VIEWPOINT: Students left stranded without lockers
Unused Buena lockers
November 10, 2022
As students rush through the hallways, there is one noticeable difference from previous years: No one is stopping at their lockers. This school year, administration decided that they would not issue lockers unless a student had a medical reason for needing one. However, I believe lockers should be reinstated for all students because it is an easy and convenient way to store supplies, and many students were dependent on them.
Usually, freshman and sophomores get assigned lockers and other grades have to apply for them at student services. Now, all students have to directly speak to principal Audrey Asplund either in person or over email to request a locker. In addition to being a bit of a hassle, this may be hard for some students, as this knowledge is not common and they may be afraid to ask.
Lockers are essential to some. Even after a shift to utilizing more online textbooks instead of physical copies, students still have books, binders, and lunches to carry. Students without cars, most students at Buena, have no place to put materials they may only need once a day. This not only causes stress, but also physical strain on students’ bodies.
Additionally, student athletes usually carry extra bags for practices and games. Especially for freshmen who may not know upperclassmen with cars or do not know where to store their athletic gear, this can be hard to manage.
One possible reason why lockers are no longer in use is that students have used going to their lockers as an excuse to get out of class, or that they store things not allowed at school in their lockers. However, taking lockers away is an ineffective solution. If students want to leave class for a bit or even ditch, they will still do that with a different excuse. Similarly, if students choose to take things to school that they know are not allowed, they will just find other, sneakier places to store those items.
Lockers are a useful tool for many students. It helps reduce the stress of school by giving them a place to store their belongings. Because they are not being used, they are just sitting there, unused and purposeless. Students deserve to feel comfortable at school, and giving them a designated area to keep their belongings is an important step. The lockers are not helping anyone by being unused, so they should be available to students like in years past.
Nicole Sanchez • Sep 26, 2024 at 6:51 am
My son is a Soccer athlete who has practice at 630 am. For 3 years he has had no where to put his clothes and shoes thus lugging around a heavy backpack along with gear all day. He has to find a teacher willing to store all his gear and clothes. This is absolutely a travesty that athletes are put through this. I hear football players get gym lockers. Why are our soccer teams consistently left out in the cold?