We just finished Leonardo DiCaprio's version of Romeo and Juliet in drama. Perhaps, however, the more interesting show was the response of the viewers. There is a dread of Shakespeare at school. I think that if that dread was not present, students would even learn to enjoy Shakespeare. If taught well, of course.

Back to Romeo and Juliet; it took a while for it's audience to get over the long lines and odd composition of the movie, in general. It is hard to follow, at first. They were appalled at how quickly everyone drew their guns, and one student asked confusedly "Why are all the words weird?" It took her a while to understand the meaning of a modern adaptation. And then there was the question of "why do they keep talking to themselves? Can't they hear each other?" Welcome to Shakespeare, middle-schoolers.

Most of all though, they laughed.

How They Laughed

At tears, at laughter, at romance, and cruelty.

With anxiety, with embarrassment, with pure joy.

And though they laughed, as Romeo uncapped his poison and brought it to his lips, the entire room broke out with shocked and breathless 'oh my god's, and "No! Don't do it!" Even though we all knew he was.

 

The "popular" group in middle schools are often portrayed as being a gaggle of rich/snotty girls and football jocks. At my school, that isn't the case at all.

There are only a few girls who are full of themselves and exclusive, but it is common knowledge that that is just the way they are. They wander around the cafeteria at lunch, spreading news and lamenting lost boyfriends (it seems as if there are always lost boyfriends), social studies homework...there is always something to complain about. Some at your table will look up and say "Oh, boy. Here comes___." Then ___will slide onto one of the plastic seats and, eyes shining and cheeks flushed, start relaying.

The boys, on the other hand, are anything but football jocks. The boys tend to be athletic, easy-going, and very adept at sexual innuendos. 

And yet, here I get to the phenomenon; there are so many people who are in the inner circles of middle school society who don't fit the norm. Some are extremely immature, others have a strange sense of humor, and others, still, are just quirky.

So, why are these kids in the inner circles? It has to do with the way the school system is set up. There are several elementary schools that feed into my middle school. Depending on where the school is, it's going to have different demographic percentages. In each middle school, groups are already distinguished, and kids are determined as insiders or outsiders. When these groups transfer to middle school, the groups stay fairly intact. They may grow larger, shrink, or merge with other groups, but the kids who are determined as insiders stay in, and those who are outsiders stay out.

I come from an elementary school with only a few kids who are in honors classes- the students in my classes. The few of us who are spent most of 6th grade floating from group to group. Some of my friends have found anchors in one group or another. I'm still looking. My closest friends at school are all in different friend groups, and don't necessarily hang out with each other.

You Would be an Insider if...

• You have a sense of humor that is open-minded and an easy-going laugh

Humor is the largest determinant of insiderdom vs. outsiderdom. Even if you are bossy, you're sense of humor could save you. Middle-schoolers love to laugh. At everyone, everything, every detail. Jokes are half of a middle-schooler's conversation.