Comparing Highland Park to most other places to live, there is a drastic difference. People here in HP go about everyday like how they live is normal because that’s how it’s been for them their whole lives. Coming into Highland Park as a student, there are a lot of things to notice right off the bat, but there are also things that only go noticed after settling in.

There’s no question about it, Highland Park is all about competition, not only with other places, but also within itself. Sports are more intense and grades are more important. Growing up in Highland Park, kids are pushed and taught to be confident and competitive. HP families and individuals will almost always put everything into all that they do. It’s an all or nothing kind of mindset. Students especially are known to work to be the best they can be in whatever they’re doing–activities, relationships, grades in school, and the most popular, sports. “The athletic competition and importance of sports is so much higher than where I used to live and probably a lot of other places. Football is a big deal at most high schools, but HP really takes it to the next level,” freshman Audrey Hanna says.

A general stereotype about people in the south is that everyone is kind and generous compared to the noisy, rude big city people in the north. Highland Park follows this stereotype, but with an added sense of welcoming. The town is so small, everyone knows who everyone else is. Being new, this can either be a positive or negative thing. Negative because everyone else has known each other and grown up with them, and it’s harder to fit in a group, yet positive because as soon as you get to know only a couple of people, you pretty much know everyone already. “When I moved here, I knew a girl from camp and she helped introduce me to some of the people who are my best friends now. As soon as I started meeting people, I felt a lot more comfortable. My one friend introduced me to her friends and they introduced me to more people and before I knew it, I fit in and Highland Park felt like home,” says freshman Kathryn Walton.

Something unique about the town is the tendency in clothing. For pretty much most of the time, girls are dressed in athletic shorts and T-shirts that look like they could fit on their dad. Flashy and expensive accessories such as bracelets and earrings are also a popular choice. Boys are usually wearing some on-brand athletic gear or a T-shirt with khakis. “People are nice usually, but there’s always the drawback of the ‘parkie’ stereotype that we’re all rich snobs who spend an excessive amount of money on clothes and seemingly unimportant items. People might judge us when we walk into a room, since we’re all wearing that ‘parkie uniform’ of the T-shirt and Nike shorts. In reality, most of us aren’t as shallow as others think,” says freshman Charlotte Weaver.