Community High School

New Regulations Enforced at Pioneer

Three thousand students slowly poured into the hallways of Pioneer High School, reuniting with friends after a long summer vacation. It was the first day of school and another year at Pioneer was about to begin. But this year was different. Amidst the chatter of the students, hall monitors could be heard shouting at students.

“No hats in school, take it off.”

“Put the headphones away, I shouldn’t see them out again.”

And that was only the beginning.

Why were these rules implemented? 

The dress code has actually not changed– under the new rules it is being enforced for the first time.  It states that students are not allowed to wear hats or bring iPods to school. Furthermore, males are not allowed to expose their shoulders, and girls must wear skirts/shorts at least as long as the length of a hand. According to the new principal Michael White, “The Pioneer dress code [which, in fact has always stood just the way it is, but has never before been enforced] helps create a more business-like setting. In a semi-business setting, everyone has a job or responsibility.”

That doesn’t explain the lunch room rules.  Unlike previous years, students must eat either off campus, in the courtyard, in the cafeteria, or in the gym. There is strictly no eating in the halls, or anywhere else on campus. In addition, students must obtain a pass to visit teachers during lunch.

White believes that “If you let 3000 students go wherever they want, you have no control over them.” White said, “If a student is on campus, the school is liable for everything that happens to that student. The fact that it’s a liability to not have an accountability of where they are is the reason for the new rules.”

Student outrage

Despite White’s justification of the new policies, some students believe he has gone too far.“The dress code just seems unnecessary,” says Pioneer junior Ryan Mark-Griffin. “Who cares if people wear hats or expose their shoulders.  It’s not going to affect the teachers or the students during class.”

Whether or not the dress code is unnecessary, White believes that “it is not a learning experience if there are rules and they are not enforced.”

The big outrage has been caused by the new lunch rules. “In the past, we were allowed to freely go and talk to our teachers at lunch,” says Pioneer junior Shane Kunselman. “Now we need a pass in order to do so. All that has happened is that academic help has become harder to receive.”

In response to this, White says, “If the kids really need help, they find it.” White strongly believes that in order for a teacher to be highly effective in five classes a day, they need a student-free lunch.  “Have students meet with their teachers before and after school. That is what we used to do.”

White firmly believes that safety is a priority over everything else.  Regardless of student preference, the school is liable for the students and therefore, according to White, must be able to easily contact students incase of an emergency. “I have three sons and I expect someone to be looking after them at all times,” says White.

Students speak out

“Even if the regulations are for liability purposes, he’s treating us like elementary students,” says Mark-Griffin. “We’ve never had any problems with the old rules. I don’t see why he decided to change them.”

Mark-Griffin is not alone. Pioneer junior Shane Kunselman believes that “Even with the new rules, you will still have dozens of kids breaking the rules everyday. There is no way to control a student body this large; I don’t see the point in trying. All you do is make students upset.”

The gym, which during lunch is used as a second cafeteria, has also provoked outrage. “When you walk in, there are bleachers to sit on, but they are usually taken. Then the hall monitors are constantly yelling at you whenever you stand up. It’s too crowded,” says Pioneer Sophomore Nathan Thomas.

In response to the regulations, some Pioneer students have created a Facebook group to voice their concerns and promote protest. So far 659 people have joined and new comments about the rules are submitted daily.

In the Facebook group, one student spoke out against the recent two-lunch system proposed by Mr. White. “I think if Mr. White goes to two lunches we’ll have to draw the line. At that point he’s seriously affecting the social and academic capacity of students by limiting study time as well as crippling our only break during the day. Teachers don’t like it either, at least none I’m aware of.”

Some students have even taken it a step further and made t-shirts reading “This is a semi-business setting…. NOT.”

Regardless of the various protests students have partaken in, White has remained firm. None of the rules have changed and the two-lunch system is becoming a reality. Recent reports say that the two-lunch system will come in effect during the 2nd quarter of the year.