We, the students at Jefferson Township Middle School, need a drink. It is hot outside, and many of us are sweating profusely and dehydrating quickly. However, the Jefferson Township Board of Education does not allow us to carry sealed bottled water around during the school day. This is a ludicrous rule and a health hazard, both physically and mentally. Being that we spend half of our waking hours in school, we should be entitled to carry a sealed bottle of water around during the school day.

For the 2005-06 school year, I was a member of the 7-Blue team. Their team policy concerning leaving the room included “privilege passes�. Two passes were distributed to each student in two academic classes. Those two passes were good for the marking period, which happened to be ten weeks long. Basically, you were allowed to leave the room twice per marking period. If you didn’t use the passes, they were worth five points on your notebook exam. Unused passes were worth five points each. Now, this means that if you wanted a drink of water in those two classes, you lost extra credit points on your notebook exam. In one of our classes, you were not allowed to leave at all. The pass system was eliminated in that room, so, students had to stay put. In another class, you were allowed to leave once a day to use the water fountain or take care of bathroom needs.

To you, that policy may sound nice. Unfortunately, the standard recommendation in terms of daily water intake is 6-8 glasses, or 48-64 ounces. Of course, this amount is a lot higher when the weather is hotter. For teenage boys, the requirement is 8-12 glasses.

This should be spread out regularly throughout the day. In addition, the term “drink when exercising� does not mean “after exercise�. Instead, it includes before, during, and after exercise. Listen, you never see an athlete without a bottle of water, Gatorade, or other hydrating fluid. In this case, we are not asking for Gatorade, we are asking for the right to carry a sealed bottle of water around during the school day. While on the sidelines or during a timeout, the players should have an opportunity to drink some water. Many people during softball were out of energy because of the excruciating heat. The same is true for the people down at the track.

The actual definition of dehydration is “not having enough water in your body�. You may think that it is simple to detect dehydration, but it is not. This is true because many people are so used to feeling below their best. Meaning, many people are so used to fatigue and dehydration, and as a result, they cannot detect it. If you notice that a student becomes irritable, tired, or less able to concentrate, this is because of dehydration. It is not just an act; instead, it leads to headaches and severe tiredness. People think that these actions are mood swings, but they are due to the effects of dehydration.

One hour of exercise can result in the loss of ½ liter of water. This figure is a lot higher when it is warmer outside. After exercise, it is highly recommended that we should restore normal fluid balance after the workout. Drinking water after exercise results in it being easier and more enjoyable. As a result, it becomes more enjoyable, and positive attitudes are developed toward it. In addition, children will exercise willingly. Remember, people do things that they like.

Some 80 percent of the brain is made up of water. In terms of neurological transmissions, the brain is a major part of that. Mild dehydration can affect mental performance and learning ability, as stated before. Memory, attention, and concentration can decrease by ten percent, once thirst is felt.

We understand that you may be concerned about certain things. Cost is one of them, but if students bring sealed bottled water from their house, the school is not paying for anything. On a lower note, disruption, misbehavior, and hygiene are some other concerns. Nevertheless, the benefits outweigh the cost, and the aforementioned fears are not found that often.

I understand some of the concerns and I have proposed possible solutions to those problems. The first pertains to water fights. From my understanding, water fights are among the top of the list when it comes to concerns. In order to prevent that problem, offenders should be given out-of-school suspensions, even on the first offense. In addition to that, the student (s) responsible should be required to clean it up.

The second concern that has been brought to my attention is the dispensing of alcohol into the bottles. I have proposed two solutions for this. First, the water bottle that is brought in must be sealed, and secondly, alcohol incidents should be handled using page 21 of the student agenda book. Pages 21-27 of the Student Agenda Book concern drug and alcohol abuse. Suspected students should have a urinalysis, and isolated from the school environment, until the results are in. If convicted, the student should receive 21 days of home instruction, as stated in page 25 of the student agenda book. Also, the student must be required to take courses that discourage the usage of drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, multiple offenses should result in expulsion.


The final concern that was brought to my attention had to do with garbage. Fortunately, this is highly preventable. Since the school has a recycling program in place, putting a garbage can in the room that says “Mixed Recyclables� will fix that solution. Meanwhile, in the hallways, students should be responsible for the proper disposal of water bottles. Putting names in permanent marker on the bottles will help with this, as well. In a quick inspection before class starts, teachers should check to see if names are on the bottles, not the labels. This inspection should take no longer than a minute. Those who refuse to obey the rule will not be allowed to drink the bottle of water unless a name is it. Also, that name should be in permanent ink. No drinking of the bottles should be allowed in the hallway because that can cause multiple problems. Students caught doing that should be disciplined.

All we would like to do is have the right to bring bottled water to school, and drink it. We need a drink!

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