IRC is always great. I love that we can talk about whatever's on our minds rather than discussing things in the context of individual posts (which is also why I dig Pubski): I think it really contributed to the nature of Hubski as a community rather than just a forum.
You guys need to stage a "sit in" (shit in, maybe!) in the bathroom to restore your dignity and human rights. Just because there's a dumb ass or two vandalizing doesn't mean everyone else should suffer. That's called collective punishment, and it's against norms of war even. School is like jail, but gets better as soon as you realize that you're a real person and not a farm animal.
Sometimes the administration needs to be reminded they're only nominally in charge. We had a lunch lady slap a girl across the face in 6th grade for no good goddamn reason. She was piled on by an even dozen 6th graders. The principal had to pull a few of us off. Strangely enough, the lunch lady was dismissed and nothing ever happened to any of the kids. The Principal apparently decided to just let the sands of time forget... but the lunch ladies were a lot more circumspect for the rest of the year. My wife led a protest against one of her professor in med school. They wanted the professor to stop belittling and insulting students in the middle of lecture. The professor was given an ultamatum: take your meds or face dismissal. Things were a lot more pleasant for the remaining years; my wife even TA'd a couple of the professor's courses.
Absolutely. Kids seem to not understand that power is mostly illusory. Go to the bathroom whenever you want. WTF is anyone going to do about it? Don't be a willing participant in your own encirclement. I don't want to blame the victim, but sometimes the victim needs to be shook violently to remind them that it's ok to be yourself.Sometimes the administration needs to be reminded they're only nominally in charge.