Lack Of School Pride And Respect

By Alyse Troyer

   Many students at this school have no respect or pride for our building, staff, classrooms, or other students, and it’s starting to become a problem. First of all, students here never seem to clean up after themselves. By the time the third lunch period rolls around, the cafeteria and commons areas look like a trash dump- there’s wrappers and food all over the floor, strange liquids and sauces on the table, and the trash cans are overflowing. This is a problem because students aren’t cleaning up their trash, instead they’re just waiting for someone else to do it for them, which shows their lack of respect for the school and others.

   Another area where students lack school pride is the disrespect and poor attitudes that they bring with them every morning they arrive. I frequently see students who complain about being at school, never put effort into their education or classes, and treat other students and staff as if it’s their fault they’re having to attend school. While school can be physically and mentally draining, it’s not absolutely horrible. We have working lights, A/C and heating units, decent food, frequently cleaned classrooms, working bathrooms, running water, and staff who try their best to make a welcoming environment for everyone. Despite all this, some ungrateful peers still feel the need to complain that it’s ‘not good enough’. They never stop to think how much worse their life would be if they were never educated, and how lucky they actually are to be given a free education. Besides, other people in poorer countries aren’t as lucky as us, since some of them don’t even have working lights or bathrooms. Some children don’t even receive education, let alone clean water and sanitary dwellings. Students who have a bad attitude about school should start showing more respect and taking care of it so we can maintain a positive space for our students and staff. After all, it’s a privilege to be at Powell High School, and if students don’t lose the bad attitude and disrespect, we’ll in turn lose the gateway to our future.