Since I became the Activities Coordinator and Athletics Director here at MTHS in 1995 there is one thing that rips my heart out every time – having to tell a student athlete they cannot play.
Whether it’s for grades or a violation of the athletic code, believe me it’s not a job many people would want.
With that said I also believe we should do drug testing for everyone. Not just those in activities and athletics but “everyone.”
Before you start calling for my resignation it’s not to bust you or get you in trouble but to see if you need help.
Social media? Over the past few years Mr. Schwab and I have been sent a number of pictures taken directly off of students social media pages, as the code says, “In the presence of illegal behavior.”
Again my first reaction is to see about a student’s well being before addressing the code. Then I’m thinking why not just come self-report if you’re going to put things like that on your social media?
Self-reporting: When a student athlete is placed in the presence of illegal behavior simply by fate, they should call or text their parents immediately to get out of the situation. Then text or call their coach to make them aware, and lastly, let the Activities Coordinator and Athletics Director know the next school day.
I will never understand the popularity of “The Party Bus.” Just its title says: “Hey, come bust me.”
All of this is in the paperwork that is supposed to be read before it’s signed by you and your parents.
So why does everyone look surprised when I inform them of the consequences of “being in the presence of illegal behavior”?
Last week I was made aware of a behavior that was still taking place that I was so sure had died years ago. Students and parents, please hear me when I say “hazing” or “initiations” where members of a team are physically humiliated, degraded or forced to perform acts are listed as bullying and against the law in Washington state.
It’s even against the law for a person to allow themselves to be hazed. Yes, it was common when I was in school, and was particularly popular from the late 1940s until the late 1990s. And I’m sure on some college campuses it is still a rite of passage, but here at MTHS, it is not an acceptable behavior and never will be.
If we really want an inclusive school that follows the ideals of Maslow’s Hierarchy, which is the No. 1 goal of our ASB, activities like hazing must be buried for good and not allowed to rear its ugly head at Terrace ever again.
