by Michaela Lamb |

I understand that a little bit of competition is good for you. I’m actually a pretty competitive person. But I don’t think that Liberty’s rivalry with Liberty North is a big deal. I cannot get behind it or get excited about something that I do not have faith in.

Maybe it’s because I have friends who go to North and I would like to keep a healthy relationship with them. I do not think that it is worth alienating people that I still talk to and hang out with just because they go to another school. I have friends at Park Hill, Winnetonka and St. Pius as well, but that doesn’t mean I get competitive with them over school related issues. In fact, we never compare our schools, unless we are doing so in a joking manner.  We get along fine with most of the other schools in the Kansas City area, so why should North be any different?

Another reason I do not support the North rivalry is because my sisters may end up going there if the boundaries shift, as will a lot of people who had planned on going to LHS. I live right on the border between Liberty, Liberty North and Staley, I could have gone to any of those schools. I love Liberty and am happy that I go here but I know that it was just luck. Why get worked up about something as insignificant as a few miles difference between the schools when it is something that you cannot change? I do not want to create a rivalry in my own house if both of my sisters go to North and I graduate from Liberty. To me, it just is not worth it.

Some people say that the rivalry stems from the fact that North is new, and that they get better facilities. While this is true about North, disliking the students that go there because of this is pure jealousy and spite. Why would we want to be that petty? Yes, they have newer buildings and a better gym. Who cares? Liberty Public Schools is one of the best districts in the state of Missouri. And guess what? Liberty and Liberty North are included in that district. We should be proud and thankful of the excellent education that we are all getting instead of focusing on how nice our facilities are.

Honestly, I do not see the point of getting so worked up over this ‘rivalry’ that we have going on. I am graduating this year and when I am in college, none of this will really matter that much at all. High school is a short four years of our lives. Why would we want to fill those four years with hate for people who live in the same town, and who we see on the weekends at the movies or restaurants? It would make high school much more enjoyable and less dramatic if we all just ignored this so-called rivalry and were just friends with everyone, despite their school colors or their mascot.

The difference between Liberty and Liberty North is a few miles. North kids are our neighbors and friends. We should be able to coexist with them and focus on what we are here for; four short years of education. So how about we enjoy them?