Sibling rivalry is alive and thriving. From tykes fighting over toys to comparing salaries at family reunions, brothers and sisters have been battling over who is the biggest success since the beginning of time. And who can blame them?

Especially when the older sibling paves their way through high school and leaves a legacy, whether positive or negative, that’s hard to live down. It’s hard for a freshman to come, doe-eyed and wet-nosed into a school that’s already full of expectations for them. Teachers never seem to let them remember your name, always give you that look, they never let you live it down. If your sibling was exceptionally great, you never get grace for not securing all A’s. You will never live it down if your brother or sister was a troublemaker. It’s not just annoying, it’s downright uncomfortable.

Whether it’s clothes, rooms or even teachers, siblings aren’t strangers to the act of sharing. Having a previous sibling in the school secures you the fastest routes to class, the best scoops on the sports, privileges with teachers and administrations and the familiarity to calm the fear of facing high school alone.

However, Antioch Community High School tries to be different. While little tiffs may erupt in the hallways or at home, the Gantz, McCameron and Kelly families feel it isn’t about the rivalry, but the respect and bond they have for and with one another.

Tiffany Gantz, a senior at ACHS, knows what this feels like. Tiffany was a freshman when her sister Marissa was a senior and her brother Travis was a junior.

“Mr. Stanich [ACHS teacher] specifically remembers my first day of school as a freshman when my sister brought me into his classroom and said ‘Look, this is my little sister,’” said Gantz.

Although high school was a new chapter in her life, ACHS was like a second home. Gantz and her siblings were heavily involved with sports and extracurricular activities. Because her siblings were already active in the school before her, she felt very acquainted with the coaches and the layout of the school by the time she came in her freshman year.

“I knew where a majority of my classes were in advance because I had spent so much time at the school prior to even going there,” said Gantz.

If she had a problem with a teacher, or a question about a class, her siblings could help her because of their past experiences with that same teacher or class.

Junior Carly McCameron knows what it’s like to be the younger one, but she says that her and her brother Alex are supportive of each other in sports and in school. Even though Alex and Carly both play basketball at ACHS, there’s no bad blood between the two.

“Sibling rivalry is not that common for us. We are each good at different things and I’m okay with that,” she said.
For the McCameron’s the rivalry that is supposedly expected to exist, does not. Instead, their support for one another lead to many more successes and positive reputations among faculty and staff at ACHS.

The Kelly family also knows what it’s like to have support from siblings. Kristen Kelly, a ACHS senior, has two older sisters and one younger sister.

“My sisters showed me around the school and helped me out my whole freshman year and I really wanted to do the same for my sister,” said Kelly. “I showed her to all her classes before the first day of school and showed her the best places to put her locker.”

Being a support for one another is what Kelly believes makes the experience for her and her siblings. By developing relationships, rather than fighting them, being a sibling in the same school won’t be about battling for the best reputation.

Finding time for one another can be difficult. As families grow older, time becomes a commodity that is easily cashed in for friends and relationships. Having a sibling within the walls of the school may seem like a blessing or a curse, but it may just be an opportunity to capture time that may be lost otherwise. An opportunity to stay connected.