BY EMMA NAILLE (‘18)
Recently, Principal Matt Durst posted a Schoology message prohibiting backpacks and drink containers of any kind into any and all Granville High School athletic contests, in an attempt to crack down on the use of illegal substances on school grounds. In his Schoology message, Durst states the reason behind the rule as “whispers of students bringing alcohol and illegal substances to contests.”
This is a reasonable request to make. However, students began to make outraged, and outrageous, comments on this post. Though Durst said “Please see me or message me with any questions,” students continued to voice their concerns in the comment section of his Schoology message. Durst has been extremely consistent in taking these disrespectful questions seriously and has always offered to talk with the person directly about their questions.
Ever since the school began using Schoology, students have used the comment section of posts made by administrators to ask relevant questions, but also to make humorous and sometimes unrelated comments.
School counselor Brandi Cooper posted a Schoology message last week to get the word out about the Leadership Club’s pancake day during late arrival. However, her post was hijacked by students trying to be funny.
Though some comments are actually successfully funny, the unnecessary, long, and unfunny comments need to stop. On Durst’s posts, students began to comment entire movie scripts, and one student even posted the Gettysburg Address.
In response to the plethora of comments on Durst’s message, which totaled around 120, Student Body President Ethan Shaw tweeted:
To all the kids commenting on administrative schoology posts…you are not being funny, just embarrassing. Please stop
— Student Body Shaw (@SBOGHS) September 28, 2017
His tweet points out that these comments are getting out of control and need to stop. They are largely disrespectful, unnecessary, unfunny and an embarrassing representation of the student body.
Principal Durst is certainly very busy and we are very lucky to have a principal who is willing to make time to speak directly with students about their concerns, even if they are stated in a disrespectful or ‘funny’ way.
Though some comments are humorous and harmless, the unnecessary, long and pointless comments on administrative Schoology posts are simply irritating.
I urge my fellow classmates to voice concerns or questions in a direct message to the author of the post, or to seek them out in person. As for other comments students want to make, I recommend students maintain a high-school level of maturity and think twice before posting a message that the entire student body and school administration can see.
