People begin to shout, food flies from each side and crashes together, people scream out and within seconds the cafeteria is emptied, food and drinks cover the tables and the floors. There is only one word to describe the events that transpired on May 3 – chaos. The food fight started as a practical joke but the response has been anything but funny.

The food fight should never have happened. The instigators were comprised of mostly upperclassmen. This level of immaturity should be reserved for freshmen at best. Upperclassmen are supposed to lead by example; this act has proven that the only example the upperclassmen have set is one of disrespect.

The custodians for this school are not paid to clean up after riots. This is why a group of B-lunchers stayed after the cafeteria was evacuated to help clean up. This is the example that upperclassmen should be setting for the freshmen. Our school was built on the premises of starting traditions that others will follow. When underclassmen look at the food fight they will be inspired to treat the school like it is a giant garbage can and will think that it is not only acceptable, but worthy of celebration, to disrespect the people that work here and the school itself.

Supporters of the food fight claim that it was all good fun and it was just a joke. Not one person who helped to start the fight stayed to pick up afterwards. If it was ‘no big deal’ or ‘just a joke’ then it would have been no problem to pick up the projectiles.

Rouse is known for having the best school spirit in the district. Anyone who has ever been to a football game knows this to be true. Where did that spirit go? Just because there wasn’t a team in front of them, doesn’t mean that students still shouldn’t be proud of their school.