By Katherine Doan

SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Silver Creek High School students who purchased items from the school bank, in past years and this year, believe that some item prices should be reduced.

The Administration Office in the S-Building of the school is linked to the school bank, which is also located inside the building. It is located behind the Food Services facility, past the rooms of the Mental Health and Wellness Center. To the left of the pink-decorated administration office entrance, look for a ledge or sign with the words “School Bank” at the top.

Many students buy PE clothes after losing them throughout the school year to use in class, but the majority of clothing is priced between $15 and $20. The PE shirt and shorts are $15 each, for a total of $30 if you wanted the complete set for the warmer weather. For colder temperatures, students would purchase sweatpants, which cost $15, and a sweatshirt, which costs $20. The sweats are $35 when purchased together.

Because they rip easily at the arm area, I believe the PE-Shirts should cost $10 per piece. If a student wanted to buy every clothing item, it would cost up to $65.

The only thing wrong with the school bank is that the locks are $7 for boys but not for girls. The girls’ lockers already have locks installed, but the boys must purchase their own. Even though the boys have smaller lockers than the girls, the school decides to make them buy a lock for it. The biggest question that arises from the students is, “Why do boys have to purchase a lock? Shouldn’t the locks be free?”

In my previous school experiences, the locks given to students were the same and did not cost anything; however, as I entered high school, boys would have to purchase their own locks, and if they lost them, they would have to buy them again for $7.

An important situation that should be acknowledged for boys is that if their locks aren’t replaced, someone else who knows the owner’s combination could break in and steal their belongings.

Max Vo, a freshman from Silver Creek, complains, “It is unfair for males to have to buy their own locks while girls are exempt from this requirement. Why can’t it be like middle school, where the locks are provided for free and are handed back at the conclusion of the academic year?”

“It makes sense for locks to be returned after the school year concludes, so when boys change their lockers no one will know what their new lock combo would be,” says Katie Nguyen, a sophomore. “If the locks aren’t changed, other people who know the person’s locker combination will be able to break in and take the owner’s belongings.”