As a proud student of Omaha Central, it is hard not to notice the increasing number of West Omaha students making their way down to our campus – not for their education, but for photo shoots. 

Why is this? 

They call our school “ghetto”, and whisper about how “unsafe” it is. They visit our stadium and gymnasium for athletic events and are immediately concerned about the police presence. Yet, they have the courage to travel downtown to use our building as the backdrop for an ultimate milestone. 

I get it. Central has one of the most beautiful, historic campuses in the nation. But as a student, it feels strange that people with no relation to Central get to use it just for aesthetics, after belittling all the institution stands for. Central is more than just a backdrop; it is a place of pride, strength and community. 

Students and faculty of Central revel in our deep history, community and, yes, the beautiful architecture which we experience every day as we pass in and out of our building.  

I wish Central’s critics would understand that “ghetto” isn’t just an insult, it is an erasure of everything we are as a school community. The word has a large, negative connotation which never slips the mind of the students and faculty that adore our institution. 

So, when people from across Omaha come, snap photos and leave without any real connection to the building and its culture, it almost feels like they are borrowing something that is not theirs to take.  

What stings the most is their hypocrisy. They utilize our beautiful limestone and intricate carvings to capture the charm of our institution without ever seeing the beauty within. They do not care to learn about our tradition of excellence, and generations of incredible alumni who have gone on to do amazing things. Most importantly, they do not care to hear the incredible stories of the people who walk our halls every day. 

It is easy for them to come, pose and take pictures like they are part of something extraordinary, only to leave and mock the very place they used for their social media perfection.  

They don’t have to live with the assumptions and remarks about how “rough” and “sketchy” Central is, because their Instagram comments are overflowing with messages like “so beautiful” and “gorgeous photos.” 

To me, and many other passionate students, it feels as if they are stealing our identity. They come downtown to experience the rich history, culture and pride that their own schools lack. Many of these West Omaha schools are new, shiny buildings, without any of the character that Central has. They borrow from our legacy, our charm and then return to their insulated suburban lives, pretending for a moment that they are part of something real. But they are not. 

And when they refer to students as “sketchy” or our building as “unsafe,” what they are really doing is labeling our students – many of whom are people of color or come from working-class backgrounds. There is something ugly and coded about the way they throw that word around. The West Omaha schools, generally affluent and predominantly white, don’t face these assumptions. 

Central is proud of our diversity, of the rich cultures, languages and stories that walk through our halls every day.  

They view our downtown location and surrounding neighborhoods and see danger. We look at their large properties and clean residential areas and see privilege. And somehow, they still feel entitled to use our school as a prop.