How Life in Public School, or the lack there of, effects Orion Students.

Orion is a place designed to eliminate negative opinions and create a "safe" environment for kids to be themselves.
the idea is good but it needs some work. i have found everyone judges everyone. whether they realize this is happening or they just do it without thinking is unclear. what i have found is that often, kids with little social skills tend to come across snotty when they really just have differing opinions. this isn't true for everyone, but for some it is made more apparent to others then the individual is aware of.
i was with my friend today when another student walked up and started talking. i wouldn't let them talk because they were interrupting. i told them we would talk to them but after we had finished our conversation. so my friend and i finished our talk and i said "hey you should go talk to him now". she said "you were the one who said that... i wasn't actually going to talk to him". i thought this sounded rude but i think she was just managing her own emotions the best way she knew how. i went to talk to the other student and resolved what was going on. i answered his simple question and moved on.
i think what some people don't understand is that if you don't let someone talk and then don't come back to hear what they had to say, their not likely to stop interrupting. i find that even when you dont want to talk to someone, its the right thing to do. it goes back to that age old rule to treat others how you would want to be treated. Ive been on the other side of this, having someone not want to talk to you and feeling the pain in your stomach, i think this girl has been going to private school long enough she has forgotten how terrible that feels. i remember the last time that happened to me and i would not wish that stress on anyone. why tell someone something like "go away i don't like you" instead of "im not in a good mood ill talk to you later". it gets the same thing across but it doesn't cause the other any stress, they just go about their business and often they don't need to talk later. in my opinion, if in one moment it is possible, not choice but tollerable to be nice to someone, why dont you do it.
my friend had nothing to do in that two minutes it took to talk to this boy and answer his question but she decided to not risk her mood by talking to someone who stressed her out. i respect that and ive felt like that too.
i find empathy is a hard thing to come across at Orion. i have trouble with it too. its an interesting thing to watch, it makes apparent how different people are.
any comments and opinions are appreciated.
:)