Admin updates new bathroom policies, monitoring in response to vaping, vandalism
March 26, 2017
Recently, a surge in the use of electronic cigarettes among teenagers has caused many schools, including Stillwater Area High School, to try different tactics to end the “vaping.” E-cigarettes are devices that allow the user to avoid inhaling tobacco smoke, which can be very unhealthy, but still get a “buzz” similar to one users get from smoking a real cigarette. These devices are illegal to use or possess for people under 18 years of age, but this does not stop many under-age students from owning and operating them.
Since e-cigarettes contain nicotine, they are addictive, which can lead students to feel the need to use them during school.
E-cigarettes are banned in school, so students who feel the need to vape often go to the bathrooms to get their fix, since bathrooms can be very hard to monitor. This can make going to the bathroom very uncomfortable for some students, so the administration has put a new plan into action to take back the school’s bathrooms.
“We have asked teachers to be mega present around bathrooms during passing time,” Assistant Principal Matt Kraft said. “We have also propped bathroom doors open to allow for better supervision. These two changes have made huge gains in the ‘war on e-cigs.'”
The doors being open allows adult patrols or security personnel to check the bathrooms more quickly, since the vapor that e-cigs emit when used can be easily seen from outside the bathroom.
“When the door is closed, it’s almost like a barrier between them [and the rest of the school], and they’re realizing that it’s harder to do it with the doors open,” School Resource Officer Lindsey Paradise said.
When the door is closed, it’s almost like a barrier between them [and the rest of the school], and they’re realizing that it’s harder to do it with the doors open.
— Lindsey Paradise
Unfortunately, some students dislike the new policy because they feel like it gives them less privacy than they had previously.
“I think it’s stupid that they changed the bathroom policy for the other students based on a minority of students who like vaping in the bathrooms,” senior Wyatt Roth said.
However, many schools do not even have doors on their bathrooms, and the bathrooms at SAHS are composed of barrier walls so even with the doors open, students walking in the hallways can not see into them.
Even with this new progress, “vaping” is still an issue in the school, and students can help stop the problem by reporting any e-cigarette use they see on school grounds.
“Students can be vigilant by ‘taking back their bathrooms,'” Kraft said. “When they see vaping or vandalism, they should report this info to any trusted adult. The info will be kept confidential and we will investigate the potential perpetrators.”
Kaitlyn Launderville • May 17, 2017 at 7:57 pm
I really liked the intro to this article. I thought you quotes were really well developed and this article was well thought out. Good job!
Valerie Silbernick • May 9, 2017 at 9:47 am
Article is really relevant, shows both sides of the story. Uses really good quotes to draw in the reader and again shows the differing opinions from student and administrator. Provides very well placed facts and information on why the bathroom policies have changed.
Ben Wicklund • May 9, 2017 at 6:58 am
Very good sources with strong quotes. Brings a balanced view to the issue, interviewing the authorities and Mr. Kraft but also students on the other side of the issue seeing the descision as unfair. Unbiased, informative article so we can generate our own opinion.
Megan Karnuth • May 7, 2017 at 11:03 pm
I personally think this story would have been very hard to write because it is such an unconventional topic but it needed to be addressed and you did a great job doing so. Starting with an informative lead, your fact paragraphs give a strong insight on the matter. You also had strong quotes on the controversial topic, great job!
Ciana Fragnito • May 7, 2017 at 7:34 am
This article was very well written and provides a lot of meaningful facts and background on the doors being open. The interviews with Mr. Kraft and Officer Paradise were very strong as they are directly involved in the conflict and working each day to stop it. I also enjoyed reading the other perspective of students being annoyed that the whole school is punished because of a small majority. Great story!
Jared Taylor • May 5, 2017 at 10:19 am
This was a well written article, the facts in this piece are great and the quotes given help to flesh out the facts of the story really well. Good mix of student and administration thoughts on the issue.