It’s that time of the year again. The weather outside is becoming crisp and cool, and trees are showcasing their trademark colors, painting the sky with vibrant autumn hues. But for many students, this means the semester is in full swing, and the stress of tests and quizzes, ACT prep, and college applications fill the halls of RBHS once again. Counselors are swamped with waves of students begging for advice.
This year’s outlook seems to be a little different, though, as students get accustomed to the arrival of freshmen and the addition of a new high school in the district.
While the district prepared for the opening of Battle High School last year, many RBHS traditions, such as open-campus lunch, were at risk of being discontinued. This year, before the school year even started, my friends and I didn’t know what to expect at RBHS anymore. We were afraid it wouldn’t be the same, and that’s when I realized how we all take the “Freedom with Responsibility” attitude of our school for granted. It wasn’t until this was almost taken away from us that we took the time to appreciate it.
RBHS’s culture is unlike any other school culture I have ever seen or heard of. It’s doesn’t have one of those cliché school atmospheres that are characteristic of chick flicks or school-related novels. Before high school, I was afraid of making the tiniest mistake. All the schools I attended before this had strict rules, eternally set in stone. It seemed that punishments for breaking even the most insignificant of rules  were abundant and hard to avoid.
But at RBHS I know I can breathe a sigh of relief. I remember the first day of sophomore year, when I first stepped foot into the building. I immediately fell in love with the loose and relaxed ambiance. It was after coming to high school that I actually started to look forward to school, as unusual as it sounds.
As the semesters drag by, though, we all seem to take all of this for granted. The relaxed school atmosphere doesn’t  catch our attention anymore, and we all have found things other things to complain about, instead of being grateful for what we already have.
I am truly thankful for being able to attend RBHS out of thousands of high schools across the nation, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
By Afsah Khan