This year, many regulations have been placed due to Covid-19, such as dress code, school lunches, and even Office Hours times. While these may be frustrating, they are nothing compared to the rules in the bookstore. 

After mourning the loss of our beloved Turner Concession Stand last year, students flocked to the school bookstore, deciding it would be the next best thing. The bookstore is where students went for snacks, refreshments, and even just some lighthearted afterschool chit-chat. Despite its importance to students, they are only allowed in the bookstore before school or during the day for school supplies. 

The bookstore had been a meetup spot for students throughout the entire Middle School. The students not only congregated there for conversations, but they also came for much needed nourishment, especially athletes. 

Last year, Westminster Middle School athletes would flood to the bookstore for food, drinks, and air conditioning. It was a perfect spot to restore their strength with Vitamin Water, Goldfish, or Peace Tea. The bookstore kept students from losing strength or energy, and was “Plan B” for any student who forgot a snack or ran out of water. 

The loss of the bookstore has left athletes tired, hot, and sweaty after sports and has even reduced morale due to the lack of energy. The loss of the bookstore is also dangerous. Students without water or food could get sick or even pass out. Westminster wants to create award-winning athletes but does not provide them with the supplies they need to become strong and healthy. This is hypocrisy to its highest extent.

I understand that the bookstore staff works hard and can be stressed, but they are paid to do this job. They already have very few students coming to the bookstore during the day, and these empty hours of waiting for students make up for the rush hour after school. In addition to this extra time, the staff is often either not in the bookstore, or they are in the back, completely oblivious to any student who may need their assistance. The school cannot close the bookstore simply because the people they pay to work there are stressed serving students after school. Students’ health and wellbeing is more important than the staff’s leisure time.

The lack of time at the bookstore is dangerous and cruel to students, and these rules need to be reversed immediately.