Bracelets Raise “Awareness”

By LeAnn Vance

A few weeks ago, some freshman boys bought bracelets that depicted an inappropriate phrase from Zumiez, a popular clothing store. After wearing them to school, they were given detentions because the bracelets were seen as offensive. They argued that the money they spent on these bracelets goes to the support of breast cancer awareness.

Tuesday marked the beginning of second semester, and a number of students were sporting these bracelets in protest. They are upset that their fellow classmates received detentions for what they considered to be “supporting a good cause”.

Jack Howman, a freshman, was one of the first students to receive a detention for wearing one of these bracelets. “I bought a bracelet, because I heard that some of the money would go to support breast cancer. I don’t understand why I got a detention for supporting a good cause,” he says. He also claims that he “wasn’t trying to start anything,” and he does not understand why people think they are “disrespectful.”

Although these boys feel that they are supporting breast cancer awareness, Mr. Geittmann as well as a few other staff members, feel differently. “The fact that some staff members, as well as myself, take offense gives us reason to prohibit them,” he explains. He also says that after visiting the Zumiez website he learned that the bracelets are sold for only four dollars apiece and that “a third party seems to be making a profit off of them, which is shameful.”

Even though these students feel that they are doing no harm, it seems that other people feel that what they are doing is discourteous. Therefore, the chances of seeing anyone wearing one of these bracelets in the future is very low. Hopefully, these students will find a better way to show that they support breast cancer awareness.