Every school has groups of students who usually fall into a specific category. These groups are called cliques. Cliques are restricted groups of individuals who fall into a category based on extracurriculars and reputation. Everyone falls into a clique whether they realize it or not. Sometimes, people end up in multiple cliques due to extracurriculars or different types of friend groups.
Jocks and Cheerleaders
The jocks and the cheerleaders are a notorious clique in all high schools, throughout all of time. They are also usually portrayed as bullies and rude people who like to act out, but not every jock or cheerleader is like that. They are one of the most prominent cliques in the media and are featured in most high school films. Cheerleaders are pretty straightforward. Most of the time, jocks are usually only football boys or whatever sport the school centers around, but everyone who plays a sport is considered a jock.
Student Council
Every school has a student council. The council represents the student body and plans events, sets up pep rallies, and tries to make the school a better place by listening to student demands. Generally, student council kids can also fall into the category of nerds due to the fact these students are very high achievers, but since Student Council is its own program, they are an entirely different clique altogether. This is also supported by the fact that there are so many different personalities within it.
Geeks/Nerds
Geeks and nerds are usually portrayed as meek, quiet, and corrective. The difference between geeks and nerds is social intelligence. Geeks usually have better social skills and are generally more sociable than nerds. They are also associated with a deep passion for certain types of fandoms whether that be from a movie, video game, TV show, etc. Nerds, on the other hand, are usually more focused on intellectual pursuits and aim to be academically significant. Both of these terms have evolved in the media as positive identifiers of character and are often associated with greatness.
ROTC Kids
While not every school has an ROTC program, they are generally a popular clique in the media. ROTC offers different kinds of scholarship opportunities and early military training. The early military training can lead them to enlist at a higher rank, if they choose to join the actual military. It also offers training for different branches. These people are often portrayed as being over the top and generally annoying due to the kinds of things you see in the media.
Art Kids
An ‘Art Kid’ usually refers to someone deeply entranced and interested in fine arts. These kids can range from theatre kids, dance kids, visual arts kids, and even band and choir kids. These kinds of people often are seen as outgoing and can be a little eccentric in the media. These kids do beautiful work to perfect their craft, and this school has one of the best Fine Arts departments out of any other high school in Texas.
While cliques are represented in the media as being very restricted and confined, most people fit into a few different cliques. Some Jocks can also be Nerds, some Nerds can also be Art Kids, and the list goes on. People aren’t restricted to just one singular clique.
