For one Bronco student, hearing slurs causally is not a rare problem, it’s a daily reality. This issue became personal during a church camp during which a group of students repeatedly used racial slurs. After confronting one of them, the situation escalated into a heated argument.

“I do debate, so I’m very argumentative when I get into arguments,” Haile Lowe, 10 said. “Since I have people [of different ethnicities] in my family, I like to stick up for them a lot.”

While acknowledging that they may not fully understand every experience, they emphasized that using slurs is not a good thing.

At Spring Hill, Lowe says this kind of language has become normalized.

“It’s all around, and it’s definitely a thing that needs to be changed and addressed,” Lowe said. They believe the reason the behavior continues is the people that are hesitant to confront their friends, choosing comfort over accountability.

In their view, no slur should ever be considered casual or acceptable even within a friend group. Lowe also believes that peer pressure often encourages silence. 

“People want to fit into a certain type of crowd.” Lowe said. 

This allows harmful language to continue to be unchecked. Lowe also shared concerns about how this environment is affecting others. 

“Hearing slurs regularly,” Lowe said, “can make people feel self conscious and diminished, discouraging them to express themselves freely at school.”

While the administration has taken some steps to stop the use of slurs, Lowe believes stronger consequences are needed. Lowe suggested a tiered discipline system, including parent contact or suspension, showing that the issue is being taken seriously. 

“If I hear it every day, then they’re obviously not doing enough,” Lowe said.

Despite the challenges, Lowe remains hopeful. Lowe believes that with more accountability from both students and administrators, the high school can become a place where everyone feels safer being themselves.