Bomb Threat Protocol: Mr. King weighs in on his new monitoring duties

The recent regulations established in lieu of the resurgence of bomb threats affects not only the student body, but the staff. Known as ‘wanderers’, teachers are now assigned to walk around the halls and question anyone lingering in between classes or during lunch. This obviously offsets the regular duties of the BHS staff. Many students who strongly oppose the new rules believe that this is unnecessary, and that it is not a teacher’s obligation to perform such policing. Some, however, view the new restrictions as reasonable, providing only a minor inconvenience to them and their peers. Even so, it is understandable why the shift in duty could be a source of frustration for our educators. So, I interviewed one teacher who had been required to fulfill a new role: Mr. King. When asked about how the newfound duties affected teacher schedules, he responded that they no longer conducted a study hall, and that most of their time was spent in bulldog corner. In spite of this, though, Mr. King believes that it is his obligation to fulfill this task: “… when the administration identifies an area of need, those requests need to be supported by the staff.” When asked whether he believed that there were better alternatives to the current regulations, he replied that each solution has its pros and its cons and that the administration is doing its best with weighing the positive and negative aspects of each resolution. The previous question was followed up by another: whether he believed that alternate solutions were attainable in the short term. Mr. King replied that it depended on the type of alternative, and that some may be more attainable than others. Finally, I asked about the educator’s personal opinion regarding the uproar from students following the implementation of these restrictions. He responded, saying, “I think it’s natural to feel unease when anything changes, and I’ll be curious to see how those feelings shift overtime”. Within that very well said conclusion, there are nuggets of important information: These rules are not permanent, and, with time, the student body will become used to them. This revolt may simply be a natural reaction to a change within a familiar system. A system that students experience five days a week, for many hours at a time. Students have the right to protest any subject they desire, ones concerning our school in particular. However, that does not justify the outcry; the staff seem to recognize their duties to the school district, and fulfill them at the administration’s request. Perhaps students should ask themselves what the school is requiring of them during this difficult time.