Have you ever had that bad feeling in school? No, not the feeling of walking into the cafeteria and realizing it’s pizza day. And no, not the feeling of realizing the heat isn’t on during a 50-degree day. Those are both awful feelings. But there’s one feeling of dread that needs to be stopped. The dreadful, fearful, shaking moment when a balloon pops in school.

Balloons have no place in school assemblies. I understand they add a cute vibe to the gym and are used for decorations, but are they necessary? No. I don’t believe they are. Because at the end of the assembly, when everyone is walking out, the worst kind of students get to take the balloons from the gym. They then take those balloons into the hall and pop them.

A simple pop is not what it used to be. When a balloon used to pop in school, it was a silly noise and a good laugh between friends. Nowadays, noises like that bring fear to the people not around to see it happen. There’s no good way to dance around what we think it is. It sounds like a gunshot. “It’s unfortunate, but today’s kids have one giant worry that we never had growing up. This really affects not only how the day looks but also their mental health,” says Matt Hall, English department.

For children in a public school, getting shot is a constant fear. The news broadcasts stories every day of public mass shootings, and students are the main targets. That fear doesn’t need to be heightened while walking to a class after an assembly. Sure, we could learn to expect it by now and just ignore it. But the moment we start ignoring it is the moment it becomes real. “The loud noise always scares me, and it’s always sudden. I hate feeling that fear in school,” says Kou Shabram, 12.

Teachers hate the balloons, too. We, as students, aren’t the only ones who have to live with those fears. Teachers are in charge of us, which means protecting us in moments of uncertainty. They shouldn’t have to worry that a balloon popping in school means the end of their lives or the lives of their students. “I think we need to be sensitive to the experiences of others and the challenges we face nowadays,” says Kate Atrash, English department.

Stop the balloons, stop the fear.