SENIOR TAG – A PRODUCT AND LEGACY OF BEXLEY’S GRADUATING STUDENTS?

Rites of Spring are great, however, once again Bexley High School seniors are caught up in the peer fad or trend of nerf or water tag “kills” and “deaths” as a team game. Also, once again Bexley residents are being asked to consider increased taxation to support the Bexley schools and the student products they produce.

Immunity to being tagged can be displayed to all at lunchtime and after school by seniors disrobing to underwear in the neighborhood of the school. That effort enables them to exit the “immunity zone” surrounding the schools and adjacent streets. In recent “updates to the rules,” Rule number “3. Long underwear is not allowed. Also, girls can’t wear guy’s underwear, and vice versa.”



Concerns expressed by law enforcement officials in Dublin, Westerville, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg and surrounding areas have been that masked stalkers, nude students, toy nerf guns and other aspects of senior tag in those areas have caused police reports by an unknowing public. A vehicle death in one community, initially attributed to the game, was determined not to have been part of the game and most senior tag rules now prohibit shooting at and in vehicles.

Following is a portion of the http://www.bexleyseniortag.com Leader Board. How proud the surviving students and their teams must be (are their parents and guardians supportive as well?):

On the Internet Leader Board team names are ranked with lists of number of “Kills” “Deaths” and “K/D Spread.”

Senior tag may appear innocent. Yet, in a society when seemingly innocent senior antics as disrobed students are easily displayed on Facebook or cell cameras, emerging at later dates to harm students embarking on promising education pursuits and careers, are the games well considered? This writing is not to denigrate the entire Bexley senior community as many of the seniors have made very positive contributions to the community. Are there, however, positive legacies the entire senior class of 2010 can leave the Bexley community?

In a country tired of war and deaths with young adults devoting their time and lives in Irag or other parts of the world is a game of “kills” and “deaths” while touting the spread of those statistics wise?

For example, a 5/16/2010 “News Feed” on bexleyseniortag.com listed the following:

“5/15/10 11:20 PM - Kevin Bond killed Catherine Brennan, Aaron Hoffman and Hannah Murray!
5/15/10 10:50 PM - Aaron Hoffman and Evan Jones killed Sarah Pink at Abby Robins' house!
5/15/10 09:00 PM - Brian Yost killed Molly Connor at her house!
5/15/10 06:38 PM - Nathaniel Pelz killed Tess Roddy at Easton!
5/15/10 12:10 AM - Kevin Bond killed Ashley Efaw at the Fitches' house!
5/15/10 12:01 AM - Kevin Bond and Alex Marsh killed Katie Walker and Breghan Widdis!”

Ah, but it’s only a game… although I suspect may be subject to peer pressure for some who may have opted out early in the “game.”

All too soon the reality and consequences of the adult world will be upon them, perhaps the upcoming 2011 seniors at Bexley will present a better “front” as its legacy next year. We can hope.

That is one sensitive man’s opinion. What is yours?