I (55M) have been a school principal for over 25 years, and during that entire time, I’ve run a competition for our outgoing Class 12 students. It’s a tradition I started to reward a mix of athleticism, teamwork, and logical thinking — a sort of “final challenge” before graduation. Think trilithon, treasure hunt, logical ability test and dance competition. It’s meant to be fun, engaging, and a test of camaraderie as well as capability.

Over the years, it’s become something students look forward to. The trophy also comes with a cash prize which would be setup as a trust fund to help the winning students education ,We hand out a trophy to the winner, and even past students often come back to watch or volunteer. It's never been about grades or transcripts — just a spirited send-off.

This year, however, after the competition, I received complaints from a few students who said they had “lost friends” because of how things played out. One group in particular blamed a teammate for making a mistake in the final puzzle round, and apparently there was some fallout. I later heard from a couple of parents, too, who said the competition caused “needless stress and division” among students who were otherwise close.

I spoke to the students involved, and while emotions were clearly running high, it seemed like typical teenage drama to me. Friendships at that age go through ups and downs all the time. But now there’s a growing sentiment from a small group that the whole competition is “toxic” and should be scrapped.

To be clear, I never forced anyone to participate. It’s always been voluntary, and most students have great memories from it. But now I’m wondering: AITA for continuing a long-standing competition if it might have contributed to some friendships falling apart?