By: Rebecca Strevy

The Closed Campus Policy has been in debate for a very, long time.  To many of us it’s a very big deal, to others who don’t care, then, oh well.  But to those who do care for whatever reason, our school is now going to start being a closed campus. 

Many of us wonder why they (the four members of the Board of Education that voted to close campus) are doing this to us.  As I listened at the board meeting, December 16th, I was able to pick up a few quotes from some of the members. This is what I heard from the members of the Board that ended up voting to keep campus closed:

Janet Glenn:  “….our responsibility is to keep them safe and secure…”

Mark Pribis: “I think there’s other ways we can make them ready…”

Joan Slagle: “..I was impressed with their maturity…for me its security and liability…”

As we all now can tell they really care about our safety, but they also care about the school itself. The Board of Education deserves a lot of thanks.  Now many of you are wondering why. It’s because the Board actually held off voting about until last Thursday night.  There have been at least three other meetings where they could have quickly voted to close campus, but instead they decided to listen and consider us students.  This is why we should thank them, they really did think about it and for that we should be glad. 

Despite the outcome, some people on the Board supported us: John Sutton, Mr. Ostrander, and Bradley Rooke.  They each made their own comment which made my heart be thankful I went all these times to show them that we as students want to voice our opinion out against what we think is wrong.  The students, who went, showed them that we are mature and can handle adult situations even though it may be hard for us to stay controlled. 

As I was listening I heard some comments from the three who voted to keep our campus open, as it is now:

Bradley Rooke: “I can’t support this…we should provide them….it’s enough to start them off on the right foot…”

John Sutton: “If it’s okay with the parents …its okay with me…Give the kids a little freedom…”

As I listened to the rest of the meeting certain members of the Board really seemed to have their decision made.  They voted and the vote came out 4:3, four for not keeping campus open. 

My question to the adults is what are you going to do now? What is the next step?  Will they actually try to make lunch better or will they just blow it off?  High school is meant to be a part of a teen’s life where we live, we learn, and we cry.  That’s what teens are for.  I like John Sutton’s response to us.  It shows that he believes that the parents do have a say in what their child is allowed and not allowed to do.  Right now though the parents no longer have a say. They don’t even get to choose whether or not their child can have a decent lunch anymore. 

I’m sorry to say this but the cafeteria food isn’t what you’d say is a good home baked meal, and that is reasonable, but I believe that us kids need a good amount of food in order to stay awake through the rest of the day.  The cafeteria ladies are meant to serve us hungry kids, but sometimes we need a little more than one piece of pizza. But if we get a second piece we have to pay more.  Plus a lot of us do not have the money to pay a lot for lunches so many of us are stuck hungry the rest of the school day.

The four Board members may have considered what was best for them, but I’m not so sure they thought about what was best for the students. We all know that the school doesn’t want to have to deal with a lawsuit.  Chuck’s is right across the street, and students who really look forward to the break in the day, to get out in the fresh air, might still want to sneak over there during the day.  

The Board is meant to help the school out, but if there is approximately 98% of the students that voted to keep campus open, and the principal wanted this, and the aides that help out with the cafeteria wanted this, then who is the Board really helping?  This decision is only helping them from getting in trouble with the law.  Yes, we understand this but any school can get in trouble with the law, you just need the right incident.  The Board should really think more about others rather than themselves because that is where they are putting this policy first.

The lunchroom is a hazard to anyone that sets foot in it during lunch.  The line takes forever and by the time you get your food it’s cold and you have 5 minutes left to eat.   If the Board truly did listen to every complaint, I am positive that they would have voted for keeping campus open.  The opportunity to go to Chuck’s is a help to all those who want a better, more filling lunch and a stress reliever from the drama of high school.  Yes, there may be things that happen over there at Chuck’s that don’t happen here at the school, but just imagine what might start to happen here at school.  Life will no longer flow in the current that has always been there. No, the current will now be like an overflowing stream looking for places to go. 

Mr. Bednarek showed his understanding for the students at the meeting last week.  When I took him aside to ask for a comment he stated, “I understand that the students are going to be upset….I understand their concern…I will work with them to make our compliance with the Board’s decision as smooth as possible.”  He also stated, “It’s a big change for all of us…The Board’s decision at least gives us a transition period.” 

The part that did give me some hope and I will hope that this gives the rest of the student body hope is the fact that he said, “I will work the best with students to make lunch better…” and “We have to look for other good traditions..”  Mr. Bednarek is a very understanding man who will do his best to help the student body out; he doesn’t lie that’s for sure.  If he says he will try to help us out, then I believe him, so let’s give him the credit that he deserves. 

Lunch needs to improve and if it doesn’t, we as a student body can change it.  We can help change our school, believe it or not.  Once the students started to come to the board meetings, the decision of voting for the closed campus policy was held off.  So if you waste your time complaining about it rather than getting off your bum, nothing will get accomplished, but if we join together with our families and our friends, then we might be able to win.  There will be a Board election soon with possibly new members. If we come up with some bright new ideas and go to the Board about it as a student body, then maybe they will listen.  They’ll have to if everyone is for it.  So if you want the open campus and the chance to go to Chuck’s to ever come back, then I would recommend to all the students to put forth an effort that will blow the Board members’ minds away.  I know you can do it, but will you step up and speak up?