<p>I had to write an explanation for why i had to choose "yes" to the have you ever been suspended tidbit on the common app. Can a few of you revise it for me or offer suggestions and advice? i'd greatly appreciate it. im trying to submit my application tonight so the quicker i get feedback the more effective it will be!
i know im supposed to be remorseful and show that i have learned from the situation, and i tried to add that into the essay but i still feel like it comes off cocky or something</p>
<p>The attatchment:
I have never been disciplined in any way for violence, drugs, alcohol, skipping school or any other similar type of violation of rules or ethics. I have on occasion been “disciplined” for “insubordination” for disagreeing with teachers, questioning them, or otherwise not blindly following their orders. I am a strong-willed and determined individual with a quick and confident mouth. I will not refrain from defending myself or my peers if I feel that a teacher is disrespecting their students or overstepping their boundaries. However, in the past I have bordered on overstepping my boundaries as a student.
During my junior year I was sent to the office when a police officer who was “co-teaching” my Civil/Criminal Law class told one of my peers he had to take his demon horns off. Our school mascot is a demon and on Fridays, which are spirit days at my school, students can purchase and wear demon tails to attach to the back of their jeans, red headbands with glittery demon horns on them, or plastic pitchforks, among other memorabilia, at our school bookstore. We are encouraged to wear red shirts or a Dysart spirit shirt and our spirit accessories on Fridays by the student council, who also participate.<br>
The officer had been getting increasingly irritated this particular day at my rambunctious and talkative elective class who was only slightly entertained by his lesson. After chastising several students for their behavior, he told a quiet student who was not idly chatting or being disruptive that he must take off his demon horns in the classroom. The student asked why as he proceeded to take the horns off. The officer told him not to ask why, he said so and you cannot have hats in the classroom. Although the student had already taken his horns off, he mumbled “Okay…it’s not a hat.” The officer asked him if he wanted to go down to the office. This is where I mistakenly spoke up. I told the officer “It’s not a hat, they’re demon ears. It’s Friday.” Then the officer asked if I’d like to go down to the office and ask the disciplinary director myself about his command, and see if he would agree with him or me. I replied that I would ask the disciplinary director, the horns are not considered hats, and there is no reason why the student could not wear them in the classroom as they were not disrupting anyone and it is part of showing school spirit.
The officer sent the student that I had defended and me down to the office for “undermining his authority.” While he was escorting us to the office, the officer made a short comment that went something along the lines of “Your mom raised you to act like that?” in what I found to be a sneering, rude, and condescending tone. I calmly told him “Don’t ask me how I was raised. Do not make comments about me or my mom.” I felt that the officer was going too far. I had not spoken a word during the entire walk to the office, while he continued lecturing and demoralizing us about our so-called horrible behavior. When the officer insulted my family, I felt he was making a personal attack, which was not only unnecessary, but just plain wrong to do. When we arrived at the office, I refused to stand between the officer and the disciplinary director while the former spewed a list of my supposed misconduct because I felt they refused to allow me to defend myself. I walked out of the office and went home (the school day had ended by this time). The following day I was informed of my suspension, which was not for the incident in the classroom but for walking out of the office.
While initially I was steadfast in my defense about my participation in this event, looking back I cannot say that it was at all worth it. I had to continue interacting with the school police officer once a week when he came to teach my class and the incident left a sour note behind. From then on I felt that he viewed me as stubborn and meddling, like any other delinquent teenager who believes they know everything. It hurt me that my reputation with this man was tarred, when I had not wished to test his authority like I assume he felt, but only to stick up for my classmate. While I do not believe what I said to him during the incident was wrong, given that the officer was already aggravated at the behavior of a few of my peers, it was not the best time for me to speak up when I thought he was bullying my classmate, especially in the presence of the entire class. It was not my problem to deal with and it could have been avoided by me just being quiet.
Walking out of the office was childish and rude. I was so overwhelmed by the situation and the fact that I could be punished for such a trivial incident, I acted without judgment. If I had acted maturely, stayed in the office and patiently waited my turn to speak, the situation could have been sifted through until an appropriate decision was made by the discipline officer. Unfortunately, my rash thinking here got the best of me.
Two weeks after the incident when the police officer came to my classroom, we stepped outside and we both apologized for what had happened. I explained my original intentions and how he made me feel on the walk down to the office. I apologized to him for how I came across when I spoke up, and for disrespecting him when I walked out on the office. Not only did it make him look bad when I acted out, but it made me look bad when I let my frustrations get the best of me. The two of us were able to finish the year without having any other disputes.</p>