For Bond Proposal by Alexa Vincent

We are American. We were built on taking chances. We are a nation of nonconformists and mavericks. And if we want to continue being able to truthfully tell the world about how unsurpassed we are, we need to step up, because right now the truth is this: we’re being surpassed.

Our generation is lackadaisically going through the motions on decrepit, dying campuses. Compared to the metroplex schools that loom to the south of us, we’re the hicks studying in barns. Which is an insult to barns. Hate to break it to you, but repainting the walls of Rider was only going to work for so long, and it stopped working about 30 years ago.

Rider isn’t handicap accessible. Sure we have ramps to get into the building, but after that injured or disabled people have to brave stairs to get to the English wing and even the math hall. Why do we have stairs going down and back up to the math hall? But don’t worry, guys, we have an elevator in the main part of the building, which is on the opposite side of the school from everything else, but hey, at least it runs, right? Does it?

I don’t really know, because when I sprained my ankle, to save time I had to leave classes early to handle the stairs solo. My friend who had to wheelchair around after her soccer injury, stayed on the first floor.

Our technology is outdated, too. We are subject to the finicky computers that may or may not allow you to access sites that should or should not be blocked, at a speed, which may or may not allow students to operate in a timely manner.

If you go to either of the schools now, unless you’re a teacher, the chances of you being able to attend the new schools will be slim to none, but wouldn’t it be worth it if we could prepare our younger successors?

If you have a little sibling, they’ll be at these new establishments that we are fantasizing about now. The actions we decide now will have a substantial effect on the generations of tomorrow. Who are we to prohibit the growth of America? We can’t change the rest of our country’s educational habits, but we can fix the snags we have here in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Against Bond Proposal by Ashlynn Giles

Outside of Rider High school the football field is cracked and dry. Wichita falls as we know it is slowly turning to dust. We are in a water crisis. Very soon Wichita could be uninhabitable, and the thought of building new school buildings is insane to me.

The citizens of Wichita Falls and the surrounding areas are already being taxed more on their water. This summer we kept the water park open… As a community we need to start addressing this problem instead of masking it. It isn’t going away. In fact, without rain it is going to get drastically worse.

There are a lot of home owners in Wichita Falls that don’t have children that won’t be effected at all by this bond in anyway. However this drought is affecting all of us. People are continuing to water the grass? Their logic is ridiculous. We won’t be able to flush our toilet, take a shower, cook but look out the window, your grass is green? This is the same logic used in this bond.

Yes, our schools may not be perfect but for our focus to be on the schools right now is outrageous and is just another example of people turning a blind eye to this terrifying issue that unlike this bond, effects all of us.