Faculty and students push for new water fountains

By: Alexander McCloskey

 News editor

Imagine yourself on a hot summer day. The trees are swaying; the wind is blowing, and all you crave is a glass of cool, crisp water. However, there is simply no cold water to be found. Now this isn't imagination; this is the reality of Konawaena students every day. 

As it stands today, most of the water fountains we have on Konawaena campus are outdated and warm. If they force us to be here by law, shouldn’t we have at least half-decent accommodations? If we have to wake up every morning and travel to school, we should at least have half-decent drinking water. 

As it stands today, most children and teenagers are dehydrated. CBS News says that, “More than half of children and teens in the United States are not getting adequate hydration, most likely because they're just not drinking enough water.” Even mild dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, and mess with cognitive functions. Now, if you want teenagers to drink more water, wouldn’t you give them options that most appeal to them? I can speak from experience that if I am mildly dehydrated and my only option is to drink some warm water, I would just keep going about my day.

To better understand how other people in the school feel about this issue, Mike Ferguson a janitor at Konawaena High School shared his opinion. He talked passionately about the water fountains around campus and said that, “Some areas have bee\n neglected.” 

He also talked about how he believes we need more new water fountains around campus. He mentioned that the water fountain at the O building has colder water temperatures. Unfortunately, they can not turn down the water temperature on the water fountains on other spots of campus because they are outdated.

Although there are also funding aspects to this. The Department of Education's funding is getting cut by the current presidential administration. This can make it hard for schools to focus on anything except the basic learning elements. However, the fact remains that many people believe that the water fountains need to be changed.

When I drink cold water when I'm parched, I also mentally feel better. There is also scientific evidence to back this up. A study by Acta Pharmacol found that drinking ice-cold water reduces levels of stress after drinking for a short period. Although that is just for a short period, it still helps if you have a stressful test coming up and need a little relaxation. 

I know I’m not the only student who feels this way, so I talked to another student about their experiences with the school’s drinking fountains. A Konawaena student named Makani White said, “I think it would be helpful if the water fountains were cooler.” 

So if multiple students and staff are saying the same thing, shouldn’t something be done? Shouldn’t we make student life better so more people are motivated to show up and learn?

Drinking ice-cold water is also a must-have. Many people on Konawaena campus take PE and don’t have cold water to cool them down. Imagine you've just finished running a mile, and your throat is as dry as a desert. You go to the water fountain and the water is warm. Now your whole class is ruined because of a water fountain giving unsavory water. 

In the end, something as simple as cold, clean drinking water can make a huge difference in students’ health, focus, and overall experience at school. Every student deserves to feel comfortable and cared for in their learning environment. That just starts with meeting basic needs like hydration.