We have forgotten that the school works for us. Our parents  pay good money to provide us with a well-balanced academic and athletic  diet in school. So why are problems in our school left untreated and  students complain or ignore the problems that are buried without any  objections? After years of lack of family and community participation, our school has been conquered by an administration that can't seem to  fulfill the needs of a demanding student body. And now, we've been  diagnosed with apathy as students complain and whine and nothing  changes. How can we regain our power and have the school and  administration work for us once again?
Has APW been burying our school problems? We live in the evidence.   Sure, everyone complains about school and community issues, but no one  fights for the cause. Aren't you  sick and tired of listening to the  whiners and complainers that plague our school?   Oh gee, the cafeteria  food sucks, our sports teams stink, the parking lot's too small, girls  are treated like babies in gym class, lockers are too small, our school  is so primitive, no one wants to support new activities, our school's on  welfare, teachers don't teach well, everyone's a pot-head, computer lab  is never open, too many restrictions on the pep rally and spirit week, football gets all the money, there's no heat in winter, we fry in the  summer, we're a small school with limited opportunities, homecoming is  just a popularity contest, no one wants to try new things. As a  student, doesn't it anger and bother you that problems keep growing and  real solutions aren't put into affect? It's frustrating to see our  school and community spirit and interest in our school as if it  wasn't worth trying to improve. But, most of all, it's sad. As sad as  a funeral. Is our school on its deathbed?
A lot of energy is wasted in apathy. An apathetic person is  someone who talks or complains but never puts any real effort into  backing up their words. They seem to care, but their talk is cheap.   Apathy is a catchy disease with many symptoms. The first sign of an  apathetic person is complaining and whining. The person has identified  the problem and has an unhealthy reaction to the disease they've  caught. Instead of curing the problem, their condition grows worse.   The next symptom is making excuses. I have to do this, I have to work  here, I can't do that.. are the usuals. They have no time, money or  energy to help solve the problem yet all their energy is wasted in  creating excuses and complaints. Still the problem exists and their  energy continues to be wasted. Blaming someone for the problem and  ditching your responsibility attached to the problem is the final  symptom. Once you've experienced this, you can assume that you have a  full  blown case of apathy. You have given up on trying to solve the  problem and your only hope is to blame someone else to help relieve your  pains even though it's your problem and your responsibility to try and  solve it.
   Are we content with the low standards and many limits our school  offers? Are we living up to our full potential as a school in academic  and athletic areas? Do we want to be forever recognized as puny, hicksville APW? How can we cure such an infected school populous? It  starts with the student body. Do we have the desire and intelligence to  change things take action and fight for change? Some of us have these  weapons, but we don't know how to use them to benefit the cause.   If we  unite, we can fight for change together and apathy will be at a low and  desire will be at a high. Some things you can do as a student to lessen  apathy and revive our school are at our fingertips. Starting a petition  is a good step. You're fighting for your cause and showing your  seriousness. Also, you show that many people support your cause and the  school can't ignore an issue that concerns so many students. Don't  fight for your cause alone. No one wants to hear their voice echo when  they express their opinions or objections. Strength in numbers is an  excellent way to show seriousness and to get things changed.
      Attending school board meetings can give you a chance to look at how  school decisions are made and how and who solves problems in our  school. All decisions, from the lunch menu to janitorial supplies, are  made here. Attending these meetings allows students to have an  opportunity to voice their opinions and grievances. This is also the  time to present your propositions, problems and suggestions to the board  about school issues. As students we should have the desire, intelligence and concern to want to know what is being done to our  school. After all, the decisions made at the board meetings determine  how problems are solved or how problems originate and how they effect  us. If we were there, we could absorb some knowledge on how our school  functions and then we would have some power to influence decisions.   Reading this paper and offering "letters to the editor" voicing your  opinion is also an action taking step.