By: Joe English

“At the age of 16 or 17, the idea of allowing students some freedom and a little responsibility seems not only reasonable, but advisable,” states the Daily Gazette in an editorial last month titled “Don’t Hold Students Prisoner at Lunch.”  However, the Galway Board of Education recently started to review the age-old tradition of allowing juniors and seniors to leave campus for lunch and, much to the student body’s horror, is considering abolishing it.  Although the Board’s intention of keeping students safe through a closed campus policy are commendable, it does not seem logical or reasonable when looked at from a broader perspective.

The policy under consideration declares that no student shall leave the school campus from 8:00 AM till 2:22 PM unless they are personally signed out by a parent or guardian.  In reference to the Chuck’s lunch program for juniors and seniors, the policy states that this year it will carry on as usual.  However, only seniors will be allowed to go to Chuck’s for lunch in the 2011-2012 school year, and no one will be allowed to do so in subsequent years.  By implementing the policy in phases, the Board hopes to make a smooth transition while ruffling as few feathers as possible.

At the Board of Education meeting last Thursday, Mr. Mark Pribis explained the reasoning for his proposed policy.  “It’s mainly a matter of safety for the students,” he said.  Mr. Pribis went on to explain that the waivers signed by parents to allow their children to leave the campus “would most likely not hold water in court if something were to happen.” 

Many parents who attended the meeting voiced their support for the new policy.  They expressed their fears about having kids cross Route 147 without a crossing guard, and one angry parent even said, “Are we going to wait until a student is killed before we actually do something?” Worry about kids’ safety and reckless drivers was the main topic of the night, and several worried mothers and fathers said how kids could not be trusted to cross the street without direct supervision.  Other parents expressed their concerns about unhealthy lunch choices students may be making when they go to Chuck’s.  Despite the fact that Chuck’s has a larger variety of food than the school’s cafeteria, adults simply do not trust their kids to make smart choices and eat healthily. 

On the other side of the argument, many students, parents, and faculty attended the meeting to show their opposition to the policy and explain their reasoning.  Several students pointed out how ridiculous it is for parents to continue sheltering them when they will be getting jobs or attending college in less than two years.  Instead of letting their kids grow and learn, they are stifling them with over-protection and worry.  Rob Coolidge, a junior at Galway, articulated this point by saying, “Students are going to be getting jobs and going to college within a few years and will need to know how to make choices for themselves.  Allowing them to go to Chuck’s by themselves and choose what to eat is a small step that will help prepare them to make these choices later on in life.” A parent of a ninth grade student added, “When these students start work in a few years, it would be ridiculous for their boss to tell them where and what to eat for lunch.  By putting this policy in place, we are doing just that and failing to teach them how to live as an adult in the outside world.”

Furthermore, why should we forbid these students to eat at Chuck’s when they are allowed by law to drive?  If high school students are able to drive themselves, their family, and their friends on Route 147 every day, why are they not responsible enough to cross that same road on foot?

Instead of implementing a blanket policy that will disadvantage all students, why not consider other, less extreme, ideas?  Several students suggested that the high school only let kids who are responsible and demonstrate good character participate in the Chuck’s tradition.  Not only would this reduce the risk of having disciplinary issues at Chuck’s, it would encourage kids to stay out of trouble so that they too would be able to earn this privilege.  Others suggested that the Board of Education hire a crossing guard and lunch supervisor to look out for kids during lunch periods at Chuck’s.  This would help keep students safe while making sure they return on time for their next period.  However, despite the numerous alternatives that the public suggested, the Board repeatedly expressed a lack of interest in altering their proposed policy.

High school is a time for students to learn responsibility, earn respect, and ultimately grow up.  To forbid juniors and seniors the ability to walk across a street or to choose what to eat for lunch is not affording them the respect they deserve.  A closed campus policy sheltering young adults who are nearly 18 years old will only make students resentful in the short term and will fail to prepare them for life outside of Galway High School in the long run.