// OPINION
For the sake of the game Administrators restrict students’ freedoms
BY SAM LEVY
samuellevy@csdecatur.net
W
hy did Decatur build a gleaming, new football stadium? I came up with three reasons. First, our old
stadium was crumbling and we needed a new one. Second, the town wanted to replace the old eyesore of a stadium. Finally, the students needed a new stadium, as the old one didn’t have a proper student cheering section. When the new stadium was finished, the student body was excited because we finally had our own space. In the first and second seasons in the new facility, we stood in our own section and cheered loud and proud. Ten 2011 came around. Decatur students packed the stadium at the season’s first home game. We were excited to cheer hard for our classmates. Tat wasn’t quite how it worked out. Four kids were sent home, accused of being drunk. By the fourth quarter, there seemed to be only a couple dozen students in the stands. Even those who have attended every game since my freshman year, like me, left before the second half. Te administration had made it unbearable, taking security to a new level. Police officers were ev- erywhere. It’s high school football, not Atlanta airport security. Considerably fewer students showed up for
the season’s second home game. Excitement was stifled by tension in the air. Te number of police officers had doubled. It felt as if ad- ministrators were standing guard over students. At the end of the first quarter, everyone in the student section was ordered to sit because we were blocking the view. Tis would have been reasonable if there were seats behind the student section. At the season’s third home game, only a few
dozen students showed up. Te administrators were so strict we couldn’t even enjoy the game. Tey checked bags. Tey sniffed drinks. Tey didn’t let us stand up. I never saw anything like this in my three years at high school. Most of us felt like it was a chore to come to the game. Rochelle Lofstrand, Decatur’s assistant
principal, offered a reason for the adminis- tration’s policies. “According to the Georgia High School Athletic Association, absolutely no food and drink are allowed inside of the stadium,” Lofstrand said. “At Decatur, we are a little more relaxed with that policy. But we still need to make sure that we are supporting concessions at the games and that nothing
44 CARPE DIEM • OCTOBER 2011
brought in would go against school rules.” Lofstrand also described how the adminis-
tration operates. “If we suspect that a student is trying to break the rules, then we have the authority to check that out. It’s the same thing during the school day. If we have suspicion that something is going on that would go against one of the school rules, the administrators have the right to search and see if something is in violation of the school rules. Tat’s just policy.” In recent years, administrators never pre-
vented fans from enjoying football. Students are not happy and have sent numerous Face- book messages urging a boycott of upcoming games. Talk of the new policies is the buzz at lunchroom tables – and even dinner tables, as parents are agitated about the new, strict rules. Now, I am not against discipline. Showing up at a game intoxicated is wrong. If a student acts out, obviously under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the administration has the right to kick them out. But that’s not what our admin- istration has been doing. I am an example. A police officer accosted me as I walked out of the first home game. My parents had dropped me off from a baseball game in Dahlonega, GA. Te officer threatened to breathalyze me, even though I was not under the influence.
Are administrators and the police purpose-
fully trying to prevent students from attending football games? Junior Lane Turner is confused about the administration’s motives. “Why should we go to games anymore?” she said. “At the last game I went to, one of our administra- tors sniffed my drink to check for liquor. Why would she ever do that?” What is happening? Truthfully, I am
stumped. Te only explanation is that admin- istration doesn’t want students at the games. Tey raised ticket prices and now instituted a police-state mentality. I want to go to a football game. Not to a high security prison. n
What do you think of the police presence at sports events?
Weigh in at
3ten.org
What is wrong with this picture? At the beginning of the season, students stood up in their seats, cheering on their team. Now, they are forced to sit down. No longer do they have the enthusiasm that was present at the beginning of the season.
Photo courtesy of Indecatur
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