Although I was not present during the unfortunate incident that occurred at the basketball game at Sage Creek this past Friday night, it feels as though I were there as I experienced the post-mortem examination of both schools that occurred over social media in the following hours.

With a generally accepting and supportive campus, I could not seem to wrap my mind around the idea of students displaying such distasteful and disrespectful words.

It was difficult to comprehend the possible intentions expressed in the three signs held by Carlsbad students, and I would like to emphasize that difficulty. In my four years, Carlsbad has stood for justice and acceptance and I would like to believe that is what it will stand for in the years to come.

Whether or not the signs were an accident, a joke or a jab at a rival team, the Lancer community will be taking the incident as seriously as any Bobcat. For our student body, we wish to apologize to whomever the incident may have offended as well as emphasize that those actions in no way signify who we are as a community.

This rivalry has grown and adapted from the intense school spirit of students and teachers in our classrooms and at our games to the spirit wear sold by our ASB. There is nothing wrong with a healthy rivalry, but there is something wrong in losing sight of why the rivalry was born.

Sage Creek High School was built with the hopes of reducing the population at Carlsbad High School and offering an alternative choice for our students so that we may all receive a better and more personalized education. I can clearly remember the difficult decision I was faced with when parting ways with my best friends as we embarked on the newest chapter of our lives, simultaneously yet on opposite sides of town.

Carlsbad High School may have deeper roots in the community due its nearly 60 years of traditions but that in no way makes us the “better school.”

Using social media and posters to attack each other is regrettable even when defined as the actions of cross-town rivals. Just like CHS, Sage Creek works to provide its students with the best education and the best opportunities available. We are all here for the same reason which is to better our world one student at a time. To lose sight of that goal would be a major fault.

Although Carlsbad students did evoke feelings of disappointment amongst the community, attacking our student body is no way to solve the issues at hand. We all make mistakes; it is a part of growing up. Labeling our entire student body because of three students’ mistake is similarly ignorant.

Many students from both schools have apologized for their actions that night, and we should use these events as reminders of the importance of class and grace as opposed to circulating negativity. Our students act as representatives for our school and community and we should be putting our best foot forward.

We may stem from two different learning environments, but we are all from the same amazing town. We should never take that for granted.

We must remain respectful of one another in the coming years of school rivalry and maintain a positive outlook, remembering that we share similar missions and dreams as Carlsbad Unified students. It does everyone a disservice to allow rivalries to overcome our better judgement when expressing our school spirit.