Paraded in nearly every full-school presentation and bolded on the third page of the Student Handbook, reads one of Brookline High School’s core beliefs: “Freedom AND responsibility”. For the most part, this mantra has been reflected in the privileges and “freedom” the school awards students: upperclassmen enjoy an open campus, meaning they can leave school grounds during free blocks or lunchtime; common spaces are open for socializing and working with minimal supervision; and we have no bells dictating passing time between classes. In return comes the expectation of student “responsibility,” which primarily revolves around respect for class attendance and substance usage policies. This equilibrium between freedom and responsibility has been a cornerstone of the high school’s culture, and yet, something doesn’t match.
While there are certainly instances where students disregard their responsibilities (fights, skipping classes, bringing drugs to events), the punitive action that follows often fails to restrict freedom in a clear or effective way. For example, it was recently proposed that the annual tradition of seniors smoking cigars on the outskirts of campus after the last day of school be moved to Cypress Field, in order to leave the streets clear for traffic. The decision makes sense, and allowing Cypress Field to be used for the tradition would be an effective concession to improve safety. However, the deans also announced that if anything a student wasn’t “supposed to have” was seen on that day, it would be taken, and prom would be revoked for the offender. So, is it really a compromise, or is it a continuation of the very reason cigars were brought off campus in the first place? Frankly, the expectations are unclear.
While it is hard to find appropriate ways to deal with abuses of our freedom because students come and go every year, reactive policies – such as those often used by the high school – do not help hold those accountable who actually abused their responsibility; rather, they only limit the freedom of people in following years. Senior pranks are an example of this. Due to a past class that went too far (which, we agree, is unacceptable), the incoming classes are not given the opportunity to do one. The whole mantra revolves around the idea that once the student body proves itself, it deserves the corresponding freedom. So, let us prove ourselves.
If the high school truly stands by the mantra of “Freedom AND Responsibility,” then its policies must reflect a trust in students to uphold their end of the deal—before assuming they’ll fail. Accountability should be individual, transparent and rooted in fairness, not broad in its restrictions and reactive in its measures. We—the students—should be given the chance to rise to the expectations and responsibility placed upon us.
