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Administration cracks down on rules

By: Sarah Sheafer <[email protected]>

From the first day of the school this year, senior Melanie Bracale noticed that something was different. No longer could she wear a tank top or walk outside of the school during passing periods. She even couldn’t walk in the hallways during SRT without being checked for a pass.

“I noticed that all aspects of school were stricter. In the past, teachers have never checked hall passes and now they actually look at them,” Bracale said.

Bracale is one of the many students here who said that she has noticed the changes. And students like Bracale now wonder if this new stricter enforcement of rules will remain consistent throughout the year or become more relaxed as spring approaches.

Administrative Assistant Doug Bird said that the rules are always tweaked and sometimes a more forceful manner is necessary. “The rules are re-evaluated each year.  Our focus is always the safety of the students and staff,” he said.
Assistant Principal John Abell said that he believes that these rules will still remain just as strict as the beginning of the year. “We haven’t lessened our efforts regarding security but it’s difficult to keep a high profile on something like security every single day,” he said. “We try to do our best but it’s human nature to lose focus.”

In Bracale’s case, she said she fell victim to a stricter interpretation of the dress code rules. According to the Pathways, tank tops, even if they are not spaghetti strapped, are not allowed. Bracale said she was not aware of this. “We have never had a problem wearing tank tops and now we can’t even wear really thick (straps). It’s like junior high again,” Bracale said.

With the cold weather, the school hasn’t had as many problems with the dress code as the beginning of the year because of students covering up more. However, this might change when it starts to get warmer. Bracale said she hopes that the dress code will become more relaxed, but at the same time doubts it will happen.

Sophomore Ashley Schaefer said she wonders if stricter enforcement actually helps, particularly if there is a lack of consistency among teachers and administration. She said that she still sees students wandering in the hallways during SRT without a pass, but maybe not as much.

Bracale, too, said that some teachers don’t enforce all of the rules. “Some of my teachers don’t make us get hall sweeps because they think it’s stupid,” she said. Schaefer also said that not all of her teachers are strict with the rules. “Most teachers follow the rules but some are more laid back than others,” she said.

Bird said that the enforcement of rules varies between teachers. “Everybody, being a different person, will have a different force of emphasis (on the rules),” he said. “The students need to be aware of what the rules are. If the student is in compliance with the rules, they won’t have a problem with them.”

Abell said the rules are helping more with security than students think. “There is a significant difference.

Although some random students may go outside, those numbers have diminished significantly,” he said. “We did this to increase safety of students and staff. I don’t think there will be a relaxation of security any time in the near future.”

But even if these new rules do not become more strict, Bracale said she is unhappy with the current level of enforcement. “I just feel like the faculty is afraid of the students,” she said. “We are suspects before we do anything wrong. This is neither right nor fair. It has made school a really dreary place.”

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