DISCLAIMER: This is my opinion, if you don’t like it, don’t read it 🙂

On Tuesday, November 30th, a tragedy occurred at Oxford High School. All students, nationwide, were shaken. Now, let us focus on the actions CVS has taken in response to these events. Going to school on Wednesday made the students realize how personal the shooting was. We felt so many emotions; sorrow, anger, confusion, etc. On Wednesday night many schools throughout the state of Michigan, primarily in Oakland Twp., canceled school for the rest of the week due to threats received. The schools within CVS continued the week with no hesitation, with the promise of “increased security” and the claims that the results of an investigation on the threats stated that they were fake. The community within CVS still felt no comfort with this statement. Being that Dakota High School is the biggest school in Michigan you would expect the district to shut down, but no, we were expected to go to school and act unfazed. Most students from Dakota High School did not attend school on Thursday and Friday that week due to their fear. The students that did go were on edge all day. At each corner they’d turn, if another student was walking towards them, both students would jump back with terror in their eyes. This is how people react when they’ve experienced trauma, but clearly, the school doesn’t care enough to recognize that and do what is best for their students’ mental and emotional health. Would you rather lose lives than a couple of days of school? Our teachers are equipped with the technology to teach us online for a couple of days; they would’ve done this with no hesitation or trouble if told to do so. Let us also consider the teachers. They were not comfortable being at school knowing not only the events that took place but also that their students were very uncomfortable.

Now let us discuss the changes that will begin on Monday the 13th. Students will be required to have clear/mesh backpacks and no coats are to be worn in the building. Making students change their normal routines is not going to prevent a school shooting. This problem was never with the student body. There is a nationwide issue with the misuse and abuse of guns, as well as unresponsible parents. This district has always and continues to make senseless decisions for the student body and expect us to just, follow. We live in Michigan, the school’s air conditioning system is almost as bipolar as Kanye West, and you expect the students not to wear coats? Huh? We already purchased backpacks, while the majority of the school’s population can easily purchase another (mesh/clear) backpack, many students cannot. It would only be fair if the school provides its students with the things that they require. This is a public school, we do not have to pay (other than taxes) to go to school, so why is it required for us to buy certain things that the school wants. Why is the administration only making a change when it comes to the students’ day-to-day lives? While this may seem like a small change it is a massive inconvenience that could easily be swapped out for something much more proactive. This school consists of around 3,000 students, why would you make all of the students change the things they do rather than getting the baggage scanner similar to the ones at the airport. “Where would we get the money?”, you may ask, and I have the answer. The money that the students would have to use to get these new backpacks could be donated by each student to make this purchase, the state could also help fund this very important purchase.