Brockton is a feared city, not only by outsiders, but also by those who live there. The reputation gained by Brockton has not helped to paint a pretty picture in one's mind. One dark color of the picture is Brockton High. Even though newspaper articles of occurrences have reached some people, these episodes don't happen every day. I've lived in Brockton all my life and seem to still be alive, to the surprise of some out-of-town friends. I feel fear at times when I'm alone in my house, but most people have felt the same way sometimes. I live in a quiet neighborhood which hasn't seen much violence.

Brockton High is seen as a dangerous place for kids to be. This is what I feel from many people I meet. They ask how I survive. I just answer with a dumbfounded, "I don't know." To me it's the place where I go to be educated and socialize with friends. I don't see violence as an everyday event. Every once in a while there will be fights, large and small, but doesn't every school have them? One shouldn't judge Brockton High unless you've experienced it. It is a different kind of learning experience which makes it unique and is the reason I like attending this school.

In school there seem to be many separate groups of kids, not just a popular crowd and the nobodies. The school is much too big for these kinds of groups. I don't know more than a quarter to half of my class which is due to the distinct sides of the city. Some non-Brockton dwellers think there could not possibly be a "nice" area of town. One particular part of Brockton thought to be "nice" is the West Side. Though this has its negative and positive aspects, like every other side of Brockton, overall it is a quieter side of the city.

Therefore, many of the violent episodes should not be representative of Brockton, city-wide. There are many pleasant nooks to be known by any skeptical onlookers from other towns. Some positive achievements that have come out of Brockton are a prizefighter, Rocky Marciano, and the boom of shoe factories. Without such ideas as the three-wire underground electrical system and the first department store Santa (produced by some people in Brockton), the world would never have been introduced to some of its great achievements.

Brockton is a feared city, but it doesn't have to be. Even though our reputation is not the best, Brockton has a lot to be learned about by outsiders, and you may be pleasantly surprised by what you find out. n