning, but also baffled by foreign lingo such as ‘Waldo’ and ‘Foo’s Fabulous Frozen Custard’. But although many questions floated through my mind, I was utterly consumed and haunted by one unknown during my first month at STA: Brookside. I was morbidly embarrassed that I seemed to be the only person in the entire school who didn’t know what Brookside was, but one day in English I finally popped the question. Of course, the class erupted into hysterics.

Aside from learning about Brookside’s charming houses, ‘Fabulous’ ice cream, and novelty shops, some Missourians learned a little bit about my neck of the woods: Johnson County.  Initially, I was very surprised by the animosity STA exuded for suburbia. What is it about Johnson County that makes the voices of students and teachers alike drip with sarcasm when they pronounce ‘Johnson County’? Many girls asked me where I was from and snickered when they found out I come from the land of bleach blond hair and soccer moms.

When I asked a fellow staffer from Brookside what her image of a Johnson County teen was, she said rich blond sorority girls.

Please allow me to set the record straight: your preconceptions are false!  There are likely just as many fake blonds at STA as there are at any Johnson County high school.  I may live in suburbia, but I do not own a sports car, my mom has never had plastic surgery, and I do not own anything Prada, Gucci or Chanel.

But of all of the misconceptions about Johnson County I would like to dispel, the biggest criticism of Johnson County I hear at STA is its wealth. In response, I can only think it is hypocritical that students who attend STA for $10,000 a year remark on how wealthy many Johnson County students are that attend Bishop Miege High School for almost $4,000 less than that.

Although it’s clear that there is a lot of misunderstanding circulating between Johnson County and Brookside, I think one thing is clear: the prejudices are incorrect. So please, next time you meet a girl from Johnson County (whether or not she is blond) give her the benefit of the doubt and do not label her a rich sorority girl.