Letter of Protest

Dear Faculty of CPEHS,

We can all agree that the main priority of high school students is to get into college. We have to decide which college to attend, how far we would like to travel, and which scholarships to pursue. Throughout our four years of attending high school the only thing we continue to hear is the word “college.” It has gotten to the point where it is no longer something we would like to get into but instead something that we must get into. The most important question we continue to hear is, “Which college would you like to attend?”  However I have a question of my own, is it really up to us whether we get into the school of our choice? Yes, a huge part of whether we get into the college is our grades and our SAT scores, but what about our extra curricular activities? As a fellow student attending Central Park East High School I understand the requirements of graduating and what we need to do to be accepted into college. Although I do not understand why our fellow students, including myself, are limited to the programs and sports that Central Park East under the ruling of Principal Bennett provide for us. Then in the end, it is up to us to feel the guilt and shame once we receive the rejection letter.

            We are constantly reminded that although colleges like to see impressive transcripts, it is our extra curricular activities that aid them in making their final decision. They continue to pressure us everyday about joining all these programs, however do not offer any programs (at least of interest). What about the students who can not play the  certain sports that Central Park East High School offers? Why don’t they offer other sport programs that other students may be interested in and actually know how to play? Are we suppose to sit on the sidelines and let these students take our rightful place at the top schools? No, I refuse to. My fellow classmates we should not be limited to the extra curricular activities that the school provides us with, we should have many more options to choose from. Is it our fault that we are not athletes or that we do not like the programs that the school has provided to us? Or is it your fault, Bennett, that we do not have any more opportunities?

            One of our fellow students Briannie Santiago created a petition for flag football and she was able to get 600 signatures from fellow students who also wanted this sport in our school. Students of Central Park East High School, is there a flag football team in our school? No. The reason for this is because Bennett had said that there wasn't enough money to have a flag football team in our school. Yet she was told that all she had to do was get her petition signed and the rest would be taken care of the following year. This is another example of how our “needs” are not being met by the school board. Take a look at our transcripts now, and think about what colleges will think. When you send in your application you can not also send in a little note explaining why you have nothing to put in the section “extracurricular activities”, they only see what is there . It is left to them to either throw it out or look into it. How lucky will we be?

I am aware that creating more programs and sports can be difficult due to our school’s low budget, having no where to play, as well as no coaches to prep us.  However, we should not let that stop us what if we as the student body have a fundraiser where we can have a bake sale, or create a talent show where people would have to pay a small fee to get in as well as for food. Also Central Park East High School can join schools together with Park East, Heritage, and other neighboring schools. so that the budget wouldn’t be so low. We can also play in Central Park, or at Randall’s Island where there is an vast amount of space. As well as have teachers from our school and other schools who would be willing to teach high schools how to play a sport or create a program that we the students would like to join.