Parkersburg High School is filled with brilliant and interesting minds. There are many opportunities of different kinds for tons of interests and career paths. With the large number of students and staff in this building, there’s going to be a multitude of diverse personalities.
Some of these personalities strive to do great things, while others strive to create destruction and harmful environments. Because of frequent rule breakers, even more rules have been put in place as an attempt to stop these people. But is PHS taking the right steps?
One of the most controversial rules that has been added this year is the ban of backpacks in class. I still have not grown to be fine with this change. Carrying everything in my arms is extremely inconvenient. I do not have any time to go to my locker except for lunch. All of my classes are too far away from each other. Because of this, I also never have time to use the bathroom.
When students were allowed to use the bathrooms before ten minutes of class had passed, I used to set my stuff down, check in with the teacher, and go. I rushed and came back to class at a normal time, ready to start the lesson. But now, I have to count down the minutes until I am allowed to leave. I know other students are doing this, which leads to many people not focusing on their work.
“I find myself distracted in waiting to use the bathroom because it has such a narrow time frame,” sophomore Johanna Lowther said.
Several teachers argue that there is enough time to use the bathroom in between class changes, but I disagree. Not counting the time taken to get to the bathrooms, they are still crowded and people still skip. This change has done nothing to prevent this. Also, I don’t know anyone that can change their period products within less than a minute. Are these rules really helping students and staff, or are they hurting them?
I know being in charge of a high school is difficult. However, sometimes it feels like the faculty are so disconnected from students that they don’t know what needs to be fixed. Fights happen nearly every week, people are still skipping class, vapes are still being smuggled in and misbehavior as a whole is everywhere.
Finding a solution to these problems isn’t easy. It’s not something that can be fixed with a quick email or an announcement over the intercom. Students should be able to voice their concerns and be taken seriously. Someone out there might have an amazing idea that could fix any issue immediately, but because student voices are easily ignored they may not want to speak out.
This isn’t an attack on Principal Kenny DeMoss or any other staff members. This is just a call for action. Anyone that has an idea should politely send an email or letter to a staff member. PHS needs the help of its students to be fixed. There are no overnight remedies that will cure every issue, but small steps in the right direction can go a long way.
