It’s unavoidable in the hallways and even in the classroom: cursing is everywhere all the time. We’ve all learned “bad” words (a.k.a. swear, curse, or cuss words), but when did they become so integrated into our daily vocabulary? And is that even an issue? “If you’re having a conversation and you use a curse word to express yourself, then there’s no harm in that,” said one senior. “Cursing is just wrong and it’s not decent, it has no meaning and it is just stupid,” said a junior. 

“I would say there is a spectrum. If I hear someone say something in the hallway that’s not directed at anyone — just in conversation — we address it as a teachable moment,” said Dr. Irizarry on the issue of cursing. We all know that look that teachers give as if to say “Come on, really?” 

“If there is a verbal conflict with two students going back and forth, using inappropriate language, that’s when it becomes an issue,” said Dr. I. Offensive slurs directed at people is where administration draws the line, and a visit to the office is warranted. “I think that cursing is not a big deal when it is not being used to degrade someone,” agrees a freshman. 

We are teenagers and cursing is just a social norm that has become less and less serious. As a senior said, “Sometimes it’s how people express themselves.” In a recent K.T.R. survey, it was found that 97.6% of the students responded that they curse to some degree in school. If basically everyone is doing it, why is it still reprimanded sometimes?

“Students should learn how to act in a more professional setting as they go through C.H.S. We don’t have as much of an issue with seniors than we do with freshmen, in general,” said Dr. I. Cursing may be taken relatively lightly at C.H.S.., but professional workplaces usually don’t allow it. So just like every rule at C.H.S. that sometimes seems unnecessary, the discouragement of cursing is used to prepare us for the real world. 

Whether you get uncomfortable or offended by cursing at school, the majority of students agree with a senior who said, “Words were invented to be said.”