Staff Editorial
Food and Drink Policy: “A reminder that outside food and drink is not permitted in the building for consump tion before school, during classes or between classes. This includes fast food bags, fast food cups and bottled soft drinks. Note: This does not apply to lunch! You may carry water with you, which must be in a see-through container.”
Although this seems like a sin against the high school population, ad ministration does have reasons for this sudden enforcement, despite the opin ion of the public. Often times students will spill their drinks or leave their food trash around, which creates a sticky mess that draws ants and other bugs. It is also thought to be unfair by the administration if one student has food from home or fast food, while another student doesn’t.
With less than a month of school left, administration began to enforce a policy that made life unhappy for students: outside food and drink is not permitted in the building before or after school, but only during lunch. Although this is not a new policy , it has just recently begun to be steadily enforced.
When this policy was announced, there was a lot of confusion because students weren’t completely sure of what the rule was. The rules explanation varied from teacher to teacher , so it really wasn’t taken seriously. To students, it seems more like a “Don’ t Ask, Don’t Tell” situation because food can simply be snuck in and some of the faculty allows it.
Teens’ crucial need for cof fee, caffeine and fast food during the final stretch of school has been denied, and students are not happy about this change. For four years we are told that high school prepares you for college, but in college we are not going to be restricted to drinking water in clear plastic bottles like children restrained to sippy cups. Caffeine is essential to teenage success and without it, we can be expected to crash and just maybe fall asleep. And if being restricted on our consumption of food and drink wasn’t bad enough, we get to con stantly witness teachers and other fac ulty members chowing down on their burgers and slurping their Bojangles sweet tea. Why should students be expected to follow rules that the staf f does not?
The worst part about this rule is all the confusion it has caused. The rule keeps changing and no one is clear of what is expected of them.
On top of all this, cafeteria food is not the most appetizing meal. There aren’t very many options, and some kids just don’t like the food they serve, so it limits kids a lot, especially if they happen to for get their food because parents aren’t allowed to drop off fast food, or really any food.