Deering students have something to say when it comes to criticizing school policies, amplifying unheard voices and acknowledging underlying issues at Deering High School. This week, The Clocktower dove into the life of Deering students to give them a voice and to hopefully aid in future changes for the better of the community.

“Everybody kind of knows each other here,” said Siham Dekow, a junior at Deering High School, “and I feel like even if you have three friends, at some point throughout the years, you will make like 20 more friends.” 

In addition, Dekow believes that “student voices are heard in decision making.” For instance, Dekow helped in placing Eid as a holiday in the Deering calendar last year. “I was a big part of that,” she says, “and I feel like student voices were so very much heard.” Although she recognizes her voice at Deering, she also recognizes the absence of it at the district level. 

Zachary Lee, a senior at Deering High School agrees that their voices are being suppressed at these higher levels. Last year the district consulted students about their opinion on the new phone policy with Yondr Pouches. “I was on the school board at that time,” Lee said, “I voted against it and all the student representatives voted against it.” Yet the district still passed this policy at the start of the next school year in 2025. “They particularly didn’t really care about that,” Lee said in reference to the student opinion of the new phone policy.

There are some obvious policies that maintain a healthy environment in Deering’s community. “Like you shouldn't be threatening/harassing teachers,” Dekow said, “you should be aware of what you are doing.” Nevertheless, Dekow believes that “there are circumstances where it can be negotiated.” 

“One policy I would change right now: the phone policy,” Dekow said. “I feel like it's kind of ridiculous having it pouched all day long especially since there's ICE around.” Students in America are especially worried about potential dangers like ICE, fires, school shootings, etc. For instance, according to the Sandy Hook Promise, an organization that prioritizes protecting American schools from gun violence, reports show that “since the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, more than 390,000 students in the U.S. have experienced gun violence at school.” Dekow recognizes that “you never know the threats going on at school now, and I feel like I would feel safer and other students would feel safer if we had our phones out,” which would be helpful to contact police or family members in these unsafe situations. 

Additionally, G, an anonymous sophomore at Deering recognizes that teachers “don’t want to police the bad kids,” but many students also recognize that not all students abuse their phones during school.

Students at Deering know that many kids abuse the bathrooms to either skip class, hang out with friends, and do anything except school work. In response to this issue, last year Deering locked all of the group bathrooms except for one. “I feel like that's kind of unfair and kind of ridiculous,” Dekow said, “and I feel like that makes more problems than less problems.” Eventually, they reopened those bathrooms except for one. “I wish that the boys bathroom on the first floor could be opened up again,” Lee said, which has yet to be opened since the bathroom lock. The first floor of Deering contains many of the special ed programs, and with their group bathroom being locked, many of them have to take extra time to find another bathroom.

G has seen first-handedly that “girls smoke in the bathroom and [don't] go to class.” Especially her sophomore friend who has all of her credits despite this behavior. “I don’t think that's fair at all!” G says, “they are giving her free credits!” 

When it comes to policy making, some students express that policies punish not only rule breakers but rule followers. G doesn’t think that this is right as she believes that “I don’t think the rest of us should suffer.”