Coming back to school for my fourth year in this building and my twelfth year in this district was just like any other year. There were the typical changes in staff and the new looks among my classmates. It was just the same old besides one thing: More rules and restrictions.
Our school is cracking down on the cell phone use. It's very understandable with the cheating and such that is going on, but there have to be other ways around it than getting it taken away and having a parent come pick it up.
As a senior, I am supposed to be preparing myself to go out on my own, but when I make a mistake my parents have to come in and pick up my cell phone. To me, that just doesn't make sense. Cell phone use has been a touchy subject for who knows how long now. Maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal if we could have our phones during study hall and lunch. Just maybe, allowing students to use their phones for a limited amount of time will satisfy the urge to use them at inappropriate times.
Another touchy topic that our school is dealing with is the dress code. Some people, no names mentioned, abuse the dress code by wearing shorts that are too short or not wearing their pants pulled up. The administrative solution to this problem is not allowing shorts to be worn between Nov. 1 and April 1. Personally, I don't think this will fix our problem, and it is just restricting the students of our school.
No matter when shorts are to be worn, some people may take advantage of it. With the world we live in today, the sun might be shining and 75 degrees in November. Who knows... and just because some people abuse the dress code, I can't wear my shorts then. I don't agree with the warm weather policy.
And this policy was put into effect because of a small percentage of people that abuse the dress code. The rules should be followed by everyone, and it shouldn't matter who you are. If your shorts are too short, then they are too short, end of story. Be thorough on the rules, but most of the time, I must admit, girls wouldn't wear shorts that were indecent, but there is a small handful that just don't care.
Intimate hugging raised some questions on the first day of school. What exactly is it? I am not disagreeing with this rule because some couples are just plain gross, but I would like someone to explain what intimate hugging is and why it became a big issue.
Early dismissals, more commonly known as ED's, are limited this year. Some people abuse the purpose of them, but honestly. What if we have a doctor's appointment or are needed at home for something? What if we go home sick?
What if we have a study-hall at the end of the day and want to leave? I think four early dismissals getting us called into the assistant principal's office is going to raise more issues as the year progresses.
I am not saying that our school is a bad school. I think our school is rather pleasant compared to others from the stories that I hear, but every year when I come back from summer vacation, I have more rules to follow, and as a human being, I am feeling restricted. Maybe using our cell phones at lunch and in study halls, as well as being thorough on the dress code and understanding that some shorts aren't too short. As for early dismissals, limiting them is a major step. Maybe try to keep a closer eye on people who abuse the privilege.
Another option would be to include the students when it comes to giving out punishments. Maybe try to get a vote or such to get the opinion of the student body, instead of making the administration make decisions and look like the bad guys. Work together, administration and students, to make our school a better, less restricted and better trusted place.
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