March Madness is the term that refers to the NCAA’s basketball tournament where the nation’s top 64 college teams compete for the championship title. Over the course of the tournament, teams from four divisions compete in bracket-style play. In each division, teams seeded 1 to 16 go head-to-head as they vie for the title, and the mayhem of March Madness comes from the incredibly competitive games where upsets are expected.

At Emmaus High School, however, the term “March Madness” takes on a different meaning for some students. It refers to a bracket, but this bracket isn’t one of athletics. Instead, it is a bracket that rates the looks of female students.

Many years ago, a group of senior boys at Emmaus allegedly got together and founded the bracket committee, creating what is known as “The Girls Bracket.” The bracket consists of 64 of the most attractive females in Emmaus that year. It works the same way that the NCAA tournament bracket works, with girls being seeded from 1-16 and placed in four separate divisions. The bracket has become an underground tradition amongst the boys at Emmaus High School, for better or for worse, and it remains extremely controversial.

Certain students, such as senior Aidan Huzar, find the list to be unnecessary, however, not for reasons one might think.

“I don’t think that girls should be treated like sports team,” Huzar said. “You don’t need a bracket, just make a list.”

I talked to a few junior girls who were allegedly on the bracket and both felt similarly on the subject. One called the bracket “gross,” saying that “no one gives a [expletive].”

Junior Ethan Lynch believes that the list is “a terrible way to conduct such an operation,” suggesting that rating girls based off of their looks is unacceptable.

“It should be based off of talent rather than attractiveness,” Lynch said. “There should be no unfair practices between boys and girls.”

Some students view The Girls Bracket as a silly tradition that should not be taken too seriously, while others disagree and view it as an act of discrimination that should be abominated immediately.

Personally, I understand both arguments and would like to take this time to give some advice to the people of Emmaus High School. Life is a thing of beauty, but when taken too seriously, that beauty is tarnished. One must be able to laugh at the world, and their place in it. Without this, it is easy to get caught up in things that aren’t all that serious.

I consider myself a very light-hearted person, as I rarely find myself particularly angry  with someone or something. I am like that because whenever presented with a situation which could be construed negatively, I take a step back and think to myself, “Does this particular annoyance define who I am as a person?” When evaluating this question, I can easily sort out the crisis from the things that should simply be dismissed. And you know what I find? A majority of the annoyances in my life are just that, petty annoyances that should simply be dismissed. However, with that being said, my actions have a reaction, and I must respect that cycle. I strive to not involve myself with things that I think will deliberately annoy people, and if I do, I am prepared to accept the consequences of my actions. When making decisions, I make sure I understand what may come of those actions, and tread accordingly. I suggest you all do the same.