Students have been questioning a new policy that opened water bottles must be poured out before entering the school building.
During the year 2023-2024, security guards have been asking students to dump out their open water bottles or even their personal bottles.
Several students around the school have experienced this situation. “It doesn’t make sense,” senior Madison Crockett said. “If it’s in my personal water bottle and I know that it’s just water, I shouldn’t have to dump it out.”
Another Banneker Achiever, senior Tony Mozelle said, “I be extremely thirsty on my way to school, and to have to then throw it out because I drunk some of it before school is unfair.”
While many may believe that this policy is unfair, and only has been recently enforced, Banneker has stated this rule for many years. In the Benjamin Banneker Academic High School: Student/Parent Handbook 2023-2024 in the section Policy on Open Containers, the rules read: “Unopened containers of water, sports drinks and lawful beverages and liquids are allowed if the containers are unopened prior to entering the school. Glass containers are not allowed.”
Overall, this policy, which is believed to be “new,” has actually been known for years within the walls of Banneker. In some cases, with students taking public transportation, they may be thirsty along the way to school and then have to throw away their drinks upon arrival.
