FWCS's Policy on Hoods and Headphones a Controversy for Students, Staff of SSHS

By: Alivya Herman (10)
alivya.herman@fwcsstudents.org

March 9, 2023

The Fort Wayne Community School District added a new rule on hoods and headphones recently. Administrators and staff at South Side High School make sure these rules are followed and enforced. These set rules are necessary to make sure the school is safe and a better place to learn. There are some students who don’t like these rules that have been put in place. For example, the no headphone rule. Students keep trying to go around it by either using their hair to cover up their airpods or just not caring about the rule in general. 

Some students may follow these rules but not to the full extent as they were intended. Staff tries hard to make sure that students follow this policy. Even by enclosing consequences for students who don’t follow the policy. 

Mr. Kyle Emenhiser, an administrator at South Side, helps enforce these rules and makes sure that they’re followed. 

“I feel like the more we spend time teaching and helping kids understand why these rules are in place, it’s easier for us to follow up and we don’t have so many issues,” Emenhiser said. 

Some of the students here at South Side feel that the headphone rule is not fair. For some students, listening to music while they work helps them focus. 

Alice Kauffman (9), is new to South Side this year. Since freshmen are new to the rules enforced at South Side, they don't have as much of an opinion on the rules set in place. Kauffman feels that some of the rules are necessary but others could be helpful to students.   

“For headphones I think it’s helpful for students to focus with music. If a teacher isn’t talking or lecturing, I think by not allowing them to wear headphones is taking that away from them when it could be beneficial,” Kauffman said. 

Rules such as the no hood rule are beneficial for everyone’s safety. In case of a person being a threat to the school, having hoods on in the building won’t help any of the administrators or staff help find them to keep everyone safe.

“The reason for no hoods, there’s a really good reason for that. If we had a situation with someone in the building as a threat to our school community, we would want to identify that person as soon as possible. If that person came in with a hoodie on, it would be almost impossible if we had everyone with hoods on,” Emenhiser said.

There are students who don’t follow these rules. Those who don’t have to go through the consequences of a verbal warning, ISS, or in the worst case scenario, suspension. 

These rules aren’t difficult to follow but having these rules set in place is for student’s safety and to better their education.

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