For those of you who are lacking when it comes to 80’s trivia, I will explain. The Breakfast Club was a movie starring several members of the “Brat Pack,” a group of teen movie stars that starred in somebig “teen” movies during the 1980’s. The Breakfast Club was one of the big movies.

This is not, by any means, a review of the movie, but let me give you a quick synopsis. Five high school kids from different walks of life all have Saturday detention in a suburban Chicago school. They are labeled as “the princess,” “the jock,” “the brain,” “the criminal” and “the basket case.” They are forced to co-exist together for eight hours and write an essay about who they think they are. The movie basically confronts issues of cliques and groups in American high schools. What the five detainees discover is that for all of the differences they think they have, they have just as many similarities. I adore it and find myself watching it every time it appears on TV. However, this piece simply asks and answers how relevant and true this movie is compared to today’s high schools.

Let’s take into consideration that this is a movie so some things may be unreasonable and far fetched. The only way to compare and contrast the movie and real life is to explain to you the way I see my high school. Be advised: my way is the right way.

My definition of a clique is when a group forms and goes out of their way to talk about another group and/or people in groups who feel they can’t or shouldn’t talk to people outside their group, because the groups conflict and don’t get along. In my opinion this defines stupidity. Cliques do exist in schools, but only because average teenagers, while looking for acceptance, gravitate toward the group or crowd that most resembles how they are or hope to be. You might be thinking that it is only natural for people with like minds to form a group or clique. This is a given and not a problem.

My school is a clique machine. I say this because of our very real variation in religion and race, which results in “Super Cliques.” Super Cliques are the cliques you see in movies. An example of this would be that lovers of R&B can only hang with and listen to other lovers of R&B. Britney fanatics can only hang with and listen with other Britney fanatics and never the two shall meet. This idea rates a 10 on my 5-point stupidity scale.

I don’t mean to be rude, but the fact is teens settle for the easiest thing, because it is the easiest thing. They never go outside the metaphorical box because it is risky. I am not saying that teens are sheep or “scaredy” cats but they seem to act like it. I am not even saying that I don’t do it. I’ll be the first to admit I have stayed with “my kind” but after realizing that something was missing and I felt a void that my clique could not fill, I had to go outside of it, and in leaving I found the void filled. Quite exhilarating, I must say.

The Breakfast Club was a close representation of a real high school because it showed the different groups. Of course the groups have now evolved and mutated because fads and styles have changed throughout the years. However, the underlying themes are still very apparent. I have to be honest, this mindset of only being able to be in one group with the same people sickens me.

I’m not saying don’t have a group of friends or don’t hang out with people who look and act similar to the way you do. I’m not saying you have to like everyone, I can’t even do that. All I am saying is don’t limit yourself to just that one group. High school is about learning and socializing; you have to be able to co-exist, peacefully, with everyone no matter what race, sex, age, lifestyle, or anything else that may be different from you. If you want to survive successfully in this world, that is.