Several students around campus ride their bikes to school throughout the year. Since the transition to the new bell schedule, students have been pressed with more time during the early hours, late hours and lunch to both run around and vandalize campus. Specifically, these times are reoccuringly spent by kids huddled around the band field and spots beside the bike racks.
Although we are all in agreement to the freedoms adminstrators give students at MacArthur High, precedence has taken over the amusement and exploitation of such liberties in selfishness. People consistently disrespect others’ property and these rights by the act of eating around, leaning on, and pushing down bicycles and their racks at their locations on campus. The authority here needs to protect and facilitate the property of it’s students under the circumstance that bicycle riding is a form of student transportation.
The band field has become an escape for people to enjoy the weather and play around at lunch, but under no scenario is there reason for them to undermine another’s belongings. As one example, two bikes on the cafeteria rack were pushed to the ground after lunch one day this week. Furthermore, a hole was even made in the hand grip of my own bike during a school day. This was no coincidence.
Sitting around and laying backpacks beside the bike racks should not be tolerated. Even if the number of bike riders at our school is a small minority, we should be respected. The feat of bicycle abuse should be compared to leaning against or eating on top of someone’s car.
Instead of punishing or taking another unnecessary form of action against the students, one resolution to this dilemma may be to create another convenient area for bike racks, perhaps beside the CD wing staircase which remains at least partially off limits during the lunch hour. The concern for administrators and fellow bike riders should remain a safe place to store the bikes without their disappearance or destruction.
