Dillon As Guest Blogger

Ridiculous Hits An Historical High
By Dillon
Rules are a primary factor in every human being's life; there are rules at home, there are rules at the office, there are rules in the grocery store, and there are rules at school. They are guidelines on how we need to live and are put into effect to maintain order in society. For this reason I whole-heartedly agree with the placement of these regulations, but it is when those in power abuse their right to make rules that a problem occurs.

High Schools are the development centers for teenagers to prepare them with the cruel facts of life outside dependent living. So in order to keep these lost and helpless souls from going astray, the rules must be enforced; no graffiti, no smoking on campus, no drugs, no alcohol, no savagery. To these rules I agree. Without these regulations all hell would most certainly break loose; I know how often I get the urge to unsheathe my broadsword to battle a peer to the bloody end. Without these rules being enforced the place we know as High School would resemble Tiananmen Square in full-fledged rebellion.

These rules, however, do not seem to be the ones of most concern, and the most commonly implemented by faculty. The insignificant, futile rules are the ones that seem to be bellowing through the halls from an administrator. The bearing of headgear appears to be of great concern to hall monitors; "“Take off the hat!" is an automatic response from admin to a teen with a desire for head covering.

Recently, a special notice from Dr. Principal droned through the P.A. system on morning announcements concerning the safety and order that needs to be kept in the halls. Apparently, there has been wide disarray about handheld electronics in school during class hours. It seems as though the administrators fear the impedance of maturation that my iPod inflicts on myself, and everyone around me. I do understand that portable music and handheld video games may be a distraction in class, however I do not understand how using them in the halls and during lunch or break can hinder my learning capability. Passing time in the halls and lunch are periods for relaxation and preparation for my oncoming academic challenge, and I can think of nothing better to relax to then a little Led Zeppelin. My listening to music during my break does no harm to anyone or anything in the school.

My personal favorite of all lame school rules is one passed at my temporary school in Indiana just prior to moving here. It seems as though tie-dye "is distracting to students"” so, naturally, administrators banned the wear of tie-dye in the school. First of all, it is obvious that the administration did not ban the wear of tie-dye because it was distracting, but because they thought it attracting the wrong crowd. According to this mentality, all rebellious nature and pot smoking can be completely eliminated from society by simply banning the wardrobe associated with it; the next measure should be to completely forbid anal-retentive and uptight nature by banning loafers and pleated pants. The irony in this is not only that changing the appearance of the person does not change the personality, but that the administrators enforcing this decree were the same trippers of the sixties and seventies.

Academic administration has crossed the line from safe to ridiculous without hesitation. I highly doubt that showing up to school with my headphones, a beanie, and a tie-dye shirt I made myself is going to possess me to cause torment and anguish to the people around me. It is safe to say that the time has come to lighten up.