Many Rocklin High students love to go to the local businesses after school like Starbucks, Savemart and Tops Yogurt – but inappropriate student behavior by a few students can majorly affect these businesses – and how they relate to all young people. Students can often bring a financial boon to local businesses. According to spartanshields.org – a publication of Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa, “…a majority of students spend $11-20 on Starbucks per week. The total money spent can range anywhere from $165 to $300 each semester.”
I want to be a friend to my friends … but at the same time, you want to respect workers.”
-Peyton Calmes
Yes, students spend money – but with that money can come disruption. Rocklin High School senior Jessica Trubell has seen that disruption first hand, “When I was in Starbucks, one time, I saw a group of boys who took all the cups sitting on the Starbucks tables and ripped the tags off and just, they just threw them in the bathroom and all over the ground. I later heard about them getting in trouble, but I’m not totally sure what happened.”
Rocklin freshman Peyton Calmes agrees, “There was one instance where one of my friends was like, stealing from SaveMart and they got in trouble but [they] didn’t really do anything to us. They just told us to put it back. I feel like that’s such a hard situation to be in because I want to be a friend to my friends and just go along with what they’re doing, but at the same time, you want to respect workers. So in [my] situation, if a worker was getting mad at us then I would just leave.”
This student behavior seeming has led to some stores closing, changing their hours, or placing restrictions on students because they don’t want to deal with the bad behavior and stealing. Trubell said, “I think the worst thing that’s happened and that’s affected me is the CVS having to close down because of everything going on and all the stealing there. CVS is where I always went to get just like any essentials I needed really quickly.”
Calmes has also been affected by stores not allowing students in to shop unless they are accompanied by an adult, “For the students that didn’t do anything wrong and weren’t allowed to go into the stores it was honestly really hard. For instance, I had a softball practice where I forgot water and I needed to go buy some, and I couldn’t because the store wouldn’t let me in without an adult. I just don’t think it’s fair to the students that aren’t doing things wrong.”
