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In the packed halls of NS, it’s a loud scene. One sound students often hear in the cacophony: vulgarity. More than half the students reported hearing 15 or more swear words a day.
The amount of cursing can cause headaches for students and administration. Dealing with students who use vulgar language can be tricky. They know students come from different backgrounds, so they try to look at why someone said a bad word, not just about the punishment.
“I want to be fair to all kids,” Assistant Principal Matt Syme said. “I don’t hear swearing in the halls too often because if I’m there, kids know there’s language they should and shouldn’t use.”
Even though swearing is common, most students steer clear of it. Those who slip up might get written down and can even be suspended for up to three days.
Yet, most kids aren’t even sure of the punishment given when swearing. In the school handbook on page 25, line 2 it says, “The following student conduct is prohibited and may warrant suspension,” then it then lists 14 different things that could get you in trouble, one of them being “disruptive behavior, including the use of foul, profane, vulgar, or abusive language.”
But what are the consequences, if any, for using profane or offensive language?
“The punishment can be just a simple re-correction,” Syme said, “all the way up to we have to suspend you because of the vulgarity of your language.”
The way administration deals with swearing comes down to looking at why someone said it, and the intent behind it.
“I really do think intent is more important than looking at the words they said,” Syme said.
Sophomore Beau Johnson believes that society might be giving too much power to swear words, suggesting that ignoring
them could be an effective approach.
“When you have a rude con- notation towards something, of course it’s going to be negative,” Johnson said. “And since some of these words have been grandfathered with such a negative connotation, it’s going to be hard to take that negativity away, and so people are just not saying them.”
However, 57 percent of kids have a problem with swearing and aren’t ok with hearing curse words.
“It’s not comfortable,” sophomore Tyce Walker said. “I don’t like it when you hear the f-word being screamed down the hall; it’s a little frustrating.”
Walker expresses that such harsh words shouldn’t be used against someone.
According to Syme, the goal is to have a school where everyone respects each other, considering the different views students bring in. It’s not just about rules; they want students to understand how their words affect everyone in the school.
