Editorials that appear within The Scroll are strictly the opinions of the editorial board. These opinions are based on research, group discussion, and personal beliefs and do not represent the views of the entire student staff, nor those of the faculty or administration of White Station High School.
Our day at White Station High School (WSHS) officially begins at 7:05 a.m. when the doors swing open — though the real challenge starts well before first period. As we file in, it’s a race through the metal detectors. 2,000 students deep, competing for the privilege of being one of the few lucky souls hand-picked to skip the wait and breeze through the other door. For the rest of us, the routine is almost second nature: take out all bottles, flip your backpack “the right way” and hope whatever’s in there, or on you, doesn’t make the detector buzz, even though it seems like nine cases out of 10, the detector buzzes randomly. Not that it matters, really, when you are one of the few singled out for extra inspection, in which case, be prepared to strip off your belt and your jewelry or face a lecture about the dangers of packing a metal fork with your lunchbox. Nothing says “good morning” quite like being treated as if you are about to board an international flight — except this flight takes off at 7:15 am, and it’s just off to your first class.
Once you reach your first-class seat in the classroom, make sure to listen attentively to the intercom. Even though our trusty pilots send daily reminders for teachers to lock their doors immediately once the bell rings at 7:15 a.m. and send every late kid to In-School Suspension (ISS), it is still important to pay attention to how many students actually end up in ISS. Here at WSHS, we have come a long way from displaying aesthetic Pinterest-worthy bulletin boards, tracking how many days we have gone without a fight, to counting how many kids get to skip class to learn why being late is so bad. At least when an airplane leaves a few passengers behind because they were late, attendants help them rebook another flight. But this flight has no mercy.
Once the first ride is over, it is time for students to find their next terminal … within five minutes. Unfortunately, many students feel the need to make a rushed pit stop at the restroom before heading to their next class, knowing the 10-10 rule prevents them from going during the first and last 10 minutes of class. But since two-thirds of the bathrooms are either dirty or broken, if you are third in line, I hate to break it to you, but you might have to hold it for a while. A quick one-minute experience should not have to take students 10 minutes to even find an open and decent stall, right? We have struggled with this issue for years, but we are getting by, I guess. Unless it comes to paper towels and toilet paper rolls. In that case, do not count on it. Here is one thing every Spartan student knows: those bathrooms are definitely an airplane-bathroom kind of experience.
But let us put aside the health risks for a moment. Instead of being in class and focusing on our lessons, students are missing instructional time or getting penalized with ISS. With the way WSHS’s tardy culture is described, it almost sounds like a generalization. Yes, there will always be those few students late to the class, but those late boarders do not account for the entire student body. Those of us who flee the hallways, praying we make it to class before the late bell sends us to ISS-olation, should not face the repercussions of students who fall victim to tardiness.
It is almost like being threatened with ISS is now our new way of showing Spartan pride. Our Spartan pride should come from our student body excelling in academics, sports and extracurriculars. Our Spartan pride should come from journeying to a campus where we have the resources to make our aspirations a reality. Our Spartan pride should come from knowing that one or two late arrivals will not lead to a suspension that will taunt our permanent record throughout high school. The green and grey spirit that bleeds through our body should not be blocked by a late bell that sounds seven times a day. As we encounter the daily crowded hallway turbulence, fearful of falling victim to ISS, we hope WSHS will regain its Spartan pride one day and remember that it is the student body’s achievements that make WSHS a flight to board.
