Administration has looked into many solutions to solve the schools vaping and smoking problem, but should student searching be one of them? What does the student handbook say and what should students know?
Early this year, vape detectors were put in all bathrooms leaving the nurses bathroom, the cafe bathroom, and the locker room bathroom the only bathrooms where students could get away with vaping. This was a very effective approach to the school’s vaping problem. But with a few bathrooms remaining unprotected, administrators have been searching students.
“It’s in the student handbook, anytime we (the administration) have suspicion that a student has a substance then the student becomes subject to search.” said mrs Northrop
With the power to search students, Administrators can ensure students are focusing on school work and substances stay out of the school. But what do BHS students think of this?
“I think it’s a good rule. It helps make sure that students and staff are protected.” said Ilran, BHS sophomore.
The use of student searching isn’t a new thing, it’s been a disciplinary tactic for a long time here at BHS and in other schools. The search itself is non physical, students will be brought to the main office and asked to empty their pockets and bag. This is to ensure students feel safe and to make sure substances are not around.
“It has always been a discipline procedure that is quite typical, the search itself is non physical and no one is harmed.”
Administration has had to sadly put this procedure into practice a few times this year, But even when they do not find anything, searches help make sure people think twice before bringing substances to school. The tactic is more effective in this way, even if the detector goes off there’s no certainty that anything will be found.
Dear Ms Eshelman,
My final project explored the different opinions and concerns for Student searching (an administration discipline procedure). This project called for different tactics than past interviews, basically I had to interview multiple people who I knew would have different opinions. I started with Mrs Northrop (member of administration). This interview required a lot of interviewing skills. For starters I couldn't set up an office time for a proper interview, so I instead took the time to meet up with Ms Northrop during lunch. In this interview I had to use journalism skills of questioning and engaging in a beneficial conversation in a loud environment (the lunchroom). My second interview that was used for the project was with a fellow sophomore student. I decided to interview him in particular because he has insight on this issue. This shows my journalistic thinking in choosing him so I could get an effective interview with a different insight.
During the halfway point of my article, I realized that the story essentially had less than I was expecting. I used reporting and storytelling skills to instead start the article with a concern and question, I then structured the rest of the article to both answer this question and inform the reader of this topic.
An important journalism ethic to keep in mind for this article was to make sure I remain unbiased. I personally do not have any problems with student searching, But I needed to make sure I asked all my questions in a respectful manner that showed a good amount of support in administration.
Sincerely,
Gabriele Martel Gibney