The story
Last Tuesday, the school board discussed and planned to vote on the girls lacrosse helmet issue.
Rewind
You mean, you’re not passionate about girls lacrosse helmets? Bill Kassler has been itching to enforce helmets in the sport for the past few years, and it’s finally on the table.
So…what happened?
Five players and two parents showed up…not especially thrilled. Their biggest worry? The gladiator effect. The players are worried it would change the nature of the game, becoming a lot more aggressive like boys lacrosse. And the parents are worried about increased-risk of injuries. One parent feels that either everyone in the state should wear helmets or no one, and it should be up to the higher powers to decide. (As in NHIAA. Not God.)
How’d Dr. Kassler respond?
By spitting out an overwhelming amount of statistics. He went through each study, trying to fully explain the reasons for his opinion, especially since there was such a large response. The board not only had people at the meeting, but they received numerous concerned emails about the issue. Because…they love girls lacrosse…?
Is he out of line?
Jury’s out. Florida started requiring helmets in high school girls lacrosse in 2017. They are the only state to mandate it so far, but other school districts across the country have done the same thing.
How’d the rest of the board feel?
They’re convinced that helmets are the answer…for everything. After backing up Dr. Kassler, there was a small discussion about mandating helmets for other sports, like basketball and soccer. However, girls lacrosse is the only sport with helmets approved by governing bodies, so it’s the easiest sport to go after. It must feel pretty good to be a senior.
So the vote?
They will be voting on the issue at a later date. The main reason for putting it off? Random act of kindness. Dr. Kassler is set for the month. Board member John Schneller asked for an extension because he’s not ready to vote yes, and wants to gather more information. But it would’ve been 4-1 in favor of the helmets.
The Runaway
The school board will be voting in the next meeting or two. And it seems like it’s time to start picking out cute helmet stickers. But as one parent said, if helmets are mandated, the board is going to have a lot of angry people on their hands. So…nothing new!
What to say…
When you couldn’t care less about helmets and whose head they’re on…
Did anything else happen at that meeting? Well, the board went over pathways to graduation again. We were very excited, until we realized the meeting was only an update. Their plans for action will be presented around February or March. That’s a budget season away! The only idea they mentioned was better communicating the program of studies. They’re still trying to see in what ways they can modify the program of studies to give students a desired pathway that’s not currently offered. So, we’ll just grapple with this cliff hanger for…four months. But this portion of the meeting wasn’t completely useless. We learned that 73% of the class of 2013 that attended a 4-year college graduated. Apparently we should be happy with that number since it’s above state and national averages. However, as Dr. Kassler very astutely pointed out, it could be just a rich kid statistic, so we need to compare with other districts like us so we can know if we are in fact the superior breed of rich kid. We’re all in.
When you’re scrolling through the list of clubs and realize that some need a description…
Food…allergy…what? Nope! It is actually self-explanatory. Do you have a food allergy? Or maybe not, but food allergy club welcomes all! Just in case all you non allergy people have felt left out for the last 16 years of your life. There are a whopping 15 members who meet and plan awareness campaigns. The group is currently preparing a presentation for Wellness I. The club was founded because president Aiden Comeau realized that allergies are not always taken seriously and he hoped to create a safer environment for those with allergies. So no peanuts allowed, obviously.
When you were so bored at all of those games where we were crushing our opponents…
Those were the days! The football team lost 34-3 against Salem on Saturday, or “smothered” as the Union Leader liked to put it. We think it’s better than getting “thumped” 35-0 by Londonderry. Coach Matthews says we aren’t playing well as a team. That’s exactly what we thought too! And kudos to our kicker who got us on the scoreboard. You go, Ryan Bobo(tas). But don’t worry, we play Timberlane next week, who’s lost every game so far. It’ll be a nice recovery for our self-esteem.
Things to Know
Daydreaming about Greece?
Senior Intersession sign ups are Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. Good luck! Click faster than you’ve ever clicked before. And, btw, failed intersessions don’t go on your transcript anymore…
Making Greece a Reality?
Seniors’ deposits for intersession are due on Friday.