The start of the school year is well under way, and Meridian administrators are implementing new policies to police student behavior. Admin is initiating rules and policies in response to students making messes during lunch, eating in the hallways and classrooms, and idling in the bathroom to skip class. However, should students who respect the building and participate in class suffer the consequences?
Firstly, Minga, an online hall pass system, was newly enforced this school year to prevent students from skipping class. The online
system allows students only five minutes to use the bathroom, and three to get water, which has raised some concerns among students.
“I think it’s a bad system. I don’t think it’s useful, I think there’s a level of trust when you’re in high
school to not be treated like a toddler every time you use the bathroom,” a senior who wished to remain anonymous said.
Why should all students be punished as a result of a minority of students skip ping class? Students who respect the rules should be rewarded, not forced to follow a stricter timeline.
The majority of Meridian students detest Minga and are hesitant to use it; however, some faculty members at Meridian think Meridian is due for a change and argue that the tool is necessary to maintain a productive classroom environment. “I think it’s
good to try it and give it a shot,” physics teacher Mr. Ly said.
Due to messes from eating, students are also now prohibited from eating in the hallways and conference rooms. Students can now only eat in the cafeteria or the learning stairs; however, both the learning stairs and the cafeteria are usually busy and overcrowded during lunch, and reactions to the policy vary among students.
Not all Meridian students are against the policy, “I eat in the cafeteria, so I don’t really care, however when I’m in class and students come up to eat in the hallway it’s very distracting,” senior Lila Deering said.
Collective punishment is completely unfair to the vast majority of students who are hardworking and respectful. Yes, students who skip class unnecessarily are disruptive to the Meridian community. But, when administrators focus their efforts on the entire student body, those who follow the rules feel undermined and targeted, and their efforts don’t actually change the behavior of those who cause problems.
Administrators should direct their energy in a more thorough manner towards the students misbehaving and make Meridian a more productive environment. Thus, everyone will receive what they need and deserve.
