Public high school is not a place known for being fun…for anyone, however recently Arcata High has seen a new wave of expressionless life. We spend a little less than 35 hours a week in a concrete box learning about whatever the state of California wants us to know. The least they could do is let us be ourselves.
The first thing I noticed when school returned this year was the lack of profile pictures on our school emails. I was wondering where my silly cat image went when I sent and received emails.
Tim Oliveira, NoHum district Director of Technology provided me with a comment on the policy change, “Unfortunately, we encountered instances where students chose images that were not only sexually inappropriate but also politically sensitive or otherwise unsuitable for an educational environment…In order to maintain a respectful and inclusive atmosphere for all students and staff, we felt it was necessary to take this step,” Oliveira said. I find this ironic as only student profile pictures have been disabled, while staff and teachers are allowed to keep their personalized images.
This may seem like a minor change, which it is, but it’s the little things that make the school experience a bit more personal and therefore bearable. Unfortunately, now everyone has been suppressed to nothing more than a colored circle and a letter.
Aside from the profile pictures, a relatively personal thing, the murals in the girls’ bathroom being demolished over the summer. Losing a whimsical and colorful aspect of bathroom breaks has created a lackluster environment in the bathroom where there used to be many positive messages and art all around the stalls. Now all that’s left are the paint pen creations of anonymous bathroom goers.
Finally, cell phones. While I have a lot of understanding of why the district enacted this new zero-tolerance type policy, I and many other students have realized it’s somehow making school more miserable. With the inability to listen to music in class (even when appropriate) students are beginning to feel dread coming to school…only 4 weeks in (at the time of writing this).
Finally, on the topic of art on campus, the “tiger shark” mural vanished over the summer. With no explanation as to where it went or why, students have been feeling the absence of a friendly face in the math and science wing. Having been up on a very large (now very empty) wall in sort of an awkward location, its disappearance has been noted by many. Leaving us to question how much Arcata High truly values comfort and aesthetics here.
I’ll leave you all with one question, has Arcata High lost its sense of expression?
