It’s an early 7:45 in the morning, I walk into school and go through my normal routine. I take off my coat, say “Hi” to Joe the front desk guy, and walk smoothly over to my locker. Thirty seconds later, as I reach for the dial to enter my combination, I am stopped by someone I do not recognize. This new staff member immediately orders me to go straight to the cafeteria. I give an exasperated sigh, close my locker, and shuffle down the hall. I then remember that I had been hearing announcements that students are not allowed to go to their lockers until 8:05, when the bell rings, and until then we must report to the cafeteria. But the staff had always been lenient with this mandate, especially to the mature eighth graders, considering their lockers are literally in the hallway leading to the cafeteria.
Since we are the oldest in the school, shouldn’t we be trusted with the task of putting away our heavy winter coats and quickly grabbing our books? Has there been any substantial proof that we cannot be trusted with this mundane responsibility? In an assembly at the beginning of the school year, Mr. Mussolini stated that we are the most well behaved grade that has come through Dobbs Ferry Middle School since he became the principal. On another note, was it really necessary to go out and hire someone specifically for the job of enforcing this painfully insignificant rule? I really don’t think so, considering the school could use the money to replace some of the more tattered textbooks in our classrooms. How are we supposed to learn with insufficient materials?
In fact, most of my peers share my views. “This rule practically insults the student body, let alone the eighth grade,” declared Andrew Fessler, a Dobbs Ferry eighth grader. The enforcers of this rule say that it is for “safety reasons”, which makes no sense to me. What could be the dangers of us simply going to our lockers before the bell? Any nonexistent risks are completely overshadowed by the benefits.