Editorial: Budding Youth are Cut Down

By Tucker Gaskill, Brian Scala, and Alex Beckwith

Senior year is arguably the most import year in a high school student’s life. During this year, the transmogrification from teenager to adult occurs. Students are applying the colleges, driving is no longer restricted, and most pupils are turning 18.

With great age, comes great responsibility. Although this slightly altered saying was originally applied to a different scenario, it is still a wonderful anecdote for any high school senior’s obligations. At Hopkinton High School, these obligations come with benefits as well. As long as students maintains above a 75 average, passes all of their classes, and bring a parent to school one day to sign all the forms, they have the privilege of leaving school grounds during a free block.

Compared to some neighboring districts, our policy is a tad more strict than others. For example, at Pembroke Academy, they have similar requirements, albeit only requiring a passing grade in all courses, whereas at Hopkinton, we need at least a 75 cumulative average.

As all people know, everyone has his/her own strengths and weaknesses. At Hopkinton, there are many classes that are requirements for graduation. While students may try hard, they just might not be cut out for what’s assigned to them. We feel as though the 75 average is a relatively high requirement for those who may struggle with certain topics in the curriculum.

During a student’s final year in high school, most will experience his/her 18th birthday. In virtually all aspects of society, this student is now viewed and treated as an adults. This has both positive and negative effects. These new adults can now make important decisions such as signing for loans, choosing the political candidates they support, and committing to marriage. All of these decisions require a vast amount of maturity and responsibility. However, according to the school, they can’t venture out of the building to decide what to have for lunch without parental permission.

We feel that, as adults, those in our student body should have the right to make that decision for themselves, without involving unneeded bureaucracy between parents and school administration. We feel that both of these proposals could be combined to make a more free, American policy that would teach responsibility and ethics to our budding youth.