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EDUCATION Hedrick student council works to clean up the language Hedrick student council mounts a clean-talk campaign Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 9, 2014 at 6:35 PM Updated Dec 9, 2014 at 6:36 PM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 9, 2014 at 6:35 PM Updated Dec 9, 2014 at 6:36 PM » Social News No one’s mouth is getting washed out with soap, but members of Hedrick Middle School’s student council are wearing a bar of soap on a string every Tuesday to remind their peers to keep their language squeaky clean. In addition to an anti-bullying campaign, the 50-plus seventh- and eighth-graders on the student council are running a “Wash Away Bad Language” campaign to address what they consider the school’s biggest problem. Sitting on the bleachers in the gym one day, eighth-grader Tanner Stach said he heard students cursing about once every 10 seconds. He also heard students making inappropriate comments about the campus monitors. “It bothers me because these kids are my age and go to class with me, and they are calling other people names, their classmates names and their teachers names,” Stach said. “For one, it doesn't make sense why they do it. And two, it doesn't make them sound any better.” English teacher Loni Strong said that that every seventh-grader she interviewed for student council said bad language was an issue on campus. Profanity and name-calling aren't necessarily an issue in class where teachers closely monitor students and enforce consequences, including detention, for students breaking the school's code of conduct. But in the halls, cafeteria and, especially, the gym, the students’ language is uncensored. “Their friends say it. Their parents say it. It’s in the media, and they think it makes them sound cool so they say it,” said eighth-grader Madaline Dalke. The student council will begin taking pledges — “I pledge to keep my language nice and clean” — Friday at the school’s Snowcial event. Students who make the pledge can add bubbles including their names to the Wash Away Bad Language poster. “We hope that if some of the more popular kids take notice and fill in bubbles then others will follow, starting a chain reaction,” Stach said. Students who make the pledge also may purchase soap on a rope for 25 cents. Eighth-grader Daniel De Leon’s mom works at Best Western and persuaded the hotel to donate about 50 bars of soap to the campaign. Strong visited about eight other hotels asking for soap donations and was finally able to convince Comfort Inn to sell her the soap for 25 cents each. Another student, eighth-grader Andrew Hall, designed a logo for the campaign — a hornet riding a bar of soap — on his mother’s iPad. Hedrick's mascot is a hornet. “I applaud the students for saying, ‘We want to do something about this,’ and doing it,” said Principal Dan Smith. Strong said the students will be accepting pledges and selling soaps on ropes every Tuesday as they continue to try to clean up the language.  Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 9, 2014 at 6:35 PM Updated Dec 9, 2014 at 6:36 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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