You walk into school like any other Friday morning and are blinded by colorful strobes. Behind the backs of every person are silhouettes of familiar animals. Cats are defined by a blue aura, representing their isolationist tendencies. Foxes are seen with a green aura due to their deceitful and mischievous nature. The hallways are like a light show with students showing off what animal represents them as a person. Imagine if we were defined by the animals that best suited our personalities!

Having everyone’s personalities projected for everyone to see means making friendships would be easier as people would be able to befriend those with similar qualities. It would lay out a map of what to expect from each person. For example, people who align with bunnies will be more timid while cheetahs are more active. People with a more dog-like personality are outgoing and energetic. Uncommon animal duos may even be seen due to friendships being stronger with opposite personalities. An introverted sloth may befriend an otter that’s bouncy and extroverted. By learning about the nature of each species, connection and empathy are learned. People would get along more and petty drama would be decreased since everyone would associate with people they’d like or get along with. It would make JP way more tolerable!

But would that actually work? How would the projection of spirit animals mess with the social hierarchy already implemented in many schools? With people being grouped based on their similar personalities, it very well may divide people rather than unify them. People would be so adamant about staying within their respective groups that clashing “species” would be stigmatized. The making of cliques and closed-off friend groups would arise. How would the predator/prey dynamic affect the school lives of many individuals? Pulling a Zootopia wouldn’t do the school any good and instead make the environment of JP 100 times more unbearable, as if it wasn’t already high up there. If you align with prey characteristics, it’s not far-fetched that bolder people associated with predators would terrorize you to instill fear. Superiority would only be emphasized. How about being a predator like a lion? Would your pride get ahead of you and cause you to terrorize the version of you where you were considered inferior? Being at the top of the hierarchy entails being held to higher standards, but it also means greed and corruption being prevalent. However, there will always be the group of students who like laying low—who prefer to be the lowest on the hierarchy. This preference is understandable, but peace would be disturbed as the corrupt predators would most likely target the more reserved students. Self-righteousness reeks from these types of people and any hope of a normal social life would be shattered.

Regardless, it would still be cool to see projections of animalistic auras when strolling through the halls. Naturally, there would be some negative aspects of this coming to fruition. Seeing the diverse characteristics emitted from each student’s aura would promote individuality and acceptance of the unique behaviors of people. Each animal has its own symbolic meaning. Take the JPS Hawks for example. A Hawk is a species of bird that is notable for their outstanding eyesight as well as their ability to fly great heights, hence our motto “Hawks Fly High!” The hawk is symbolic of JP’s overall intelligence and power by numbers. JP is a competitive school, so having an animal that is symbolic of intelligence and focus accentuates JP’s advantage of being an academically driven establishment. When aligned with a spirit animal, it’s best to hone in on your unique advantages and use them to aid yourself and your peers.