By KEATON LAMBERT
Sheridan High School Student
Editor’s Note: The Sheridan Student Column is brought to readers by Sheridan High School’s 10th grade English class, taught by Abigayle Williams.
Due to recent events and controversy regarding school shootings, school security and school safety, many schools across Hamilton County have put in place new rules regarding backpacks, clothing and other accessories.
At Hamilton Heights, students are no longer allowed to carry backpacks to their classes, wear zip up coats/jackets or wear ID lanyards with small pockets in the back. Emily Lester, a sophomore at Hamilton Heights High School, had this to say about the new regulations: “The new regulations are too much. I understand where they are coming from but these new rules are over the top.” Lester went on further to say, “I think that I can understand the whole backpack regulation and I can understand the fear of a student bringing a firearm into the building but there are other ways other than the backpack to sneak something in. There are still other ways to sneak a firearm into the building and they can’t take all those ways away without violating students’ human rights.”
School and student safety definitely should be a top priority for any school corporation. However, is taking away privileges students had before the right direction to ensure students’ safety? Should the tragic events that have happened hinder normal students’ ability to dress how they want or carry their book bag for the sake of convenience?
Many students who have been affected by these new regulations feel as though they are being punished for something that they didn’t do. Students feel like there are different approaches to these problems that won’t seem like a punishment for students.
Not every school has taken students’ backpack privileges away but have instead provided clear backpacks to students. This allows students to have the convenience of a backpack and hinders the ability to sneak something potentially dangerous into the school. However, many students feel as though this violates their privacy.
Now, many might say if they have nothing to hide why do they care if someone can see the contents of their bag? That is true, however privacy is not something one should take lightly. The term “give an inch take a mile” infers that if you give someone a little power they take more than they should.
First, it might be no more backpacks or clear backpacks, but then what does that turn into? Then it’s mandatory school uniforms. Then increased security and bag checks upon arrival at school, crack down on over-the-top rules with zero tolerance policies and possibly as far as making students line up in the halls and be escorted from class to class.
A school was meant to be a school. If we are not careful we could turn it into a prison.
As a student who has not yet been affected by rules such as these, I am grateful, for I do not see a point in punishing and restricting a whole student body in light of actions committed by a few unstable individuals.
I have been disappointed in how schools across the country have decided to tackle these issues. Schools are showing that they are scared and that they are cowering in terror at the thought of a security breach happening in the school. Showing fear gives whatever you fear a power over you, a grip on you, if you will. And the more you show fear the tighter that grip gets, and the more you are afraid of becoming a target, the more likely you are to become one.
So why has the response to recent events been to hinder students even though students have done nothing wrong? A student body should not have to suffer consequences for the actions of a few individuals.