Freedom Area High School's Student Newspaper

FHS Press

Freedom Area High School's Student Newspaper

FHS Press

Freedom Area High School's Student Newspaper

FHS Press

New Year, New Rules

The word on everyone’s lips this year: rules. All students are aware that rules have been made and changed from last year. A major upset has been created from these changes, but according to Mrs. Corris, not many new rules have been created. For example, the requirement of having locks on lockers was something that began last year. According to Mrs. Corris, students were meant to buy locks for their lockers. Last year, the rule was in place, but wasn’t strictly enforced because locks weren’t supplied to students. It was evident from the first day that this wouldn’t be the case this year. For some students, the locks go too far. “I think we should be able choose if we have them or not,” Senior Scott Johnstone said. Occasionally, a cry of frustration is heard when someone fails to remove their lock. This frustration is the cause of some hostility towards locks. Other students see the locks a different way. “They are convenient,” Senior Zoe Shingler said. For some, the locks reassure students that their belongings are safely stored in their lockers. Some also understand why it’s best to lock empty lockers. The second reason locks became required was to avoid empty lockers being used by students to store food, which was a problem last year. Similarly to the food rule this year, the faculty is hoping to cut down on rodents infestations this year. The rule forbidding food outside the cafeteria has inspired a series of less-than-happy responses. Many people believe that the rule was made because of student allergies, but Mrs. Corris said that was only one reason among many. “At least a dozen kids have food allergies,” she said, adding that the need to keep the building clean was also an important reason behind the new rule. A big reason is how food in the hallways related to the school’s cleanliness. Last year, a rodent problem was discovered in the high school. “Without food it’s been much better,” said Mrs. Corris. As for the food rule, “It’s inconvenient, but kept the building clean.” Many of the rule changes are a result of the student’s surveys taken last year. Survey results revealed a level of distaste for the lack of cleanliness within the school. Some students still disagree with this rule. “I don’t think it was a big enough problem to change anything,” Senior Keith Braun said. The final, big change in the rules is the implementation of detention. According to Mrs. Corris, this year the administration has actually instituted detention. A problem in previous years was the use of in-school suspension not actually punishing students from misconduct. In some cases, students actually asked for ISS. This year, if a student skips class, they must make it up in detention after school; this has made a big difference. According to Mrs. Corris, 238 classes were skipped last year. This year, as of Sept. 30, only two instances of skipping a class have occurred. According to Mrs. Corris, there have only been positive results of the rule changes. “I’m not in the business of making rules just to make rules,” she said.