Dear Editor:

Recently NHS officials have reinforced a set of rules that affects students, particularly those who have release and the ability to leave campus for lunch. According to Mr. William Bauer, This is the first time in over five years that the school has enforced these rules with little to no notice to students. The newly reinforced rules have been written in the student rule book for years, yet have been relaxed on the school’s part. This has lead to anger and frustration from the student body as many believe that the changes are absurd. Students are calling for explanation, and the ability to know rules and changes ahead of the time that they are enforced. Many students have expressed that they would like the ability to have their opinion heard and have the chance to argue their side.

As a senior, these changes affect my peers and I greatly. Not only do these reinforced changes mid-semester affect our school schedules, focusses, and lunch routines, but left many with the feeling of being punished for the actions of others. Moreover, these unexpected changes in rules have left students on edge, and wondering when their actions are the wrong ones.

Juniors and seniors of NHS feel that it is our earned privilege to use releases how we chose and not have new limitations forced upon us mid-semester. Rachel Schreiner, a senior at NHS explains how the reinforced rules cannot function well, “Let’s say a student needs to run home and grab something and then come right back to school to ask a teacher a question who has the hour off, they wouldn’t be able to do so. The students that have release have earned it for having a sustaining grade point average to earn the privilege.” Many students have expressed similar feelings.

Although the school is granted every right to reinstate previous rules, students would like to be informed as of why the rules are being instituted currently. They would also like to be informed in a timely manner of reinforced rules, not on the day that they are being reinforced. On the first day of these rules being instituted, many students were unaware that the rules of release had been changed. Students were informed of the stricter rules as they were being told that they had broken it. As anyone could imagine, this brought frustration onto students. “They should make some school-wide announcement about it like on the Tuesday announcements where mostly everyone is listening. Second, make a post on Schoology about them before implementing the new rules so we understand what is going to be changing and we can plan ahead on what we need to do differently,” says senior Lucy Pabst.

Students of NHS would like to have the ability to have their opinion heard about these changes, and have the potential to negotiate the terms of newly reinforced rules that dictate our earned free time at school. This can be done through polls and comments on social media (such as Schoology) and through other resources. Many of us, however, have taken these polls in the past and have seen little change based on the opinions of the students instead of administration. Administration needs to take notice of what the students need and are calling for, versus what works for other districts and schools. Each high school is unique in what it needs, and NHS students need the ability to speak easily to administration, and see results because of it.

The students of NHS are speaking, and it is time for them to be hear. Having administration not only explain the rules and why they are being enforced, but allowing us to have our opinions heard, will allow our district to have a better understanding of what students need. But the students themselves need to take action. Let our teachers and administrators know what we think, but also prove to them that we can handle our freedoms, and that we will not stand for the punishment of others being forced upon us. It is time for us to stand united, as Neenah Rockets.

Sincerely,

Mindy Schmitt, senior