WHAT DOES IT REALLY TAKE TO REBUILD CONY'S COMMUNITY?

By Saber Hanington

In October, Principal Silsby announced the creation of “Re-Building our Cony Community,” a plan made to combat an influx of vandalism and disrespect towards faculty. But while administrators are focused on rules and consequences, students need to remember — and relearn — the core of what makes Cony unique.

Schoolwide there has been a drastic increase of vandalism and disrespect towards employees, Silsby said. Students have reportedly destroyed trash cans, broken soap dispensers, ripped clocks from walls and defied teachers more than any time in recent years.

There are several reasons why this influx of property destruction may be occurring. The most popular reason being the Devious Lick Challenge, a viral TikTok challenge that became popular in 2021, where the goal is to take videos of yourself stealing or vandalizing school items, students said.

There are more reasons beyond TikTok, though. There has been a build-up of angst and anger among students over the course of the pandemic, because of the isolation of quarantine, Silsby said. Her rationale is partially valid. The challenge and the isolation from our peers have impacted the school culture negatively. But there is a bigger reason behind why these incidents are happening, beyond TikTok and angst.

Cony students do not know what makes Cony special. We lack a community, a unified bond.

During several department head meetings, faculty have decided to “rebuild our Cony Community” by going “back to the basics,” Silsby said. The plan is to revise rules and give clear consequences for breaking them. Faculty and administration also plan to reduce cases of vandalism by raising school spirit and singing the school song in the morning too.

I believe this is a minor, possibly temporary solution, that does not address the bigger problem Cony faces. Administrators need to think bigger.

At school events like pep rallies, assemblies and dances, students stand together and cheer as a collective body. At these events, they witness the ways Cony is special. They build our school's culture. They give students a strong reason to care.

When students are put into a building that expects them to behave, but has given them no particular reason to behave besides decency and seemingly minor consequences (most of which take them out of school), they are bound to act out.

What we as a school need is a chance to regain our school pride — our unique culture. Yes, the administration has made efforts, but I find their proposed plan shallow, so far. Large events are hard to hold in these times, but for the sake of the long-term school culture and the behavior of students, we need to make events work.

The feeling we need to regain is unity. It is a mutual goal between the administration and I. Silsby even went as far to say,“We need to take back our school,” a great phrase that we all should say.

Still, I feel we need to do more. Seniors need to depart with the unique lessons of Cony high school, and underclassmen must have them instilled before it's too late.

*After the time of writing this piece Mr. Kenney, a Cony teacher of over 40 years, came onto the morning announcements and sang the Cony Song. Many students have expressed that this was a moment of true school spirit, and a move into the right direction.*