The Illusion of Swag | Aaron Lee

As a high schooler, I often hear the word "swag" in campus life. Those who think they have "swag" are proud to bear it, as they think of themselves as "cool". In freshman year, I entered Harker, new to high school and Harker society. I formed new friendships as I eagerly adapted to Harker life. There to welcome me that year were a group of upperclassmen who I had no connection to, yet prided themselves on picking on me. Most of them were simply joking around, as some of them became my closest friends, but one simply thought he "was cool" in picking on me. He strutted around campus, thinking he was one of the coolest out of all of us, and he later had the audacity to run for student government, lying to himself and others by priding himself on his character. Having "swag" isn't a bad quality - it allows one to be more expressive with oneself, encouraging individualistic pride. Yet, when people chooses swag over honor, they are simply creating themselves illusions of "coolness". Some may think they have swag in hurting others, but they are fooling themselves. It is far more cool to know that you are being the right person, rather than violating basic tenets of respect and honor. As Harker individuals, we are proud and bold in bearing our individual "swag" - yet we should always keep in mind each and every one of us contribute to the image of honor that this community proudly stands on.