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Aldina’s Top 10 Musicals

  1. Fiddler on the Roof By Joseph Stein (1971 movie)

Favorite song: “Miracle of Miracles”

Tevya is a simple farmer trying to get his daughters married while supporting his family. He has to deal with his daughters fighting expectations and defying the odds of stereotypes for women back then. This musical is amazing because the music is fun and a pick me up, never failing to make me smile or cry (in a good way).

  1. Hairspray. By Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan (Movie in 2007)

Favorite song: “Good Morning Baltimore”

Tracy Turnblad tries to make it big in Baltimore, Maryland. Being a plus size girl, she has to overcome all the hurdles people throw at her while trying to get the man of her dreams, Link Larkin, and fight segregation in the 60’s. I love this musical because I love of the music and how relatable it is for teens nowadays facing body issues.

  1. Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber (25th anniversary Royal Albert Hall)

Favorite song: “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”

Christine Daae is an opera singer on the rise being trained by the phantom. Over the course of the musical, the phantom brings terror to the opera while falling in love with Christine, who loves Raoul. It ends with the Phantom disappearing after killing numerous people throughout the show, he also kidnaps Christine but eventually releases her then slips away. I think Andrew Lloyd Webber is an absolute genius and this show has a beautiful score and the music itself tells a story without needing the singers.

  1. Les Mis. (10th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall)

Favorite Song: “Turning”

Jean Valjean was a prisoner for over 19 years, when Javert releases him on parole.Then he stole silver breaking his parole and then used that to start a new life. He became mayor and a factory owner. He meets Javert but he doesnt recognize him and later becomes adoptive father to Cosette. Cosette later meets Marius who was a part of the French Revolution, which results in a lot of people dying. This is just a classic musical that’s an emotional journey no matter what part or song you listen to, it has so many signature songs that everyone loves and its overall one of the best.

  1. Something Rotten (Original BroadWay cast)

Favorite Song: “God, I hate Shakespeare”

Something Rotten is a very unique musical, it’s set in the 1590’s and follows the lives of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, writers who are trying to make it big. One loves Shakespeare and the other hates him. Nick goes to a soothsayer (fortune teller) and asks him for Shakespeare’s greatest hit. THe soothsayer gives him false information and Shakespeare secretly becomes Nick’s assistant to try and steal his already done play, while Nigel keeps telling him that he shouldn’t write what would be good, but write what he wants to write. I’m not one for the modern musical but this one makes my list because the story is very original

  1. 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Original Broadway Cast)

Favorite Song: “The I Love You Song”

Sleepers compete and sing songs about their hardships and the pressure of being a 12 year old. I love this musical because it’s not like other musicals whatsoever and has a plot that no other musical has. By that I mean it just shows the backstories of spellers and their sort of intact family lives. The cast uses members of the audience during the show, so the performance is very interactive.

  1. Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast)

Favorite Song: “Ever After”

A baker, a baker’s wife, a witch, a boy named jack, Red Riding Hood, a wolf, rapunzel, two princes, Cinderella and some more fairy tales, clash together in a musical. Despite the long length of the musical, each song is captivating and crucial to the story.

  1. West side story (Original Broadway cast)

Favorite Song: “Maria”

A story of star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, entertain this spin off of Romeo and Juliet. Tony is from the Jets, they were born on the street they are competing over and don’t want the sharks to be there. Maria is from the Sharks, the Puerto Ricans who came to America to have a better life for themselves and their family. They first see each other at the dance of the gym. And kiss, which causes even more fights between the two gangs. The story of two gangs is what caught my attention to this musical. The story of Tony and Maria is, personally, one of the best musicals ever made. The sappy love story

  1. Love Never Dies by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original London Cast)

Favorite Song: “Dear Old Friend”

Christine Daae returns 10 years later, in the only good sequel ever made, married to Raoul and has a son who is 10 years old. They come to America for Show Cristine is in to repay Raoul’s gambling debts but falls in the Phantoms trap. Instead of singing for Hammerstein she sing for the phantom, now Mr. Y, who is the father of her child which is later revealed after he sees how much Gustave is like him. Meg Giry also makes a return as the phantoms secret admirer and the person who gave him the opportunity to make Coney Island. It ends with Meg sadly shooting Cristine leaving Gustave to Raoul, the pretend father, and Mr. Y the real baby daddy. This musical is so good on all levels, as all musicals it tells a story of love and hate and revenge.

  1. Hello Dolly. 1969 movie (Directed by Gene Kelly)

Favorite Song: “So Long Dearie”

Hello Dolly is a classic musical which tells the tale of Dolly Levi a matchmaker who goes and tries to get Horace Vandergelder, a well known, successful man. Horace tells his workers, Barnaby Tucker and Cornelius Hackl, to stay and take care of the shop, but instead they go to New York and meet two lovely ladies, Irene Malloy and Ambrose Kemper.

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Why We Walked Out

Yesterday, students walked out of classrooms in protest of the behavior seen time and time again by our district and our administration.

Myself and a group of 12 others planned this walk out for a reason.

This week, the Sacramento Bee published an article about a former McClatchy student who claims to have been drugged and gang raped by classmates two years ago. The victim is planning on suing Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) for mishandling the investigation and dissuading her from pursuing recourse.

The former student claims that the police officer working on campus at the time sent her home for the semester while her attackers remained at school, undisciplined.

Our administration, along with the SPD officer, grossly mishandled this case. The student’s rights, protected by Title IX, were not enforced. The survivor claims the district never informed her about her civil rights, or her right to press charges.

As students at McClatchy, we deserve a trustworthy administration, one that will not brush off these serious allegations, discrediting the survivor in question by forcing her to stay home and refusing to punish the perpetrators.

The SPD officer asked her if she was a virgin. “That question made me feel so bad,” she said in her court declaration. “I felt like maybe that meant that it wasn’t as big a deal to him. I told the truth, but I felt afterward like I should have lied because then he would have taken it more seriously.”

No student, no survivor, should be made to feel this way when reporting an act like rape.

We walked out for this survivor. But more than that, we walked out for the scores of other cases such as this. We walked out to come together as a community that will not tolerate a system that is complicit, and even supports, the perpetrators of sexual violence.

We are asking for feasible change, so nothing like this ever happens again. Our demands are simple and straightforward: we want to see current policy enforced, and we want to see policies enacted that work to never let something like this happen again, such as easier access to trained and qualified support staff before, during, and after every investigation, or rigorous follow up procedures after every complaint and/or investigation. An updated and comprehensive harassment and sensitivity training for all school staff is another demand.

We will be meeting with administration this Friday to make our first steps towards enacting these changes.  

A few of our demands.

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Adult involvement in CKM Walkout undermines #NEVERAGAIN’s only strength — youth enthusiasm

Whenever there’s a mass shooting in America, the same routine follows. Republican politicians send thoughts and prayers; Democratic politicians say thoughts and prayers aren’t enough and demand “comprehensive gun reform;” liberals get angry; conservatives get defensive. It always happens on Twitter and always blows over in about a week.

But when seventeen teenagers were killed by an AR-15-wielding gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last month, something was different. It wasn’t because Americans decided this shooting was one too many to bear, or because this time gun control advocates argued more cleverly. It was because of the survivors.

The teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting have become the agents of change America needed. Young enough to generate sympathy but old enough to speak up and organize, they launched a #NEVERAGAIN campaign that has remained in the national spotlight and given real gun reform its best chance since the Federal Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004.

Students — those in Parkland and the legions they’ve inspired on social media — are the reason the gun control debate hasn’t gone away a month after the Parkland shooting, the reason NRA-bought politicians are finally subject to the scruity they deserve, the reason crowds have been mobilized to demonstrate across the country, and the reason state-level reforms have been passed. Students seem to be finally awakening America’s conscience. Students are the reason this mass shooting hasn’t been like all the others.

It follows that McClatchy’s walkout on Wednesday, part of a nationwide series of walkouts called for by #NEVERAGAIN, should have been the students’ moment. But it wasn’t. Administration took ownership over the demonstration by encouraging participation in a robo-call, and dismissing students over the intercom when the clock struck 10. Seriously? It’s not even a “walk out” if protesters are told when they’re allowed to go! What was supposed to be a profound, student-led act of defiance was corrupted into a pep rally without cheerleaders.

Then there were the speeches, the majority of which were given by adults. It’s not even like they needed to step in to deliver a sentiment the kids were incapable of expressing — Maya Steinhart’s speech was more eloquent than even the Attorney General’s. But they did need to step in to be in front of the TV cameras, racking up woke points with kids stacked up under the podium like stage props and the surrounding crowd of “protesters” playing the part of studio audience. The adults managed to make a demonstration based in genuine passions feel staged.

The adults involved in the Walkout all meant well. McClatchy’s administration did better than many of its counterparts in not penalizing students for walking out, and I’m not accusing any politician or administrator of faking support for gun control as a publicity stunt — surely they are all truly on the right side of this issue. But that’s precisely why their involvement was so meaningless. Of course the leaders of a progressive California high school want gun control; of course a Democratic politician who is already on record as supporting gun control supports gun control. And they supported gun control long before #NEVERAGAIN. So why did they need to be so central to this thing? They could have supported us from the sidelines without leaving any doubt as to where they stand.

If anything, all we students learn from the takeover of the Walkout is that our ideas only count when they are regurgitated by grown-up mouths. What a terrible lesson to teach young people at this moment in time.

Our generation has been left with many screwups to unscrew, and we’ll only succeed if we overcome the cynicism we’re tempted to feel in the Trump era. Adults, especially educators, should be looking to build our political efficacy.

A student-led Walkout could have done just that. It wouldn’t have caused legislative change, but it would have been empowering. Students who don’t usually attend marches or protests could have tasted the exhilaration of raising your voice and flexing your muscle, of being part of a movement. What better motivation to follow the news and vote in the midterms?

But the McClatchy Walkout did not engage us. It patted us on the head and us left to nibble our Sprouts cookies while politics happens at the grown-up table.

It didn’t feel right, and it didn’t help the cause.

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Community Forum 2: District Wants to Centralize HISP Admissions

A flier describing the “norms” governing the small group discussions at the forum.

In an effort to continue the conversation regarding the lack of diversity in selective high school programs, the Sacramento City Unified School District hosted a second community forum in the McClatchy library on Monday, March 12. Last month, a controversial science fair project attributing the racial imbalance in McClatchy’s selective HISP program to people of color having lower IQs than whites and northeast Asians brought attention to the skewed racial demographics in programs like HISP.

While the first meeting was mostly a platform for district officials and community members to make public statements, the more recent forum focused on dialogue. Attendees were split into small groups for facilitated discussion of prompts including “How have you seen individualized racism play out on your campus or community?” and “What current recommendations do you have for change?”

Before the breakout discussions, SCUSD Superintendent Jorge Aguilar gave an update on the district’s efforts to diversify elite academic programs.

Mr. Aguilar said the district has been studying the pool of “eligible non-applicants” in the district — students of color who would qualify for rigorous programs but don’t apply — to find ways to encourage those students to apply.

Aguilar also emphasized the importance of strengthening early education so that the pool of eligible applicants can grow. “This isn’t an issue of 8th graders, this isn’t an issue of 7th graders,” he said. “This is an issue that goes deeper, down to pre-K … We are not seeing the quality pipeline that our community deserves.”

Regarding HISP in particular, Aguilar expressed desire to “centralize” the admissions process. Prospective HISP students must write an analytical essay to apply, and Aguilar wants to train “a cadre of diverse teachers” to evaluate the essays on behalf of the district, taking the only subjective aspect of the admissions process out of the program’s hands.

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McClatchy’s State Champ: Tavi Heidelberg

McClatchy is home to the heavyweight champion of California and you probably didn’t even know it. Tavia “Tavi” Heidelberg-Tillotson, a junior, became the first athlete in McClatchy history to win a state championship in an individual sport when she won the California girls’ heavyweight wrestling championship in Visalia on February 24th.

According to McClatchy athletic director Mr. Feickert, she is also the first female athlete from the Metro League to win a state championship in an individual sport.

The title completed an impressive comeback campaign by Heidelberg-Tillotson, who missed her sophomore season due to injury. She qualified for State by winning tournaments for the Metro League and Sac-Joaquin Section titles, then won five consecutive matches at the state tournament to finish on top.

“It was just an incredible experience,” she said.

Heidelberg-Tillotson first stepped onto a mat as an eighth grader at Toby Johnson Middle School in Elk Grove. She was tagging along with her brother, who was a wrestler. “If he can do it, I can do it too,” Heidelberg-Tillotson recalls telling herself.

As a girl wrestling against boys, she was frequently harassed by spectators and coaches. “‘Don’t lose to that girl, why is she even out here,’” she said she would hear during matches. But she persevered and beat most of the boys she faced. “[My brother] actually dropped out … I finished the season.”

She’s been a wrestler ever since. Mental and physical toughness is everything in her sport, and Heidelberg-Tillotson loves it. Her favorite thing about wrestling is “being able to push yourself, finding out how much you can do that you previously thought, ‘I’m not strong enough, fast enough, smart enough to do that,’” she said.

Wrestlers push themselves especially hard when “cutting weight” — shedding pounds right before a weigh-in through methods like sweating, fasting, and going without water. Though overcoming challenges is what Heidelberg-Tillotson likes about wrestling, cutting weight is where she draws the line. “It’s not safe,” she said. Still, she concedes that “it separates the weaklings from the best.”

Heidelberg-Tillotson hopes to wrestle in college after graduating next year, and after that has her sights set on the 2024 Olympics. “That’s the level of wrestling I aspire to be at,” she said.

Outside of wrestling, she is a 4.0 student and loves rock ‘n’ roll.  

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Should we arm teachers? Let’s ask the Teachers

Written statement by Mr. Perry, stating his thoughts on the President’s proposal

In response to the increasing threats posed by gun violence in schools, President Donald Trump has suggested that arming teachers would make schools safer. Teachers at McClatchy, however, seem to disagree.

The potential problems that could arise from having weapons on campus are on many teachers’ minds. Mrs. Oram, a Math teacher, said she was “on the fence” about the proposal. She said that “having a gun available is basically the best way to stop the intruder,” but also expressed concern over what might happen if a student were to get their hands on a teacher’s weapon.

When asked about the proposal to arm teachers, Mr. Limonoff, a history teacher, said that arming teachers “could lead to a number of unforeseen consequences” and that it “could further complicate finding a solution” to the issue of gun violence.

Mr. Gatten, an English teacher, said “I’m against the proposal because it ignores the root of the problem, which is military-type weapons in the hands of civilians.” Gatten added that “I don’t think it would be a deterrent [to attackers], especially if somebody was out of their mind, or angry, or suicidal.”

Mr. Warren, a Biology teacher, said that “if they [armed teachers], it would create more problems than it would solve.”

Frau Templeton, a German teacher, said “I don’t feel comfortable with weapons. I’m not trained for it, and I’m not comfortable with having more weapons on campus.”

Mr. Perry, an English teacher, said the proposal “is trying to provide an easy solution to a complicated problem to avoid dealing with the larger issues involved”, adding that it “will likely only create more problems.”

Mr. Kwong, a math teacher, said “a bad accident is gonna happen in the long run, if there are more guns on campus.”

Mr. Ho, a Physics teacher, jokingly said “Why doesn’t the president take it a step further? Why doesn’t he turn teachers into cybernetic … you know, robots. When the president is comfortable with lopping off my arm and adding a futuristic laser cutter on my right and a flamethrower on my left, then we can talk.”

The national debate over gun violence will go on, but if McClatchy’s teachers are any indication, teachers will not respond positively if the government does decide to arm them.

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Lack of Condom Availability at McClatchy

Once or twice a year, peer educators, students our age working with Planned Parenthood to educate the public on issues surrounding sexual health, will stand outside of McClatchy. They hand out condoms and other resources involving safe sex. These educators are required to stand out on the sidewalk; the school does not allow them to pass out condoms on campus.

McClatchy’s student support center does not pass out contraceptives to students looking for them, and it is against school policy for students to pass out condoms to other students.

Peer educator and student at McClatchy, Alyssa Perez says on this lack of availability, “I think that condoms are vital to protecting students, and when we make it inaccessible, it’s harder for them to have responsible sex,” she continues, noting the lengths she must sometimes go to do her job as a peer educator, “…and the fact that I can’t hand them out at school, or that I have to be really discreet about it, kind of makes me feel like I’m doing something I’m not supposed to do, which seem counterintuitive when I’m trying to ensure the health of other students.”

There is a condom availability program that was instituted by the school board in 1998, though there are not condoms available at McClatchy. The policy requires the superintendent to designate specific locations where condoms are to be made available.  Hongdara Wong, a nurse at the school says, “The district has to work with parents to decide if condoms should be made available. They haven’t designated a location as of yet.”

The PTSA President would not comment on the issue when reached out to.

“The school’s policy has always been, basically, abstinence, and they encourage that. In order for kids to get the condoms, they still have to go through the proper education regarding use and application. It’s out of our hands, it’s up to the superintendent and parents,” says Wong.

According to Wong, because McClatchy does not have a “well space” or clinical center, we are not eligible for designation, as condoms are medical devices, that are required to be given out with instruction and counseling on the contraceptive and safe use.

“It’s kind of equated to the way you can’t hand out ibuprofen, but as far as this being the same degree, I don’t see that health risk, especially if it’s not being immediately consumed or anything like that, and it’s not being taken into their body, I feel like it stems more from a belief system than actual medical risk,” says Alyssa Perez.

Studies have shown that increasing the availability of condoms in high schools will not increase or promote sexual activity, but can instead lower the rate of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV. According to Advocates for Youth, a study of New York City’s school condom availability program found a significant increase in condom use among sexually active students but no increase in sexual activity.

Schools around the country have implemented condom availability programs successfully in large number. Around 418 public schools in the U.S. make condoms available to students through means such as a school nurses, counselors, teachers, vending machines, and even students.

STD’s are alarmingly high in California. The state has the second-highest rate of congenital syphilis. More than a quarter-million Californians were diagnosed in 2016 with Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, a 40% jump from five years ago, according to state officials. Students that are sexually active are at great risk for the contraction of such STDs.

Access to contraception is a basic health care right. One in which students deserve access to here and now. Not down the block. Let peer educators on campus if we do not at the very least have access to condoms in our own wellness center.

Though there is a condom availability program within the district, there has been a failure to proactively implement said program. According to Wong, there is not one designated location within the district, even as the policy has been in place for twenty years. The convoluted nature of the policy makes it difficult for students to effectively receive condoms The policy has not increased access to condoms to high school students. And still, it is against the rules for students to pass out condoms to their peers.

Access to health care here and now, not down the block.

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McClatchy Senior Soccer Players Accept College Scholarships

Chisler (left) and Harris (right) with their congratulatory cakes during the signing event.

On Tuesday, February 13th, McClatchy students came out to the gym to celebrate with senior McClatchy soccer players Lilliana Chisler and Ginger Harris as they each accepted college scholarships. Chisler is going to be attending Menlo College, located in Atherton, California, and Harris will be attending the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.

Chisler received an athletic scholarship from Menlo College, where she will be playing for their high-achieving women’s soccer team. The scholarship she received will cover everything that FAFSA doesn’t already, meaning Chisler essentially has a full ride.

Chisler, who’s been playing soccer since she was four years old, said that playing college-level soccer was always her goal, but that she often worried her grades would interfere with it.

“I’ve failed classes, like I’m not shy about that,” said Chisler. She added that people tend to think failing classes will stop them from achieving their goals, but felt it was important to “just work towards it as hard as you can and keep on going.”  

“Failure does not stop you; it’s what starts a new beginning. You just learn from your mistake, you keep going, and you’ll be fine,” she said.

This scholarship came as a surprise to Chisler, who said that “a year ago if you asked me if I would get a scholarship for soccer I probably would’ve said no, just because I like to prepare myself for the worst.”

Chisler is planning on majoring in sports management with a double-major in marketing by sophomore year. As far as her future in soccer, she said “hopefully I enjoy the next four years and if possible then play at the next level.”

Harris, on the other hand, received an academic scholarship to the Stevens Institute of Technology, a student-centric, technological research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Harris will be playing on their Division III soccer team, but her scholarship was non-athletic and “strictly merit-based.”

The scholarship is “partially for engineering and partially through other financial means.” Harris plans on studying engineering, but is currently an undecided engineering major. She sees this scholarship as “a great opportunity to get a higher level education and pursue further things in life.”

As far as soccer goes, Harris doesn’t plan on playing professionally. “I just want to play through college,” she said.

When it came time for the celebratory ceremony at school, Chisler was hesitant, because she thought it would be weird. However, a teacher convinced her that “it’s not just for myself, it’s for the teachers who helped me get this far, and my friends, and my teammates, and my coaches, so it’s more for them than it is for me.”

“I felt very supported,” added Harris. “I spent the last four years with them [her teammates] so for them to be there was very special.”

While Harris and Chisler will be pursuing different goals in college, they both were able to set up futures for themselves that include both education and the sport they love, which is really the dream of any student athlete.

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Jeff’s Genre-Swap Covers Playlist

This Playlist is made up of covers of songs which are very different from the originals, often switching genres! The majority of these are “vintage covers” meaning they are done in a style from an earlier time period.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “Radioactive”

Postmodern Jukebox took Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” and made it into a vintage jazz/beatbox song. While jazz, beatboxing, and the modern Top 40 hit “Radioactive” might seem like an odd combo, Postmodern Jukebox’s expert performance is still astounding.

 

Rancid’s acoustic cover of “Fall Back Down”

“Fall Back Down” was a song by the punk band Rancid, released in 2003. The original version featured electric guitars and shouted lyrics, both common among punk rock music. The acoustic version, however, had more soft-spoken lyrics and a calmer tone. It showed a more gentle-sounding version of the song, allowing the central theme of friendship in hard times to shine through.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “I Kissed a Girl”

This is a 1950s style Doo Wop cover of “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry. While the premise of the song would likely have been considered taboo in the 1950s, this cover nonetheless seems to fit the song perfectly.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “Hey Ya”

This is a vintage 60s soul style cover of “Hey Ya” by Outkast. This cover impressively manages to take the lyrics of the original and puts them to a much slower, smoother tempo, creating a very different sound that still stays in line with the original song.

 

Orkestra Obsolete’s cover of “Blue Monday”

“Blue Monday” by the band New Order, was released in 1983. According to the BBC, “its cutting-edge electronic groove changed pop music forever.” Then, in 2016, the Orkestra Obsolete performed a cover of the song using only instruments from the 1930s to make it.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “Thrift Shop”

This is a vintage “grandpa style” cover of Macklemore’s 2012 song “Thrift shop”. It poses a humorously jarring contrast to the original rap version.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”

This is a Vintage 1912 Waltz style cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. Like many other PMJ covers, this takes the fast tempo and energetic lyrics of the original song and slows it down, creating a very different experience.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “All The Small Things”

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of Blink-182’s 1999 song, “All the Small Things”, which is made exponentially better due to the amazing vocals of Puddles the Sad Clown.

 

Robyn Adele Anderson’s cover of “Clint Eastwood”

This is a 1940s-style cover of “Clint Eastwood” by Gorillaz. This cover keeps the beat and lyrics of the original while replacing the modern instruments with piano, saxophone, and other 1940s-era instruments.

 

Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “Don’t Stop Believin’”

This vintage cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” features many different singers and musicians associated with the Postmodern Jukebox. In spite of using many different singers, this cover manages to maintain a constant, upbeat tone throughout. It also features an impressive one-take music video.

 

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Swimsuit Requirement in CKM PE Classes Hurts Students with Body Insecurities

The state of California requires high schools to teach a swimming unit to ensure that students know how to swim, and McClatchy complies with this standard by having a mandatory swimming unit once a year. I have no problem with swimming, but many students, including myself, take issue with the dressing part of the unit.

I understand that they give us an option to dress in “full coverage” swimwear like board shorts, or something more modern like a 2-piece, but still, “full coverage” swimsuits aren’t very covering unless you’re wearing scuba gear. Swimsuits always end up revealing things. As teens, we are constantly being judged based on our appearance by our peers, so why should we be subjected to this swimsuit dress requirement when we are uncomfortable with it? Why are teachers allowed to control whether or not we are required to wear a swimsuit?

When asked if he is aware of body insecurities in teens, Coach Feickert, the athletic director at CKM, stated that he was aware of such insecurities. Even the PE teachers know that most students aren’t confident with how they look. It seems like they only acknowledge the issue, yet don’t do anything to help it when they require students to dress in swimsuits.

When Ms. Caulk was asked about students getting excused from the swimming unit due to body insecurities, she said that students can only be excused from the unit if they have a medical excuse signed by a doctor. So, either you have a doctor’s note to excuse you from swimming, or you don’t swim and instead take the F–there is no in between. As a teenager myself, being forced to strip down into a swimsuit and told to jump into a pool would only worsen my body insecurities, except this isn’t something I can get a doctor’s note for.

It should be a personal decision if I want to wear a swimsuit in front of my peers or not. This isn’t about the swimming curriculum, rather, it’s about my own privacy that is violated when I am required to wear a swimsuit at school.

Perhaps instead of requiring all students to swim, there are things that can be learned about CPR and swimming from a classroom for the students who are not comfortable with dressing, and the students who want to swim can swim.