OPINION: Are Hamberites Being Restricted?

Photo Credit: Teresa Chen

Every year, a plethora of student events occur. Student council and grad committee organizes the vast majority of them, ranging from holiday markets to Valentine’s grams, while a wide array of clubs runs the rest. 

In the first full year post-pandemic, I wanted to examine the state of student-run activities and consider if students are being well-supported by the school. It seems that this year, more so than in past years, students have been restrained in what they can accomplish. I interviewed four people from different perspectives - a teacher; Eric Hamber’s principal, Ms. M. Jensen (Administration); a member of Student Council; and a member of the school store, the Griff.

The teacher I spoke with - who requested to remain anonymous - commented that there are a “multitude of reasons” why fewer events may be happening this year. They remarked that events, as well as larger projects such as field trips, are more “onerous” to plan. A more significant factor they proposed was the semester system - “Teachers have a lot less time now, because of the semester system,” - and planning anything, whether it be an event with a club or a field trip with a class, is increasingly difficult. 

The semester system has proven to be a particularly sore point with some teachers. “When are you supposed to plan anything?”, one teacher remarked, especially in regards to teachers without a prep block. “A lot of teachers can barely breathe,” they said, commenting that for many teachers, there simply is no longer time to assist in planning extracurricular and other more recreational activities around the school. Furthermore, “a lot [of teachers] are looking at not being full-time,” due to the semester system. However, this creates the problem of teachers attempting to create additional time to manage their classes and in the process taking a pay cut, they explained. As well, part-time teachers are “less likely to be involved in school stuff.”

The semester system, preferred by 67 per cent of students but only 27 per cent of teachers according to the Vancouver School Board’s survey, seems to be inhibiting the enjoyment of both students and teachers. With less time and more work each day, teachers are disincentivized from supporting the students’ extracurricular endeavours and planning special events. As teachers move into part-time capacities, they become further disconnected from student life in the school.

When it came to field trips, they stated that an added difficulty arose when “you’re always hitting the same class.” When a teacher wants to take a class out for a field trip, and they have to miss a class, it will most likely always be the same ones. 

I also had the opportunity to interview Ms. Jensen, who was able to provide some clarity as to the planning process for student-led events in the school community. She explained that the planning process begins with her, with a representative of one of Eric Hamber’s more than 50 clubs “start[ing] with me.” She said the specific planning process changes “depending on what it is the students are interested in.” Some of the considerations that go into planning and approving events include scheduling concerns and the existence of other planned events. “The reason that it would start with me is that I can help from that practical standpoint so that we’re not having a collision,” she explained. 

She also explained that when it came to events of a more political tone, “the staff who are working with students […] are ensuring that [the event]... is something that is [sic] very well-supported.” She continued to explain that sensitivity issues, considerations of different perspectives, and the advice of multicultural liaisons also plays a factor.

She declined to comment on the impact of the semester system on student events.

I spoke to a member of Student Council, who mentioned that “there have been a lot of difficulties [with Student Council], especially with admin,” explaining that “we weren’t able to do certain events that we had done […] in previous years,” specifying Valentine’s Day matchmakers and Canley Cup as examples. The StuCo member clarified that they did not know the reason for these prohibitions, but “that it seems to only be a problem this year, and only at Hamber,” and that they would “like to know why.”

However, they remarked that the relationship between administration and StuCo was not always difficult, and that “there are members of admin that we communicate way more directly to and way more often with,” compared to others who were “more distant.” 

They commented that they felt Student Council had been “disappointed” and that StuCo often is not given a reason as to why events could not occur. They said “we have to think of alternatives, but usually these alternatives […] don’t work as well.”

The final source was a member of the Griff, Eric Hamber’s school store. “The design for the Griff this year […] was more about getting it started up again,” they said, when asked about the rationale behind operating for two weeks. “They [teachers and administration] wanted it to be more of a pop-up event,” they commented, but the decision was made “definitely not [by] the Griff members.”

“[The control] was extremely tight,” they said on the oversight by the administration of the Griff. “We had a lot of trial and error when proposing products,” they explained, “that were rejected by admin,” primarily due to food restrictions from the district level. They related that the Griff team expended a great deal of effort in “finding products that would work.”

A possible explanation for the administration’s reluctance to permit certain events could be a fear of litigation. A fear of offending someone or a group of people politically, concerns over safety due to food, or worries over injuries are all factors that may play a role in the possible restrictions placed upon student activities. A counterpoint to this is the historical record when it comes to these events. In past years, many events akin to some of the ones no longer permitted went smoothly and did not result in litigation. However, a potential lawsuit could result in the school and district becoming mired in legal fees and lengthy courtroom disputes that could cause greater harm in the long term. 

This combines with the semester system to create a perfect storm - the district and administration are concerned about possible litigation, while the teachers are overwhelmed with work due to the lost prep block. This storm is a significant cause for student activities this year to be fewer in comparison to prior years.