Walk into any of the McDonald’s locations near HHS after school, and you will likely see a crowd of Raiders. That is normal. What is not normal is leaving trash behind, making a scene, or stealing.
That is why principal Marcus Belin sent an email to families, warning that if the behavior does not change, students could lose off-campus privileges. Even underclassmen who do not have the privilege yet could see their future eligibility affected.
Here is where the policy goes wrong: punishing freshmen and sophomores for something they did not do does not make sense. The school wants to set a high standard early, and small businesses have every right to be frustrated. But holding underclassmen responsible for behavior that was not all of them is unfair.
“Everybody should get the same opportunity to have off-campus,” sophomore Joey Jorgenson said. “Just because the upperclassmen do something, that shouldn’t ruin the chances for the lower classmen.”
Lilah Muschkat, junior, did not hold back her frustration about the policy.
“It’s ridiculous to punish freshmen and sophomores for something that most of them haven’t even participated in,” Muschkat said. “If upperclassmen are the ones screwing around, then start with punishing them. Don’t ruin underclassmen’s chances of gaining off-campus.”
Freshman Max Homeyer pointed out that some students think they are “bulletproof” when they are out in the community.
“Order your food, pay for your food, eat it, and clean up,” Homeyer said. “Don’t leave a mess for the workers to clean.”
That is the heart of it, and the solution really is not that complicated. Students should respect the places we visit and clean up after themselves. The presence of students should not be a burden to the businesses that serve the Huntley community.
HHS students represent the school wherever they go, and if businesses lose patience, everybody loses. But broad punishments, especially aimed at underclassmen, feel like the wrong move. Accountability should stay with the people making poor choices now, not students who have not even had the chance to earn off-campus.
If students want to keep their privileges, it starts with their behavior. Raiders can do better, but unfair policies should not serve as a reminder to do so.
