New dresscode applies to Hydroflasks
Administration cracks down on inappropriate stickers placed on Hydroflasks
Gazette/GBT.org photo/MIA TAYLOR
Student Hydroflask stickers have raised the eyebrows of concerned GBHS administrators.
Hydroflasks have been extremely popular throughout the country over the past few years, and Granite Bay High is no exception to this trend.
A quick walk into the GBHS cafeteria offers a glimpse into the widespread use of these water bottles. Nearly every table is littered with different colored bottles, each customized with various stickers.
Students use their hydroflasks not only as a means to stay healthy and hydrate but as a way to creatively express themselves – with the addition of stickers on the flasks. . Whether these stickers hold personal meaning in the life of the owner or are simply displayed for aesthetic purposes, they have become a prominent way for students to accessorize an otherwise uninteresting item.
However, with the wide variety of stickers students have displayed on their water bottles, some have been brought to the attention of administration because of their “inappropriate content.” Like any other professional setting, school is not a suitable place to display suggestive content. Accordingly, the administration has decided to make an effort to remove this type of content from campus by cracking down on hydroflask stickers.
Assistant principal Jessup McGregor said, “I wouldn’t call it a big issue at this point. Rather, we wanted to raise awareness that the display of inappropriate information and graphics isn’t limited to just T-shirts.”
Although these recent restrictions have not affected many students, many of those who have been affected said they believe inflicting rules upon what a student can or can’t place on their property is unreasonable.
Senior Ellie Wilson, who was flagged for having a marijuana leaf sticker on her hydroflask, said students should have every right to customize their personal property.
“Students are encouraged to be themselves, but (administrators) contradict that idea with the enforcement of so many rules,” Wilson said. “ I don’t think they’re disruptive in the classroom setting.”
Others question where the line between administration and student power should be drawn.
“I don’t think administration has the right to take hydroflasks away, but they can ask students to leave them at home or remove a sticker,” senior Antonio Rizzuto said.
Despite student concerns, McGregor said violations of the new hydroflask policy can be easily resolved.
“Generally there is no punishment,” McGregor said. “Rather, we ask students to correct the issue such as covering with another sticker or removing the inappropriate one.”
